Thanks for the feedback… I guess I just need to know once in a while that someone’s actually reading it and enjoying it haha… You all are my muse :D so keep telling me what you think. I’m willing to consider taking requests haha… Don’t you just love vampires?! ~laughs wickedly and bears her fangs~

@Trysian – Don’t go nuts… Just the thought of you turning into a peanut made me crawl directly behind my computer and type away…

@Becks – The different angle is why I love writing this story too… Plus I love vampire books haha…

@bvhall – I like that… the stud is not a stud… What is in a name? That which we call a stud by any other name would look as hot whahaha… If you like it so far, wait till you find out what Shane really is… It’s going to blow even Belle Morte away…


@CFone – I love it when I can make someone’s day haha… Hope this one doesn’t disappoint either…

@ALL – Just wondering… How many of you have actually read LK Hamilton’s books?

BLOOD HEIR

Chapter 5 – Open Minds

When Shane walked into the Planet the next day, she saw Alice and Tina sitting at a table. And everything seemed normal. Well almost normal. Both Alice and Tina were looking like their cat had eaten the canary. But Shane was going to take whatever she could get because anything seemed normal compared to what happened the night before. Maybe it had all been a dream, she thought to herself. Yeah, it had to be shed just had a little too much to drink and a little too much blow. Which unfortunately didnt clear up the absence of her truck and a haunting memory of being driven home by a werewolf. No it had all been a hallucination, Shane told herself and walked over to sit with her friends.

Hey, Shane said as she pulled out a chair, turned it around and straddled it. Both Tina and Alice looked up from their reveries and returned the greeting a little despondently. Shane looked at them quizzically. Tina looked downright miserable. Her eyes were red rimmed as if shed been crying all night. Alice was casting her worried glances. Shed stayed up with Tina for most of the night, but had had despite her friends worries trouble to push back the memory of the night before. The sweet touch of Danas lips Alice sighed. When the L ladies messed up, they messed up bad.

Is everything ok? Shane asked neither of them in particular. Tina took out a hankie and blew her nose. She hadnt gotten any sleep and all shed wanted to do was crawl into bed and never crawl out. She couldnt believe what Bette had done. Things hadnt been right for a while, but to cheat She still couldnt wrap her head around it. It was like a bad dream, but no matter how often she pinched herself or Alice for that matter she just couldnt seem to wake up. This morning Alice somehow had convinced her to go out in public to the Planet after having made sure that Bette was at work. Sitting here with Shane and Alice had a confusing effect on Tina. On the hand it made everything seem normal. On the other it made Bettes betrayal more real.

Bette cheated on me, Tina blurted out while Alice was still trying to think up some lame cop out. Shane nearly fell off her chair. She didnt respond at all. Alice could see the wheels churning in her head. She looked as if she had been hit by a truck. Come to think of it, Shane looked awful. *****, but awful Alice thought. Looks like no one had had a good night.

Shane couldnt believe what she was hearing. Shed thought that Bette and Tina were the perfect couple. They radiated love and understanding. They gave her hope that people could really love forever. Or at least they had given her hope. She looked at her friend and didnt know what to say. Expressing emotions wasnt her strong suit. She leaned over and held Tinas hands.

Im so sorry, T, she said softly. She didnt quite know what else to say. She could only imagine what Tina must be going through. Tina sniffed again.

Thanks, Shane. Shane squeezed Tinas hands.

You know Im here for you if she started to say when her gaze fell upon a man who had just walked into the planet.

***** me she let out softly. All her hopes that last night had been a dream were shattered as she saw Nathaniel walk towards them. Alice turned around and let out a wolf whistle when she saw the auburn haired beauty – there just was no other way to describe him – walk towards them gracefully. He stopped a few steps away from Shane and smiled almost as if he were asking permission to approach. Shane let go of Tinas hands and leaned back not sure what to say now that her illusion that it had all been a bad dream was gone. Was he here to take her back?

Hello Shane, Nathaniel spoke in a voice that sounded soft and gentle like a comfortable warm blanket youd like to wrap yourself in. Shane just nodded.

You forgot this last night. Anita asked me to bring it over. He held out Shanes jacket to her. She held out her hand and took it. She must have forgotten it in her haste to get away from all the weirdness.

Are you alright? he asked still smiling. Anita had warned him not to scare the young woman. He could imagine that she was still a little overwhelmed with everything shed heard last night. Even he had needed some time to process the information that Musette was in town. He wasnt afraid for himself. He knew that Anita, his Nimi-Ra, would protect him. But he was worried. Who would protect Anita?

How did you find me? Shane asked thinking maybe shed left some clue in her pockets. Nathaniel pointed at his nose and let out a warm laugh. She looked at him in shock. He smiled at her reaction and added,

And I talked to one of your roommates, he added. Shane looked a little pissed off at this. Leave it to her roommates to tell total strangers where to find her.

Ok thanks, Shane said clearly giving off a signal that she wanted Nathaniel to leave. He sensed the inflection of her tone and also her body language was giving off ***** off vibes. He reached into his jacket smoothly and pulled out a small card and laid it on the table in front of Shane.

This is Anitas home phone number. Dont hesitate to call at any time he said adding, for anything. Shane looked at the card. She wanted to throw it away, but a little voice in her head was telling her that she might need it. So she nodded and at that Nathaniel gave a small bow to Tina and Alice and left.

Who was that? Alice asked inquisitively as soon as he was out of earshot.

And whos Anita? Tina added glad that now she could focus on Shane in stead of on her own problems.

Anita Blake, Shane said in a voice that sounded like it explained it all. Alice was frantically searching her brain for the name that sounded so familiar to her.

The Executioner? Tina asked incredulously having made the connection seconds before Alice. Shane nodded.

And the guy? Alice asked eagerly wanting to found out more about the hottest guy shed ever seen.

Nathaniel, hes her Shane tried to find the right word but somehow none of the words that came to mind seemed to be suitable.

Food, she finally settled on a word that seemed so normal but not in this particular context. Both Tinas and Alices jaws dropped to the table. Shane sighed and realized shed have to tell them the whole story now. She bravely started at the beginning even telling them about Cherie. She figured theyd found out sooner or later anyway.

Wow, Alice and Tina let out simultaneously when Shane was finished with her story. They looked at each other. The story seemed so far fetched and if it had been anyone else but Shane they wouldnt have believed half of it. But this was Shane. She never made up stuff especially not stuff like this.

So now what? Alice asked her journalistic side having taken over at the first mention of the word vampire. Shane shrugged.

I dunno. Nothing I suppose. I stay away from them and they stay away from me as if it never happened. Alices mind was almost spinning out of control. Shed been looking for a serious story to sell to her editor so she could stop writing top ten pieces. And this could be it. Shane had actually met the Executioner and the Master of the City.

You know, maybe you should keep an open mind, Alice offered carefully.

I am keeping my mind open. But that doesnt mean Ive taken leave of it, Shane replied sharply knowing full well that her friend had just sniffed a story and she was having no part in it.

Speaking of open minds, Tina said, What about this bervamp whos been crawling into your head?

As long as she crawls out every time Shane let her voice trail off. She so badly wanted it all to be over. But that seemed wishful thinking. She had this really bad feeling that things were just beginning.

*****

On the other side of town Anita was sitting at her kitchen table sipping coffee thinking the exact same thing. She thought back to the young woman sitting on the chair opposite her that was now empty. In retrospect shed taken it rather well. In a distant past she would have bounced off the walls with anger. But now nothing seemed to phase her anymore. The days of normalcy were far behind her now. Not only did she now how to struggle with the hungers, bloodlust, beasts of others but also her own.

She hadnt been able to talk to Jean Claude before sunrise. She tried to sense him, but got nothing. He was in his slumber, literally dead to the world. She didnt need to talk to him to know what he was going to say. They would have to contact Richard, the third of their triumvirate. They were going to need him to stand up to Musette. Only with Richards power joining theirs they would at least appear strong enough to deter Belle Morte from attempting to harm them. And if it didnt work Anita wasnt sure. She was just going to have to stay alive. Too many lives dead and undead alike depended on it. If anything happened to her both the triumvirates she was bound to would die and the members of the triumvirate with it. She thought of Jean Claude and Richard. Of Damian and Nathaniel. The thought of losing any of them tore at her heart.

But it wouldnt be easy to convince Richard to help them. He had been trying very hard to avoid all of them. At least he had come to terms with his beast. That was a start. She remembered when she had first met him. He was then a mere member of a pack. His Ulfric, king of the werewolf pack, had been a cruel ruler. He had been abusive and sadistic. But he had known that sometimes being an Ulfric meant doing nasty things to keep your wolves in line. After Richard had killed Marcus and taken over the position of Ulfric he had tried to run the pack differently. He had wanted to introduce civility to the pack. But he had forgotten one minute detail. No matter how you looked at matters. Werewolves were only part human. The larger part was animal. And Richard had learnt the hard way that democracy does not work when youre trying to rule a pack of wolves. This realization had come with a prize. When Richard was idealistic, she had begged him to become more ruthless knowing that he was too weak. That he would not be able to withstand outside or inside attack. And now he was exactly what she had wished for. He was now a proper Ulfric.

Her wish had come true and it had broken them apart. They were now no longer lovers. There merely existed a tentative friendship between them that was slowly starting to regain its former qualities of caring and trust. Shed agreed to be his alpha and although they werent together anymore, part of her still got jealous when she saw him with other women. Women from the pack who were all vying for the part to be Richards mate. To be his alpha.

But they would have to leave our their personal ***** at home, because Belle was nothing if not a formidable opponent. And now they had an additional problem. Shane. She knew in her heart of hearts that Asher was right. Belle was intrigued by the young woman. And she would not give up so easily. If it had been anyone but Belle Anita would have been quite happy leaving Shane to her own devices. But she knew that Belle did not respect the human law. She would take the young woman by force if she had to. And Anita couldnt let that happen. It was almost as if she were incapable of turning away strays. Which probably explained why her house was always crawling with leopards, wolves and vampires.

She would have to protect the young woman. At least until she could find out what Belles intentions were. Her mind drifted back to the vision of Shane sitting in the chair opposite her. She had had a blank face almost nearly the entire time she had been there. The only time she had seen through the faade was when Shane had tried to roll her. And when Belle had somehow risen the ardeur in them both. Her eyes had grown darker and Anita had seen the lust in them. She had known that Shane would be a great lover. She didnt know how she knew, she just knew. She felt her hot breath on her cheek. Her hand instinctively reached out and touched that flawless skin. Her fingers traveled over lips that held so many promises. Down her chin and over her neck. She could feel Shanes body pressed against her as she saw the pulse in Shanes neck quicken. She leaned in and planted a soft kiss. Her tongue flicked out and licked the same spot and she could hear Shane let out a sigh as she wrapped her hand in her hair pulling her closer. She could feel Shanes hand moving down her arms to her hips and finally resting on her ***** pulling her even closer. Anita moved her free arm under Shanes shirt and rested it on her bare back. She could feel the desire building inside her.

She was suddenly brought back to the reality of her kitchen when she heard someone behind her scraping his throat. She turned back to see Nathaniel grinning. A blush crept along her cheeks and she looked away sheepishly. Nathaniel let out a soft chuckle.

She IS cute, he said softly remembering the effect Shane had had on Anita the night before. Anita turned back to him the embarrassment being replaced by anger.

I dont do women! Anita said sharply. Nathaniel shrugged his shoulders and turned around still smiling to set some more coffee.