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i'm such an idiot.
however, within ten minutes or so, he began to realize that paige seemed quite at ease with their circumstances, and a hopeful sense of success crept into his spirit. before long, a feeling of guarded relief formed, which further tempered his anxiety.
half an hour later, he was actually enjoying their daytime ride. he affectionately patted her stomach with his right hand, and she revved the engine in response.
ever since meeting katrina, he had bemoaned the fact that his interactions with a vampire were stunted by daylight. it was as if a moat existed between two separate worlds of day and night. now the chasm had been bridged and realities began to coalesce with one another. however, the new dimension was tempered by the cold realization that if paige could do this, so could other vampires. that meant his daytime kingdom was no longer pleasantly safe from direct influence by prospectively negative forces.
but then, it never really was, he rationalized with sober realization. blissful ignorance.
paige peered over her shoulder at him for a brief second, having sensed a subtle change in his body.
everything okay back there? she wondered as she reached down with one hand to pat his arm.
her concerns were abated by a gentle pat from his palm against her stomach.
much better, she thought and once again focused on their enjoyable journey.
she revved the engine, which caused the cycle to lurch slightly, and caleb's arms tightened around her waist. she appreciated the firm feeling of his body against hers.
the things i have to do for a friendly cuddle, she thought with a snicker.
by the time they returned to the estate and parked in the garage, both of them were feeling quite satisfied with themselves. when the door finally closed, katrina appeared before them in a blur, her arms folded before her and a stern expression on her face. however, her visage was replaced with a measured sense of relief upon seeing them no worse for wear and in no distress.
my two little daredevils thankfully returned unscathed, she silently noted with a quick peck on caleb's lips.
"see, red? nothing to worry about," paige good-naturedly offered.
"it was great!" caleb added.
"mm-hmm," katrina dubiously hummed as she followed them into the house.
by evening, it was time for caleb to make good on his end of the bargain. paige donned a pair of faded blue jeans, black t-shirt, and black leather jacket, along with her leather boots. she wandered into the front entry room where he was sprawled on the couch with his laptop surfing the internet and quietly stood in front of him with a smirk on her face and her hands resting atop her hips.
"evening's here, kiddo," she reminded him.
a tentative glance up at her was his only response as he closed the various programs in windows. he still felt a little guilty about their daytime ride together, although he had enjoyed it very much in the end. despite her virtual anonymity of being clad in leather riding gear and helmet, somehow just being outside with her during the day made him feel happy. however, he regretted the angst the act had caused katrina. in fact, she had avoided him and paige for most of the afternoon, remaining secluded in the lower chamber at her computer.
paige noted his distracted body language and tried to discern the nature of his mood.
her silent query went unanswered as he powered off his laptop, set it aside on the end table, and quietly rose from the couch. he cast an innocent, curious gander at her and asked, "ready then?"
"garage," she instructed in a resolved tone. "i'll tell red we're leaving."
he shrugged and made his way towards the back of the house.
"grab a leather jacket," she added in a raised voice. "there's an unseasonable chill outside tonight." that, and katrina will kill me if i let anything happen to you, including catching a cold!
he snatched his jacket on the way out to the garage and barely had time to pick up the spare helmet before paige appeared beside him. he started slightly with surprise, not having heard the door from the house open and close.
she giggled in response, happy to have caught him off-guard.
she activated a garage door remote from her jacket pocket and slipped on her helmet while he peered outside into the night. he noticed a peculiar fog had started to form and zipped up his leather jacket halfway.
after mounting the cycle, she motioned to him and started the engine. the motor revved to life as his leg swung over the seat.
paige felt the satisfying, telltale warmth of his arms as they slowly wrapped around her waist.
that's my boy, she admired. hold on, tiger, she added with a chuckle. now's my turn to have some real fun.
she eased the bike out of the garage and quickly headed in the direction of the addition's exit. it was a wonderful night for a ride, and she was happy not to have to wear the cumbersome riding gear. she longed to feel the wind whip around her as they rode, as well as the satisfying sensation of caleb's arms tightly wrapped around her midsection. by the time they had exited the addition onto the open road her anticipation had grown into a hunger.
they were soon racing down the asphalt county roads.
i could ride with him across the entire state tonight, she happily mulled.
as for caleb, he eased into a state of appreciation rather quickly, and he took the time to survey the subdued landscape they passed. the foggy evening inspired ominous feelings within him, though he enjoyed spending time with paige.
it looks kind of creepy outside tonight. classic vampire weather.
paige continued to increase the cycle's speed as they proceeded through the cool, foggy evening. they parted the moist air as they pressed forwards, creating a wispy swirl of fog in their wake.
there were few cars on the semi-rural county roads, and they only passed three after leaving the neighborhood. caleb thought that the dark, oppressive conditions seemed to thwart his awareness of their velocity as they sped along. it was as if they floated on a dark sea of mist, partially illuminated by the fuzzy halo of an occasional street lamp.
suddenly, the headlight on their cycle went out, plunging them into near darkness. caleb's arms immediately clamped around paige's body like a vise, and he thought that he felt her body momentarily vibrate somewhat.
is she laughing?
the vampire took great pleasure in switching the headlight off and heartily laughed at caleb's instantaneous, nervous reaction. of course, her vision was well-accustomed to seeing in darkness, so she had no trouble viewing the road or surroundings around them. however, it had to be terrifying to the human melded to her back.
now comes the payback, she resolved with satisfaction.
but even in her sense of retribution, she also felt the purely invigorating feeling of the young man's body pressed against her back. it made her feel needed and powerful. she grinned to herself despite his obvious alarm.
"paige!" caleb shouted after what felt like an eternity in darkness with the feeling of swift motion almost causing his stomach to feel queasy. "stop!"
she glimpsed the view via one of her side mirrors and noticed what looked like another motorcycle shadowing them; one with its headlight likewise extinguished. her mind raced with the possibility that another vampire was likely trailing them.
surely that's not katrina.
she hadn't recalled seeing another bike in the estate garage, merely katrina's and caleb's vehicles. she instinctively increased the speed of their cycle, concentrating her attention on putting more distance between them and their mysterious follower.
caleb's heart caught in his throat as he heard the engine revving into a higher gear and felt their velocity increase.
"oh shit!" he barked and concentrated on keeping his stomach in check.
"hold on, tiger!" paige shouted, uncertain if he would be able to understand her.
she expertly maneuvered their cycle around slight curves, while concentrating both on their balance and the topology of the road. in a split second, she observed a sign on the corner of a gravel road they passed in order to mark their current location and immediately noted another small sign indicating that a scenic turnout was coming up.
their cycle continued up a sharp incline as the turnout loomed ever closer. her eyes darted to the side mirror, and she quickly estimated that a greater distance had formed between them and their pursuer.
paige wheeled the cycle sharply to the left and into the shallow parking area that was bordered by metal railing. the bike skidded to a halt as she killed the engine, and caleb practically rolled himself off the back seat while yanking the helmet off his head.
he staggered slightly off-balance, cursing. "dammit, paige! what the hell are you trying to do, get us both killed?!"
but she ignored him for the moment and stared off to their left towards the small entrance through which they had just passed. as she deftly removed her helmet, she heard the faint sound of another motorcycle engine gearing down and then idling in the distance. she perched her helmet on one the handlebars and focused on caleb.
he loosely held his helmet in one hand while staring back at her incredulously. his eyes were wide with a mix of excitement, fear, and angst.
"well?" he demanded in a strained voice as he steadied his still-queasy stomach. "what's your friggin' problem? is this 'scare the crap out of caleb night,' or something?"
"oh, stop being so dramatic," she admonished with annoyance and turned her attention back towards the turnout entrance.
"dramatic?" he irritably countered.
"shhh," she insisted with a quick wave of her arm.
she moved in a blur, only to reappear at the side of the county road to stare into the distance.
just who the hell is following us? she wondered.
he fell silent as he watched her obvious distraction at something further up the road. he thought they had come from that direction, but it was quite dark, and he actually had no idea where they were.
he inspected his surroundings. he didn't think he had ever been there before, and he stared across the cliff-like view into the fog beyond the metal railing before him. the mist parted slightly in places, and he speculated that the few fuzzy orbs of light in the distance might be from some local town.
caleb moved closer to the railing and tried to see into the darkness below. it seemed they must be some height up, though he couldn't see the bottom of the drop-off. then he started with surprise as paige reappeared to his right and firmly grasped his upper arm with an iron-like grip. she pulled him back away from the railing in a steady manner.
"it's a nasty drop, kiddo," she quietly warned. "let's get you back over here away from the edge, okay? you're kind of accident-prone."
he rolled his eyes, but retreated back in the direction of the cycle. she released his arm and pulled her cell phone out with a fluid motion. he started to ask her something, but she began speaking.
"red? we're at a turnout off the russell-brasstown scenic route," she said in a quiet voice. "pretty sure that we've got a visitor. i'm headed back with our boy. meet me en route?"
our boy? he wondered. just who came up with that little nickname?
she snapped the phone shut and neatly slipped it back into her jacket pocket before he even saw her move. "back on the bike, okay, kiddo?" she suggested while reaching for her helmet.
but he backed away from her. "yeah, right. that little stunt was enough for me."
"oh, grow up, caleb," she tersely admonished. "i was just having some fun. like i'd do something to endanger you."
her chastisement caught him off guard, and he stared back at her in bewilderment. "so, that's your idea of fun?" he countered.
"we're being followed by someone. back on the bike," she ordered. "now, caleb."
he hesitated, wondering what was going on. "really?"
she loudly snapped her fingers and pointed to the cycle seat. "do as i say."
he blinked at her suddenly demanding attitude and walked over to the bike as he slipped his helmet on. she moved in a blur, reappearing in the driver's position while straddling the cycle. the engine roared to life a second later, and she turned her head to peer at him over her left shoulder. she revved the engine once as if to punctuate her demand.
paige hasn't acted like this before, he noted with alarm. so serious.
it seemed completely out of character for her, but he decided that, at the moment, the better part of valor was to comply. he hiked his leg over the back seat, and his arms slowly enveloped her waist.
but rather than a gradual start, paige gunned the cycle, and they lurched into movement. caleb noted that at least she had turned on the headlight. his arms tightened around her, but instead of feeling her softer body as he had earlier, it almost felt as if his arms were enveloping the trunk of a statue.
the county road seemed deserted as they accelerated through the fog. however, paige once again noted the pursuing cycle in her mirror. the dark-clad figure appeared to be deliberately trailing them from a distance with their headlight off.
less than twenty minutes later, caleb saw an approaching set of headlights and fog lamps in the distance. and while he realized that they were traveling at a high rate of speed, the oncoming vehicle seemed to also be approaching them at a fast rate.
is that who's been following us?
only seconds passed when the vehicle appeared to slow, pull to the side of the road, and then stop with its hazard lights flashing. as they drew closer, caleb finally recognized the audi and saw kat standing with her arms folded before her chest in the bright luminance of the headlights.
paige slowed the cycle and stopped a mere foot from the front of katrina's car. her arm reached back around caleb's chest and rolled him off the back of the bike with a swift motion. he had barely set his feet onto the pavement before katrina's arm protectively wrapped around his waist and drew him before her.
"i'm going back to check out our visitor," paige said in a raised voice that caleb was able to understand over the purring of the motorcycle's engine.
katrina nodded once, and paige backed the cycle up another foot then revved the engine. the bike lurched into motion, kicking up gravel as it spun, and she raced back in the direction from which they had just come.
caleb's mouth was agape as he pulled his helmet off and watched with awe as paige raced away from them. she wielded the cycle as if she were some sort of stunt racer.
"get in the car, my love," katrina insisted as she squeezed his body slightly in her embrace to focus his attention. "let's get you back home."
"but aren't we going to follow her?" he protested.
"paige is an alpha and can handle herself perfectly well," she explained as she herded him towards the passenger side of the car. "she'll call if she needs help."
he stared into her eyes dubiously, but she pointedly ignored him and instead took his helmet from him and tossed it into the back seat. then she gestured with her head towards the passenger seat and waited for him to sit down.
"buckle up," she prompted as she closed his door, appearing in the driver's seat mere seconds later.
the velocity of her movement made his head swim.
she wheeled the car around to head in the direction opposite from where paige had gone and propelled them back towards mableton. caleb worried for his friend as he studied the rear view through the side mirror, hoping that paige would be okay.
i know paige is capable, but we don't have any idea who our stalker is. his experiences in london had only emphasized that there were very dangerous vampires lurking in the world.
katrina surveyed him with a hint of concern and reached out to caress her fingertips soothingly along the side of his face.
"did you enjoy your ride for the most part?" she asked to distract him.
he cast a furtive glance at her. "sure. i mean, it was surprising how different riding with her felt at night versus daytime." it seemed prudent to avoid telling her how alarmed he had been as they had sped through the night sans headlamp.
she sensed some evasion in his response.
"do you remember the last time that i was speeding you away in my car following an unexpected encounter?"
he eyed her suspiciously, easily recounting when they had raced across town from the restaurant where the renegade vampire, chimalma, had nearly trapped him last winter. it felt like an eternity since that dangerous encounter. finally, he recalled, "yeah, that was a bucket load of fun too."
she stifled a smirk at her mate's dry wit. he's so adorable when he's flustered.
"well, unlike then, you're not in any danger this time," she explained. "it's not beyond expectation that a curious vampire might just be traveling through town. having declared my claim to mableton and part of atlanta earlier this spring, there were bound to be those who would take pleasure in flaunting their unannounced defiance when traversing my territory."
caleb acknowledged the possibility, but doubted that this was the case. vampires didn't usually strike him as recalcitrant teenagers out to thumb their nose at authority.
vampires usually do everything for a reason.
"maybe," he replied in a dubious tone.
katrina wasn't entirely convinced herself. she slipped her cell phone from her purse and called devon archibald, a vampire indebted to her employ as restitution for his poor judgment in nearly killing caleb as wayward prey. she called upon him from time to time to help patrol and secure her territory.
following her brief chat with devon, she focused on caleb with a confident expression. "devon's going to patrol our area first and then around your campus. he'll let us know if something, or someone, turns up."
caleb suddenly realized that they had already arrived at the gate entrance to their addition. wow, we must have been racing back here.
once in the estate, katrina went to their sublevel chamber to finish some emails and call alton while caleb retrieved a coke from the refrigerator and sat at the kitchen bar to reflect on the evening's events. he wondered what could have been of so much interest that another vampire would care about him and paige so much.
after finishing his cola, he felt restless and went out to stand on the front porch to wait for paige's return. the fog had begun to clear, revealing large patches of the night sky.
"nice night, but you'll have to move further away from the house lights to stargaze properly," rumbled a deep baritone off to caleb's left.
he turned in the direction of the voice and saw devon's hulking figure just a few feet away. the ebony-skinned vampire stood with his muscled arms folded before him. his gleaming white teeth were exposed in a wide, self-satisfied grin.
caleb nodded at the imposing figure, having recently acquired an appreciation for the vampire who had once tried to make a meal out of him. following their recent trip to england, caleb and devon had discussed the works of shakespeare, which caleb had brought back in a leather-bound collector's edition as a souvenir for devon. while hardly friends, per se, the two had formed an increasingly comfortable rapport.
"i'm actually paige-gazing at the moment," caleb quipped. "how did you get here so fast from marietta?"
devon worked evenings as a security guard for a company near his home in marietta and was a bouncer for some local clubs. a drive to atlanta should have taken longer than the time that had passed since katrina had phoned him.
"i was at your college's library doing some research when katrina called," devon said. "i was actually thinking about taking a literature class, but wanted to review some of the texts listed in the online syllabus before deciding."
caleb immediately approved of the vampire's interest in taking a college course. despite the stigma that large-framed, muscled men typically garnered, devon was highly intelligent, often rivaling caleb's own grasp of various literary subjects.
"that's great," he said. "i'll be happy to recommend some good professors, if you're interested."
"i'd appreciate that," devon replied. "but what i'm most interested in is finding out more about who it is that i'm supposed to be looking for."
caleb rehashed his and paige's brief experience that evening, to which devon intently listened as he spied a sole car traveling past their driveway gate. there was not much for caleb to relay, actually. as devon walked out into the large front yard in the direction of the driveway, caleb followed.
"i hear a motorcycle," devon offered, cocking his head to one side.
"it's probably paige," caleb ventured, though he couldn't hear anything yet. a few moments later, he recognized the roar of paige's new harley. as the entry gate opened, he moved to stand in the middle of the driveway.
paige pulled the cycle alongside the young man and idled the motor as she slipped her helmet off. devon folded his arms before him with a curious expression.
"did you catch up to him?" caleb asked, taking in the confident manner with which she perched atop her seat. he was again impressed by the petite vampire's ability to manage the cycle beneath her.
"him?" she challenged.
caleb shrugged. "whomever."
"whoever they were, they took off as soon as i headed after them," paige absently explained. she focused her attention on him with a narrow-eyed expression. "so, did you tell mother hen all about your ride?" she asked.
as if on cue, katrina appeared on the front porch as caleb sneered.
she's wondering if i told on her or not.
"i told her it was quite different riding with you at night," he said.
katrina appeared beside him in a blur with an expectant look on her face.
"sorry, red," paige replied to her unasked question. "they took off, and i wasn't able to catch up."
"hmm," katrina replied as she casually draped one arm across caleb's shoulders. "any ideas?"
paige shrugged. "only one. they're riding a fast machine to outrun me, i'd venture."
"caleb seemed to enjoy his ride tonight," katrina said, baiting her friend with a penetrating expression.
"yeah?" the blonde vampire hedged. "well, that's good. it was fun, after all."
caleb curled one arm around katrina's waist, gently guiding her in the direction of the house. "well, i guess that's a wrap for now, then."
katrina relented and allowed herself to be led back towards the house. paige watched them depart for a few moments then proceeded up the driveway towards the garage with a self-satisfied expression. she admired caleb for his judicious silence.
later, devon reported the results of his patrol of mableton, but he had found nothing by the time he headed back to marietta. paige even went on a nighttime prowl on foot, but she also found nothing. katrina remained at the estate, suspicious of prospective vampire interests in either her or caleb. after their london experiences in march, she wondered if her assistance to alton in the subway raid had placed her on the radar of any opposing vampire factions.
her mind continued to contemplate a host of possibilities and scenarios as she lay in bed snuggled beside caleb. she reveled in his body's proximity as his arm tightened around her body from behind. he stirred slightly, and she caressed his arm. his lips briefly pressed against her bare shoulder, and she appreciatively purred while he drifted back to sleep.
this is perfect, she thought in appreciation, reveling in the warmth of his body against hers. this is all i need.
the next day was uneventful for the most part. caleb went grocery shopping to acquire items that he needed to do a barbeque that evening. granted, he was cooking only for himself, but any occasion to fire up the grill required serious planning in his mind.
hey, it's a guy thing, he rationalized.
the strange events of the previous evening had been all but forgotten by the time sunset arrived. despite the waning daylight, the prominent shade on the east side of the house provided enough protection that katrina and paige comfortably moved out onto the back porch to watch caleb prepare the grill. the two vampires perched on patio lounge chairs while sipping warm blood from glasses as they observed him.
eventually, following a final trip into the house to finalize preparations, caleb returned holding a large plastic frisbee.
"anyone feel like tossing this around while i cook?" he baited.
paige considered the atmosphere with a quick peep at the sky and set her glass aside on a nearby table. "go for it," she challenged.
with a single swipe of his arm, the disc hurtled through the air and into a deeper region of the backyard. paige moved in a blur to chase it as katrina chuckled. the youthful vampire caught it with one hand just inches before it touched the ground, giggling with satisfaction.
"red!" she called while tossing the frisbee to her left across the large expansion of yard towards the trees of the adjacent property.
katrina sped out of her chair and into the yard like a bullet as caleb placed meat onto the grill.
damn, that was fast! he once more marveled at the speed that vampires were capable of moving compared to humans.
"oh ca-leb," katrina taunted a few seconds later.
"bring it on," he chuckled as he closed the lid of the grill.
the rapid exchanges among the trio often left caleb struggling to keep up. both vampires heartily laughed or giggled as they watched him either triumph or flounder in his efforts to catch the elusive disc. on one occasion, paige sped ahead of caleb to catch him before he nearly slammed into the trunk of a large tree while concentrating on snatching the frisbee from midair. soon afterwards, he recalled his grilling responsibilities and raced to attend to his food before it burned on one side.
after turning the meat, caleb expertly threw the frisbee back towards paige. the vampire caught it smoothly with one hand as it started to pass behind her back. he shook his head at her graceful motions as she deftly propelled the glow-in-the-dark plastic disc towards katrina, who sped backwards in a blur to match the high velocity of the frisbee as it sailed towards the northern extreme of the property line. with a ten-foot leap, she snatched it from the air then propelled it back towards caleb.
he laughed as he ran southwards towards the wooded tree line of the opposite end of the property. while not a vampire, he was both athletic and fast for a human, and he closed the distance to the frisbee as it began losing altitude. the disc spun downwards at an angle as he reached with outstretched fingers to grab it in mid-air. paige giggled and playfully cheered in support of his efforts. with confidence, he slung the disc towards paige, who was positioned to his right, halfway between his and katrina's positions.
however, as paige ran backwards to line up a perfect catch, something from the edge of the tree line behind caleb caught her attention out of the corner of her eye. she immediately changed direction to run towards him with wide-eyes.
"down, caleb!" katrina shouted in horror.
an arrow hissed through the air at caleb. he still had a puzzled look on his face as paige slammed into him. she twisted and expertly rolled her slim body beneath his so that he didn't impact the ground directly, landing upon her instead. the arrow imbedded in the turf at a slant not two feet from where they lay.
katrina was already racing towards caleb as another arrow arced in the air towards his location. paige immediately rolled him beneath her and presented her petite back as a protective shield for his body. his eyes were wide as he watched the second shaft drill into the ground mere inches from the first shaft. he turned his head to stare up into paige's bright blue eyes, fearful that she might be hit by additional arrows plummeting towards them.
"don't worry, i'm durable," she reassured him.
despite acknowledging the truth in her statement, he frowned.
"crap!" he exclaimed as a third shaft impacted the ground barely a foot away from the first two.
katrina squatted next to them, glancing down to ensure that they were uninjured and scanned the tree line for only a second before racing towards it with a deep-throated growl.
"stay here!" paige ordered before r-->>