Paperback Writing

Richard slammed his fist against the count hard, “Damnit, Anita, I don’t like to see you hurt. But you’re always hurt. You’re always bloody when I see you.”

Anger flashed in his eyes as he stalked around the kitchen, totally disregarding the presence of anyone else in the room. He finally stopped, taking her by the shoulders, shaking her slightly. “Why do you continue this? You are only hurting yourself and those that care about you. You aren’t gaining anything from it.”

Anita shrugged, which was her typical reaction to anything that was said to her lately. She didn’t care any more. She wasn’t interested in what others had to say. She didn’t care who she hurt, she didn’t care if she was hurt for that matter. She just wanted to forget everything.

“Anita, damnit, who did this to you? Was it that bastard Micah?” Anita shook her head furiously, hoping that Richard would understand that it wasn’t Micah. She wouldn’t let Richard hurt Micah, she loved him too much.

With that thought, she wrenched herself away from Richard, not wanting him close enough to touch her. She knew that they were linked metaphysically, along with Jean-Claude, Master Vampire of the City, but today she was shielding so hard that she couldn’t feel either of them. She didn’t want to. If she could feel them, then they would be able to feel her. She couldn’t let that happen.

“Anita, talk to me, tell me what is going on.” Anita turned and looked at Nathaniel, hearing the softness in his voice. He was just the opposite of Richard. Richard was rough, gruff and demanding, all masculine and muscle. He was a wolf, like it or not. Nathaniel was softer, inviting, sensual, seductive, submissive. He had the lithe and grace of the cat that lived inside of him.

Anita shook her head again, giving Nathaniel a look as if to tell him not to push. He sighed, resigned to the fact that she wasn’t going to open up to him. He turned and went back to cleaning up the bloody mess that was the bedroom that he normally shared with Anita and Micah.

Anita sat down at the small kitchen table and picked up her mug of coffee blindly. She took a sip, sighing with relief that Nathaniel had left without pushing. She had even momentarily forgotten about Richard skulking about. She simply lost herself in the coffee.

“Okay, Anita, now that we’re alone, tell me what happened. I want to know. No, I need to know.” Richard’s voice softened as he sat down at the table next to her.

Anita sighed, a long, deep sigh that told Richard that she didn’t want to talk. “Richard, I don’t want to tell you, or anyone. Please don’t make me.”

“Anita, someone hurt you, left you bloody and if you weren’t connected to Jean-Claude and myself, you would be dead. I need to know what happened.” Richard put his hand on hers, trying to comfort her as best he could.

“Fine, it was Micah. Well not really Micah, but his beast. He lost control and shifted while we were having sex. The ardeur rose and it called to his beast. He fought it, but lost.” Anita paused to look at Richard in time to catch the anger that flashed behind his eyes. “Now do you see why I didn’t want to tell you?”

“Where is he now?” Richard ignored the question and asked one of his own.

“I’m not sure, Jason got him out of here just in the nick of time. I think he probably was taken to the Circus.” Richard nodded, having figured that as well. “You’re not going to hurt him, Richard.”

“Why not? He deserves it. He hurt you.” Anita blinked at him some as he stood up and stalked towards the door. He turned back just long enough to give her one more look. “I will make sure you never get hurt again, Anita. I love you too much to let that happen.

“But, I love him…” Anita trailed off as Richard left the house. She knew that he was going to dole out his own type of justice, and she was too weak to try to stop him. For the first time, she just let him go…

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