Chris
My suitcase and I headed down the hall towards Sita's hotel room. I focused on the carpeted floor and considered how expensive the décor and aesthetics seemed. The place was right up her alley. It didn't scream, 'Let's make our marriage work.' So what? Was it all funded by Qadir. We had opposition from every side, doing anything and everything to break up our family or to separate us. I knocked on the door.
"I am on my way. Just a second," Sita said from the other side. I heard click-clacking on the tiles inside. Sita opened the door in nothing but high heels and underwear. My breath caught. She only opened the door quickly and turned back into the room. My eyes roamed over all of her.
"Hi! I am delighted you are here. I am… as you can see… still getting dressed." She said it in such a playful manner I didn't know who she was anymore. Sita would never have done anything like that in a million years when we were still married. I couldn't move standing in the open door. Sita was walking here and there. She glanced my way a few times and saw I was hesitating. The sheer, red, lacy panties and bra were filled out by voluptuous curves and cleavage. It grieved me to compare Juliet's body to hers, but Sita was more mature and a woman in all the right places. Juliet's figure was thin, with little breasts and legs for days, but Sita didn't lack in that apartment either. I also didn't want to, but my mouth was dry; my body betrayed me as images flashed in my mind.
She walked towards me, took my hand, and pulled me into the room. The tiny entranceway made us push against each other as the door slowly closed. She placed my hand on her ass, taking a small step toward me. I stiffened—everywhere, letting go of my suitcase. "We really don't have to wait… It seems," she grinded up against me, "You want what you see. This is what I meant… Juliet is not all you're thinking about."
The dryness of my mouth spread to my throat as I thought about how hurt Juliet would be; even reacting felt like a betrayal. I was a failure. Couldn't we figure out anything else? I shook myself and stopped thinking about Juliet. If I kept counting the cost, I would convince myself not to do it. Sita's luscious lips claimed my mouth. Don't kill this one. Try to control yourself. Not wanting to kiss her, I pulled away and gripped her full ass in my hands, and thrust into her. I kept my eyes on her breasts and tried to see it for what it was—just sex—not even going to make eye contact. Although Sita was right, I was going to have to move it along.
With her hand in mine, I guided her to the bed. She sat pretty compliantly, crossing her legs, trying to be sexy, leaning back on her hands, swinging one leg back and forth. I opened my suitcase on the floor, taking out a small black bag. I moved closer and lifted her one leg, opening a space for me to move into. Sita leaned back so her breast perked up. I leaned down and took hold of her hips, dragging her to the edge. I nudged for her to flip around. Sita was still going along with everything. I slid my hand into her underwear and ripped them at the seams.
"What are you doing, Chris?" Sita asked at last, feeling I was also not the man she married anymore.
I rested a hand on her ass and squeezed, making my voice sultry, "What do you mean? You wanted to have sex before we leave tomorrow… This is the only way. We will not be making memories… for now. I need to be sure you're willing."
She hesitated but forced herself to relax, lying flat on her stomach. I took out a condom from the bag on the bed so she would see what I was doing. She faltered, "Chris, come on. No! That's not what we discussed."
"I don't know where you've been the last few months… Are you going to be mature about this?"
"I don't want the first time to be with a rubber on."
"You asked for me... No! You threatened us! I actually got fooled for only a second by your good acting. Your reactions… made your intentions very clear. You never wanted me back."
She tried to come up; I pushed my knee into her back, "Chris, get off me."
I snorted, "This was for the sake of security… wasn't it? To get protection by association… Don't have a problem with sex anymore, yet still no heart."
"Chris, get the f— off me!"
"No! You wanted to have sex every week for three months… So, that's what I'm going to do. I will keep you here, and if I have to rape you every time, I will."
She actually laughed, "You don't have the balls."
I kept my knee pressed down on her back and took out bondage straps from the bag. She tried to push me off. I manifested. The weight alone crushed her into the mattress, "You forget, I have animalistic desires now." I leaned down, my fully manifested face close to her ear. I slid my paw under her chest, caressing her breast. She squirmed, "Stop." I extended my claws slowly, pressing against her skin till I heard the pop of penetration, and waited for the smell of blood. "Chris, no, please." I slowly scratched over her breast as I pulled my paw out. She cried out, swearing, muttering a few things I couldn't hear.
I fastened the leather bondages to her wrists, "Get off me! Chris! Let me go!"
I ignored her, wanting to get it done as quickly as possible. I tied her hands together, teleported, and used the leg of the bed to secure her outstretched arms above her head. Marcus had shown me how to use it, and I had practiced. "You still don't think I'll do it."
She wasn't terrified yet, and it infuriated me. She thought I was bluffing. I slowly trailed a finger down her spine, over her ass, and down her thigh, pushing her legs open, "Don't, Chris," her ass wiggled.
"You still think I have no balls to go any further."
She gasped and cried out, "You do! I'm sorry. Please let me go." While I put the condom on, Sita flailed around like a fish peeking at me through her hair; after, she screamed. I raked my fingers through her hair and fisted a chunk, pushing her mouth into the mattress. She was making too much noise, "Behave." I roughly yanked her head up and down to drive home how serious I was. Tears were making her hair cling to her cheeks. "You better shut up, or I will shove something else into your mouth.
"This is rape! Chris! Get off me!" she yelled.
I reached into the bag and took out the sex gag, "It's not rape if you begged for it." She shook her head violently as I forced it into her mouth and tied the straps behind her head. Her eyes widened as her cries turned to muffled complaints. My body was still ready as I got on the bed, standing on my knees behind her, taking myself in hand to push into her. I leaned down and whispered into her ear, "This had to look real," the realization finally set in.
"Bang!" The shot came from the balcony. I rolled over her. At the exact moment, Warden tackled the guy hiding outside, crashing into the hotel room and breaking a table. My heart was racing, lying naked next to her. I wondered for a moment how I got there? In a mess like that. Why was Marcus always right? How did he know Sita was lying? I was almost fooled; she seemed so sincere. "A little help, Chris." I jumped to my feet, manifested, and shook Warden off the guy, holding him out in front of me. "Drop it," I growled. He actually tried to lift up the gun. I chucked him against the wall so hard he was out cold.
"What were they planning?" I asked Warden.
"The person she has been seeing… Brendon… from Kentucky."
"You can't tell me he's the schmuck behind this."
I turned back to human, reaching for my pants. I untied Sita, taking off all her bondages. She sat up, black smears running down her cheeks. I took her chin in my hand. She flung her head away from me and spat in my face. "I was going to apologize… Yeah… not anymore." I laughed nervously as I wiped her saliva out of my eye. Disgusted, she ran to the bathroom.
While Warden was busy tying Brendon's hands behind his back, I sat in a chair and let all the pretense go. My hands shook; the bile didn't want to subside and kept rising in my throat; I ran for the basin in the tiny kitchen area, retching. I rinsed out my mouth and splashed water over my face, tightly closing my eyes. I couldn't believe I had gone through with it. I wanted to kill her outright. Marcus wouldn't let me.
The keypad of the door dinged. Marcus took in the scene, "You actually did it."
Angrily, I walked over to him and pushed him against the wall, "If you ever use that crap on Juliet… I'll kill you!" Marcus frowned and pushed me off. I shoved him right back, grabbed a handful of his shirt, and pressed my arm against his neck.
"The compound is where they teach it. How do you think I know how to use it?"
"You better not be into that kind of crap… Juliet doesn't like it rough… She isn't like that."
"That's why I did what I did. Do you think Lucius would have stayed at this?" I lost all my self-control, manifested, and made a gaping hole in the wall next to Marcus's face. He slowly looked at the hole and back at me, "Chris, go to the bar and get drunk, you were acting. The price you paid was worth it… Juliet is worth it… I did this for you… So you didn't have to sleep with her."
"You don't know how far I would've had to go!" I bellowed.
"You need to calm down," he might as well have punched me in the gut. We all told Juliet to calm down all the time. Marcus put his hand on my shoulders and squeezed the furry flesh with his fingers, rubbing his thumb over my muscles. I changed back, ripped open the door, and left them at it.
"We will come to get you later," he said down the hall.
***
Marcus
Watching Chris leave livid and hurt opened my eyes; he really was one of the softer guys. I needed to get going and see if our efforts would yield any answers. Warden had already tied Brendon to a chair. "Where is she?" he pointed to the bathroom. When I found it locked, I manifested and pulled the door off its hinges. She was hunkered down in the shower, crying. I didn't feel sorry for her; she was vile. Sita needed to be taught a lesson. I understood why Juliet hated her; they were total opposites. "You really do bring out the worst in us all… You have two minutes," Sita ignored me. "Clean up, get dressed, or you'll sit out there, naked and bound to a chair," I gave her a second to glare at me. S6ita wasn't winning this fight. She got up and opened the tap, "Good."
I walked out and got clothes and underwear from her bag. I tossed them on the counter in the bathroom, "That's enough." I opened the shower door and threw a towel at her. I left preparing everything we would need.
"At least we know where the leak is. I don't know what will happen to him if he's reported," Warden commented.
I wished Kubra was there; however, I didn't know how far he was up my father's ass. I couldn't call on his help like Chris could on Warden, who was on his own and working under Samuel's guidance. He could do what he wanted, much like Michael.
***
"Two weeks of this? And all you're going to say is Brendon from Kentucky came up with the idea after hearing Juliet giving the laptop to Charlene and Carl."
"Did you get it from the Bertram boy?" Brendon laughed. His thick lips, big face, and long hair irritated me. Sarcastic eyes sneered at me from underneath bushy eyebrows. He wore a pink shirt with his white suit. It wasn't pink anymore and covered in blood; he looked more like a painted canvas.
"No, that idiot doesn't know anything. His father is keeping him in the dark about everything. All he has to do is stay with Juliet… I traced it… found it and gave it to Raas."
"Raas! Now we're getting somewhere."
"Isn't that all we need to know?" Chris asked, frustrated.
"Yeah, I think it's time we ask for Samuel."
"Warden, make it happen?" Chris ordered.
Warden left the room in a hurry. A few moments later, there was a knock at the door, "They can't be back already." Chris opened and Samuel pushed past him into the room, surveying the scene. He walked over to the table where the laptop was and where I had laid out all the information. I played the video on the phone Sita had threatened us with. Samuel adjusted the collar on his shirt, took off his jacket, and hung it over the chair right before I handed him the photos. The sound of teeth grinding and his rapid heartbeat made me a little nervous. Samuel turned around and walked over to Brendon, his facial features contorted in anger. Reaching behind his back, he pulled a gun stuck in his pants. A flat hand was silently directed in Warden's direction, who replied by throwing a silencer at him.
"Wait… Samuel…" he screwed it tight in a few jerky motions, "POP!" Brendon's head jerked, fell forward, and his chin came to rest on his chest.
"What are you doing?" Chris asked, drowned out by Sita's muffled screams.
"There is one punishment for releasing information," Samuels's cold gaze rested on Sita. He walked over to her. The gun lifted. He pushed it against her head. She closed her eyes tightly and sobbed without making too much noise. We had decided to keep the breathable gag in her mouth when she wouldn't shut up. It was two long weeks for her; nevertheless, none of us was going to say anything if she had to die. We would all have liked to see her brains scattered on the wall behind her.
Samuel struggled. He took it away, and Sita gasped, "Clean up this f—ing mess!" There was another knock at the door. Chris answers it. Four maids push past him with masks on. "Warden, take her to a holding cell at the Embassy in France." He jumped into action, knocking her out with one of those tiny black tubes, picked her up, and put her in the bottom of a trolley the other watchers came in with. It was witnessing the well-oiled machine Samuel had created. As Warden left, Samuel turned to us, "Get your stuff and go to Paris. You guys can stay at Louis's house there. Wait for me. I'll let you know when you're needed at the embassy."
***
Ahasuerus. En-gannim.
Raas was on the floor in front of me, shaking; his long white hair gave him away. It covered his face as the fear oozed out his pores. He thought it was his last minutes alive. "Jabin, get everything, and let's start." Raas held out his hand, one small black tube. "You have only one tube this time? It's been months. I told you to monitor him even more, and you bring less?" Raas didn't say anything. "Speak!"
"Marcus has been… different these past few months. Juliet has even gotten to a point where she is withdrawing from him, doubting his intentions… Marcus has her where he wants her. He hasn't touched or spoken to her unless she initiates."
"What else?"
"Qadir…" only hearing his name made me want to go to Earth and kill all of them, "Planned an assassination on Louis Du Pont. It failed."
Two fingers rubbed at my forehead; for a moment… I had thought maybe… Qadir had done something worth my notice. My hopes were squashed. I walked over to Raas, grabbing his hair, "Why am I only hearing about this now? Do you even understand what would have happened if he had succeeded? Can you do nothing right? Do you even know what is going on?"
"I get Marcus's reports directly from Kubra," I dropped his head and got up. The hair on my arms stood up while I scrutinized Jabin carefully. The man never flinched or showed any fear, not like Raas; it was why he was there and if Kubra was deliberately keeping things from us… it would be a problem.
"Well… then you are more stupid than I thought… Jabin cut off his arms at the elbows and put the… right side of his head through a level four torture module."
Raas visibly relaxed, knowing he wasn't going to die, "There is more Sire… Qadir created a diplomatic situation going after Juliet." I needed to kick something to get the burst of anger out of my system, and Raas was already on the floor. Raas's voice was low as he strained to talk, "Qadir needs the group split up to get to Louis and then to her."
"I think there is actually someone out there more stupid than you, Raas. Qadir's been off the planet for so long he has forgotten we do not make fools of ourselves… What did he do?"
"Evidence of exposing her would force Marcus home. And then they would all have to follow or go their separate ways."
"He's getting desperate… Why doesn't he wait till the baby is born?"
"There was a problem with the source… a werewolf woman and a watcher… Marcus got involved and sorted out the problem."
I cursed loudly and threw Raas with the heaviest thing I could get my hands on, knocking him out. Shakely, I walked around the glass surface, hovering in the air; the thing I wanted the most was giving me the most opposition. Marcus had become my nemesis and had shown himself so worthy of taking my place. "Send Asher as a decoy and stall as long as you can. Let's see what happens." Jabin nodded and left. Jabin was the only one who didn't need to bow to the ground or leave my presence backward. But where did his son's loyalties lie? "Oh, and Jabin," he stopped and didn't even turn around… always unwavering, "If Asher doesn't make it… You will have to go and see what your boy is up to." He nodded a quick acknowledgment.
***
Chris
It was only two weeks later Samuel called us to the embassy. We had been away from home for more than a month. We had not seen Juliet for a month and a half, and I felt it. I didn't want to be there. I didn't want to go through all of it. Louis had let us know that he had left her on the farm. She was okay and healthy. Michael was sending him regular messages to report her well-being but not much else. From Louis's time spent with Michael on the boat, he had learned everything he needed to know, and if he said there was nothing to worry about, we had to believe him.
"Hey Samuel, how is Juliet?"
He tilted his head and studied me for a second. He didn't say anything, playing with his tongue over his teeth, "She's fine. Just fine. Don't worry about her." It wasn't really a detailed report. I left it, not wanting to drag him into a domestic dispute.
The person who met us on the first day at the embassy wasn't Raas. The vampire who entered the room was a scrawny man, tall with a very V-shaped face and prominent chin. His hair was dark, and a shaggy mess hanging over his eyes. He introduced himself as 'Asher West.' We all shook his hand. He was very monosyllable and talked very slowly, flinging his very long hair out of his eye the whole time. If he wasn't doing that… Asher kept sweeping it back with a finger.
The following person who came in scared even me. Samuel sat up straight, recognizing the man immediately. His whole face was a battle scar. A cut laid over his forehead that never healed properly. Wrinkled burns covered his cheek and extended down his neck, pulling his skin taught. His hair was thinned out; I didn't know if he was so old or if it was from all the damage. Its light grey-blond color made his skin seem even more orange than it probably should look. Dressed in black cowboy boots, black jeans, a black shirt, and a stylish black jacket. Juliet would have loved him immediately.
He came towards me and bowed in front of me. I abruptly stood to my feet; the man fell to the floor. "Get up! What are you doing?" He jumped up laughing, but also not really. My eyebrows arched. Was the guy all there?
"I am still very nimble… Don't mind the face… These are all battle scars… I am only five hundred and…." he lifted his chin to think for a moment, studying the roof… "Five… Yeah, five hundred and five." My gaze traveled to Marcus for a second. He was watching the new addition we'd never met. I could see his mind processing every little detail. The orange man was shorter than me and held out his hand, "Silvanus Bazin at your service." Then, a tiny chuckle and an "mmm" sound. When he spoke, there was a slight wheezing behind his voice. "It's an honor to be here… I heard there was some trouble with the missus. Can't have that… no sirree, can't have that." Then the chuckle and then the "mmm" sound.
Asher invited us all to sit. It happened all at once, and Silvanus went to sit next to him at the head of the table. The former didn't like it. They glared at each other for a moment, and then they both smiled. Okay, that was the weirdest thing I had ever seen. One was orange, and the other as grey as a pigeon. Shouldn't Samuel be at the head of the table anyway?