Summit at Sunset (Sunset Vampire #3) - Page 9
By the following morning, Caleb's demeanor had improved, and he was feeling more content. His arm had almost fully healed, thanks to liberal use of Katrina's saliva. Of course, the fact that she had not actually handcuffed him to the bed before she departed for the day's conference session was also encouraging.
He shaved and dressed with a hopeful feeling as he contemplated what plan Dori would have for their investigation of the mountain shack just outside of town. Then a pang of guilt followed as he recalled Katrina's concerns from the prior evening. She wouldn't be happy if she knew what he and Dori were planning.
He wondered if he shouldn't simply abandon further investigations both for his own welfare and for his mate's peace of mind.
A knock at his suite's door interrupted his thoughts, and he pulled a t-shirt over his head on the way to answer it.
Dori's really early today, he estimated.
As he opened his door, he was surprised to see Paige, once more relegated to her security outfit.
"Morning, Mister Trouble," she greeted.
She playfully dangled a pair of chrome handcuffs in her left hand at eye level before him.
"Katrina said to drop by," she slyly added.
"No way!" he challenged, immediately swinging the door closed against her.
At the last second, her hand slapped the door and effortlessly pushed against his full weight to sweep it open again. She slipped into the room, laughing as she closed the door behind her.
"Whoa, tiger," she offered with a giggle. "Red said that I'd enjoy your reaction, and boy, you sure didn't disappoint," she added, sliding the pair of cuffs into her back pants pocket.
His heartbeat raced while slowly stepping backwards and watching her with a wide-eyed expression.
"I thought -"
"Yeah, I figured as much. Red told me about her little threat."
Her eyes narrowed in a predatory fashion.
"Don't worry, kiddo," she assured him in a sultry voice, "If I ever do handcuff you to a bed, I won't be leaving you alone."
"Oh really?"
"I'm just sayin'."
"Well, since you put it that way," he suggestively countered with a smirk and deliberately reached out to take her by the hand.
I can tease, too.
She felt a momentary charge tingle across her skin as he grasped her hand, and her eyes darted to his. She was surprised how pleasing the thought of sex with him was to her, but was equally unnerved by her silent admission. Her gaze took in how well his t-shirt fit his muscular chest and how his blue jeans hugged his lean waist. Then she caught herself and quickly rotated her hand to grab his wrist.
"Enough kidding around, you perv. Let's get you some breakfast. Nice healing job on your arm, by the way."
She pulled him towards the suite door, thankful that she had not succumbed to a fleeting desire that she would later regret.
"Sure," he agreed while eyeing her suspiciously.
Despite his sense of fidelity to Katrina, he couldn't help feeling aroused by the fleeting idea of having sex with her. He considered her to be a powerfully attractive woman for whom he cared deeply. And his experience in the vault with her had only increased that sense of affection.
The two proceeded to the main dining room, platonically discussing a host of decidedly safer topics.
Katrina sat at the head of the conference table to the right of Alton while appreciating the reactions from a number of vampires around the table as both Hakizimana and Mara secured their respective seats at the opposite end of the room.
The yellow-eyed vampire had quite a reputation among his peers, almost like an ancient celebrity in his own right merely from his longevity. Certainly, he was the eldest vampire in the room, which was saying something with Alton being over eight hundred years old.
While not overly enthusiastic herself, Katrina particularly enjoyed the reactions of both Baldar Dubravko and Dominic Ambrogio over the newest participants. Both vampires seemed beside themselves and were lulled into silent contemplation versus their usual instigation of arguments among attendees.
Wonders never cease, she mused.
"At the risk of seeming obstructive," Hakizimana politely inquired, "Would it be possible to briefly enumerate the topics at hand?"
"Certainly," Alton neatly replied.
He proceeded not only to describe the active topics, but briefly recounted the other topics that had been argued into stalemates or had been tabled for later discussion.
Hakizimana briefly commented on the merits of some topics, while diplomatically conceding the difficulties of others. Most surprising to Katrina was how a number of the previously tabled topics garnered renewed life with the seemingly unbiased promptings of the ancient vampire.
Within an hour, a number of formerly reserved or silent attendees were openly discussing the merits of some of the previous agenda topics. It was perhaps the first time since the conference started that free-flowing dialogue was occurring.
"Point of order," Dubravko abruptly spoke up. "Shouldn't someone other than the chair recommend that previously tabled topics be revisited for discussion?"
One of Alton's brows imperiously arched, and he swept the faces in the room for someone to speak up.
Katrina sat up in her chair, meeting Dubravko's golden-fleck eyes directly.
"I motion that previously tabled topics be reopened for discussion at the discretion of any participants," she offered. "Who will second?"
Silence reigned for only a few seconds. Then no less than three vampires spoke up simultaneously in support. The final vote resulted in the vast majority of attendees favoring the motion. Dubravko, Ambrogio, and three others were among the only dissenters.
In and of itself, it was a momentous victory for the tone of the conference. Dubravko silently fumed across the table from Katrina, but she merely reflected quiet satisfaction.
Civil dialogue seamlessly resumed as if no interruption had occurred.
During breakfast, Paige absently watched Caleb eat while sipping from a Styrofoam cup of warm blood. She was determined not to let her appetite get the better of her in the future, obligations or not. Staring at the young man before her, she couldn't help thinking about his two-fold accomplishment from the previous evening.
First, he had been able to bring a powerful and elusive vampire to participate in the conference. And second, he had lived through the risky endeavor.
Glancing up from his plate of food, he noticed her staring at him.
"What?" he asked.
"You surprised me last night, kiddo," she conceded. "Quite a lot, actually."
"I'm full of surprises sometimes."
She giggled. "More like full of crap sometimes."
He cast her a dirty look as he speared a sausage link and bit off one end.
"Actually," she earnestly whispered, "I'm impressed and proud. I just wish that you wouldn't -"
"Take so many chances?"
"Yeah," she grimly agreed as tightness formed in her throat.
His clumsiness is glaring at times. I'd rather he not turn up dead anytime soon.
He was touched to see the depth of caring and concern reflected in her bright blue eyes.
"You and Katrina both," he quietly noted.
She sipped from her cup, trying to refocus her thoughts on something more constructive. In turn, he concentrated on finishing his pancakes. The remainder of their time together passed relatively quickly and quietly. Yet, there was a sense of contentment between the two of them in just sharing the table together.
Following breakfast, Paige disappeared to pursue a host of requirements placed upon her by the major, leaving Caleb to his own diversions. He strolled through the merchants' area at one end of the conference facility, absently perusing. Following a call to Dori's suite but getting no answer, he left voicemail about where she could find him.
He had grown somewhat bored, having seen the same shops on a number of occasions since being sequestered to conference property.
An hour into his wandering, Dori showed up next to him as he perused a rack of paperback books.
"Where's your cell phone?" she insisted, emphasizing her annoyance by prodding her fingertip against his shoulder blade.
He reached down to his hip and realized that he hadn't had time to pick it up when Paige had abruptly showed up at his suite.
"Oh, yeah. I must have left without it this morning."
"Yeah, well, you won't need it until later this afternoon anyway," she said. "Let's go outside and enjoy some sunshine."
They walked outdoors to the park bench on which they had sat together just days prior. Caleb noted the location was ideal to chat privately, allowing them easily to notice anyone who might approach. They sat quietly, appreciating the scenic surroundings for a short time before either spoke.
"I've figured out how we can sneak out," Dori finally offered.
"Yeah? How?"
"There's a linens truck that stops outside the loading zone at the rear of the building every day. The cameras are set up to observe the loading area, but the back of the truck obstructs the full view enough that we might be able to hop in unnoticed," she explained.
"What about guards?"
"Yes, there's always one on duty there, so we'll need a diversion," she agreed.
That seemed to be the sticking point, until something struck him.
"What if we could get someone else to help us?"
"You have somebody in mind who can keep it to themselves?" Dori asked.
"Maybe. How about Aiden?"
She observed him for a moment.
"Perhaps. But it's better if we don't tell him where we're going, just in case one of the vampires questions him."
He considered her qualification and realized that "one of the vampires" included Alton, Kat, and Paige. Excluding them wasn't something that he was proud of, but he also realized that they wouldn't support their venture, either. Still, he was convinced that what they were planning to do was imperative.
Besides, maybe we'll get lucky like I did last night.
"I'll talk to Aiden," he resolved.
They agreed to visit again after he met with Aiden. It was another half-hour before he was able to acquire Aiden's cell phone number and arrange to meet him somewhere private. In the end, they agreed upon the Frisbee golf course. Fortunately, Frisbee was something Caleb was well acquainted with.
The two enjoyed a couple of rounds against each other before Caleb felt comfortable bringing up the subject at hand. Finally, after neatly tossing his disc into the goal, he subtly broached the topic.
"Great," Aiden chided. "Now you want me to get labeled a troublemaker, too. You're a real pill, Taylor."
Caleb shrugged. "Hey, I just thought you'd care enough about Talise to help us make sure there was nothing to our suspicions, that's all."
Aiden's green eyes narrowed, and he glared at Caleb. "Whaddaya mean by that?"
"Nothing, maybe," Caleb casually replied. "Only that sometimes I get it right, that's all. And I'm all for making sure that nothing threatens Katrina. Or Paige."
Aiden scowled. "I see what you're doing. You're trying to play on my fears. Well listen, try playing to my intelligence instead. Why don't you tell me where you think some threat might be coming from, and I'll determine if it seems reasonable or not."
Caleb admired the man's logic and moxie. However, he didn't feel comfortable spilling all the details, just as Dori had warned him.
"Dori uncovered some new information that leads us to believe that Baldar Dubravko has an agenda focused on the failure of this conference. That's another reason why the newest additions to the group, who, I might add, formerly weren't interested in being here, found my argument compelling enough to attend."
Aiden tossed his Frisbee, missed the goal entirely, and cursed. Then he turned to stare silently at Caleb at length before nodding.
"Okay, but when you're done playing spy, I want to know the full details. So, what is it exactly you want me to do?"
Caleb was visibly pleased. "Agreed."
The afternoon was waning by the time Caleb was able to locate Dori. He had no sooner made it back to the main lobby when he noticed vampires milling around. A number of human companions were among the crowd. Frowning, he looked around for someone who he felt comfortable asking for details.
Seemingly out of nowhere Katrina appeared on the far side of the lobby, staring at him with an amused expression. He tentatively smiled back at her. She crooked her finger in the same telltale manner as the night before and wriggled it at him in a beckoning fashion.
She didn't seem upset or worried to him. Quite the contrary, she looked like a hunter who had just bagged its prize prey. Caleb swallowed, and his smile faded somewhat. Her emerald eyes were penetrating as he strode slowly across the lobby towards her. For that reason, he wasn't entirely sure that he wanted to know why she wore such an expression.
"Surprise, my love," she slyly offered and bent down slightly to kiss him on the lips.'
At least, something is destined to be a surprise, she silently affirmed.
"It sure is," he agreed. "The conference let out early today, I presume?"
"Given that it was the first positive meeting since we started, we thought it would be a good idea not to be greedy," she wryly explained. "Besides, it gives those attendees with partners an opportunity to spend quality time with them. Like us, for example. We won't reconvene until tomorrow morning."
"Oh," he replied.
It figures. Just when Dori and I finally have a plan of action, now I get to spend time with Katrina.
She took note of his distracted mannerism. "How does dinner sound?" she queried.
I wonder what's on his mind?
He took notice of the main dining room and saw a short line of people waiting to be seated.
"Sure, that sounds nice," he ventured and wrapped his arm around her waist to lead her in that direction.
But her body remained firmly planted in place, and his torso twisted with a lurch to look at her curiously.
She's like a statue when she does that, he marveled.
"Actually, why don't we briefly run by Alton's suite and pick up him and Dori? They can join us for dinner," she prompted.
It won't take long at all.
He suspiciously frowned. "Well, okay. That's a nice idea, actually."
He quickly wondered if his and Dori's plans would still be actionable after dinner or not. He doubted it with neither of their vampires preoccupied.
"Excellent. Let's go," she said, taking him by the hand to lead him to the nearby elevator.
Caleb knocked on Alton's suite door, glancing up at Katrina for what must have been the third time in two minutes to gauge her expression. For some reason, he couldn't help thinking that she was up to something.
Then again, between her and Alton, they're always up to something.
She contentedly looked down at him and soothingly rubbed his lower back.
Dori was the one who answered the door, and she looked none too pleased to be there. Her violet eyes were hard, as if she had just been arguing. She warily fixed Caleb in a manner that made him feel like turning to flee back down the hallway to the elevator. It was like a rabbit silently warning a fellow bunny, "Danger! Run!"
"Hi, Dori," Katrina warmly greeted her. "Caleb and I thought that you two might want to join us for dinner."
Dori absently reached over her opposite shoulder to scratch at her back. "Certainly," she politely replied. "We'll meet you downstairs."
"Dori," announced Alton's diplomatic voice from inside. "That sounds like Katrina and Caleb. Have them come in, why don't you?"
She said nothing and stepped aside to allow them to enter. Katrina pleasantly smiled at her as they passed.
Good girl, she noted.
Alton appeared to be tinkering with items from a large, black briefcase made of a composite material. Since the opened case lid was facing him, Caleb couldn't see what was inside. He observed Dori again, and she looked back at him with a miserable expression.
"Why don't you two have a seat, and I'll be right with you," Alton suggested.
Katrina's arm slipped around Caleb's waist, guiding him over to the couch, and he looked up at his mate with a curious expression.
She wistfully looked at him and murmured, "I love you."
"I love you, too," he sincerely replied.
"Caleb? Perhaps you would be so kind to remove your shirt for a moment?" Alton asked.
Caleb froze and then looked back over his shoulder at him. He noticed that the tall vampire was holding what looked like a large metal syringe, and it almost made him cringe.
"Just what the hell is that for?!"
Alton innocently shook his head. "It's really nothing."
"The hell it is. That's something."
Katrina reached over to help lift his t-shirt up, but he quickly slapped at her hands and pulled it back down.
"Just wait a damned minute! Somebody better tell me what the hell is going on here!"
"Shhh, nobody's doing anything to harm you, my love," Katrina soothingly offered as she patted him on the shoulder. "Just take your shirt off for a moment, and it'll all be over soon. It's a completely painless process."
"Oh no, not until somebody tells me what this is all about," Caleb insisted.
Another fleeting glimpse of Dori's visage indicated that he wasn't going to like the answer.
"We're merely inserting a small implant on your shoulder," Alton explained as if it were the most common thing in the world. "It rests just beneath the skin. You'll never even know it's there. Katrina will even numb the area for you."
"What kind of implant, Alton?" he pressed.
"It's a tiny tracking beacon," Katrina answered. "It's for your protection so that we can locate you in the event that you mysteriously disappear again."
He suddenly realized why Dori seemed so unhappy. Apparently, she had one installed, as well.
Well, that puts a big damned wrinkle in our plan.
"Great," he sarcastically retorted, "It's just like tagging a herd animal. Is that what we are now?"
Katrina's mouth became a thin line, and she frowned at him. "That's insulting, Caleb. Nobody's trying to demean you. We just want to keep you both safe, that's all."
"I think I'll pass," he flatly retorted as he stared into Katrina's eyes.
She briefly closed her eyes. When she reopened them, Caleb stared into the determined eyes of a resolute vampire.
"I'm afraid that's not an option, my love," she declared with a note of finality.
Enough games, Caleb. This is for your own good, after all.
"No," he repeated, though his resolve was shaken somewhat by her visage.
"Remove your shirt. Now," she commanded.
Her arm reached across him and firmly planted him against the cushion. She stared directly into his pale blue eyes and deliberately willed her eyes to flash at him brightly for a mere second.
He pulled away from her at that fierce sight. Then he realized that he wasn't going to win the dispute at that point. All he had left to maintain was his dignity.
"Fine," he relented and began stripping his shirt off.
It didn't give Katrina any pleasure to force her lover's hand in the matter. But more than anything, she couldn't endure another helpless feeling of wondering if he were okay, as well as where he might be. He was too important to her.
Caleb looked away from her and dejectedly sat with his shoulder slightly slumped forwards. He allowed his torso to be turned away from her, offering his back to them. Alton moved closer to him from behind the couch, and he felt Katrina's lips on his skin a little higher above his left shoulder blade.
She kissed him once, and his muscles tensed in response.
Despite the audience of Alton and Dori, Katrina deliberately kissed Caleb's shoulder twice more with her soft lips. Finally, she placed her tongue against his skin and waited for a time until it was properly numbed. Alton waited for her to pull away then deftly injected the tip of the needle. With a single push of the syringe, a tiny metal object was deposited just beneath his skin.
Before bleeding ensued, Katrina pressed her tongue against his skin, waiting for the entry point to seal.
A moment later, she lightly kissed the spot and said, "There. Done."
Now I'll have some peace of mind for a change.
He started to reach over his shoulder to touch the spot, but she lightly swatted his hand.
"Leave it alone for a short time so it can properly heal," she insisted. Then a brief memory of kissing his wounded arm as a child played through her mind, and she recalled having said the same thing to him as an eight-year-old boy. It was an odd recollection.
He slipped his shirt back on as Alton happily asked, "Well then, anyone hungry?"
The four of them proceeded to the main dining room for dinner, though Katrina and Alton did most of the talking over warm glasses of blood as Dori and Caleb traded dejected looks and mostly picked at their meals.
"I thought that we might take in a movie tonight," Alton merrily suggested. "There's a theater in Jereka that's open until midnight."
Dori forced a diplomatic expression. "I'm sure that's fine," she politely responded.
"I think it sounds delightful," Katrina replied in an upbeat tone.
Caleb was having none of it and merely frowned. He felt somewhat resentful towards both his mate and Alton. As Katrina's fingers lightly touched his hand, he immediately looked away.
Alton drove the four of them to Jereka in an SUV. Despite his aggravation, Caleb admired the vampire's keen driving skills on such a dark road. It seemed that the vehicle progressed at an unusually high rate of speed for the curving mountains road. He surveyed what little he could see through the side window of the back seat, pointedly ignoring Katrina beside him.
He's really angry about earlier, Katrina thought ruefully. Still, it's for their own good.
"I don't mean to seem impertinent, but I don't speak fluent Slovene," Caleb dryly observed. He had learned a few key phrases and courteously tried using them when possible, but he could barely hold a reasonable conversation with the locals in their native language.
"What?" Alton asked.
"The movie," Dori supplemented. "And neither do I, for the most part."
"It's in English," Alton supplied as he deftly maneuvered through a tight curve at a brisk speed.
Caleb gritted his teeth and wondered how the stately vampire had managed to arrange that little feat.
He probably purchased the theater or something, he speculated.
Once in Jereka, Caleb was impressed by how busy the small city was in the evening. People bustled about much like they would in any city in America. The theater was a quaint-looking structure reminiscent of an earlier period when theaters were a special and unique civic attraction.
Inside, people milled around as Caleb noticed that the movie posters were all labeled in Slovene. The universal smell of popcorn permeated the lobby, and his mouth watered. While Alton purchased the tickets, Katrina casually observed Caleb and Dori as they stood quietly waiting.
The film was a modern romantic comedy set in New York City entitled Love, Unexpected. A number of people were seated in the theater when they entered, most appearing to be college-aged. In an almost herding fashion, Alton led the way to their seats while Katrina brought up the rear, effectively ensuring that Caleb and Dori sat between them.
Caleb hastily mentioned, "I think I'll run to the restrooms before the movie starts."
"Me, too," Dori agreed.
Both were surprised when Katrina and Alton kept their seats. Once in the lobby, Caleb turned to his newfound friend.
"What do we do now?" he insisted. "Aiden already offered to help us."
"Oh, I am so furious at Alton," Dori fumed. Her eyes darted left and right in a flighty fashion that seemed out of character for the normally confident woman. "I don't know yet. Just give me some time to think about it. I'm not even sure if the implants poll us constantly or not."
"How do you even know about stuff like this?" he asked. There was so much that he still didn't know about Dori. She was a virtual mystery for all their time together.
Katrina appeared through the doors of their theater and swept the busy lobby to locate them.
"Kat's on us already," Caleb warned, turning his back on his mate.
"Just act as normal as possible, and we'll meet up tomorrow after the conference starts up again," Dori urged. "I should have some answers by then."
She quickly walked over to the nearby women's restroom, darting through the door to enter.
"The men's is on the other side of the lobby," Katrina pleasantly offered from behind Caleb.
What are you two up to? she wondered.
"Oh, thanks," he said.
Katrina waited for them to return to the lobby and accompanied them back to their seats. Then she disappeared again while Dori and Caleb reseated themselves next to Alton. Caleb noticed he had already acquired Cokes for each of them.
A few minutes later, Katrina quietly reappeared in her seat next to Caleb, handing him a large bucket of fresh popcorn.
"Popcorn? Extra butter and salt, just as you like it," she encouragingly whispered as the previews began.
"Thanks," he accepted good-naturedly and munched on the tasty snack. Dori snatched a handful or two as well.
The movie was enjoyable, and by the end of the film each of them had openly laughed a number of times. The romantic aspects of the feature weren't lost on Caleb, and at one point he gently grasped Katrina's hand when it appeared on his thigh. Despite still feeling annoyed with earlier events, he couldn't deny that he loved her.
For Katrina's part, she endeavored to keep the evening light-hearted. For one fleeting night, she wanted to act like any normal couple out on a date and leave all the dramatic vampire-themed events of the present behind them. Granted, such things would return to the forefront of their lives in mere hours, but she desperately needed to show Caleb that she could still be what she enjoyed being most of all for him: his mate and companion.
It was very late by the time Alton drove them back to the conference site. Dori dozed in the front passenger seat, while Caleb yawned nearly the entire time. He fought the drowsiness that threatened to overcome him, determined to see as much of his surroundings as the pervasive darkness would allow. The conference site had begun to feel like an oversized prison to him.
By the time Katrina and Caleb finally stood outside the door to their suite, he was no longer able to fight his fatigue. His red-headed mate observed him with amusement as he opened his mouth in a cavernous yawn, one that he thought would unhinge his jaw. He quickly squeezed past Katrina to enter the dark suite, making his way directly to the bedroom for much-welcome slumber.
Unfortunately, he ran directly into the back of the couch with a resounding "Umph."
"Careful. And try not to fall asleep before I can give you a goodnight kiss," she teased.
She shut the door and reached out for the light switch. It wasn't as if she needed the illumination, but she didn't want Caleb injuring himself on his trek to the bedroom.
As she flicked the light switch, every lamp or light fixture in the room snapped on. However, instead of the muted lighting that she expected, the room was filled with much more penetrating light.
"What the hell?" Caleb snapped as the lights in the bedroom and bathroom all popped on at once.
Katrina immediately felt intense pain, and her skin began to sizzle like bacon on a hot grill.
The next seconds passed like a lightning strike as Katrina's hand slammed into the light switch, though it failed to extinguish the lights. Her other hand reached for the suite's door handle, which fell away in her hand, leaving the door closed in place. She darted nearly blindly towards the bedroom but only saw more lights, so she sped into the coat closet beside her.
"Kat!" Caleb yelled with alarm as he had only caught a fleeting glimpse of his mate's scorched skin.
He immediately realized what was happening as he felt increased heat emanating from the nearest lamp. It was like the entire suite was a giant tanning booth. Grabbing one lamp, he jerked its cord from the nearby receptacle, rendering it harmless.
"Don't worry, Kat! Just hang on!" he shouted while racing to the various light switches in the room, though none of them extinguished the lights.
He wielded the lamp pedestal in his hand like a bludgeon and ran to each light fixture on the walls to smash the bulbs until they were dark and useless. He had to jump up in order to break the ceiling-mounted lights, but quickly progressed through the living room until all lights were broken. Then to save time, he raced to the bedroom and slammed the door shut, leaving him standing in complete darkness.
His momentary night blindness hampered his efforts to cross the room as he barked, "It's okay, Kat! The lights are out."
His efforts were met with his shin's painful, abrupt impact against the coffee table, which tripped him.
"Dammit!" he cursed while trying to maintain his balance.
He thought that he heard the nearby closet door open and felt a blur of movement nearby. The smell that followed nearly made him gag. It was like burned meat, and he shuddered upon realizing it was his mate's flesh.
"Oh God, Kat," he gasped.
"I'll be okay," her terse voice tried to reassure him.
Her anger was barely kept in check as she effortlessly moved through the darkness to part the curtains covering the windows. Although it was nighttime, the meager light filtering in through the coated glass from outside would allow her mate to see more easily.
"Jesus! Are you okay?" he insisted as his eyes began to adjust enough that he could make out her form near the windows.
He felt a blur of air