Rashel's lips turned up in a wry smile when she noticed Quinn watching her, "So how is Beth?"
"She's fine." Quinn slumped into a chair next to Rashel, keeping Beth's decision to become a vampire a secret until she wanted to share the news herself.
"You don't look very happy."
Quinn snorted, "How would you feel if you just discovered Hunter Redfern is now technically your stepfather?"
"Point taken." Rashel bit back the urge to smile. She thought she had truly lost her mind thinking that it was sweet of Hunter to cater to Beth hand and foot and that it was funny the way Quinn was starting to behave toward Beth. He seemed to accept that she was a reincarnation of his mother, even if she was younger than he was, thought not by much more than a week or so.
Thierry shook his head. "I have to admit I've never seen such a dramatic transformation. It's almost like Hitler having a change of heart at the last second."
Hunter slipped quietly into the room as well. "I've never been compared to Hitler before."
Everyone laughed except Hunter, who was distracted by the process he had begun with Beth.
"Problem Hunter?" Thierry asked.
"Nothing I can't figure out for myself." He shot Quinn a 'keep your mouth shut' look.
Quinn shrugged indifferently and leaned back in his chair. "How's Beth?"
"She's sleeping." Hunter snapped, looking as though he were contemplating snapping Quinn's neck for antagonizing him.
Quinn just smiled innocently back at him, inwardly surprised that Hunter was protecting Beth from the very people she trusted. Hunter didn't trust Circle Day Break, he realized. An eclectic group of illegal vampires, half-breeds, people who had everything to loose if their affiliation to Circle Day Break were known and Hunter did not trust them enough to protect Beth now that she was truly one of their own, human or not.
***
Mary Lynette wore a track in the carpet outside the room where the healers were working on Ash. Ever since she'd held his bloody unconscious body on the frantic ride from the council meeting, she'd had a lot of time to think. Her opinion of Ash and his way of life had changed. She had never thought, much less wanted him to sacrifice his life to save someone else's. That took courage and a lot of guts, something she didn't think he had. The fact that he even bothered to assist with the assault tore at her too. He always acted like he didn’t care about someone other than himself.
The door opened and four sober looking witches exited. Thea motioned Mary Lynette inside. Ash didn't move. He didn't even look like he was breathing.
"Is he okay?" She asked, searching Thea's face for answers or any kind of indication that Ash would be okay.
Thea frowned, "He's going to be really weak for a long time. Vampires and wood don't agree with each other. Wood is like poison, the longer it stays inside a vampire's body the deadlier it becomes. In this case, Quinn got the stake out, but not before Ash got a good dose of poison, plus the stake shattered his collarbone. Under normal circumstances the bone would already be healed if it weren't for the wood poisoning."
The night she backed Ash up to a tree waving a stick of wood at him flashed before her. Mary Lynette had been enthralled with her power to keep him at bay with something as insignificant as a piece of wood, a limb no less. Now she felt like an idiot. She didn't know she could have killed him; he'd said she could, but she didn't believe him.
"When will he wake up?"
Thea shrugged helplessly, "I don't know."
Mary Lynette sat on the bed facing Ash and brushed the wayward tendrils of hair out of his face. Did he know she was here? The connection they had seemed to be missing. Mary Lynette's heart stopped. "No Ash, don't give up now."
He stirred a little, then sighed. Mary Lynette watched his face hoping those gold eyes would pop open and some smart aleck remark would come out of his mouth, but it didn't happen. He didn't move again and her heart fell.
"Ash please say something." Her voice shook.
"He just needs some time, Mare. His body took quite a shock, it's not easy for a human to recover from this kind of injury either."
Mary Lynette nodded in understanding. She leaned over and kissed him lightly on the lips. No sparks, no electricity, nothing. She wasn't sure what to think or do except get out of the room for a while.
"I'll be downstairs if he wakes up." MAry Lynnette walked down the stairs, deep in thought. She unconsciously stepped over Keller's tail and sidestepped Galen as well. Only after she crossed to the study did she turn around, realizing they had shifted and were lying on the floor at the bottom of the stairs.
"Don't tell me, I don't want to know."
Keller grumbled at her. Galen reached out playfully swatting Keller on the head with his paw.
Mary Lynnette shook her head and closed the study door. She sank into an overstuffed armchair and drifted into dreamless sleep.
***
Beth stretched a long luxurious cat like stretch. Her body felt wonderfully powerful and feline. Hunter's arm was draped around her waist. She rolled over and Hunter smiled into her eyes.
"How do you feel?" He asked, suddenly anxious, watching her every move.
"Mmmm, I feel . . .hungry?"
"I'll take you hunting when you get your vampire legs under you."
Beth sat up. Despite the power threading through her muscles she was clumsy and weak.
"I'm told it takes a little getting used to. How did Poppy put it; like trying to learn to ride a bike, all wobbly and exhilarating at the same time."
"Wobbly is certainly the word for it." Beth said, trying to stand using Hunter's arm for support.
After a few awkward moments, she was standing and walking, though slowly, but gaining confidence.
"Now, let's hunt." Hunter smiled motioning her to the balcony that wrapped around to another landing. There they could drop to the ground and use a hidden trail which lead out of the mansion's grounds.
***
Ash scowled at the pain in his shoulder and at the nurse fussing over him.
"There now, that shoulder is looking much better."
The woman was raving on madly about how to care for his injury and the benefits of massage therapy to regain the use of his arm. Ash really didn't care about anything but finding Mary Lynette. He didn't remember anything about the ride home or the days that followed. Thea told him Mary Lynette stayed at his side just about the whole time. He hadn't sensed her presence in that time. Nor could he sense her now even though he knew she was downstairs.
"Maybe it's the injury somehow interfering. You could feel her before you got hurt right?" Thea asked, having stepped into her grandmother's over-sized shoes as counselor to those who needed it.
Ash thought for a moment. Yes, he had sensed her when they met at Beth's home. He had made a beeline for the door where she was standing.
"So give it time. Maybe you two could learn to love each other despite being disconnected." Ooh, she winced; she sounded like a telephone operator.
"If Suzy nurse here would leave, I'd go find M'lin."
The nurse pulled the bandage tight.
"Ow."
"Sorry." The healer apologized with little sympathy.
After what seemed like an eternity, Ash was allowed to search for Mary Lynette. It was strange trying to find someone he couldn't sense. It was as if his vampire abilities were gone too. He felt rather weak and dazed, but determined to find Mary Lynette. He didn't have to look long. He found her talking to Beth and Hannah.
"Ash," Beth jumped up and hugged him. "I'm glad you're better. Thank you for saving my life!"
Something was different about her. She was graceful and agile like a . . . vampire.
"You're welcome," Ash said, taken aback. "Umm, Mare, can we talk?" Hunter breaking yet more of his own rules? The man was certainly changing only time would tell if the cahnge was for the better.
Mary Lynette gulped, she didn't want to talk. She wanted to leave and stay away forever. "I guess."
Hannah and Beth left quietly. Hannah squeezed Mary Lynette's hand as she passed her.
"I don't know to begin." Ash said fidgeting with the sling his arm was resting in.
"I do, Where in the Hell have you been, don't you know how to read a calendar?"
"I couldn't risk leading someone back to you, like Quinn.'
"Quinn is a good guy."
"Not when I met you he wasn't. You know what Hunter did to that guard? Well that's what Quinn would have done to you with out even blinking an eye."
"You could have called or written."
Okay, she had a point there. "You're right, I should have except things have gotten really complicated in my world. What you've seen these past few days is only the beginning. I can't walk away even for you because that might mean death to my family and you as well."
Mary Lynette's chin trembled, "You can't or won't?"
"Mare," Ash reached out to touch her but she jerked away, out of his reach.
She had wanted him to change, but not like this. What she had been after was the elusive perfect man. A dream or vision that could never be. He had instead become a loyal soldier fighting to preserve humanity, not the happy go lucky person she met two years earlier.
"I can walk away. I'm going home tonight Ash. Don't bother coming back to Briar Creek, you're not welcome in my home."
Ash stood helplessly by, watching Mary Lynnette turn away from him. The muscles in his throat worked constrictively but he didn't say a word to stop her. Perhaps it was for the best that she did walk away. Maybe that is what they both should do...just walk away. It would probably save her life in the millenium battle fi she were far far away in her little safe haven in the hick town of Briar Creek.
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