Revolution

Grace

From the moment I woke up this morning, I stayed in the same position on the floor. My legs crisscrossed under me, the sun shining on my back, the wind coming through the open balcony door, my eyes closed. My friends stayed quiet, trying not to disturb me.

Last night I received a small vision, two paths. One led Todd to Carter’s door, and then on to us leaving with him. The other, Todd drove by without stopping, and our path was done. I didn’t know what he picked.

If he drove past, I was going to kill him. I did not go to that dang bar every week and let those filthy vampires do all that crap to me for nothing.

My breath caught when two new paths appeared. One where Deacon brought Todd home, and one where we picked Todd up. I knew which one he would choose. I jumped up and grabbed the keys while yelling “Scott!” he came running out of his and Rachel’s room a second later.

I threw him the keys and grinned. “Go bring our boy home.” Cheers went up all over the apartment.

Twenty minutes later, Todd strolled through the apartment like a hero. I rolled my eyes as he approached me.

“Honey, I’m home.” He sang off key.

I laughed and threw my arms around his neck hugging him tight. “Welcome home. How did it go? Please tell me you went to Carter’s place this morning.”

Todd chuckled and kissed my head. “Straight to work, huh?” He stopped laughing when he saw my face. “Would it have been that bad had I not?”

“Yes. It would have been over.”

He bopped my nose. “Well, then I didn’t sacrifice my butt and dignity for no reason.”

The others laughed.

“I think you lost your dignity the first time you hurt my butt.” Justin mumbled, a smirk on his face.

“No, he never had any to begin with.” I teased, earning a smack on my butt now. “Come on, sit down and tell us what happened.” I held his hand and pulled him to the couch.

I meant to sit next to him, he had other ideas. I let it slide. If he was being needy, then Carter must have really done a number on him.

“First off,” he threw a small box on the coffee table, one I hadn’t noticed in his hand before. “That was a gift from the U.S. government. Captain Hill, the army guy on the other side of the wall gave it to me.”

“What is it?” Rachel asked.

Nobody moved to pick it up, we just stared at it warily.

“It’s a burner phone. So, we can contact them whenever we have something. I figure Grace should be the one to carry it, she will know when it is safer to use it.” Everyone nodded in agreement.

“Wow. So, this just became a whole new level of real.” Justin’s eyes were wide.

“What else happened?” I turned the subject off our being recognized as official spies by the government, and the weird, and completely random, flash I had of a large man in an army uniform laughing. And the even weirder warm feeling that came with it.

“Not much really. Deacon is a chatterbox. He was more than happy to give me a little history lesson on vampires. Or rather, Vampire Borns, like him and Colton, and Nightwalkers, the ones we’ve been dealing with.”

“What’s the difference? A vampire is a vampire.” Scott had started out with an attitude, then stopped and looked at Grace. “Right?”

They were all probably remembering the vision with Curtis.

“Yes, and no. Vampire Borns are just that, they are born that way. Nightwalkers are created. He went into a whole bunch of stuff about his people having half a soul and getting the rest back when they meet their soul mates, which he said Carrie is to him. I guess some witch cursed them a long time ago and killed all their chicks. If they manage to have a human or a witch have their kid, it is always a boy. The mother pretty much always dies though.”

Todd continued on telling us everything that Deacon told him, that he could remember anyway. And then about Carter.

“We need to stay on the same play then, Carter has no humans there. We knew this already. We just need to convince him to take us up there with him. That first vision, with Curtis, he was in it. He has access to Curtis.” I looked at the rest of them, all a little paler after Todd shared Deacon’s warning with us. “I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again. If any of you want to back out, there will be no hard feelings.”

“We appreciate it and all, Grace. But we’re in. Are we scared out of our minds? Yes. But that doesn’t mean we are going to stop now.” Raya answered for the group.

The rest just nodded.

“Alright, well, then tomorrow, we pull out the big guns with Carter. All my visions seem to point to tomorrow. Make sure your clothes are packed up before then. Actually, I’m thinking I might need a shopping trip. Ladies?”

The other three girls cheered. I wanted to find a new outfit for tomorrow night, something that would help with Carter.

I tried to get up, wanting to grab my shoes. Todd wouldn’t let me.

“Not yet. I just got back. Stay for a little bit.” His hand lowered to my thigh, telling me what he wanted, what he needed.

I nodded and pulled him up with me. “We’ll leave in an hour.”

I heard a few light giggles as Todd closed the door behind us.

The next night, for the first time, we all went to the bar. It was a good thing Carrie and Deacon already knew why we were there, otherwise they may not have let us in. Carrie especially was a stickler about our health.

My first view, upon entering the vamp bar, was of the two of them sitting in a booth. Carrie was leaning against his chest, Deacon’s hand resting on her stomach. It was a sweet and private moment.

My stomach dropped.

Carrie turned and looked at me, giving me a slight nod, like she was giving me permission to look at her future. We talked a bit over the last few days, she told me more about my powers, and her own.

I wondered if she felt what I wanted.

I closed my eyes and focused on what I wanted to see. I focused on her. The first flash was of Carrie holding a baby, her cheeks flushed and heated from labor. On one side, I saw Deacon. The other, I saw Colton. They were all extremely happy. And somehow got even happier when a woman with curly blonde hair walked up, holding a baby of her own.

The second flash, Carrie was still healthy and looking at her healthy baby. Almost everything was the same. Just one difference this time, there was only one man standing by her side. I looked harder into her tired eyes and saw the pain there. It was as though someone had taken part of her soul from her.

I blinked my wet eyes as I came back to reality. Carrie’s face was grief stricken, she knew it was sad, but not why. I could at least put some of her fears at ease. If we knew the vamp history, I was sure she did too.

“Both you and your baby will be healthy and strong.”

“Then, why…” I shook my head, cutting her off.

She knew there were some things I was not supposed to share. She was the one that told me that after all. Her eyes watered, and both her hands dropped on top of Deacon’s.

“Thank you. That is the most important thing for now. Is there anything we are supposed to do?”

I shook my head. “No. In both visions, that did not change. Whatever you are doing, or planning, it will work.” I gave her a smile. “Congratulations.”

Deacon kissed her long and hard. I walked over to the bar, where Carter would be looking for me. Raya and Layla squealed with joy and interrupted the couple’s celebration.

Not long after, more donors showed up. Having finally been at the bar on other nights, I could see some of the difference. Sundays were just plain weird in comparison. And there were a lot more vampires, which meant a lot more donors.

An hour after sundown, the one we were waiting for sauntered in like he was the king of the world.

He greeted a few others with a hug, then his eyes fell on me, then above me to Todd. I was dressed in a lace bra, and short shorts. I learned quickly that he liked to work around the crotch piece. He didn’t like the easiness of a skirt. That was the only thing he liked to work for.

With the biggest grin, he came to us at the bar. He was five feet away, when he stopped dead to rights. His head swiveled to Carrie, and his eyes creased. I mentally cursed.

“What’s going on, Carter? Everything all right?” Deacon asked carefully, taking a small step in front of Carrie.

“I’m not sure. Why does your mate smell different?” Carter’s whole stance was wary.

Deacon chuckled and gave an awkward yet playful shrug. “Well, see, she had this crazy idea, and I went along with it. Happy wife, happy life, right?”

Carter relaxed and started laughing. “And what happened to her personal donor?”

Deacon widened his eyes a bit, trying to pass a not-so-subtle message to Carter. “Not sure, he was just passing through.” He barely pushed the words through his teeth.

“What Deacon means to say is that Colton heard about what happened and got ticked. He wasn’t happy about a human joining the mix. Haven’t heard from Harry in a few days. I kicked Colton out until he had time to cool off. He’s lucky I got what I wanted first, or he would be the one missing.” Carrie didn’t miss a beat while she poured someone a drink and handed it to them with a smile.

Carter bent over laughing. He came up and shook a finger at Deacon but ended up bending over again. I slid up to him, sliding my hands slowly across that broad chest of his.

“Are you done yet? I’ve missed you. Seven days is far too long. I’m so jealous that Todd got to be with you, and I didn’t.” I pouted, pushing out my bottom lip.

His laughter stopped real fast. “Well then, guess we need to do something about that, don’t we?” He reached behind him, to where he kept his money. I put a hand over his to stop him.

“First ten is on the house.”

His eyes sparked up like flashlights. “Missed me that much, huh?” I nodded and bit my finger, looking shy. His chuckle was deeper, darker. “Well, now. Let’s go see what I can do to make my little pussy cat feel better.”

He pulled us toward the table, then cast a look at Todd, who frowned. Carter laughed and waved for Todd to come too. He jumped up and ran over to us. I had Carter’s pants open before we even made it to the table. We already knew what he wanted.

Everything.

Half an hour later, I was still sitting on his lap, the blood dripping down my neck, and laying on his chest. Carter was leaning back in the booth, one hand on my butt, keeping me right where I was, his other hand holding tight to Todd, who also had blood dripping from his neck. Carter liked to see his work. He wouldn’t seal it until he was ready to go. Which he seemed in no rush to do tonight.

I felt Carter start to move, showing signs that he needed to head back out. I rocked my hips, making him groan.

“Don’t leave yet. You always leave so soon, and then we have to go back to serving the others.” I whined.

“I have to go, you know that. I only get one day of leave lately, and it takes all of that just to get here and back. I’ve already stayed too long. Trust me, I don’t want you serving others. I want you to save all that deliciousness just for me.”

His hand lifted, and then smacked my butt again, letting me know he wasn’t just talking about my blood.

Todd wrapped his fingers on top of Carter’s, trying to get him to move again. “Then let us come with you. We can serve you every night, just like Carrie does for Deacon and Colton.”

We picked up on his jealousy of their little unit a long time ago.

“Yes.” I purred, dragging a finger down my chest. “We can all be together every day, for hours.” I drew out the last word. “Think of all that time you spend in the car. We can spend it in bed. Or in the shower. Or outside under the stars. You can have us whenever you want.” I was circling my chest and swiped some of the drops of blood and licked it off my finger. His eyes began to glow as he watched my tongue glide over my finger, from the bottom to the top, where I took the whole thing into my mouth, before slowly pulling it out.

“We have lots of friends. They can come with us. Think of how much more efficient your men will be if they fed regularly. They won’t have to leave either. You can show them all your prowess whenever you want. Just say the word and we will be there. However, you want us. Whenever, you want us.”

Todd didn’t have to hold onto Carter anymore. Instead, he just laid his head back on the booth, and let Carter have his way.

Carter growled and soon I had blood coming from the middle of my chest. I just held onto him for the ride. My blood was still dripping from the sides of his mouth when he let go with a growl. All three of us released at the same time. His growl pushed us that last bit.

Carter took his time sealing my wounds.

I pouted as I stood up, letting him fall out of me. I sniffled and sat on his other side. He tucked me back into my bra.

“Don’t pout, little pussy cat. I will be back.” The side of his finger trailed down my cheek, catching the tear I managed to push out.

“But where will we be?”

Carter’s hand froze. “What are you talking about? Why would you go anywhere?” His eyes sparked again. This time in anger.

“We heard the rumors this week.” Todd started.

“What rumors?”

“That we were all going to be shipped off to the smaller cities. What if that happens while you are gone? What if we don’t get to see you again? What if…What if…” I hiccupped and wiped my nose.

Carter was growling consistently now. He didn’t deny the rumors though. Todd and I exchanged a quick look when Carter didn’t say anything else, his grip on our legs only got tighter. We both moved in slowly, resting our heads on his shoulders like good little pets. He even raised his hands to pet the side of our heads.

“Don’t let them take us away from you, Carter. We belong to you. Not them.” I begged softly.

“How many friends do you have?”

“Five. Three more girls, and two more boys. They are all here tonight. This is the only way we have to make money and buy food.”

Carter huffed. “You won’t need money anymore. I’ll make sure you have everything you need. Go get your friends, I’ll talk to Deacon.”

I smiled up at him, like he was my hero. “Really? You’re really going to take us with you?”

Carter laughed and kissed my cheek. “Yes, really. I should have done it sooner. You two belong to me, it’s ridiculous that I haven’t taken you home to take care of you properly before now.” He swatted my butt again, as I was mostly on my knees. He leaned over and licked Todd’s neck, sealing it finally. “Let’s go, my pets.”

I held onto Carter’s hand as we made our way to the bar. Todd looked around for the others. The twins were still busy, at the same table. Justin looked like a buffet lying on his back. Rachel and Scott were drinking water at the bar.

“What’s up Carter?” Deacon already knew what was up, seeing as his hearing worked better than everyone else’s.

“Looks like I am taking a few of your donors off your hands. You were right, it’ll be better and easier if they are closer.”

“Well, I hate to see them go. They bring in a lot of clientele.”

Carter let out a low growl and pulled us both closer to him.

Deacon chuckled and looked over at Carrie. “No judgments, man. I get it.”

He reached over the bar, forcing Carter to release my hand, to shake his. I swapped it for his belt loops, which made Carter laugh. We weren’t completely in the clear yet. Besides, the idea of one vamp instead of dozens was a lovely feeling.

“Do you both want to eat something before we leave? It looks like your friends still have a few minutes.” Carter asked, thoughtfully.

I went onto my toes and whispered what I wanted. Carter threw his head back and laughed.

“Yes, little kitty, when we get in the car, you can have all you want.”

I bit my lip, which made him growl again and kiss me. I always thought it was funny that he couldn’t kiss me without reaching for Todd. Right there next to the bar, he stuck his hand right back inside Todd’s pants. Which he had left open. Carter liked to tell him when he could close them. He liked being in charge.

The most important lesson we learned once we started this mission, was to just let go. The vamps could smell whether or not we were really feeling it. Acting wasn’t something we could do with them. We had to shut our brains off, and let biology lead the way. That took the longest to practice in the shelter. When it was only the girls, or only the boys, it tended to take longer. Nobody was leaving until everyone had at least one release, with each of the others in the room. Layla was the only one who didn’t struggle with it at first. We tried to give the sisters a pass, but they both just shrugged and said it didn’t matter. Which was what started the conversation on being weird and them demonstrating for us.

At first, I thought maybe we were over doing it with the practice sessions. Especially with going down on other girls. Turns out, some chick vamps wanted that. Go Layla for pushing for it. Although, she may have had an ulterior motive for that. Either way, everything we practiced had come in handy the last month or so.

By the time Carter released Todd and me, leaving another mess for Carrie to clean up, our whole group was back. Carter rumbled with approval when he looked at each of them. Carrie had boxed up some sandwiches for us while Carter was having his way.

We piled into his car, leaving the stolen one behind, and he took us by our short-term apartment. The three boys went up to grab our things, while we waited in the car. It was a military Humvee, obviously one of the many things the vamps had taken for their own use.

As we left the city, Carter stuck to his word about what I would be eating on the way back. Once I finished, he insisted on making the rounds through the group. He didn’t even pull over for us all to change places, we just crawled over each other. Once everyone had had their turn, his words, he had me come back to the front. I laid my head on his lap and let him play with my hair as I fell asleep.

We all woke up when we pulled up to an abandoned house not far from the wall. Carter knew his way around pretty well, meaning he had already been scoping out places for us to stay. Which made me wonder who had been playing who at the bar tonight.

The master suite already had sun blocker blinds and curtains installed. Carter instructed Todd to put our things in there. The three of us would be sharing that room. The others broke off into the two of the other three rooms.

Once Carter fell asleep, not long after sunrise, I laid there staring at the ceiling.

We did it, we finally did it. We were one step closer to Curtis. One step closer to the devil himself.

I felt Todd reaching for my hand, across Carter’s wide chest. I held on to him tight, knowing he was feeling just as nervous as I was.