Satin Bruises

The werewolf hesitated, shooting a look to the vampire, sitting perfectly still behind the desk. His head whipped back around to Raleigh, and he sniffed the air around her. He took in the shorter, layered cut of her hair, and turned back to Jean-Claude, dismissing her entirely.

"You can't allow that little bitch to do this to Anita! If she can't have sex, how is she supposed to feed the ardeur? Nathaniel and Damien will die, but you don't fucking care, do you?" The wolf-man shouted, both at Micah and Jean-Claude. Raleigh, watching this scene suddenly figured out exactly who this man was.

"Richard Zeeman, junior high science teacher, former fiancee and lover of Anita Blake," Raleigh said to herself, reading off the facts in her sister's file in her head. The three men looked at her. Richard was still boiling with preternatural rage as he glared at the younger twin. Micah just stared at her, not paying attention to the werewolf, undressing Raleigh with his eyes. Raleigh met Micah's eyes, just for a moment, and she felt hot again. Her skin went tight, her breathing shallow. She forced herself to break eye contact, and focused on Richard.

"Mr. Zeeman, I don't believe you understand the gravity of the situation. Jean-Claude's seat on the council is in jeopardy. The only condition is that the one the seat is promised to has to kill him. The entire city is on the verge on being completely DESTROYED and you're worried about Anita's sex life," Raleigh growled. "She can fuck whoever she wants, as long as it doesn't cause friction between the key players that keep you on your feet and out of chains."

"Bull shit," Richard spat. Raleigh looked at Jean-Claude in a way that said 'Seriously? Can I just punch him?' Jean-Claude simply raised his hands in surrender. Raleigh directed her unwavering gaze to Richard.

"Mr. Zeeman, I personally know the man that is going to attempt to take Jean-Claude's place. I know how he is and I know how he intends to take the seat. Do you still want to throw a bitch fit? If you come between my sister and her plan...you're fucked. We are all FUCKED!" Raleigh screamed, stomping her foot and balling her hands into fists. Her power surged around her, uncontrolled and hot. Raleigh suddenly knew exactly how to deal with all of the confusion that Aleksi's visit had produced; she was going to beat the living hell out of Richard. Her aura collided full force with his, actually sending him back a few steps.

Richard looked as if he knew exactly what she was thinking, and he agreed totally. His energy rose in an answering wave, filling the room with heat. Jean-Claude and Micah were both on their feet in seconds, ready to stop the impending battle, but it was too late. Richard rushed her, and with a twist, and a little momentum, Raleigh sent him through the door behind her. Before he could recover, she was out the door and on him. With a primitive yell, Raleigh ran full force into a tackle, catching Richard around the waist, and throwing him back into the wall. His head bounced off of the stone and he grunted. Furious, he raised his fist, bring it crashing down into her left eye.

Raleigh's head snapped back, and she was stunned for a half-second. Long enough for Richard to take her five foot four frame, and toss her casually into the far wall of the hallway. Raleigh landed on her feet, magic coalescing around her fists in a tingling rush. Using her energy like brass knuckles, she delivered four crushing blows to Richard's unprotected kidneys. He spat blood, and swiped at her with hands that had gone elongated and hard, more claws than anything else. She ducked back, but he brought his knee up behind her, and landed an agonizing blow to her middle back.

Raleigh bit back a scream, and grabbing both sides of Richard's head, delivered a vicious headbutt. With a sickening crack, the two opponents fell back from one another, panting.

"Bitch," muttered Richard, almost respectfully.

"At least I'm not the pussy with the cracked skull," she retorted, standing.

"Well, looks like you've got everything under control here," said a slightly sardonic voice from further down the hall. Raleigh and Richard both looked over to see Reilly standing at the entrance to the hall. She had changed out of her work clothing and wore a simple black knit duster over a tank top, and jeans. Black flats completed the look, and made her seem more approachable. Behind her, what looked like every other resident of the circus was watching. With a cheeky grin, Raleigh waved to the crowd.

"You!" Richard snapped, standing. He pointed a threatening finger at Reilly. "You and I are going to have words."

"I agree we should speak Mr. Zeeman, but may I suggest a slightly more private venue?" Reilly asked, indicating the office behind him. He stormed off, slamming the remains of the splintered door behind him.

"Cute," Raleigh muttered, following. Reilly turned to the assembled watchers.

"I think that's the end of the show folks," she said, with an amused smile, and headed off down the hall after her sister. In the office, Micah was looking at Raleigh with something bordering on reverence. Jean-Claude was studying her face, detecting similarities and differences between the twins, and against the right wall, Richard sulked, arms crossed over a few broken ribs. Reilly entered, gently closing the door behind her.

"Would you charge a raging werewolf?" Micah asked, laughing. Reilly smiled at him, and shook her head.

"I just do the magic stuff, I'm no fighter," she explained, spreading her hands. Richard snorted derisively from his perch. Everyone ignored him, turning to more serious matters.

"I believe you have some information for us," Jean-Claude began, giving Raleigh the floor. With a breath, Raleigh explained every minute detail of Aleksi's visit. After she had finished, the faces of the three men regarded her in shock.

"He can control the flow of time?" Richard asked, stunned. It was possibly the first intelligent thing he had said all morning.

"And," Reilly interjected, "his animal to call is the wolf, Mr. Zeeman. Why do you think I have been preaching consolidation so forcefully? Aleksi is bad news on his own, but we also have the council to worry about. We can't also have divided factions in revolt." Richard gave her a sneering look, turning full body to loom over the petite woman.

"And you think cutting Anita out of the picture is going to produce some kind of instant harmony?"

"Yes, she does, Richard. And so do I," Jean-Claude snapped, finally riled. "Do you truly not know what she is doing within your own pack? Encouraging every male with alpha potential to become stronger, setting up rivals to your throne. Do you want to be in a constant war for control? Your pack is too large, Richard, to leave it to its own devices the way you do." Richard growled a warning at the vampire.

"Looks like you're going to be working all day," Raleigh taunted her sister. Both women had ended up leaning against the wall with the door. Reilly smiled, but didn't answer. She watched the two men square off, ready to come to Jean-Claude's aid, as needed. Jason entered then, carrying a tray with several steaming mugs.

Every head whipped around to look at him. If he was uncomfortable, it didn't show in how he held himself. He offered both coffee and tea to each of the twins, before turning to Micah with a questioning look. Impatient at how long he was taking, Richard let out a low growl.

"Jason, leave," he rumbled, taking a step toward the younger wolf.

"I have sent for him Richard. Both for the ladies, and for yourself. You can feel the power pouring off of him, he is alpha now, and only the fact that he is utterly my wolf has kept you from trying to kill him. Join with me Richard, help me." Jean-Claude asked, holding out a hand to the taller man. Richard growled, and not taking his eyes from Jean-Claude, reached out and grabbed Jason by the back of the neck.

"Give me a reason not to make an example out of Jason right now," Richard said, in that basso voice.

"We can fix you," Reilly said quietly to Richard's back. His shoulder's stiffened.

"I'm not broken," he shouted, not looking at the woman.

"I don't think you are. Jason doesn't think you are. Neither Micah nor Jean-Claude think there is anything wrong with you, but you do. You hate being a wolf so bad it makes you want to claw your own skin off at night, doesn't it Richard? And if you tried, who would know? You heal so quickly," Reilly spoke intently, but Richard didn't turn around. "We can make you human again, if you wish." Reilly said, studying his stillness.

"Fuck you," he said, releasing Jason. Micah sighed in disappointment, but Jean-Claude didn't move one way or the other, he just stared into Richard's face from across the desk. Jason bowed himself out of the room, going to wait on the other side of the mostly destroyed door.

"It is very nearly dawn," the vampire said suddenly, breaking the strange tension in the room. Richard turned around and stormed out of the room, managing to not look at any of them in the process. Raleigh and Reilly both watched him go, with identical expressions of disgust. Micah stood, walking over to Raleigh, and Reilly let them have some space. She approached the desk, where Jean-Claude was now seated with his face in his hands. This close to him, Reilly could feel the frustrated energy being put off by his aura. He let his hands fall slowly to the desktop, and with a resigned look in his eyes said, "I will need you to break the triumverate, Reilly." She nodded, and didn't resist when he took one of her hands between his own. He pressed his mouth to her knuckles for a split second, and then stood.

"It's getting late. Micah, would you please escort our two women home? Jason can go along also. I would hate to see harm come to anyone tonight," Jean-Claude said, and with a graceful wave of his hand, he dismissed them. They all trooped out, and as she reached the door, Reilly turned to close it behind her on habit. She met Jean-Claude's eyes for a moment, and in that instant she figured out several things about herself.

She didn't know how or why, but she was so in love with the vampire that it made her hurt. She was going to kill Anita Blake, one way or the other. She was going to make St. Louis a preternatural fortress, and eventually her home, and anything that stood in her way would be completely devastated. This city, she decided, would be hers. The first step would be to get her son out of the hands of her conniving, broken father. With the contented little grin of someone with a plan being formed, she followed her sister out to her car.