The Moon's Light

Chapter Seventeen

The dream lightened, letting me become aware of everything slowly. We were all curled up together in a soft bed. Jason had my back and I was clinging to Katty tightly. A television show was playing lightly in the background. Strange scents registered around the sugary sweetness of Katty and the spicy musk of Jason.

I slowly opened my eyes and looked around. We weren't at Katty's place and we certainly weren't at Pierre's. I didn't recognize the place as Sophia's either. We were in the oasis of a dream. Yet, it seemed so real. I glanced up, studying Katty. She was watching the show, but it wasn't long before she glanced down at me.

I managed to speak the one question that had been bothering me since waking. "Is this a dream?"

She grinned and responded with a joke. "I'm afraid not. We've decided we don't want to let you go back to Pierre so we've kidnapped you. Again. We don't plan on asking for a ransom this time either." I shuddered when Jason snorted in amusement against the back of my neck. Katty sobered as she looked me over. "How are you feeling?"

I thought about it for a second. My mind was a mess, but I wasn't going to tell her that. I settled for the physical. The things they might actually be able to help with. "Sore mostly. Tired and hungry."

That was all it took. Katty and Jason started moving, making plans to get me fed, clothed, healed and back home as soon as possible. I struggled to make that happen quickly. I didn't want to spend another second anywhere near Pierre. Putting an ocean between us seemed like a good start.

Their plans were interrupted when we heard a knock on the door. Katty finished getting dressed and went to get it. Jason and I listened to the conversation going on at the door. I glanced at him when we heard four men requesting Katty to go with them. They refused to say anything more than that however. Jason darkened in worry.

"Katty? What's going on?" Jason adjusted his grip on me to keep me on my feet when I finally made it there. Katty glanced back at us.

"That's what I'd like to know."

I listened with horror as Katty abruptly agreed to leave with the Vampires. I bit my lip when I realized I should have expected it. As soon as they had threatened 'drastic measures' I should have known Katty would throw herself into the unknown to protect Jason and me.

We both protested, but she didn't listen. She just assured us she would be fine. I reached for her, needing to pull her close. I wasn't even sure why. I just couldn't stand the thought of her throwing herself into danger to keep me safe. Again. If this was anything like the Succubus, she would barely make it back.

And if she didn't at all?

I clung tightly to her when she came over to give us a hug. Then she was pulling away and guiding my clinging back towards Jason, promising she would be following right behind us. My chest tightened. I hated to admit it, but I needed them both right now. Watching Katty leave was almost more than I could bear.

We watched as Katty left with the men and then looked at each other. Jason grit his teeth and moved me towards the bed again. I weakly protested as he got me tucked under the covers. "Wait! What about Katty?!"

Jason shook his head. "We're just going to have to trust her on this one. Rest. I'll be back with some food and some clothes for you."

I struggled to get out of bed as he pulled on his jacket to cover up the fact that he was shirtless. "I'll come with you." Jason sighed and just guided me back under the covers.

"You're not strong enough." He turned and moved around the room, collecting keys for his trip. "Just get some more sleep. I'll be back before you know it."

I shoved myself up off the pillows, stubbornly trying to get out of bed again. I stopped and looked up when Jason placed a hand on my chest to stop me. "I know the last thing you want is to be alone right now, but I need to get you healthy and home as soon as possible. Then we can worry about Katty. Besides, you have no pants."

I sighed and dropped back, nodding in defeat. "Alright." My fingers came up to twine with his over my heart for a moment.

Jason smiled as he straightened, pulling his hand away from mine reluctantly. "Good. I'll be back as soon as I can." He shot me one last look before closing the door behind him. Then he was gone. I turned the TV up a little more to help fill the silence and distract myself from panicking. And then I must have fallen asleep again because the next thing I knew, the sound of the door opening was startling me awake.

I reflexively flinched into the covers, horrifying thoughts of Pierre coming through to take me away again flashing in my brain. I sighed in relief when Jason came in, carrying a couple bags. My stomach rumbled loudly when I caught a whiff of food. Jason grinned, but it seemed strained.

He settled the bags on the dresser next to the TV and stripped off his coat, revealing he had picked himself up another shirt while he was out. Then he was kicking off his shoes and crawling up the bed. I raised an eyebrow as he wrapped his arms around me and snuggled in tight. I still wrapped my arms around him and held him, needing some friendly contact myself.

"We were so worried about you Max." I bit my lip at the tears in his voice. "What he was doing to you, it made me sick. I wanted to protect you and yet that happened. You were stolen right out from under our noses."

I swallowed around the lump in my throat when I felt him burrowing into my shoulder. He was shaking with stress. Slowly taking in a deep breath, I fought empathetic tears. I held him tightly, fully intending to return the favor from earlier. They had let me fall apart and held me during my most vulnerable. It was the least I could do to respond in kind.

Not only that. It made me feel like more than just some pet that Jason would even show me his weakness. As far as I had seen, Vampires liked their humans to believe that they were a higher species that had no imperfections.

Jason took in a steadying breath and continued, the tears fading from his voice. "And now that we've just gotten you back, someone goes and steals Katty away from us. I feel worse than useless to you both." The sorrow had started to give way to a low burning anger.

I sighed and gently stroked his hair. "You're not useless. You brought me food and clothes didn't you? And you both came to get me back. Now you're going to get me home. Right?"

He sniffed and nodded, slowly letting me go and propping himself up enough to meet my gaze. "Right." He took in another breath and gently cupped my face with his hand before sliding back off the bed to gather up the food. I struggled to sit up against the headboard while Jason brought the food over to me and sat down. He handed me a pair of chopsticks as he got settled in next to me and put the bag of Chinese boxes between us.

"I got some lo mein, some beef and broccoli, general tzo's chicken, and some pork dumplings." He dug around in the bag and poked at some smaller boxes. "And they threw in some white rice. Eat what you like."

He picked at the food. And I was hungry enough to not call him on it. He seemed quite content to let me eat most of it while he absently watched the drama that was playing on the TV. He abruptly froze, eyeing me with worry. I blinked back, my mouth full of noodles.

"You're not going to throw all this up in a bit are you?"

I shook my head and swallowed as I dug out another bite. "No. I haven't gone hungry for that long. And I'm not sick. Just sore and burned out. Pierre didn't exactly give me a chance to rest while I was with him." I stuffed another dumpling in my mouth.

Jason nodded. "Three days."

I glanced at him. "That fast?" He raised an eyebrow in question. I swallowed and licked my lips, fidgeting as I poked at the last bite of noodles in the box. "Actually, I wasn't really expecting you to come at all. But if you did, I figured it would take you as long as it did Sophia."

Jason made a disgusted face. "Sophia didn't want you. We do."

I glanced at him. After all this, I could almost believe that. But wanted me for what? After all, Pierre had wanted me enough to kidnap me. And he just wanted to torture and kill me. What did Katty and Jason want out of me?