was no blood, but I saw him at the hospital. The flash of blood in an IV put a look in his eyes I don't think I ever want to see again." I shuddered, remembering the explanation Mathias had given me about why he wouldn't let me give him blood. One drop was all he believed it would take to make him forget himself, to take my life and live an eternity with regret.
"You know something?" Xavier asked. "I owe you an apology."
"For what?"
"For not believing you about Mathias being a good guy. I've watched him. I've seen him look out for Kerry as much as he watches over you. He's a better man than I am in some ways. He's accepted an awful lot of shit from the pride without so much as a sharp word before today. I'm sorry I doubted you and him."
The admission had obviously cost Xavier dearly. He continued to stroke Kerry's hair, but wouldn't meet my eyes.
"I don't think he's a better man than you'll be Xavier," I said. "I think he's just had longer to be a man than you have. Give yourself a break, OK?"
"Yeah," he said gruffly.
"Will you tell me more about what your doctor said was the reason for Hector not turning?"
Xavier sighed. "The were virus, no matter what form it is, is the most deadly thing in a were's body. It kills everything else. I haven't had so much as a cold since I was seven."
"That doesn't sound too bad," I said.
"That part isn't bad. There are worse consequences of catching the disease." Xavier shrugged. "Sure, the furry thing is kind of a pain, but that's not even the worst of it. It's the damper it puts on someone's future. The virus kills more than other diseases. Weres can't have kids. The virus kills everything."
I watched the way Xavier ran his fingers through Kerry's hair and I knew the answer to my next question before I asked it. "Did you want kids, Xavier?" I asked. My heart was breaking for him. To have that kind of decision taken from him at such a young age was wrong.
"I never really thought about it before...well before I met Kerry. I mean I'm only sixteen, so I don't need to think about having kids right now anyway, but Kerry makes me wish I could give her kids if she wanted them."
I didn't know what to say. I knew Kerry wanted a lot of things from her life and kids were an eventuality she'd talked about from time to time. "She's only fifteen, Xavier. If it comes to you guys wanting kids later, you'll adopt. I know Kerry won't mind."
"Yeah, she'd love any kid. Hell, she loves me."
"Just don't think that because you can't get my sister pregnant it gives you free reign, okay lover boy?" I smiled to soften the words.
"Yeah, I know. I would never do anything Kerry didn't want to do and she's told me she's not ready. I'll wait my entire life for her if I need to."
"I don't think it'll be that long," I laughed. "Her hormones will kick in before long. Just be as careful with her heart as you are with her health, OK?"
Xavier snapped a salute. "Yes, Ma'am."
"Okay, enough over-protective older sister crap for one night."
"Thank God, I was gonna have to rip off my ears if you were gonna keep going."
"Bite me, kitty."
"Nope," Xavier laughed and Kerry stirred in her sleep. Xavier kissed the top of her head and whispered something to her before Kerry settled again. Watching them made me wonder if I was more dangerous to my family than any of the monsters I seemed to attract.
"I keep thinking I should leave Highland Home," I said softly.
"Why?"
"I'm the magnet, remember. Everything supernatural in a fifty mile radius seems to head straight for me. If I left, you, Kerry, Mom and Tawnya would be safe."
Xavier shook his head. "I don't think so, Maire. I asked Gram about that when the vamp started killing in East Hampton. She said something big was on the way and that we were gonna need your help to stop it. I think if you leave, your family will be in more danger than if you stay."
I sighed. "Did Elise happen to say what was coming?"
"Nope. She's good at that. She can keep a secret like no one
"You know something?" Xavier asked. "I owe you an apology."
"For what?"
"For not believing you about Mathias being a good guy. I've watched him. I've seen him look out for Kerry as much as he watches over you. He's a better man than I am in some ways. He's accepted an awful lot of shit from the pride without so much as a sharp word before today. I'm sorry I doubted you and him."
The admission had obviously cost Xavier dearly. He continued to stroke Kerry's hair, but wouldn't meet my eyes.
"I don't think he's a better man than you'll be Xavier," I said. "I think he's just had longer to be a man than you have. Give yourself a break, OK?"
"Yeah," he said gruffly.
"Will you tell me more about what your doctor said was the reason for Hector not turning?"
Xavier sighed. "The were virus, no matter what form it is, is the most deadly thing in a were's body. It kills everything else. I haven't had so much as a cold since I was seven."
"That doesn't sound too bad," I said.
"That part isn't bad. There are worse consequences of catching the disease." Xavier shrugged. "Sure, the furry thing is kind of a pain, but that's not even the worst of it. It's the damper it puts on someone's future. The virus kills more than other diseases. Weres can't have kids. The virus kills everything."
I watched the way Xavier ran his fingers through Kerry's hair and I knew the answer to my next question before I asked it. "Did you want kids, Xavier?" I asked. My heart was breaking for him. To have that kind of decision taken from him at such a young age was wrong.
"I never really thought about it before...well before I met Kerry. I mean I'm only sixteen, so I don't need to think about having kids right now anyway, but Kerry makes me wish I could give her kids if she wanted them."
I didn't know what to say. I knew Kerry wanted a lot of things from her life and kids were an eventuality she'd talked about from time to time. "She's only fifteen, Xavier. If it comes to you guys wanting kids later, you'll adopt. I know Kerry won't mind."
"Yeah, she'd love any kid. Hell, she loves me."
"Just don't think that because you can't get my sister pregnant it gives you free reign, okay lover boy?" I smiled to soften the words.
"Yeah, I know. I would never do anything Kerry didn't want to do and she's told me she's not ready. I'll wait my entire life for her if I need to."
"I don't think it'll be that long," I laughed. "Her hormones will kick in before long. Just be as careful with her heart as you are with her health, OK?"
Xavier snapped a salute. "Yes, Ma'am."
"Okay, enough over-protective older sister crap for one night."
"Thank God, I was gonna have to rip off my ears if you were gonna keep going."
"Bite me, kitty."
"Nope," Xavier laughed and Kerry stirred in her sleep. Xavier kissed the top of her head and whispered something to her before Kerry settled again. Watching them made me wonder if I was more dangerous to my family than any of the monsters I seemed to attract.
"I keep thinking I should leave Highland Home," I said softly.
"Why?"
"I'm the magnet, remember. Everything supernatural in a fifty mile radius seems to head straight for me. If I left, you, Kerry, Mom and Tawnya would be safe."
Xavier shook his head. "I don't think so, Maire. I asked Gram about that when the vamp started killing in East Hampton. She said something big was on the way and that we were gonna need your help to stop it. I think if you leave, your family will be in more danger than if you stay."
I sighed. "Did Elise happen to say what was coming?"
"Nope. She's good at that. She can keep a secret like no one
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