Possession (6 page)

At least they left him the minions.

Julian considered himself most fortunate to
be healing while the most recent hunter was dead. The minions
brought him a fresh victim a day, and by the time the new girl
arrived three months later, he was back in good shape and
self-reliant. He watched the young mouthy brunette for a couple
nights, left a note describing her weaknesses on her doorstep, and
left town.

From what he heard, she lasted five years,
something no other hunter had ever done. They were on the third
girl, or something, since.

The water rippled from behind the thin
bathroom door as Catherine lowered her body into the water.

Julian imagined her creamy skin would pink
with the heat, bubbles hiding her pert breasts from view. He
already knew she liked citrus-scented soap, like orange blossoms.
Fatigued from a long day on her feet, she’d sink down to chin level
in the water, closing her eyes in bliss as the warmth soothed her
aching muscles. It would be the perfect moment for him to slip in
unnoticed and join her, catching her foot when she jumped in
surprise and kneading the pressure point in the arch. She’d be
instant putty in his hands, and then he’d show her just how useful
it was for a vampire to not need to breathe…

He came suddenly, spurting all over his hand
and belly.

“Think you were a soddin’ adolescent…” he
chided himself.

That’s it, mate…it’s been too long since
you’ve had a bit o’ rough and tumble.

He could go into London, find some chit for a
fuck and feed…

Making up his mind, Julian changed clothes
and headed for the easy part of town.

***

Catherine finally had a night to herself
without needing to study until she fell asleep in the book, and she
couldn’t fall asleep. Her mind kept going over the day, what Alana
said, and her conversation with Julian.

And the fact that Lorcan was two and a half
weeks away.

She could run away, but she had very little
money. Without some kind of protection, Lorcan would probably find
her again. If she befriended Julian, then she had a potential ally,
but was he befriend-able? Being amicable during her lessons didn’t
mean he cared for her.

And Julian was smart. He’d probably guess the
reason she was trying to get chummy and call her bluff on it. But
Alana suggested it was possible…

Two hours later, Catherine was no closer to
falling asleep.

“Screw it.”

She got out of bed, donned a robe, and went
down to the kitchen to make some warm milk.

***

Of all the places, on all the nights, I have
to run into a demon hunter…

Julian had gone to a demon/human bar that was
a guaranteed location to get laid, only to discover that it was
demon-clearing-night for the current do-gooder. Barely got to
finish his ale before the bint started tearing up the joint.

Bitch
.

Uninterested in landing back on their radar,
he snuck out the back while no one was looking and drove home.
Stomped straight to the kitchen to raid the liquor cabinet.

“Hey…bad night?” Catherine asked, sounding
surprised to see him.

Julian skidded to a stop. “What are you doin’
up?”

She held up a mug. “Warm milk. I couldn’t get
to sleep. You?”

With her hair down, face scrubbed clean, and
flannel pajamas, she barely appeared all of her eighteen years.
Wholesome beauty untainted.

“Went out for a drive.”

Julian walked to the liquor cabinet, took out
his key, and unlocked it.

***

In that?
He wore a leather coat over a
tight tee and even tighter jeans.

“Wearing cologne?” she ventured.

“What’s it to you…”

“Nothing. Just curious, since I’m awake and
sitting here.”

“Curiosity killed the cat, love.” Julian
selected Glenlivet and drank straight from the bottle.

“Good thing I’m not a cat, then,” she
replied, stirring her milk.

He straddled a chair across from her as she
sipped from the mug. “The kitten, then. Still applies.”

“If I were to guess, you planned to blow off
some steam.”

“And now?”

“Still looking to…hence the bottle,” she
said

Julian took another healthy swig. “Hm.” He
narrowed his eyes, scrutinizing her.

Catherine blinked innocently over her
cup.

“It’s almost Halloween, you know…”

“Is it?” The subject change was sudden.

He nodded once. “Demon night off. It’s when
we’re goin’ to the theatre.”

Her eyes widened. “The end of October is next
week
?”

“Miss Meticulous doesn’t know what day it
is?” he teased.

“I have…I-I do, it’s just… I lost track of
the
date
, okay? Happens when your world’s turned upside
down.”

***

Might be the alcohol warming Julian’s
stomach, but he found her frustrated pout adorable.

“So what would you rather be doing?” he
asked.

“Carrying on with what I was. My goal was to
get my teaching degree, eventually. I should be cramming for
midterms, then pigging out on pizza with my roommate. God, she’s
gotta be so worried by now…”

“You were chummy?”

She nodded. “Fast friends. We arrived to move
in to the dorm on the same day, then kept bumping into each other
after that. Bonded over a love of Chaucer, among other things.” She
smiled, remembering. “That was in August. Feels longer.” She took
another sip from the mug. “Did you go to college, when you were
human?”

“You think I might’ve?”

“Yep. I know Alana well enough now to see
what about all this isn’t her. Gives you away as being an educated
man.”

Another swig from the bottle brought it down
to half empty. “I was, in another lifetime. Right here, in London.
Wasn’t a bad time, all things considered.”

“How so?”

“Wasn’t fond of my classmates, but I was
otherwise at home. Went the full course and everythin’. Came home
after, blah, blah, blah…”

Chemical calm was a nice thing.

“So how old did that make you when you became
a vampire?”

“Twenty-eight. It was September. Cool enough
for ladies to wear shawls at night. I was leaving another dreadful
party, and Celia found me. She freed me, my salvation… I’ll always
thank her for that.”

Julian finished the bottle and gave it an odd
look, wondering how it was empty already. He shrugged and got up to
fetch another. Grabbed a glass, too, this time.

“You needed saving back then?”

“In a matter of speakin’.”

Julian pulled the chair next to her out and
sat, pouring a full glass from the new bottle of JD. No sense
getting drunk on the expensive stuff.

“Misunderstood, I was, except by me mum.
Celia saw to the heart of me, what I yearned for. We had over a
hundred happy years together, until Lorcan…she was Daddy’s girl, to
hell with anythin’ else.”

“How did that whole thing happen?”

Julian refilled his glass. “Lorcan doesn’t
love. Feels it’s beneath him, a human thing. There’s a kind of
affection he has for family, but there’s nothin’ soft about it. He
came into town crazier than ever, and it’s a damn good thing he
settled for just killin’ the demon hunter. When ‘e sets ‘is mind to
a plan…well, it’s twisted and sadistic as hell, but it’s genius,
too…and if you ever tell ‘im I said that, I’ll cut out your tongue
and make you eat it.”

Catherine crossed her heart. “I promise. So,
Lorcan and Celia leave town…and you’re…?”

“Healing. Broke my back. Hated that fuckin’…
Couldn’t hunt, or do much of anythin’ for myself that mattered… A
vampire will heal from just about anythin’, short of cutting off
our head, but it still takes time, and blood. Least I still had the
minions, as useless a lot they were.”

“That must have been hard,” she said. “Did
you ever see her again?”

He nodded, swallowing more whiskey. “Six
months later. It was well and truly…over.”

“I’m sorry.”

Julian sniffed. “’S alright. We had longer
than most, right? And she’ll always go back to
him
,
anyway…it’s how she was made.

***

There was her ‘in’. Catherine placed her hand
on his. “That eats you up, huh?”

He nodded morosely. Abandoned the glass and
went straight for the bottle.

“I don’t know how a woman could forsake such
obvious devotion,” she added, shaking her head. He looked up, eyes
glistening and vulnerable. “Most any of us would kill to be the
center of a guy’s world for a hundred years.”

“You’re just sayin’ that,” he mumbled.

“I’m not! You seem to be the perfect catch
for a vampiress wanting to be loved. Have you tried getting out
there…since?”

“Not exactly how it works, love. There’s no
speed-dating night for demons.”

She rolled her eyes. “But there are clubs,
aren’t there? For booze and a hook-up. It’s the 21
^st
Century.”

“Until a hunter shows up to be the ultimate
killjoy,” he replied, pouting.

“That’s what happened tonight, isn’t it? Knew
there had to be a reason for the bad-ass look.”

Ooops.

Julian curled his tongue behind his teeth.
“The baddest, baby. You like the way I look?” He said this just a
little too close to her face.

Catherine’s eyes watered from the alcohol
fumes. “I-It’s fine…if you’re into that sort of thing.”

“What kind of ‘thing’ is that?”

“You know…the whole ‘can’t take home to Mom’
vibe. But bad boys always lead to trouble.”

“Hm. Trouble can be fun.”

“Trouble can get you
killed
.”

“How can you ever really feel alive if you
don’t test your limits? I bet even you have contemplated a walk on
the wild side at least once…”

Okay, how did this get turned around on
her?

“For, like, a minute. I’m
human
. But
that’s not my way.”

“Bet you’ve dreamed about it.”

“Julian…”

“Not one, little, fantasy? ‘S only natural…”
he prodded.

Well, Cathy, you’re the one that kept talking
to the drunk, horny vampire.

“Not really. I’m boring like that.”

“Not even with all Alana’s sex talk?”

“Geeze, you’re like a dog with a bone…”

“Better believe it, baby,” he slurred. “Hey,
the whsikey’s all gone…”

She put her hand on his arm to stop him as he
made to get up. “Maybe it’s time you called it a night, then.”

“Please! It takes more than two bottles to
get a
vampire
drunk!” Julian shuffled to the cabinet to
retrieve a bottle of rum.

“If you say so,” she muttered. Though it took
only two bottles for him to talk funny…

“Ya wan’ some?” he offered, dangerously
tipping the bottle.

“No, no…you go ahead.”

He nodded. “You’re a good girl, Cat. Always
polite. Kitty-cat, pussy-cat, jungle cat… I got books with drawings
from all those expeditions… Very old. You ever wanna drive Lorcan
around the bend, start singin’.”

“Really?”

Julian executed a poor Boy Scout salute.
“True as the North Star. Hates music.”

“Still… I’d rather avoid him altogether.” She
dropped her eyes to her cup, and swirled the last bit of milk left
around the bottom.

He tucked her hair behind her ear. “I know,
pet. Shows you have a lick o’ sense.”

“I try not to think about it, or just be
brave…but I can’t imagine anything worse then being at his mercy.
And I know I don’t know all he’s capable of, despite being told
what he did to Celia, but it’s enough… I don’t need to be a vampire
for my blood to run cold.”

“You’ve done well for yourself so far,” he
murmured.

Catherine shook her head. “If I was really
brave, I would have left. Disappeared.”

“What I don’t know won’t hurt you,” Julian
replied.

She arched her brow, and he nodded. Well,
then. That was something. He wasn’t going to help, but he wouldn’t
stop her, either. It gave him plausible deniability in front of
Lorcan.

She smiled, then looked at the clock. “Well,
it’s late… You need a hand upstairs?” she asked, standing.

“’M fine.” He rose too quickly and swayed on
his feet. “I’ll, uh, make the trip with you, though.”

Catherine smothered a smile to preserve his
pride. “Okay.”

Chapter 7

Julian’s suite was on the floor below
Catherine’s room. It felt like miles to trek, with a heavy drunk
leaning on her for balance. The old manor had narrow steps for the
staircases, his big booted feet slipping off them with the lack of
his usual grace. He nearly took her down a few times when he
stumbled and flailed for something to hold on to.

She wrapped her arm around his waist and
continued.

“What are you humming?” she asked when they
reached his floor and turned down the hallway.

“Motorhead. Bloody brilliant stuff. Not like
the dreck they call modern music.”

***

If he were a better man, he would have
stopped using her as a crutch once they reached flat ground…but he
wasn’t. He liked having her curves pressed against him, liked
having the excuse to turn his head and smell her fruity-scented
hair. Feel its silky softness brushing against his hand on her
shoulder. It’d been a long time since someone acted like his
friend, lending a hand for the sake of helping.

Catherine stopped in front of the big
mahogany doors. “Well, this is your stop.”

“Right…” Julian removed an old key from his
pocket and inserted it in the lock. Turned to face her as she
stepped aside. “Don’t think this lets you get out of your lessons
tomorrow.”

She laughed. “I wouldn’t dream of it.
Goodnight, Julian. I hope you sleep well.”

He caught her hand when she started to walk
away, lifting it to his lips to place a kiss on the back.

“Sweet dreams, pet.”

She blushed.