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CHAPTER 12
Michael had never been quite so relieved to see his sire. Things had not gone near as peacefully as he had hoped. Gabriel was skittish enough by himself without adding, his, pets horrors as well. No matter what anyone said, the boy flatly refused to believe that Robyn was safe. "Ah, Master." There was something to be said for petty satisfaction.
William came up out of Zak's arms and met Robyn before she could get three feet into the room. "Did he hurt you?" The look he gave Torin promised murder. "Tell me Robby, did he hurt you?"
Robyn pulled away from him. "Did who hurt me?" She struggled with his hands, as they seemed to be everywhere. "Stop it."
William dropped his hands. She was okay, no blood, no marks. "Zak said that you had--"
"Bent to the inevitable." Zak stood behind him hand on his shoulder. "See love, I told you she was safe. So much has happened today, I was wrong in my accusations against my Grand-Sire, now do you believe me."
Robyn stepped backwards, into Torin's arms. "Will, calm down. I'm fine, a little shaky, but hell it's been one of those nights. Tori, isn't going to hurt me. Azrael would skin him alive." She looked over her shoulder at him, grinning. "If I didn't first."
Torin grinned back at her. "I'm much more worried about you eating me alive." The young Mage looked to William. "She's my soul-bonded, my mate. I know I should have never done what I did, it was wrong on my part, but all I can do is strive to make it up to her for the rest of our lives." He held out a hand. "She forgave me, will you?" He knew that he would have to make peace with this one. If he ever wanted Robyn to fully relax, to completely let go of the past, he was going to have to make friends with William.
William looked at the hand, and then at the man connected to it. Could he let it go? He had been so happy last night, with the prospect of spending the rest of his life with the two people he loved more than anything else in the world, and now--. "If you ever hurt her." His grip was firm in the shake. "I'll make sure I feed you a well done stake, got it."
Torin smiled softly. "Me hurting her is the last thing anyone should worry about. We're bonded William, anything she feels I feel. I don't happen to like pain. And to make matters worse, if I wronged her in any way, my master would see to it that I hated life. Believe that, you don't see any marks on me now, I healed them. But just an hour or so ago, he damn near skinned me alive for what I did."
"See." Joseph smiled smugly as he drew William's attention, as did several others in the room. Each had told him repeatedly that Torin was not that kind of person, that anyone of them was more likely to hurt someone than he was. Even Casey had braved notice and defended his friend. "I told you Tori wouldn't do her wrong."
"Enough, child are you satisfied that your love is safe now?" Azrael wanted to sit down, and unless he settled the three before him, he wasn't going to be able to. "Robyn is where she wishes to be. Tori and I will see that she is cared for and protected. You may lay your duty down now."
"Sugar," Torin squeezed her once. "I'm going to go sit with Az, you go play kiss and make up with your two. See you in a while."
Robyn took William by the arm, and pointed back to the love seat that he and Zak had been sitting in. "Come on, let's go talk." Her other hand reached for Zak. "You too."
"She's okay." William relaxed. "If she's up to giving orders, she's fine."
"I never doubted it." Zak tried to sound confident, but in truth, he was relieved to have her in his arms again. "Was your submission difficult baby?"
"Nah, this Master thing is going to take me a while to get used to, but other than that, it isn't much different than when I was with you. You guys have a way about handling things like this that just make them easy." She kissed him. "So what do I call you now? Is it Zak or Gabriel?"
"Zak is my name outside pretty one. Gabriel is my vampiric name, for those of my Kin. Though I guess I should get used to hearing it from mortals, with all the vampires here calling me it, they will pick it up."
"You don't much look like a Gabriel, so not calling you it won't be hard." Sitting here, cuddling between them was nice. All in all, with the exception of the death of her brother, her life had taken a weird but pleasant turn. She was about to suggest finding a quiet corner and jumping them both when her stomach growled. "Whoops," It was embarrassing.
Azrael looked up from what he was doing with Torin. "Precious, was that you?"
"Yeah, I haven't eaten since last night. I guess my body is just now getting around to reminding me." She, blushed, a little under his gaze.
"William, has no one offered you anything either?"
"Azrael." Maria looked up from were she sat curled with Mark and Morgan." I will have you know that both Val and myself have tried repeatedly to get that boy to eat. But he wasn't hungry, and his Master didn't argue with him.
"Tori, pet, perhaps you should take them both to the kitchen, there should be something there that they can eat. Gods know I pay enough to keep it stocked. One would think that in a house filled with vampires, there would be little reason to shop."
"Yeah," Morgan pulled away from Mark, waiting for Torin to get up so she could take his place. "But non-vampires outnumber you three to one around here. And if you want to keep up your diet, we best too." She kissed him. "Hi."
"One moment dear." He looked to Torin. "Go on, I am sure Gabriel will insist that his boy eat. And I trust you will see to your mate."
"Gladly." Torin wondered how long Azrael was going to keep grinding his new status into the ground. "Don't get too comfortable Morgan, I'm claiming him for the night. Robyn doesn't know anyone but he and I here yet, and well, she needs us."
"Go on with you, I'll just keep your seat warm. Mark is planning to sleep with Maria and Valerie tonight, so I have to get in some play." She flipped him the finger as he stuck his tongue out at her. "Besides, Azrael has been so busy tonight, neither Mark nor I have been able to pin him down long enough to take our nightly dose."
Azrael listened to them banter, as he looked around the room. The crisis was over; life was reverting back to normal. Unfortunately, normal, was now rather crowded and noise. He could well understand why Jenna had decided to take a vacation.
There were mortals everywhere, between his, Michael's, David's and now Selene's little boy and Gabriel's mortal husband, Morgan was right. They did out number them. All in all they were well behaved, sweet and cooperative, but still. He was going to have to renovate another part of the house for them. Build a playroom so that they all didn't have to be here. The rooms downstairs, he would remove a wall between two of them, perhaps three. That would give them enough space, that with furnishings, they would be content. The hard part was going to be convincing them that they didn't need to be around their masters every waking moment.
"Master?" Morgan looked at him; she had tried getting his attention twice so far. But he had this lost far off look in his eyes. "Azrael." Her voice took on just a slightly firmer tone.
"Yes." He came back to the world around him. "Forgive me pet, I was thinking. We really must find a space for the lot of you. There are too many people in my room. I can't relax like this."
"Some of us were talking about that earlier." She squirmed around finding a comfortable spot. "Azrael, are you losing weight?"
"Some, I am not feeding as I should. Stress does that to a vampire. And you have to admit; I have been under quite a bit of stress the last few months.
"Well, we'll just have to see about that, now won't we." Morgan was the youngest, and least emotionally damaged of Azrael's pets, and Chosen. So it stood to reason that she was also the bravest in facing him. She reached for his head, pulling it down to her throat. "Eat, eat, you're nothing but skin and bones. What good are you going to do us if you waste away to nothing." Her voice was high pitched and through her nose, as she went into her Jewish Mother routine. Azrael could do nothing but rest there laughing for a moment. Trust his littlest to lighten his mood. "Go on Master, what you not in the mood for AB+ tonight, well how about O+ or O- or any combination of the three."
Her body seemed to melt under his kiss. He could feel her soften, and move closer to him. She wasn't a Mage, and she wasn't powerful, but he loved her as much as he loved any of his pets, and he would be proud of her as his Childe. "Nag, nag, nag." He muttered under his breath. Her next comment caught in her throat as his fangs sank home. She was right. He needed to feed more.
Morgan held his head there, moaning, "It's because I love you."
David sighed with relief. He had been a little concerned about the Elder vampire, and his tendency to not eat. "Remind me to get that girl a present." He whispered to Aaron.
"Present, hell." Michael commented. "If she can get my Sire to start eating more and relax some, I'll buy her the whole mall."
Morgan smiled as she felt Azrael pull away. "Feel better now?"
"I'm going to have to do something about that mouth of yours." She squealed as he tickled her. "Someday."
"You know I love you." Was her only defense. "And from here on, you're on a, pint a night, diet till you start looking better. Least that way, all of us will get a little of your time, and feel like we're paying our way." Her mouth was eager to close over the wound as Azrael cut himself. She had waited too long, just once, and had no desire to ever do that again.
"You know Master," David decided to add his two cents. "She is right. You keep letting yourself go like this, and the young ones who come here to seek refuge are going to think that there is something wrong. The only time I have seen anyone more gaunt than you, it was a Renegade."
Azrael growled. "All right, I hear you. It is bad enough, being nagged by my Chosen, but to hear it from my slave as well. I will see about making sure I take time out to eat from here on."
"I don't understand." Jason looked to Michael. "I know how you get when you don't eat, how come he can put it off so much?"
"I am old, child. As a vampire ages, the drive for blood is less, there, are, some that are so old that if they must feed once a year out of true need, it is a shock. Unfortunately, though I am old enough to not need to feed like the younger ones here. I am not old enough to escape the physical deterioration that comes with malnutrition." He hugged Morgan. "I will do as you have asked sweet. You are right; I am putting our more than usual, so I need to increase my intake. Thank you for caring enough to point this out to me."
* * *
Torin stood in the doorway with Robyn, Zak and William behind him. "So, Mo finally got around to pointing out what has been the chief concern of everyone here."
"Not you as well." Was the whole house bound and determined to brow beat, him?
"Who me?" Torin chuckled. "I'm not very good at nagging, I tend to leave that to the girls. But yeah, I was getting ready to open a vein in front of you."
"Has my diet been everyone's favorite topic of conversation?" This was getting embarrassing.
"No sir." Torin bent kissing him. "Your tendency to not play as much over the last few months or so has been on my mind."
"Men," Morgan moved so that Torin could reclaim his place in Azrael's lap. "That is all any of you ever think about."
"Thank God." Robyn whispered to Zak. "Is that true. Is it all you boys think about?"
Zak picked her up, heading for the door. "Let me find an empty room and a bed, and I will show you what I am thinking about." He looked over his shoulder at William. "Coming love?"
"Gabriel," Azrael looked up at him. "I do not mind if you choose to play with my pet, but she can not leave the room. If you wish to spend time with her, take the bed. She must learn to accept her place in this house. You may come and go as you will with your boy, but for now, she stays here."
"Azrael." he didn't want to embarrass her. "Must I? You pets might be used to this sort of thing, but she is like William, and much more used to privacy."
"I understand that love, that is why she must learn my ways. No, if you wish to spend time with her, I welcome you. But for now, it will be here, in the room with me." He waved a hand around the room. "Look around you, she will not be the only pet so occupied."
"Love?" He looked to William. "Will it bother you? I know how different our ways are for you. If I took my pretty one here, and went to show her how much I love her, would you join us?"
William shrugged. "I could probably get over it. But what about Robby?"
Robyn looked over at him, a look of resignation, on her face. "I don't have a say in it William. It is part of my submission. If my Master wants me to do it here, I will. He's promised to give me what I want. I just have to accept how it comes." Her eyes sought Azrael's. "That about right?"
"Yes precious. You put it well. If Gabriel and his boy are still unready to accept your new life, I will see if perhaps Morgan, here, or Megel will let you be with them. It is too soon for you to be alone."
William looked around the room. What had he gotten Robyn in to? There was no way to undo the damage, but he couldn't just treat her like this. He loved her. "Zak, I can't. I mean if it were just you, and me I wouldn't care, but to use Robby like that. I can't."
"What's wrong William, I not good enough for you anymore." This was stupid. If she could cope, there was no reason for him to get prudish on her. "What happened? You didn't think a thing about asking me to join the two of you last night, and I had only just met him. How come now, that I have my own agenda, I'm all of a sudden too delicate to be exposed. I will be sleeping with everyone in this room. I've already been told this. You might as well get used to it. I'm damaged goods now, if I'm not good enough for you any more, Sir William, 'The Good'. Well fuck you."
"Robyn." Torin was up and across the room, before anyone had an opportunity to respond to her words. "No, baby." Zak allowed him to take her out of his arms. "You're no such thing. I love you the way you are. I don't want to hear words like that out of your mouth again. There is nothing wrong with you. Damaged goods, like our master would have something that wasn't near perfect."
"Yeah, if I'm so perfect, how come my best friend won't touch me?"
Torin made shushing noises as she began to cry. "Honey, I'm sure it's not you. It's us. We are more than he was ready to deal with. Zak isn't like normal vampires, so he wasn't able to teach William how to act around them. I remember how hard it, was, for me those first three or four days. It's going to be even harder for him. I couldn't say, no. I had to obey my master, just like you. He is different. His master chooses to treat him as an equal, so he is able to think about what he wants instead of what his master wants. Give him a few days. You can go curl up with Megel, or if he doesn't mind, I'll ask Joey to be with you. He's my best friend here."
"It's not fair." She drew strength from her tie with him. "He's the one that talked me into accepting Zak, and then it snowballed into all of you. And now, he's acting like my new life isn't acceptable to him."
William looked on helpless. He hadn't meant for her to take it like that. It wasn't that he, didn't want, her, or didn't love her. He just couldn't treat her like an object. She might have accepted the position of one of the house pets, but that didn't mean he had to. "Zak?"
"It's not your fault love. I know how hard this must be for you. Give it time. You will see that she is happy with her life here. Can't you feel it? I do not know what my Grand-Sire has told, her or what agreement they have made, but she is at peace with this. Can you not let her be happy with her new life?"
William wanted to say yes, of course, he wanted to her be happy, but he couldn't. He couldn't accept that to be happy, she would have to live here be nothing more than some play toy for the Undead. "Rob, I love you, I'm happy for you if this is where you want to be. But I--" the frustration of his position was driving him mad. "--I can't. Please baby girl, understand, this is as new for me as it is for you. Your boy there is right, Zak doesn't behave like them, and I can't cope with this change. I'm trying, but."
Michael watched on, his heart breaking at the pain and betrayal he knew Robyn, must, feel. He so wanted to reach out and slap William. The boy was behaving like a selfish child. All the girl had wanted out of him was to be held and loved. If the boy couldn't see past that, get over such little things as not being alone in the room he would never make it here. "Jason."
"I'll take Amber and go find a quiet corner in a room somewhere. I know that tone. On the way out can I cold cock that asshole?" Jason, who had been the evening's entertainment more than once, found William's attitude to be really stupid.
"No beloved, though if he were one of the pets of this house proper, I would insist that Gabriel punish him for his thoughtlessness. But go for now, take Amber and seek a quiet space to do what ever it is the two of you do when I'm not looking. I'm going to see if I can talk Gabriel into letting Cain and I take her."
"I would like to join you." David shook his head. "I have made a few mistakes in my time here, but that boy will make my bumbling seem like complete perfection if he keeps this up."
Michael smiled grimly. David was right, unless Zak got his boy under control very soon he was going to be as great a trial as he had been. "Azrael?"
"Yes, Megel." The Elder vampire watched on, interested in seeing how Torin settled this problem.
"Vincent and I would take her. Let Gabriel deal with his boy for now. Robyn can come and be with us. If the youngster needs sometime to get a handle on things, so be it. But she should not have to feel neglected or unwanted while he does so.
Azrael nodded considering this. "Tori, sweet, bring my little one here." Yes, he wanted to make her see that no one else thought her place or position was wrong, but he didn't want to make William look like a complete and utter fool to her. The boy was a free mortal in a lair full of pets. It couldn't be easy for him. "Come here sweet."
Robyn let Torin pass her to Azrael. Everything was out of focus again. Why didn't William understand? This had been his idea. "I don't get it." She murmured into his neck as he held her. "What did I do wrong?"
"Ssshh," Azrael stroked her hair, calming her. "You did nothing wrong sweet. You must not let your, friends, confusion cloud you. He will come around; it might just take him a few days. Until then, you will just have to rely on others to give you what you need." He looked up for Michael. "Megel, I have an idea. Why don't we send all the pets on to bed? That way there will be none here, but Kin. Perhaps that would be helpful to her give her an opportunity to face her new life."
Michael looked from Robyn to the rest in the room. Yes, maybe his Sire was right. If all the mortals left, there would be less distraction. It was one thing, to have to bend to Kin, but with all these people, 'mortals' , here--. "I agree. An evening without confusion is just what the child needs. But Azrael, a suggestion, Selene's pet, Casey, let him stay with her. My little sister is still too shaky and the two of them seem to have found something of stability in each other."
Azrael looked to his newest Childe. "Selene, is Megel right? Have you and your new pet come to terms?"
Selene looked from Casey, who had spent most of the night beside her. Torin had helped him greatly the night before to relax enough to begin to trust. "Yes, Master. I would rather he stay with me. Torin is staying here, and so far he is the only one Casey will trust other than perhaps you and I."
Zak watched on. He loved his husband, but through William he had come to love Robyn as well. He didn't want to give up his time with her. But neither did he want to alienate his lover. "Sweetheart," he touched William's arm. "Do you want to stay here, or go somewhere else? I would rather stay and support her. But if you need me, I will be there."
William shook his head. "You go on and be with her for now. I know I'm loved, you promised me. I believe you. I'll see where I'm supposed to sleep and go on to bed. If I don't see you before tomorrow night, that's cool, I'll be waiting for you. Just please try to make her understand. I'm glad she's happy, I just can't get a grip yet."
"Are you sure? It's only a little after one. You haven't been up long enough to be tired. What if I ask one of my Grand-Sire's pets to stay with you. I don't want you alone right now."
Amber looked at Jason, rolling her eyes. "I don't remember any of us making such a fuss," she whispered to him. "Should we save the boy from himself, and see about teaching him how life around here is. He is not acting like a male in his place should behave. I know if he were you or Mark, you would be jumping at the chance to stay and join in the play."
Jason shrugged. "You know the old saying, it takes all Kinds." She was right though, maybe he should offer to let William come and be with them. He had more than once played a bridge between mortal and Kin. "Master." He moved to get Zak's attention. "If your friend doesn't mind. Amber and I would welcome him. That way he won't be alone."
Zak smiled at Jason. "Will?" He hoped William would say yes, this would give him a chance to begin healing. "Would you? I would feel so much better if you weren't alone."
An exasperated noise escaped William. "All right, you're going to fuss till I do aren't you. I'll do it, just please, let me get out of here. Robyn keeps looking at me like I've abandoned her."
"Good, I am glad to know that it is just Robyn and her situation that has you thrown off and not all the mortals here. I was worried that you couldn't live with them." Zak hugged his lover. "I promise you, it will get better. Give it a chance. I love you. I will always love you, but I love her as well."
Why couldn't he let it go? No one else seemed to think that what they were doing was wrong. William could feel the amused disgust from all of them. Why did Robyn's life and new choices bother him so? He knew what she was like in bed, what she got off on. This had to be the answer to all her prayers. And she had that boy too, someone that would be with her for the rest of her life, why couldn't he be happy for her.
Then it hit him. He was being selfish. He wanted to be the one to save her, to take care of her. He wanted her with Zak and himself. To have both the people he loved, together and with him for life. Guilt at his obviously unreasonable feelings knifed him. Well there was nothing he could do now but go, let Robyn get what she needed tonight, and maybe tomorrow he could get Zak to talk to his Grand-Sire, and get a chance to speak to her, to explain. "I know you do. I love her too. I'll see about getting my head on straight so that she won't feel like I don't love her. Give her a kiss for me will you. And I'll see ya later."
Amber had waited for William to say his goodnights to Zak before she moved to put an arm around him. "You come with us, we'll see about taking care of you. I know it has been a difficult night for all involved. Time to put it down for a while. Trust me, Jay and I will take good care of you, and Azrael will see to your girl there." She pulled him away slowly, smiling as Jason came up on the other side, adding his touch presence. "Come on, let's go to bed."
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