Seeking Eternity Ch 08

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Please be advised that the erotic part of this installment is to be found near the end. I hope that you will bear with me as I establish the backbone of the story in this chapter and in succeeding ones. Please let me know what you think by leaving a comment or sending a feedback. Thank you very much. Love, SF.

*****

"Good evening, Miss Graves. We need to talk."

Miranda was dumbfounded, but she tried not to let it show. On the love seat in the living room sat Dr. Rebecca Lee, lead doctor and researcher in Michael Gilford's subterranean prison. The woman was wearing her signature bun, but without her usual lab coat, she did not look quite as intimidating. She did not look as stressed out either. In fact, she looked much younger, much happier - and very much at home.

Setting her teacup on the table, Rebecca stood up and gestured to the sofa to her left. "Please, have a seat." She then turned to Theodore. "You as well, Theo."

Theo.

The nickname that Theodore preferred, having been given to him by his adoptive mother. Miranda slid a sidelong glance at the man. Could Rebecca be that adoptive mother? But the doctor looked quite young for the role. Who was she then, and what was she doing in Theodore's unit?

In her head, Miranda quickly ran through the information she had on Rebecca Lee. Having studied wolves and vampires for most of her life, the woman was employed by Reginald Gilford about twelve years ago. She was apparently also the inventor of the torture serum that was used by the slayer society on vampires and wolves alike.

"Can I get you coffee or tea?" Rebecca was presently asking, gesturing to the sofa at the same time.

"Thank you, but I don't plan on staying," Miranda said stiffly, turning her back to the woman, heading for the door.

In an instant, Theodore was blocking her path. "Not so fast, sweetheart."

"If this is a joke, Theodore, I don't find it funny," Miranda declared, glaring at the man. His expression was unreadable, but she knew him well enough to know that he was determined to stop her in any way he could. "Get out of my way."

From behind her, Rebecca let out a dramatic sigh. "We're dead serious, Miss Graves, but it seems that you don't understand the gravity of the situation."

Miranda rounded on the woman. "No, I don't, and I really don't care."

"But you should." The thin smile that curved Rebecca's lips made the woman look very unapproachable. "You see, Miss Graves, we know your secret."

Miranda stared at the woman. The doctor must be bluffing. How could they ever find out Miranda's secrets? Jared kept his 'adoption' of her a secret, and neither Melisande nor Seth would ever say a word about her involvement with them. Of course, Rebecca could only be bluffing.

"If you think you could threaten me..." Miranda began.

"Threaten you?" Rebecca cut her off. "I'm not threatening you. I'm merely letting you know that I'm on to your secret. Or do you really think that nobody will find out about your relationship with the vampire Melisande?"

Miranda narrowed her eyes but did not say a word. In her head, she was trying to figure out how Rebecca Lee could have known that. She had been careful every time she met Melisande. Could it be that Michael Gilford was monitoring all of the activities of his slayers? But she had never seen anyone keeping an eye on her.

"Good," Rebecca continued when she realized that Miranda was not going to speak. "At least you're not denying it. It's wise of you to save your breath."

"What do you want?" Miranda snapped, irritated. Theodore invited her into his unit to be grilled by this woman? What the fuck was he thinking?

Rebecca looked a bit surprised, but also amused. "Ah." She looked at Theodore. "When you talked to me about her, you forgot to mention that she's a charmer." Turning back on Miranda, she continued. "But I like you. Let's get down to business, then."

This time, when the woman gestured to the sofa, Miranda obliged her and sat down. Theodore followed her there, sitting to her left - which, Miranda noted, was closer to the door. As if he expected her to bolt out. Clearly, whatever faith he used to have on her had vanished long ago. Upset by the thought, Miranda threw him a dark look before turning to Rebecca.

"I hope that you're planning to keep this short," she said.

"That's the plan, yes," Rebecca agreed. The woman crossed her legs and put her hands on top of her knees - the same posture that the doctor assumed whenever she was talking to the captive wolf. "We know the extent of your relationship with Melisande Riel, but I'd like to hear it from you, for the record."

Beside Miranda, Theodore moved to place a phone on the centre table. Miranda only needed to glance at it to see that it was set to record the conversation they were having.

"I know Melisande," she merely said, unwilling to divulge anything more. Whatever Rebecca said, Miranda refused to believe the woman's claim that they knew what her relationship with Melisande was. "I bumped into her more than two years ago. Since she's a strong vampire, I didn't attempt to kill her."

"But you have seen her quite a few times after that first encounter," Rebecca prompted.

"Yes," Miranda continued, frowning. She needed to filter whatever information she shared. "I've seen her multiple times."

"And you two became lovers," Rebecca added.

For a moment, Miranda did not speak. She disliked the fact that the doctor had not been bluffing; she really knew of her relationship with Melisande. As if that was bad enough, Theodore also knew - if not earlier, then definitely now.

That

, for some reason, made Miranda feel utterly vulnerable.

"I - " Miranda cleared the dryness in her throat.

At least they don't know about Jared,

she thought to herself. "Yes."

As if revelling in the sight of her discomfort or the knowledge of her unease, Rebecca Lee said nothing and merely looked at Miranda. Miranda felt the urge to pounce on the woman and punch her face, but she did not think that Theodore would appreciate that. However much she wanted to beat the doctor to a pulp, Miranda was not stupid enough to risk Theodore's wrath. After all, he was much bigger and stronger than she was.

"You know how to contact Melisande," Rebecca said after a long while.

Forcing herself to calm down, Miranda nodded. "Of course."

"Excellent." The doctor smiled again, and her whole posture suddenly seemed more relaxed somehow. "We'd like you to get a message to her."

Miranda was surprised, but she kept her face blank. Get a message to Melisande.

That was it

? There was no order to reveal Melisande's lair to the slayer society? Somehow, the whole situation became more suspect to Miranda.

"And if I refuse to do so?"

"Then you leave me with no choice but to tell Gilford what I know," Rebecca said, her smile not fading. She nodded once to Theodore, who promptly ended the recording.

Gilford doesn't know

? Miranda just could not believe it. How the hell did they find out this information if Gilford was not involved? Was Rebecca Lee playing with her?

Before Miranda could say something that she would regret, Rebecca continued. "I really hope, Miss Graves, that you will convey my message to Melisande Riel. Either that, or Gilford will know your secret, and I don't think he'd be as amicable as we are."

Miranda frowned. She could not care less about what Gilford would do: she could just skip town and never show herself to any slayer again. But Jared wanted her to be in the slayer society to keep an eye on what was going on. Leaving meant that she would disappoint her adoptive father, and of the list of things that Miranda did not want to do, giving Jared valid cause for disappointment was on top.

That left her with no other choice but to acquiesce to Rebecca Lee's offer, however inconvenient that was. Besides, there might be something here that Jared needed to know. After all, if Theodore and Rebecca were on to something that they were willing to keep hidden from Gilford, then didn't it mean that they were playing this game for a reason that was not the same as Gilford's? Another player on board would interest Jared very much.

"What's the message?" she finally asked.

Rebecca's smile widened. "It's very simple. Tell Melisande - and her mate, Seth Renault - that their dear friend Johanna is being held captive in Gilford's subterranean prison."

Miranda raised an eyebrow. "

Dear

friend?"

For a moment, Rebecca looked at her as though the woman was debating whether or not to divulge more information. Her eyes took on a piercing look, making Miranda feel uncomfortable. It was the kind of look that Jared used to give her when she had gotten herself into trouble.

"Seth and Melisande took care of Johanna at one point," the doctor said when a considerable amount of time had passed. "I'm sure that the two of them will appreciate knowing what happened to her."

Aren't wolves and vampires mortal enemies?

Miranda thought.

How could Melisande and Seth be friends with a wolf?

But there was nothing on Rebecca's face that suggested she was not telling the truth. So, if what the doctor said was true...

"Is this a trap, then?" Miranda asked flatly. Inside, her stomach was twisting in knots. Could she really betray Melisande and Seth that way? Melisande had been a good friend from the moment they met - and so had been Seth.

"Not a trap, no," the doctor answered. The thoughtful look on her face made Miranda wonder what was going on inside her head. "We are hoping that they will hatch a plan to break Johanna out."

"And you hope so because...?"

Rebecca Lee looked amused again. "You're a curious one, aren't you?"

"I'd like to know what exactly I'm getting myself into," Miranda said. "There are risks associated with not helping you, but there might be greater risks associated with doing the opposite. I need to know."

The doctor turned to Theodore as she picked up her cup of tea. "Theo. If you could please enlighten our guest, I'd like to finish my tea."

Miranda turned to Theodore, her expression blank. "Well?"

"Johanna has been a long-time friend of Rebecca," Theodore explained. His face was as blank as hers, making Miranda apprehensive. "They are almost like sisters."

Pushing away her misgivings about the way that Theodore was acting, Miranda turned to the doctor. "But you are the one who concocted the torture serum that Gilford uses on the prisoner."

"Yes, I am," Rebecca said with a sigh. "I had no choice, Miss Graves. Gilford would have fired me if I failed to deliver what he wanted, and I am Johanna's only friend. I couldn't leave her alone. Besides, by making the serum myself, I know what my friend is getting into her bloodstream. As vicious as the drug is, it will not have any lasting effects on a wolf."

"So you care for her in your twisted way?" Miranda asked.

The doctor did not look fazed, bringing the teacup to her lips again. "If you'd like to put it that way, then, yes, I do."

Clearly, this woman is as hard and as cold as they get

. Miranda frowned. "How long has she been a prisoner of Gilford's?"

It was Theodore who answered. "Twelve years. Johanna was captured when Reginald was still head of the slayer society. Reginald treated her very well. He would chat with Johanna frequently and would dine with her almost every night, just to get her to spill her secrets."

"Yet she didn't break," Miranda commented.

"She almost did," Rebecca said, "that's why Reginald had to die."

Rebecca said it so matter-of-factly that Miranda instantly realized that Reginald Gilford's death, as sudden and as natural as it seemed, was actually murder. Miranda felt as if cold water was poured over her head. It was one thing to kill vampires - quite another to kill a human being.

"You killed him."

"I had to," Rebecca said. "A pity, that. He truly cared for Johanna near the end, but she was starting to get attached to him, and I could not let that happen. You see, a very soft-hearted woman lies beneath Johanna's headstrong front. Reginald would have broken through to her. I had to step in." Sighing, she put down her cup. "One day, Miss Graves, you will understand why I had to do what I did. If spilled, Johanna's secrets could endanger the lives of other people, and it's the thought of those people that prompted me to take Reginald out."

Miranda would have loved to know what the wolf's secrets were, but the atmosphere in the room seemed to shift after that confession. Little by little, the gravity of the situation - as Rebecca put it— slowly descended upon her, almost suffocating. A captured wolf holding secrets that could endanger the lives of other people, a woman who would kill to help her friend keep her secrets hidden, and a plan to reel in two powerful vampires who were supposed to help break the wolf out - whatever was going on here hinted at something

big

, something that would have dire consequences, and Miranda hated the feeling of not knowing exactly what that

something

was.

"I need to go," she said, standing up. She found that her hands were shaking, and she clenched her fists to hide it from both Rebecca and Theodore.

"Please, stay." Rebecca stood up and grabbed her purse from the table. "I understand that this might be a lot to take in, but we need your decision before the night is over." Turning to Theodore, she smiled. "Theo. I will see you tomorrow?"

Before Miranda could even say anything, the doctor was heading to the door. Beside her on the sofa, Theodore stood up, but he made no move to follow Rebecca. As she opened the door, the doctor paused and looked back at Theodore, her eyes conveying a secret message that the man apparently understood. He nodded, and a knot formed in Miranda's gut.

As soon as the other woman was out, Miranda silently debated the idea of going out or staying, but the look on Theodore's face made her realize that she would have to wrestle him if she decided to leave. Feeling slightly shaken, she sat back down, assessing the situation. She had expected that there was more to what was happening than she first thought, but this? This, she had not expected. Covering her face with her hands, she asked, "What the fuck is going on?"

Theodore let out a hollow chuckle. "Would you like something to drink? Something strong, maybe?"

With a frown on her face, Miranda looked at the man. "You're working with someone who has killed a human being. She's a murderer, Theodore."

The smile that twisted Theodore's lips spoke only of displeasure. "Oh, that's rich, coming from you. Your partner has asked Gilford to let him work with another slayer precisely because he thinks the same way about you. Or, have you forgotten that little girl you killed?"

Of course

, Miranda thought bitterly;

it always came back to that little girl

. The image of a terrified girl came to mind, shaken to her core, as she stared at the lifeless body of her parents while her own blood flowed down her neck from a vampire's bite. The bite had not been deep - Lee had gotten to the vampire before it was able to fully sink its fangs on the girl's neck - but the blood...

Miranda steeled herself against the flood of guilt that followed that particular memory. "What did you expect me to do? Let her live? Her parents were killed right before her eyes. She was left alone in the world, with the details of their murder deeply carved into her memories. What would have happened to her if I let her live? Gilford could have taken her in and nursed her to health, yes, but then what? Gilford would have encouraged her need for revenge. She would have been trained to become a slayer, and a broken one at that, just like most of us." She shook her head. "I could not let that happen. There is more to this life than revenge and a thirst for blood."

"And you should have let her discover that on her own," Theodore said.

"Are you fucking kidding me?" She let out a hollow laugh. "You don't understand, do you, you self-righteous bastard? You don't know what that event had done to her. The shock of what happened could have deranged her. Even if it didn't, she would have been scarred for life, reminded everyday of the nightmare she lived through. Gilford would have exploited that to turn her into a weapon. She would not have cared whether she lived or died as long as she could quench her thirst, but that thirst is unquenchable. She would have killed and killed but nothing would help her get over it.

"No, you don't understand at all," she continued. Standing up and glaring at Theodore, Miranda realized that she could not stop - not now. "You did not see anyone get murdered in front of you at that age. Even I did not. I was older than she was when I witnessed it, I didn't even really see what happened, and I didn't care for the victims, but night after night for the longest time, I dreamed of the sickening sound of death coming to them. I did not feel sorry for them - hell, I was glad they died - but the nightmares persisted. They never let go."

She would have gone on and on, but Theodore pulled her against him and locked her in a comforting embrace. A choked cry escaped her throat, and Miranda realized that she had been crying. She stiffened, appalled.

"I'm sorry," Theodore whispered as he placed a kiss on her brow. "I'm very, very sorry, Mandy..."

She tried to pull away, but Theodore would not budge. "Let me go." Still, he made no move. "God damn it, Theodore! Let me go!"

Miranda continued her struggle, desperate to get as far away from Theodore as possible. Not in the many years since she was taken in by Jared had she opened up about the nightmares and the guilt that had plagued her, and she was not sure that she wanted Theodore to see this vulnerable side of her. But the man would still not budge however hard she tried to push him away.

"Theodore, please..." she finally pleaded. She did not know how much longer she would last before she really broke down, and she wanted to be out of his sight when that happened. "Let me go."

His voice was hard as steel when he responded. "No."

"Theodore..."

"I won't let go," he said, his arms around her tightening instead of loosening up. "Not this time. You don't have to keep fighting alone when you have me, Miranda Graves. I'm here, and I'm not letting you go again."

"Damn you, Theodore," she managed to croak before she gave up the fight and let the tears go. All the guilt and anger and fear that she held back for more than two decades seemed to surface, their force so overwhelming that her knees buckled under her.

But Theodore was there to support her, carrying her effortlessly in his arms - and for the first time in a long time, Miranda finally felt safe again.

*****

Nicholas leaned back on his seat and closed his eyes. Damn, but it had been a long day. He knew beforehand that the meeting with the congress of elders would be difficult, but he did not expect it to turn out the way that it did. He lost his temper - and over a simple, carelessly used word, too.

Oh, hell, who am I kidding?

He put his feet up on the table, crossing his ankles in the process. His outburst had less to do with Conrad calling him a fool than it was with the man accusing Raine of playing him. Nicholas could have forgiven slights directed at him, but that one - that one rankled. He just could not stand hearing anyone saying something so distasteful about his woman.

Glancing at his desk, he saw the folder containing Noah Williamson's latest report. He had given the leader of the elite Ambercrest warriors the task of locating the perpetrators of the infrequent raids along the southwestern border of their territory. As expected, it was rogue wolves from the neighbouring pack, which meant that Nicholas would have to talk to the alpha, Anderson Gray, one of these days.