S7: Chapter 03: Whispers

I awoke with a start. Drake was snoring next to me, finally looking as though he were getting the rest I know he needed. I glanced over at the clock, 3am. It’s like my body refuses to sleep past this time lately. I’ve found myself staring at the ceiling for the past week at this same time every night.

I sat on the edge of the bed and forced myself to my feet. I crept silently out of the bedroom and made my way down the hall. The wooden floor was cool to the bottoms of my feet but gratefully noiseless as I approached Christopher’s door. The last thing I wanted to do was awaken him or Drake.

As I neared the door, I heard a conversation taking place yet again. It was that same deep voice speaking in what appeared to be a one sided dialogue.

I inched closer to the frame and listened but the voice stopped suddenly. There again was a light under the door and then complete silence.

I entered into the dark room. My baby was sitting up in his bed laughing and playing with his feet. He stood up as he saw me approach and raised his arms towards me.

I picked him up and hugged him. What is going on? He hugged me tight as if trying to ease my mind. I couldn’t shake the feeling of being watched.

I swung around quickly and my eyes met Drake’s concerned gaze. “What happened?”

I frowned at him and he turned the light on near the door. “What happened, Zoe?”

“There was someone in here.”

He looked around the room before his eyes locked on me again. “In the room with Christopher?”

“Yes, Drake where else would I be talking about? There was someone in here talking to him!”

“Who?”

“Why don’t you tell me?”

“Tell you what, Zoe? I have no idea what you’re talking about! The alarm is still on and that window is sealed shut and locked!”

“You know what? Fine! Let’s keep pretending as if I’m some village idiot without a clue as to what is happening in my own home.” I pushed pass him and headed down to the kitchen to fix Christopher a bottle.

Drake ran after me and stood near the stove as I set a bottle to boil.

“Honey please, I really don’t know what you’re troubled about!”

I ignored him and held Christopher closer to my body.

“Talk to me please! What did you hear?”

“I don’t know what I heard. Maybe it was my overactive imagination.”

“No. There’s no way you’re going to get me to believe that as upset as you are right now.”

I sighed and rolled my eyes.

“Zoe?”

“It was a man. He had a deep, raspy voice and he was talking to CJ. I don’t really know what it was about, I tried to get closer to hear but he must have heard me or smelled me because the moment I leaned in, he was gone.”

“A man?” he looked at me curiously and tried to read my thoughts. “Why are you blocking me? Zoe, can’t you see I’m…”

“Concerned? I’d rather keep my thoughts to myself, thank you. Anyway, there was a bright light from inside of the room and when I entered, Chris was sitting up smiling at me.”

Drake listened intently to what I was telling him but I couldn’t discern what his reaction was to the information I was feeding him.

He opened his mouth to speak and the phone rang. He gave me a funny look, “Who the hell would be calling at four in the morning?”

He picked up the receiver and listened. “Hello?”

…“Drake? It’s Vincent, we’ve got trouble!…”

“Whoa what do you mean ‘we’? What kind of trouble?”

…“You know those hyped up vampires we met a little while back…?”

“You mean the ones with wind and lightning?”

…“One in the same! They apparently had friends, lots of them! And none of them seem too happy about what became of the others…”

“Where are you?”

…“Teasers…”

“The strip club?”

…“Yeah, Drake, the strip club. Oh come on! You can’t tell me the wife would be upset if you came out here! I know her better than that! You two couldn’t have a real fight if boxing gloves were strapped to your fists!”

Drake looked at me. I was testing the bottle on my wrist before walking Chris to his high chair.

“Lately I don’t think that’s the case. I’ll be there in a little bit,” he said before disconnecting the line.

He walked into the dining room and watched Chris feeding before pulling me into his arms. “I have to go see Vincent. He thinks there are more of those crazy vampires in town.”

“The ones from the hunters’ hideout?”

“Yeah. I’m gonna go see what’s going on. Please, don’t leave the house. Keep the doors and windows closed and locked. I won’t be gone long, I promise.”

He leaned in to kiss me and I quickly turned my head and allowed his lips to swipe my cheek. He sighed. “We’ll talk more when I get home.”

“Right. Be careful, Drake.”

He went upstairs to change and I sat near Chris while he fed. Moments later Drake’s car revved up and disappeared out the drive. “I wish you could talk to me, baby. You know what Daddy’s up to. I wonder if you’d tell me or be on his side.”

Drake got to Teasers within twenty minutes and found Vincent’s table near the center of the stage. He was tossing large stacks of bills to three women dancing in front of him as the men nearby were all yelling and grimacing in his direction for hogging the action.

“Glad you could join me!” he smiled up at Drake. “Have a seat!” he motioned towards the waitress to come and grab an order as Drake kindly obliged.

“I’ll have a Tombstone Topper,” Drake said placing a twenty on the table.

“Make that two, and double them,” Vincent said adding another few bills to Drake’s.

The waitress grabbed the money and quickly approached the bar.

Vincent smiled at Drake. “What?” he asked noticing his friends’ gaze.

“A Tombstone Topper? Just doesn’t seem like the drink I’d have thought you’d order. You seem more of a Pink Bunny kind of guy,” he laughed.

“Funny, Vincent. The mood I’m in, I could take a reminder of what I am.”

“You know that’s the second time you made a comment like that. Trouble on the home front? How’s the kid?”

“He’s fine. He’s learning all about magic and…,”

“Stop right there. Magic? This early? I see what the problem is now. I’m sure Zo’s against the whole thing but you having taught her and watching her family for generations are pushing for him to be Merlin right now right?”

“Something like that. I don’t get it. I don’t understand why she has an issue when she knows what’s out there. You’d think she’d have been ok from the start about the whole thing and let him have that added protection for the ‘just-in-case’ times we have too often.”

The waitress came back and placed a tray of four drinks on the table and smiled with her hand out. Vincent glanced up at her before tossing a room key in her direction.

She licked her lips and leaned into him, “I get off in three hours.”

“Hmm, that sounds about right,” Vincent smirked.

She squealed and Drake looked at her. She met his gaze before turning to leave.

Vincent watched her slender form twitch towards the table to the back of the stage.

“When are you going to settle down, Vincent?”

“Settle down? Is that a serious question Drakey-boy?”

“You’re a father now. Don’t you want to start taking things a little more serious?”

“Things involving my daughter I take very seriously. You might recall my desire to kill Sarah because of the danger she placed her in. I was very serious about that. As far as getting married? Why the hell would I do that? I’m already spending eternity on this rock in damnation. What makes you think I want to be stuck with the same woman that entire time?”

“It might do you some good.”

“No. Being with one woman forever wouldn’t do anyone any good. Well, not in your case, I’d say you’re the one exception. What you have with Zo, you’re incredibly lucky. That only happens once in a lifetime. So no thank you, Drake. I’ll continue to bed hop. Besides I get no complaints,” he winked at the waitress once more and she shyly hid her smile.

Drake took a sip from one of the glasses in front of him. “So where are these vampires you were talking about?”

“Behind you. They’ve been watching us this whole time.”

Chris finished his bottle and I cleaned him up, dressed us both and walked around the living room, making him pace with me. “I know Daddy said not to leave baby, but we need supplies. We’ll keep this between us right?”

He smiled at me and I kissed his cheek before grabbing my keys and strapping him into the car seat. We drove to an electronics store and I glanced over their collection of nanny cams and video recording equipment.

“Can I help you with anything?” a store clerk approached me. His eyes went from Chris to me and back to Chris again.

“I’m fine, thank you. I’m just looking for now,” I smiled at him.

“Ok, let me know if there is anything I can do for you,” his eyes lingered on my chest and I turned noticing his gaze.

Suddenly the clerk was suspended into the air. He screamed as he began to quickly drop from the ceiling. He came to a stop just inches before crashing into the floor and smashing his face into the cement.

I gasped and turned to Christopher, “Baby stop it, let him go!” I said in a small voice so as not to alarm him or the clerk.

The clerk went flying towards the counter and landed hard; hitting his head against the shelf behind the register. Shit. I grabbed a few of the spy cameras and took Chris up to the counter.

The clerk jumped as I neared him and I quickly met his eyes. “You tripped and bumped your head on the counter. You will erase the store video for the last twenty minutes once we leave and never think of this moment again.”

He nodded his understanding and checked us out.

Chris and I rushed home, the entire time I was panicking over the possible outcomes that situation could have had. “Baby that’s what Mommy was talking about; you can’t use magic like that. There are a lot of bad people in this world that would use that to hurt us!”

We got back to the house and I was relieved to see Drake had not yet returned. I quickly got Christopher inside and locked the door behind us. I placed the bags near the door before sitting with CJ so we could talk a little more about what happened.

“I wish I knew you could understand me. Christopher please for Mommy don’t ever do that again, ok? Mommy loves you and wants you to be safe but using magic in the open like that can make bad people find us. I love that you protected me, but you have to be a little more careful.”

I sighed before grabbing the bags by the door and taking them and Chris upstairs. I spent close to three hours placing cameras throughout his room.

“I hope that’s right.” I said stepping back from the wall.

“What do you think, Chris? We’ll get to the bottom of what’s going on together huh? Don’t tell Daddy ok?”

He laughed, I always take his laughter and his smiles as a sign of acknowledgment and agreement; at least I hope that to be the case.

“Ok, let’s go watch TV huh?”

I collected him up again and we headed to the living room for a little “Raleigh Rabbit and Friends”.

“So what’s the plan?” Drake asked. “How do you even know they’re here about the two from the last time?”

“Besides the fact that they perked up hearing you say that? They’ve been following me the entire night.”

“Ok if that’s the case, why haven’t they tried anything yet?”

“I think you’re about to get the answer to that question in just one minute,” Vincent said watching three more join the group seated behind Drake.

The five of them stood and approached their table.

Vincent leaned back in his chair as they stopped near the stage blocking his view of the dancers. “Can I help you with something?” he grinned.

“Outside; and that’s a courtesy,” one barked.

Drake stood and walked towards the door, Vincent was right behind him and the five vampires that gathered as well.

They got outside and before another word was spoken Drake and Vincent each attacked one of the men.

Fists began flying as they knocked three to the ground and continued to beat on the other two. Vincent bashed his target’s head into the side of the building and watched the blood pour from his skull.

He grinned seeing the dizzying vampire stumble backwards before landing hard on the ground. He stomped his face hard, crushing his skull beneath the weight of his boot and producing a dripping, oozing mess under his sole.

One of the other three vampires charged at him and knocked him into the brick wall behind him. He was shocked but it didn’t take long for him to recover and send kicks into his midsection.

Drake sent a ball of fire through the mouth of the vampire on his left. The blaze lit up his face and his body instantly went up in flames as he rushed around to put himself out.

Before he could react, he felt a fireball of his own rocket into his chest. “You like playing with fire, Vampire?” the raven haired fang sneered.

Drake quickly put out the flames; absorbing them into his flesh before firing up an inferno of his own. His entire body again became a molten form as he sent his body crashing into his fiery opponent. “It’ll take more than a little spark to get me!”

He tried to shield himself as Drake’s flaming exterior engulfed him.

His body created a blaze on the man; heating him to the point of detonation and Drake watched as the man burned from the inside out.

Drake and Vincent turned to the one remaining.

The last vampire jumped to his feet backing away from the scene.

“Wait! I was just here to deliver a message. Please, this isn’t my fight!”

“What’s the message?”

“He’s coming, you’ll get your answers soon, but you better prepare yourselves! This is the deal you wanted!”

“Who’s coming?” Vincent asked.

“Ask your friend!” He  smirked and quickly vanished.

“What the hell was that? Did he just disappear?” Vincent asked shocked as the man seemed to fade away. “What the hell are we up against here?”

“I don’t know Vincent. But we’d better find out, fast!”

“This new thing with the vampires, you think it has anything to do with that toxin? Because to be honest the powers their exhibiting are very similar to…”

“Mine?” Drake finished Vincent’s question.

He nodded. “And I know your spiffy new attitude had nothing to do with the toxin.”

“That’s what I’m afraid of,” Drake said quickly ending the conversation before Vincent could ask more. They parted ways and he hurried home as it started getting dark out.

I began drifting out and glanced at the clock. It was getting late and I needed to get CJ to bed. I nudged him just a bit while picking him up to carry him to his room, his eyes opened for only a moment before he fell back asleep in my arms.

I laid him into his crib and pulled the blanket on top of him. “Sleep tight, handsome. Mommy will see you in the morning.”

I saw the faint glow of the monitor light on and checked the batteries to ensure it was working properly before placing it on the book shelf near his bed. I turned out the light and shut the door.

He waited until she left before stepping from the shadows. A pair of glowing red eyes appeared near the back of the room. He watched Christopher snug in his bed. “Soon,” that voice hissed before disappearing.

I got myself ready for bed and turned on the receiving monitor on my table. I was ready for his visitor; that is if he decided to make another appearance tonight.

I climbed between the silk sheets and quickly passed out. Hours later I felt Drake’s arm wrap around my waist, jostling me from my slumber.

“Zoe? Are you awake?” he whispered against my neck.

I pulled myself from under the covers and turned to face him. “I wasn’t. What’s wrong?”

“Did you still want to talk?”

“Maybe later; I want to check on a few things first.”

“You sure? I don’t like you being upset at me. I want to try and make things better.”

“I’m sure, Drake. Besides, I’m not upset anymore.”

“No?” He kissed my forehead, testing the waters, before pulling me beneath him. “I’m sorry Zoe.” His lips inched closer to my face and after a few agonizing minutes of them tickling me softly, his mouth pressed against mine and his tongue forced my lips apart.

He pulled up just slightly and his hands worked the clasp on my bra, sliding it off my shoulders. His fingers danced down my belly and laced underneath my panties as he gently slid them down my legs. He kissed me harder, his right hand caressed my breasts tenderly and his fingers softly rubbed across my nipples making them erect. His mouth left mine for only a moment as he suckled each one, wetting them with his mouth and grazing his teeth across my flesh lightly.

I moaned and felt his body react. His left hand slowly rubbed down my side and his fingers gripped firmly onto my thigh before spreading them apart. His gaze fell to me and his eyes burned with passion as his tongue swirled around mine once more.

He quickly removed his boxers and I could not hide my pleasure as I felt his stiffness pressing against my leg. Within moments he was inside of me. His hard on was a welcomed sensation of one powerful thrust after another. It had been too long since I’d felt his weight on my body like this and I showed him just how much he was missed.

I wrapped my legs tight around his back and pulled him deeper into me. All I could hear were his sounds of ecstasy as he moved quicker inside me. I closed my eyes and felt his desire burn through me. His moans were louder in my ear as he leaned forward filling me completely.

I craved him, every inch. He was on fire and the temperature between our bodies made me feel alive. The heat he was generating made me scream in pleasure. He pushed my head back with his mouth and quickly stifled my sounds of satisfaction. I felt my body heating up the longer he hovered on top of me. The back of my neck was burning and I opened my eyes realizing it was Drake’s hand caressing at the nape and creating the warmth. “I love you,” he whispered against my neck.

“Drake?” I moaned as I tried to pull his hand away. He was lost in the moment and he focused all of his energy into satisfying his immediate need. He looked down at me; his eyes blazed red and startled me for a second. His mouth hungrily sucked on my bottom lip as he picked up the pace, grinding his hips harder into me.

“I love you too,” I moaned in his ear. “You feel incredible.” I dropped little kisses on his neck and shoulders. He nuzzled his face under my chin and began thrusting harder and faster as he kissed my chest. The hand I had on his back began to overheat and I quickly pulled away.

I watched as his finger tips began to spark. “Drake?” I moaned again, the sound of my voice shocked me; his name wasn’t verbalized in fear as I’d expected but was masked by passion as I enjoyed the friction between us. He closed his eyes and his lustful groans grew louder. The headboard caught fire just as he’d reached his climax.

He continued pushing himself between my legs and I watched the fire rage higher. Ignoring our burning bed, Drake brought me to another orgasm and I dug my nails into the soft flesh of his back as my body vibrated under his.

He quickly lifted my head away as he withdrew the flames.

“What was that about?” I asked as he lay me back down and rested on top of me.

“I’m sorry. I saw it, I felt it happening but I couldn’t stop.” He kissed me again before rolling to his side of the bed.

I scooted closer and watched as his eyes returned to their normal shade of ocean blue. “Does it hurt? When the fire consumes your body parts like that? Can you feel yourself burning?”

“No. It never hurts. It’s who I am now.”

I closed my eyes and felt him brush the hair behind my ear before gingerly kissing my cheek.

“What do you mean ‘it’s time’?”

“I didn’t say anything, Drake.” I looked at him and he had a confused expression on his face.

“You sure?”

I glanced over at the monitor and saw the light was blinking indicating someone talking near the speaker.

I quickly pushed off of the bed, grabbed a robe and rushed down the hall to Christopher’s room. I threw on the lights and moved to his crib. He again was laughing and sitting up.

The monitor had been knocked to the floor and the window was open blowing cool air through the thin material of the curtains. He stood up and raised his arms for me to lift him from the bed.

I picked him up to check him out. He showed no signs of distress and I began to wonder if I really was imagining the entire thing. I looked into the corner of the room as I remembered the cameras. Let’s hope it worked.

“Zoe?” Drake yelled entering behind me. He noticed the open window and hastily exited to the balcony trying to get a sense or pick up a smell of who had just been inside of the room.

“Whoever it was they’re gone now,” he said shutting the window tight and approaching Chris and I.

“Someone is after him, Drake. Now I’d say things have changed, wouldn’t you? It’s time you let me in on these secrets! All of them!”

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