Chapter 10

Xander’s hands flowed through long, silken hair. He wrapped it around and around his fists and pulled back on it gently. Huge green eyes opened languidly to stare into his. He braced all of his weight on his elbows – she was so tiny; he couldn’t crush her. Her body shifted under his, her hips rising to meet his hardness and brush her lower body against it. One of her legs came up to curl around his hip and intensify the contact. He dragged his tongue up the long column of her neck, leaving a shiny trail on the honey-colored skin. He licked and sucked at the spot where her neck met her shoulder, and then nibbled down to her prominent collarbone.

He gently extricated his hands from her hair and moved down her body, kissing a path between her breasts, and his hands closed on the outer curves of their fullness. Her nipples were tiny peaks; he captured first one and then the other with his mouth, drawing delicate gasps and moans from her mouth. He kissed his way down to her still-flat belly. Once there he paused, knowing that this flesh sheltered his child – their child. He pressed his ear to her abdomen, knowing there was nothing to hear yet, but wanting the contact just the same.

He closed his hands on her narrow hips, preparing to move even lower, when her body was pulled from under his in one strong jerk. He reached for her with a shout, hearing only her scream as she was pulled away. She was being held against the wall in the shadows, by a shadow. He couldn’t move, couldn’t go to her. A long, thin white hand tipped with plum-colored fingernails reached across her body and drew back, one long talon slashing across the throat he had lovingly kissed only seconds earlier. Dark blood cascaded down the honeyed skin.

Xander screamed.

Spike heard the shout from the library, where he was working at the computer. He was on his feet and halfway up the stairs when the scream rent the air. When he opened the door to the guestroom he saw Xander backed up against the headboard, unseeing eyes wide open, reaching out to the corner of the room. The scream had tapered off and he was repeating the word “no” in a stricken voice. Spike could barely hear that quiet, desperate whisper over the frantic pounding of Xander’s heart. He could tell that the other man was not yet awake, caught in the claws of some horrible nightmare.

He moved into the room slowly, trying not to startle the frightened figure on the bed. When the mattress dipped slightly under his weight, the dark head swiveled toward him and the brown eyes cleared. “Oh God, Will,” Xander moaned, diving for the vampire. Spike cradled the larger man in his arms, feeling the cold, slick sweat that covered his body and matted his hair. The smell of Xander’s fear was almost overpowering. He rubbed circles on the heaving back and crooned wordless sounds of comfort until the shaking body stilled and Xander sat up, rubbing his hands over his face. Spike’s heart broke a little when the other man tried to muster up a smile under haunted eyes and failed miserably.

Xander drew in a deep breath and let it out as a sigh. “Well,” he said, “that’s got to be among the worst ways to wake up ever. Did you hear me from downstairs?” Spike nodded and said, “Bat ears,” just so he could see his friend smile a little. This smile had a bit more power and was creeping toward the dark eyes. “Why don’t you go get a shower?” he continued, “And I’ll see if I can get us some food going. Sundown’s in about an hour. Little Bit will be here soon.”

Xander nodded and slid to the side of the bed to place his feet on the floor. He glanced at the blond. “Thanks for running in here to my rescue, Will. Don’t be too freaked, but I have nightmares sometimes. Loud ones, as I’m sure you noticed.” Spike’s lips twisted into something like a grin as he replied, “Join the club, pet.” Xander nodded and went to take a shower.