Shadow School

The morning after the party Cameron woke to the beautiful yet annoying birdsong just outside her window. It was just like any other morning, with one exception; there was someone in her bed with her.

Jerking awake when she noticed a hand was caressing up and down her side, Cameron bolted up to a sitting position and turned to see who was with her. Panic at an intruder melted away when she met familiar glittering green eyes.

Elias grinned at her knowingly, reminding her of exactly why he was there.

Last night had not exactly been the most romantic experience of her young life. Cameron had been sick and confused then whisked away for a terrifying high speed ride on the back of Elias' motorcycle. By the time he had escorted her through the door, she spent more time hovering over the toilet than giving him a tour of her house.

Elias, despite his so-far horrible visit, seemed in a great mood. Cameron couldn't understand what had him so thrilled; he'd spent most of the night holding her hair back from her face as she vomited repeatedly. Her stomach muscles felt like she'd done too many crunches.

Figuring it must not have fazed him since he was still in her house - in her bed - she laid back down facing him, wondering what she should say. Thank you? Sorry? Good morning?

"Good morning," Elias said, brushing a stray hair back from her forehead.

"Hey," Cameron answered. Her throat was scratchy.

"Usually this happens further into a relationship, but with you, everything seems to be a bit rushed." Elias grinned at her.

Cameron was processing his words at the same time as she realized what a state she must be in; her breath was probably horrible, and who knows what she looked like. Her only response was to blush.

Elias sighed and rubbed her cheek. "I love the way your cheeks flush when you're around me. You know just how to flirt."

Cameron's eyes widened at the thought of how her cheeks burned, a rush of blood to her face that said hello. She buried her face into her pillow like an ostrich.

Elias chuckled.

She felt him move closer and inwardly cursed her stupidity; by hiding her face, she'd inadvertently exposed her neck to him. Probably not the best idea when next to a vampire. God, was she really so clumsy?

"Not clumsy... you're a natural temptress." Elias said before he kissed her neck.

Everything left Cameron's mind when she started focusing on the feel of his lips at her throat, soft and gentle, yet hiding a real threat to her life. She slowly suffocated herself with her pillow. When Cameron emerged for air, she peeked through her hair to see Elias roll from the bed and stand in the dim morning light.

The vampire was wearing black boxer-briefs.

Cameron watched in fascination as the muscles in Elias' back rippled as he stretched, his pale skin shifting over his form in way that had her mouth watering. When he heard her thought, he turned to give her a wry smile and she thought again what a mess she must look.

She glanced at the clock and sat up, looking around her room. It was light enough for early morning but it was almost noon. Her eyes went to her windows and she saw that some makeshift curtains had been created out of spare sheets and a blanket.

"I'm your hostage today," Elias said when she looked at him questioningly. "There's no way for me to leave your home until nightfall. Will this cause a problem with your parents?"

Cameron shook her head. "My parents are at the club all day on Saturdays. I usually just have the day to myself."

"Well then," Elias said, crossing to her bathroom door. "I hope you are in the mood for some extensive pampering."

Cameron didn't know how to respond as she watched him disappear through the door. Pampering? From a vampire?

She heard water pouring into her tub and was instantly nervous and eager. A bath. She'd love a bath. She

needed

a bath.

***

Melanie stared groggily up at the ceiling. Her head throbbed.

She wondered if a hangover felt like this. She'd never experienced one, but it was probably close. The light was too bright but she could tell it wasn't actually glaring. Still, it was enough to hurt her eyes.

"Hey, she's waking up... Dose her again."

Melanie felt panic try to rear up inside her but she was just too sleepy. A man... there was a man's voice. One she didn't recognize.

"Aw, come on," another voice said, "She's tied. It's not like she can go anywhere."

"Just do it." The first voice was gruff.

Melanie's eyes tried to focus on the face as it came into view, but it was blurry. All she could make out was sandy blonde hair in messy spikes and a youthful face with a bit of stubble.

"It's okay," the face said, "this is probably the last time."

"Dammit, Ian, just gas her and get back over here!" the gruff voice called from somewhere nearby.

Melanie watched as a clear mask approached her face. She turned her head, but the hand guiding the mask simply followed her movement, latching onto her nose and mouth easily.

It only took a few breaths before she watched the world fade to dissolve and...

***

Kristie moaned into her pillow and squinted, unable to ignore the bright light flooding into her room any longer. What was the deal? She specifically had her curtains set to dim the morning light for just this reason.

Turning her head and groaning, she stayed still long enough to attempt going back to sleep until her mind locked on a simple thought; one that made her jump to a kneeling position and stare around her room.

Daman was gone.

Fuck!

Did he burn up or something? She cursed again and looked over the sheets then dove down to study the floor, first one side, then the other.

Shit, shit, shit!

It would figure that the first time she actually found someone who blew her mind - and body - it would not only be male, but a vampire, and she would incinerate him by accident.

Stopping herself mid-panic, Kristie sat back on her heels and rolled her eyes at herself. Daman was what, like, a thousand years old? Of course he wouldn't let himself die by sunlight... Maybe he'd even started sizzling and the pain woke him up... or... whatever. Looking at her curtains, Kris thought that if she hadn't moved them, then Daman must have.

Which meant he was the fuck and run type. Great.

Then again, it wasn't like she wouldn't see him again eventually; she was going to his school after all. Still, it would have been nice if he'd left a note before leaving without telling her bye.

That's when her eyes fell on a folded piece of paper propped between the unused glasses and liquor bottle on the nightstand.

Of. Course.

Reaching for the paper, Kristie slid her legs back under the warm sheets and flicked the page open. "Ready for Round Two?"

She couldn't help the snort that left her after she read the note out loud. Round two? When? No time, no place, no number even... How was she supposed to call him? Or... should she call him.

Fucking vampires,

Kristie thought to herself.

Well, he's not here.

That was for sure; otherwise there wouldn't be a massive amount of light flooding her room. She didn't figure Daman for the hide-in-the-closet type.

Then again...

Kristie got out of bed and opened her closet, deciding she might as well check the house while she was at it; she didn't want to let her guard down then have him show up while she was taking a shower. Not that showering wouldn't be more fun if Daman did show up, but this inner facade of calm she'd built up when dealing with the existence of real vampires was fragile. Not that she'd admit it to anyone other than herself.

And damn; she'd planned on asking him all kinds of questions... Like about the fact that her school escort was his son.

Kristie's hand froze on the fridge handle when she thought of the total lack of prophylactics the night before. Shit. She didn't really think about condoms... why would she? She never needed one. All her sex up to this point, with the exception of a few experiments back in the day, had been dickless.

Fuck.

But... Daman had pulled out. Relaxing, she still didn't open the refrigerator. Kristie knew there was something going on at that school, but every time she thought she had it pegged she would come across something that threw her off.

Finally grabbing the juice she'd come into the kitchen for, she turned and headed back to her room, a bevy of thoughts fighting for dominance in her brain. It made her feel mentally suffocated. Like, why were Elias and Daman both fucking their new recruits? Was that the welcome every girl got? Did they drop a girl once a new one came in or did they have mini-harems? And, there were only four guys among the Heads... so what was the deal with the three chicks?

And how the Hell did vampires have kids?

Kristie took a swig of her juice and sat it on the counter in her bathroom, turning to get the shower going. As more thoughts began filtering through her already clogged head, one remained on top: when it came to

real

vampires, Kristie had to wipe her knowledge slate clean and start all over; because they were nothing like the books and movies.

***

Cameron gave a sigh of bliss as she relaxed in the hot bath. She had dunked herself a few times so she didn't feel too self-conscious leaning against Elias' chest. She thanked her childhood obsession with bubble baths for the roman tub her parents had installed in her bathroom when they built the house; she didn't use it that much now that she took showers, but it came in handy today.

Snuggling back against Elias, she sighed again. He had lit candles and turned off the lights. If it weren't midday, she would have thought this was a perfect beginning to a romantic night; which made her wonder...

What was the deal?

Elias' hands were resting on her stomach, caressing up and down from her breasts to the tops of her thighs occasionally, but... His relaxed movements made her think he was just content to lay there with her. That wasn't normal guy behavior was it?

Elias chuckled and kissed the top of her head. "Were I the age I look, perhaps this quality time would not interest me." His left hand trailed up from her abdomen to cup her breast, his thumb tracing over her nipple. She hissed as the tender tip was touched. "But my lifestyle these days affords me little of these luxuries. You learn to appreciate what you do not have a chance to experience often."

"You're surrounded by girls, Elias... How can you not have the chance to experience this as much as you want?" Cameron knew she sounded a little bitter, but she was thinking it, so she figured she might as well voice her thoughts. Nellie came to the front of her mind, along with some of the crude things she'd said; she hoped the readable memory drove her point home.

Elias stayed close to her wet hair, his lips and nose nuzzling her scalp. "Despite the number of women who have been in my life, it is actually rare to find one I immediately take to... I had more passion for you in our first hour together than I ever had with Nellie in our months together combined."

She blanched.

"Cameron, I know we are at opposite ends of the spectrum, you with hardly any experience, and me with... more... but trust me when I say it has been a decade since I last felt anything like this. And you... you have something within you that is so rare it is coveted among my kind; it only adds to my desire to be with you... to protect you... to do everything I can to make you feel exquisite and cherished in every way."

Glancing down, Cameron stared at his hand resting on her stomach beneath the water. Something in his words... They were so tender and nothing like she expected from a vampire - or a man for that matter - especially one she barely knew.

Cameron rolled over in the water to lay against his chest, looking into his face, staring at those green eyes that always made her breath hitch. Eyes that were not the only of their kind in the world.

Her own eyes widened with a simple thought: Elias could have children.

"I'm pregnant." It was a question, but she said it as a statement. It was simple: vampires could have children; she and Elias had had unprotected sex. Had she been a little more dense, his words might have been flattering. They still were; all that about being cherished made her feel all gooey inside, but deep down she heard the truth in his words.

Something in her that was rare and coveted by his kind?

Elias nodded at her, his face showing almost no emotion as he read her thoughts. Still, there was a hint of awe in his eyes and mirth worked his lips into the slightest of grins when she noticed.

"Are you certain?" Cameron asked. "Don't I need to take a test or something?"

"I knew before we left the balcony last night." He paused as if he was going to say more, but instead he said, "We know."

Cameron didn't have to ask who the "we" were... It was probably some freaky vampire sense; like the way dogs can tell if someone is about to have a seizure. Staring into his face a few seconds more, she could see he was waiting for her to react.

She wondered what others had done in her place... Freaked out? Jumped for joy? Did they know what this meant? What

did

this mean? Would it hurt? Like... more than normal?

Would she die?

"Will I?"

"You have just as much chance as any other woman who carries a child." Elias said, holding her gaze. "It will be a little different, due to the nature of the child's bloodline, but you are strong enough to handle it... You wouldn't have been chosen if you couldn't bear it."

"So that's it then?" Cameron asked, knowing she was crossing over into a whole new realm of information if she asked these questions. She also knew she would get truthful answers; she had already been asked to think before she voiced a question, knowing they would tell her what she wanted to know. It was what she did with the answers that would dictate her future safety.

Standing, Cameron stepped from the tub... and slipped on the tile floor.

Before she could hit the ground, however, Elias was there, his hands holding her just inches above the floor. He lifted her up to a standing position and she grabbed two towels, handing one to him as if he didn't just keep her from smashing her face into the tiles.

Let the protection detail begin.

Cameron began drying herself as she walked into her room, her hands lingering on her flat stomach. Was she ready for this? She could feel Elias' eyes on her as he followed her; he was probably waiting for her to freak out or whatever most girls did in this situation.

Most girls. Ugh.

It was like she was back in the hallway, facing all those vampires; she didn't freak out then either - in the face of death - she wasn't about to do it now when logic waved its hand in her face; she'd had sex with a vampire, hadn't used a condom, and learned they could have children. What else was there?

Actually... there was a lot more. "So this amazing scholarship... the catch... it's this, isn't it. It's why you choose women; why you scout for them." Cameron looked up at Elias who was standing a little closer to her than she expected. She sat on her bed. "All that talk about pure bloodlines." She grunted a half-hearted chuckle under her breath.

That's all this was? A plot to get me knocked up?

"No." Elias eyed her. "You know I only speak truth..." He knelt down in front of her, his damp body sliding between her legs as his hands came to rest on her shoulders. "But can you handle the things you will hear?"

Cameron nodded, her eyes filling with tears against her will.

Elias' hand rose to cup her cheek, his fingers weaving through her damp hair. "Cameron, what you have managed to do from our very first time together is extraordinary. Please understand you hold my fascination and gratitude... but despite that..." Elias lifted her chin and she met his eyes. "I felt a fire boiling in my veins the moment I saw you. I wanted you for my House, I will admit that. But I would have courted you, lavished you with gifts, made you feel safe with me, before ever attempting what happened between us. Despite the way things happened, I am

not

sorry.

His phone began to ring; he ignored it. Instead, Elias let his hand trail down her face and fall to rest beside her on the bed. "What happened between us was me... all me. And you. The school's traditions had nothing to do with this child... If I had gone with tradition, you would be introduced to the inner workings of the college by the women in the circle, or by myself, before even having to come to terms with your condition. Hell, you wouldn't even be

in

this condition. As it is, I have done you a great disservice."

Cameron looked down at her hands. "My parents are going to kill me."

"Your parents will never know."

She met his eyes.

"Not if you do not wish them to. You will be attending college. If we have to say you went on the holiday trip with some of the other students then you won't have to worry about Christmas either." Elias took her hand in his. "No one, other than those involved, should know about this baby, Cameron. It's an important part of..."

The phone rang again. Elias grimaced and stood, leaving Cameron to stare at the floor where he had been.

Tell no one?

"This had better be good." Elias had one of those newer, smaller cell phones Cameron had been eyeing but she only spared a second to notice the device before studying his face as he listened to whoever was on the other end. He swept his hands through his wet curls, his hair already starting to dry in some places. "Who is leading the team?... Good. Let some of the younger ones go for surveillance... No, I am with her already." Elias glanced at her, then began to pace. "Just send scouts to the other houses; have you called the others?"

Cameron's eyes widened with each new fragment Elias communicated into his phone. What was going on? Surveillance? What other houses? The ones on campus?

"I'm shadow-bound." Elias paused, listening. "No need. I'm staying here. Keep me posted if anything changes." He glanced at her. "On second thought, only call if it is an emergency - I'll check in when I'm ready."

Elias flipped his phone closed and dropped it onto the dresser with his pants. The pile of clothing made her look back at his towel-clad form and she felt a thrill run through her; what if her parents got home to find this naked man in her room?

Elias smirked and began to approach her. "Would you rather play board games? Something a little more PG?"

Cameron didn't let his sarcasm change the subject. "What was that all about?"

Elias neared her and leaned down for a kiss, but Cameron leaned back to look at his face. He wasn't getting out of this so easy.

Or maybe he was.

The move put him over her and as she kept leaning away from him, he simply followed, his look taking on a more familiar predatory glint.

"Elias..."

He stopped when she did, her retreat halted by the mattress. He looked down at her, moving in slowly to let his lips brush hers lightly, his eyes never leaving her own - since she hadn't closed them. She had to know.

"Mild disturbance. Nothing you need to worry about."

Cameron continued to look up at him, despite the urge to let him kiss her. His lips quirked at her failing willpower but she returned the look with a scowl. It made him chuckle.

"It sounded like more than that," she said.

"It

is

more that that...but just a little. No matter what happens out there, I am here with you, so you are safe." He leaned in to kiss her.

"So someone isn't safe?" she asked, her lips so close to his that she felt them touch as she spoke.

Elias closed his mouth and rose just a fraction to give her a look that said "enough." Sighing he leaned back just a little farther to truly look at her. "Cameron, there are too many things you do not know. Were I to even tell you a fraction of what is happening, you would end up asking even more than you are now."