Chapter 48

Rob stood outside his door, dreading the thought of telling Elaina how spectacularly he'd fucked up.

The door opened suddenly and Elaina stepped out.

"Rob, what's wrong," she asked, terribly concerned. "I could smell your thoughts through the door." Tears welled in her eyes. "Tell me, please, sweeting. You're scaring me."

He sighed and hung his head.

"Let's get inside," he answered heavily. "I've made a mistake and I need to tell you about it." He dropped his gear by the table and shrugged off his cloak, holding on to the collar for a moment after hanging it. He turned with a heavy heart to see Elaina waiting for him by the couch, worry writ large on her face. He settled to the couch with her quickly seating herself beside him.

"Tell me," she said. So he did.

He explained about meeting Dawn for lunch as usual. He told her of how Dawn had expressed her forgiveness to Elaina, and his thoughts on how easy it had seemed for her, leading up to her confessing she had feelings for Elaina.

He told her of his thoughts on love and how they could each love more than one. He told her of how he'd told Dawn that Elaina loved her too. Elaina smiled weakly hearing that.

"I told her of the choice she had to make," he said, sorrowing stressing his throat. "And then she left."

"Was that all?" she asked. "She didn't say or do anything else."

Rob shrugged. "She kissed me good-bye outside."

Elaina sat back with a small smile and a sigh. She looked at Rob, thinking he was an idiot. Her thoughts must have shown on her face.

"What?" he asked, confused by her look.

"You know absolutely nothing about women," she stated fondly.

Rob frowned and said, "Tell me something I don't know." She laughed. "What now?" he asked tartly.

"You are an idiot," she said smiling. "She's already made her choice. She wouldn't have kissed you if she was thinking of leaving." She smiled wider and chuckled at his ignorance.

"You know, I could really learn to hate women if I didn't love them so much," he responded, relief coloring his voice. He leaned back and pulled her to his lap, snuggling and cuddling as the ache in his heart eased.

Suddenly, Elaina sat up his arms. "No," she whispered and her irises snapped to life, blazing like twin suns. "No," she said louder.

"Elaina, what's wrong?" he asked, concern entering his voice.

Elaina tipped her head back and screamed, the challenge of an enraged tiger resonating in her voice. Rob heard a door slam in the hallway.

"Mother fucker!" she screamed out. "I'm going to kill him!"

Rob felt his premonition flare to life. He knew what it had to be: Hugh was back.

"He's killed again," she snarled. "Here, in the city, not two blocks from here."

She scrambled out of his lap and stood crouching slightly, fists at her sides. "We need to go, now. We need to find him before he can hide again."

She turned and headed for the bedroom, calling out for Rob to join her. When he saw her throwing on her leathers he started doing the same. She kept snarling about how she didn't know how she'd missed him. He must've hidden himself well, she said, because she knew he hadn't crossed her borders to return. The last thing Rob did was slap his hat on his head, knocking over the stand.

They exited the bedroom and she stormed to the door, throwing him his duster as she twirled her cloak about her. They ran into Doug out in the hall.

"Did you hear that?" he asked fearfully. "What do you think that was?"

Rob stopped to look at him as Elaina continued down the hall.

"I don't know," he lied. "But I'm going to find out. Wanna come?"

Doug held up his hands and backed away, his eyes wide and shaking his head. "I don't know what's gotten into you, man, but there is no fucking way I'm going out there." He turned and ran to his apartment, slamming the door behind him. The sound of clacking locks rang out.

Rob hurried to catch up with Elaina, finally reaching her on the front stoop. She was standing there, her head turned up, her nostrils flaring as she read the breeze.

"This way," she said, and she glided off, falling into a tiger's silent stalk. Rob followed along, emulating her, and he discovered it was easier than it looked. He paced beside her, his rubber soles making no sound at all. He felt like they owned the night.

They reached a point two blocks over and she again raised her head to scent the breeze. She turned her eye to one alley in particular.

"Rob," she said quietly, "Circle around and come up on that alley from the other side. I'm going to see if he's still in there. I can smell the body he left."

Although it was dark, the hour was early yet and there were still people out and about. Rob calmly crossed the street and walked until he had passed the alley from the other side. People looked at him curiously as he strolled along nonchalantly.

"Hey, Harry," one young tough called out. "Where's your staff?" The others with him chortled.

Rob turned to look at him and said, "It's in the shop. I cracked it last week, and it's so unreliable when it's damaged." He allowed his eyes to flare as he looked at the kid.

"Holy shit," the kid whispered as his buddies all backed up. "Are you for real?"

"Wanna find out?" he replied with a sneer. The kid turned and ran, following his buddies down the sidewalk. Throughout the encounter, Rob had kept an eye on Elaina, and he crossed the street when he saw her disappear into the alley. He moved more cautiously as he approached it from the other side.

In the alley, Elaina moved guardedly, scenting the air often and swiveling her head. She saw the body and crept up on it. She frowned when she couldn't pinpoint Hugh's scent, feeling like it was all around her. She studied the body and found it to be a school-age boy, his throat torn out viciously, a look of horror stamped on his face. She snarled, knowing this was deliberate.

She turned at a sound and saw Hugh land on his feet after leaping from the overhead fire escape. She knew she had made a mistake and let him trap her in the alley. She growled her defiance and waited for him to make his move.

"So weak," Hugh drawled. "How could you let yourself fall so far?" Elaina waited, trying to divine his intent.

"I see you brought a pet to help you hunt," he continued. "Have you sunk so low that you need help? And so sweet! Does he feed you, Elaina? Does he keep you warm at night?"

"It's nice to have an appreciative audience for these things," she replied nonchalantly. "And the sex afterward is fabulous."

Hugh laughed, throwing his head back and generally overdramatizing his delight.

"I don't think so," he proclaimed, suddenly sober. "I think you've developed a fondness for your pet and you indulge him." He smiled again, only this time his smile was feral.

Elaina snarled: she'd had enough. She stood tall and walked toward him. He held up a warning hand and told her that was close enough. She stopped, waiting to see what he would do. Hugh took an exaggerated sniff at the air.

"You've been denying yourself blood, haven't you? You indulge him too much, I think," he said in surprise. "Why? There are plenty of sheep in this city to keep you sated for years. Why deny yourself?"

"I have chosen not to gorge myself with unnecessary feedings, if that's what you mean," she answered disdainfully. "You should try it sometime. I would do your ego good."

"My, aren't you the compassionate one?" he sneered. His expression changed to stone as he said, "They are there for our taking. There's no reason to spare them."

It was at that moment that Rob entered the alley. He had stood beside the entrance and listened to Hugh spewing his filth and he felt he'd heard enough.

"Oh, look," Hugh said without turning. "It's the pet, come back to play I suppose. How thoughtful of you to bring take-out." Now he turned to look at Rob. "Tell me, sheep, how does it feel to be a walking, talking meal?" Hugh laughed at his own humor. Rob simply stood there with no expression on his face, waiting for Elaina to call the play.

Hugh turned his head back when she took a step forward. He waggled his finger at her. She took another step.

"You think I'm weak, Hugh? Why don't you come here and find out."

Hugh's face curled up in a snarl, exposing his fangs. Rob thought they looked longer than Elaina's. Maybe it was because she was woman and had cuter fangs. Regardless, they would still do the job. Elaina snarled back, exposing her fangs. Rob revised his estimate and decided her fangs were just as dangerous.

Rob eased farther into the alley while the two vampires snarled at each other, stopping halfway between them with his back to the wall.

Hugh suddenly smiled and waved a hand at Rob, showing he'd known exactly where he was the entire time.

"Come, Elaina," he said unctuously. "Let us be rid of this unruly sheep. You and I, we could do great things together. We could rule this wretched herd and live like royalty. There's no need to fight."

"He is mine!" Elaina declared hotly. "You will die first before I allow you to harm him."

"So be it," Hugh said in answer.

Something about the Hugh's stance alerted Rob and he started spinning up, tapping ruthlessly at the well; he needed everything at full power. Even as close to instantaneous as the spin-up was, Hugh had moved and was nearly upon him. Rob started to maneuver, drifting to the right to get at the left side of his opponent. Elaina was caught flat-footed, thinking Hugh would attack the primary threat first and see to Rob after.

As the vampire reached for Rob, his eyes widened and he hesitated. "Why do you have her scent?" he asked quizzically.

His astonishment had caused him to hesitate, a small error, but he recovered quickly. That hesitation had given Rob time to finish his move, and when Hugh reached him, he ducked and twisted his body, throwing everything he had into a right roundhouse punch to the rib cage. Rob was dismayed when it barely had an effect. He had hoped to at least break off some ribs and puncture a lung or even the heart, but all he managed was the sound of ribs cracking. Hugh staggered to the side, but he still managed a flailing back-hand that lifted Rob in the air and slammed him into the wall. Rob's back took the brunt, and he heard a dull crack. He fell from the wall and landed woodenly on the ground. He found he couldn't move and waited for the killing blow that never came.