"Hey," he said softly. "I'm sorry I hurt you. It was meant in a teasing way, not as a heavy handed thing. I did do it because I love you. You needed that shipment but never would have asked me to pull strings. I did because I could, and because it made you happy. And I've discovered that I like you happy. And I like being the one to make you that way." He sighed. "I see now that having Harry remind you was stupid. I understand how it must have felt, but I didn't have him remind you to hurt you. Or to pressure you. Well, okay, not pressure you in an extortion sort of way but to remind you of something good to put you in a better mood."

Her eyes lost some of their sadness, and she traced the brand on his chest just above his heart that marked him as the leader of his tribe, his family sigil. She braced her hands on his biceps and began to ride him, glorying in the feel of his c.o.c.k slicing through her over and over.

He was beautiful spread out below her like a fallen angel. Radiant and yet frightening in his otherness, clearly a predator, but the kind of predator you'd smile at as you fell with him. She watched as his eyes lost focus and blurred with his impending climax. Unable to hold her own back once he reached down and plumped her c.l.i.t with thumb and forefinger, tugging on her nipple ring with the other hand, she cried out.

Her head lolled back as she sighed out his name, her sweet p.u.s.s.y superheated and wet around his c.o.c.k, squeezing him, pulling his o.r.g.a.s.m out, demanding it. With a hoa.r.s.e roar, he followed her, and she collapsed onto his chest, her ear over his heart, listening to the very slow, very strong beat.

Chapter Three.

As dawn approached, he burrowed under the blankets with her in his arms. He knew her home was safe for him-her windows were darkened because she worked nights, and he stayed over so often. One of his human lieutenants, Dominic, was already there protecting Alex. He was able to rest without fear.

Lissette awoke at eleven and took a shower and dressed, leaving Stryker to sleep until twilight. She descended the stairs and saw Alex playing a video game with Dominic and his son.

Dom saw her and smiled. "Coffee's in the pot for you. Strong like you like it. I hope you don't mind that Shane is here. School's out for winter break, and I thought he and Alex could hang out."

She smiled back, unable not to. Dominic was over six and a half feet tall, fists the size of pit bulls, and he could rip the head off most adversaries, but he was a gentle soul underneath it all. That he was a good dad on top of that made her feel even more warmly toward him. Or perhaps she was just in the mood to

love people in the wake of the intense talk of the early morning between her and Stryker.

Patting Dom's arm, she nodded. "No problem. Thanks for the coffee." Peering around him into the television room, she saw his son and Alex furiously mashing b.u.t.tons and involved in some kind of martial arts fighting game. She grinned at Dom who shrugged. "Hi, Shane! Please make yourself at home, Hon.

Morning, Alex. Did you sleep all right?"

Alex turned to her, his eyes alight with glee. "You have the coolest toys ever! A Playstationand an XBox! Heck, I'm not in any big hurry to move in with Xander. Your television is twice the size of theone he owns."

Lissette laughed. "Well, your brother isn't much for video games, and he isn't home often enough to

watch television much. But you're always welcome to come over and play here though, all right?"

"Did you two make up?" His eyes were so wide and innocent, she wondered if she'd ever been that way. This kid was in the sights of a crazed b.i.t.c.h who tried to kill him, and he was playing video games and drinking soda in her house like any other kid his age should be. The realization made her even angrier at Stryker's mother.

Dominic looked up, too, waiting for the answer, clearly as interested as Alex was.

"Yes. For the most part, anyway. He's upstairs sleeping, but he told me to tell you he'd take you for pizza when he woke up, and that he'd talk to you about schools in the area."

"Cool. You know, he's the closest thing I've ever had to a dad. His father, our father, only visited me once. He did write me a lot, and he called me once a month, but he never came to my school stuff. After my mom died, I was thinking that I wouldn't have anyone at parents' weekend, but Xander always came out. I know there's some trouble with my father's wife. I know she doesn't like me. But Xander is a good guy, and you're a good woman. I'm glad you forgave him."

She sat down next to him on the arm of the chair and touched his hair. "Don't worry about her, okay?

Xander will work it out, and until then, you're safe here with me and Dom. This thing? It's not about you.

I want you to trust your brother to make everything all right."

Alex sighed and nodded back at her with those same blue eyes that Stryker possessed. She'd only barely resisted the urge to lean down and kiss the top of his head before she got up to leave the room.

She and Dominic shared a look as she filled her cup and stirred in milk and sugar. "That crazy b.i.t.c.h has got to be muzzled."

"I hope Stryker can talk some sense into her. I've never seen her so out of control. She wasn't always like this, you know. She used to be a different person. Rueben was a philanderer. He always was. For three hundred years, he was. Frankly, I'm shocked Alex is the only offspring from his affairs. I mean, he and Graciella only had Xander, and it took her nearly two hundred and fifty years to get pregnant.

"The shock of finding out did something to her. I can only hope Xander can give her the cold slap of reality that she needs. You'd like the old Graciella, and I think she'd like you, too, if she just got hold of herself."

"I wonder about that myself. The other kids thing." She shrugged. "I'm guessing there are others out there, but they never came forward for one reason or another. But Alex is a sweet, smart twelve year old who has absolutely nothing to do with his father's problem keeping his p.e.n.i.s in his pants. She's a mother.

You'd think she'd understand that."

Sometime later, she heard the doorbell ring and went toward the door to answer it. Dominic met her in the hall and shook his head, motioning for her to get behind him. Looking into the room where the boys were, he ordered, "stay in here." There was no room for argument in his statement, so they nodded. Backing out of the room, he shut the door and turned back to Lissie.

"You know this is going to be from her, and we don't know what it'll be. Stay behind me until I see who and what it is." She gave him the same nod the boys had, always amazed when this part of him surfaced. His face was hard, eyes alert and mean.

He looked out the gla.s.s on the front door and sighed. "Yep, it's one ofher people. Looks like a lawyer."

"Oh great," Lissette said without enthusiasm. "Let the vampire games begin. Move back, and let me open it. Rip his head off if you need to. I promise to get out of the way." The look he gave her promised he would indeed do it if he needed to.

She opened the door and gave the man in the suit her best arrogant glare. "Yes?"

"Ms. Norris?"

"Yes. What do you want?"

"I am here on behalf of Graciella Stryker. She wishes me to tell you that you are harboring an outlaw. A member of another tribe who does not have permission to be here. As such, you are involving yourself in matters that will only complicate your life."

She snorted. "You really came all the way over here to deliver that little message? She knows my number. She's called me enough times to let me know how disappointing I am as a potential mate for her son. I hope you charge her extra for mileage.

"Look, tell her highness that she can kiss my a.s.s. I'm not in your little tribe system and as such, I couldn't give two f.u.c.ks about it. The boy who is staying here is twelve years old and still human. If she complicates my life, she should know that Xander will complicate hers right back. Perhaps she ought to not issue threats and try to harm children because her husband was a faithless a.s.shole. Alex bears no fault in that."

"She told me you'd be difficult."

"Look, she has no power here. I amhuman . I live by the laws which govern my race. I'm not even a shadow of difficult yet. Let me get another cup of coffee in me, then you can see difficult." She made a shooing motion with her hand. "You've said your piece, now take yourself back to wait at her coffin-side to tell on me like a good little pet. If you attempt to harm Alex while he's in my care, I will personally see you pay for that and her, too. You can tell her that from me. She has to sleep sometime, and I used to carve wood when I was younger. Catch my drift? Now, go on. I'm sick of her threats and, my soup is getting cold."

"She's prepared to file a complaint to the leader of the tribe."

"This is me shaking. But let me make it easy for you. He's sleeping in my bed right now. I'll give him the message. In any case, he's the one who brought Alex here to begin with. Why don't you ask her to be reasonable with all of this? She knows her son would never turn his back on Alex. Alex is his brother, his responsibility, Xander loves him. She's only going to push Xander away with this."

Suit boy looked uncomfortable but kept the stern glare going, impressing her. "You really shouldn't involve yourself in something that could end in a lot of pain and trouble for you."

Dominic stood forward then, pushing the other man back a step. "You will not threaten the concubine of the leader. She is under his protection, as is his brother. The same rules apply to Graciella as everyone else in this matter. If she continues to make threats and plans to harm either Lissette or Alex, she will be the one with pain and trouble," he threatened in a low ba.s.s voice that made the hairs on the back of her arms stand up. She let the issue of being referred to as a concubine pa.s.s, for the moment.

He brushed invisible lint from his jacket, and got off the porch, turning to walk down the sidewalk without another word or a backwards glance.

"She won't stop until someone is killed," Lissette said in an undertone so that the boys couldn't hear. "She's totally insane about this. Normally, she's just a b.i.t.c.h. I mean, she's hated me from day one. Tried to break us up. Called me to threaten, all that jazz. But this? Jeez. I get the sense she's hurtling down the mountain with no brakes. Someone needs to slap her or toss water in her face or something."

"I've told Xander this many times. He still thinks he can reason with her. I agree she needs a shock of reality and that she's out of control. But she's old and powerful in the tribe, and some feel sorry for her. And," he shrugged, "she's his mother. He loves her. Regardless, she's dangerous, and I'm going to send some of my personal team to the bar with you tonight. I don't trust her. And the bar is a public s.p.a.ce, she's not dependent on an invitation."

Despite her tough talk, a shiver of fear slid through her at the idea of meeting up with the Loony Queen of Homicide Attempts in her bar after closing. She squeezed his arm. "Thanks."

"I'm sorry you're involved in this. For what it's worth, I told him you should have remained outside of this situation."

"Yes well. I'm in it now, and I'll be d.a.m.ned if I let that b.i.t.c.h get her hands on that boy." Lissie was determined to protect Alex. He was totally blameless. An innocent, and Graciella, as a mother, should understand that. The boy had no mother, no father. He had no one in the world but Stryker and now her. He was hers now, just as Xander was. And that meant she'd do anything in her power to keep him safe.

Chapter Four.

Stryker awoke as twilight fell. Winter in Seattle meant that he was awake from three thirty or so in the afternoon until nearly seven in the morning. It was glorious to be able to have so many hours of consciousness.

Even better, he opened his eyes to see Lissie's deep blue ones staring back at him. He froze for a moment, struck by her beauty, the sensual curve of the soft upturn of the corner of her mouth. That smile. Those lips. The dimple in her chin.

"Live with me," he said before he could stop himself. "I want to be with you every day."

"Your mother sent a toady to tell me I was harboring an outlaw. Threatened me with general unpleasantness should I not give up the fugitive for whatever water dungeon torture she has in store for little boys whose fathers cheat on their wives. By the way, said fugitive and or slash outlaw was eating potato chips and drinking soda while playing video games in my television room. Very dangerous."

He sat up and sighed. "You're avoiding the question."

"I'm avoiding the question? Did I not just tell you about your crazy mother's threats? Are you trying to talk about cohabitation instead of that? Okay, I'll let you live in denial for another few minutes. To answer your question, I can't live with you. More than that, where would Alex go?"

"Is that what worries you?" He reached out to caress her jaw line. "So sweet for a girl who acts so tough. He'll live with us, of course. He'll be changing in six months, anyway. I'm committed to bringing him over. And since we're on the subject, why don't I bring you over, too? It'll be harder for you, of course. You'll need a full conversion. But my blood is strong. I've never made another, so it's undiluted."

"You want me to be a vampire?" She couldn't keep the incredulity out of her voice. He'd go to any length to keep from dealing with his bats.h.i.t crazy mother!

"I want you to be my wife. My partner in all things. It'll be easier if you're a vampire, too. You'll be so much stronger, I won't worry about you as much. And I'll have you for hundreds, if not thousands of years. I don't want to lose you, Lissie."

Xander Stryker had never been felled by anything in his life. He'd always been in charge. Always in control and on top. And here this woman came and tossed all of that on its ear. Turned his world upside down in amazing, wonderful, beautiful, annoying, frustrating and, infuriating ways. She connected with that part of him that no one else had ever seen. That no one had ever even bothered to see. Sheknew him.

He smoothed a thumb along the line of her cheek. "My mother will accept this situation soon enough. She's just throwing a tantrum right now. Once she gets over this nonsense, you can move in. I'll convert you when Alex matures. I love you, Lissie. Say you'll do it. Say you want to be with me, too."

"I do love you, Xander," she said softly. "But there are a few big issues standing between us. Your crazy-a.s.sed mother is one. Sweetie, you are not rational about her. She tried to kill your brother! She sent her lackey to threaten me for taking him in. The fact that you refer to this kind of behavior as something she'll get over just tells me you are out of your mind, too."

"She's upset. Having Alex here means she'll have to face my father's behavior. It's hard for her."

She growled inarticulately and punched the pillow in frustration. "Stryker! Wake up! She. Tried. To. Kill. Him!" Why couldn't the man see it? "Upset is when you torch the cheater's car or his clothes or you put his name on mailing lists for a cult. Once attempted murder is involved, we've officially moved past upset and into crazy. That boy in there is flesh and bone. A human who is twelve. She could crush him like a bug." She sighed, pushing off the bed to stand and pace.

"More than Cruella DeVille, we have the issue of your little harem to deal with. I know you need blood, but I do not understand why they have to live with you. Why you need ten of them and why they have to be like some scene out of Bram Stoker!" Her voice got all breathy as she imitated the women. "Walking around in filmy peignoirs and throwing themselves at you. Oh, Xander, you're so s.e.xy! Gah!" She stamped her foot in frustrated anger.

"I might be able to deal with the fact that the feeding causes o.r.g.a.s.m. But, Stryker, other vamps seem to be able to be collegial with their donors. Why are yours like your f.u.c.k dolls? I'm not living with ten women that you get off daily, women who constantly throw themselves at you. I won't do it."

He quirked up a smile. "Jealous?"

She spun and narrowed her eyes at him. "h.e.l.l yes! Jesus, Stryker, how will you feel when I need donors? Hmm? How about I get ten hot men who writhe all over me? Men who I'll make come every day, who will constantly offer to f.u.c.k me? Okay, this is sounding pretty d.a.m.ned good now. I'll let you keep your harem if I get one of my own." She lifted an eyebrow in challenge.

"You'll do no such thing. You'll get older women, say in their seventies."

"And why is that? It stands to reason that young men-virile men-who are at their top physical shape would be the best donors for me. After all, it's just about nutrition, right?"

"Do you think I want you getting other men off? How do you expect me to live with that?"