I'll Follow You

I'll Follow You
By
Shi-Saiyan

Embyr leaned back in the swing as she flew through the air, looking up at the sky. The night was muggy and she wore a thin, spaghetti strapped tank top with black jeans. Her shoulders were pale in the moonlight and Marko could see the blue tracery of her veins under her skin. He stepped out of the shadows and her head snapped up, her eyes locking on his approaching form. She visibly relaxed as she recognized him.

"Marko. Where are the others?" He shrugged.

"David's with Cynder, doing who knows what. Dwayne and Paul are teaching Laddie how to night surf."

"Not much for the water, huh?" she asked, as he sat down in the swing next to hers.

"Not for surfing anyway," he muttered, and then looked over at her.

"So where's Asha? I'm surprised she left you out here. She's a little on the protective side." Embyr sighed and started swinging again.

"Yeah, she's pretty much the mother hen type, always with the constant supervision. She actually doesn't know I'm here. She thinks I'm with Cynder, who-"

"Who thinks you're with Asha," he finished for her, pushing off the ground and swinging slowly. "Oldest trick in the book. So what's the big deal with them? You're old enough to be out alone, right?"

"Mmm, I should hope so. I'm 18, which is older than Cynder was when she started taking off and getting in trouble."

"Then what is it?" he asked again. She let her feet drag in the sawdust under her swing and slowed almost to a stop, looking at the ground.

"They just want to make sure I'm safe. Kind of like you guys do with Laddie. We're potential hostages, weaknesses," she said, with more than a little bitterness.

Marko reached out and grabbed one of the chains and her swing spun toward him. He caught the other chain to stop it and held her there, suspended in the air and facing him.

"Laddie's a child. He's to be protected, that's the natural order of things, in all species, human or preternatural. You are anything but a child and are in no way weak." She stared at him for a moment, her blue eyes locked on his green gaze and finally looked away, but a small smile curved her lips. He released her swing, slowly lowering it to its original position and then he stood up, grabbing her hands and pulling her to her feet.

"Come on, Embyr, let's go play," he said. She took a few steps with him, smiling.

"And where are we going?"

"To show your sisters that you burn just as bright as either of them." She laughed and let him lead her out of the park.

~*~

Cynder threaded her fingers through David's short spikes and looked down at him. His head rested in her lap, eyes closed, his hair tickling her bare breasts whenever he moved. He turned his face and buried it in her stomach and she laughed, softly. The sheets were tangled around them, covering pretty much nothing important as they caught their breath after a long slow ride together. A bunch of candles on a ledge in the rock wall sent their light flickering over his skin, throwing shadows and making his face look softer, younger.

David was many things, strong, forceful, possessive, loyal and sometimes even cruel, but he was very rarely sweet. The moments after sex were precious to her for that reason, if for no other. Therefore, when Asha threw aside the curtain and stormed into the room, Cynder's eyes narrowed and she bared her teeth at her sister.

"Get out," she hissed, not bothering to cover herself. David was on his side and didn't really care if Asha saw his ass. He just looked up at her.

"What the fuck do you want?"

"Where's Embyr?" she demanded.

"What, did you lose her?" Cynder asked.

"She said she was going to be with you tonight," Asha said.

"Well, she lied, because last time I checked, she was staying with you," Cynder snapped, sliding out from under David's head and reaching for her clothes.

"Get the hell out of here and we'll meet you outside in a minute." Asha spun on her heel and left the room.

~*~

Embyr laughed and held on tightly to Marko as the Zipper flung them around in the small metal cage, flipping and swinging high into the air. He'd slid his arm around her waist and had anchored them in their seats with one hand on the safety bar. There were advantages to playing with vampires, she decided, feeling his muscles tighten, just a little, as the cage flipped upside down and they remained suspended in midair without slamming into the metal wires.

The rides at the Boardwalk were nothing special, kid stuff, she knew, but Embyr was more relaxed and happy than she could ever remember being. She was doing the same things a human girl might do and she was doing them without her sisters looking over her shoulder and watching her every move. Marko was by her side at all times, but she didn't feel chaperoned. She felt safe with him, completely comfortable, knowing he wouldn't let anything happen to her, but she didn't feel he was with her just to watch her and keep her out of trouble. He kept finding reasons to touch her, holding her in place on a ride with an arm around her waist, or steering her toward a certain attraction with his hands on her shoulders, pulling her back against his chest to talk to her, as if it were too loud and he wanted to be close to her ear. He even pulled her close once when a group of teenage guys walked by, as if they would've trampled her, but it didn't bother her. On the contrary, she liked it when he touched her, especially when he put his arms around her. She saw a few people glance their way and knew that they must see just another young couple out for a night of fun. She didn't ask Marko where he got the tickets for the rides. She hadn't seen him buy them and she was fairly certain he stole them from someone, but it didn't really matter, either.

As they made their way from the Zipper toward the stage, where a rock band was playing loudly, Marko laced his fingers through Embyr's, pulling her along behind him, glancing back and grinning at her. She was smiling and laughing and happier than he'd ever seen her. Gone was the shy, quiet girl who always stood in the background and in her place was a young woman full of life, her eyes sparkling, her face flushed and her smiles coming easy and often. She was more beautiful that he'd imagined she could be. He'd used any excuse he could find to touch her and he was pretty sure she knew it, but he didn't care. She was warm and soft and felt good in his arms. He could smell her shampoo, something floral, but under it was the scent of her skin, sweet and clean and he breathed it in each time he found a reason to pull her close. Leading her easily through the crowd, he saw several guys look at her, at their linked hands and then quickly look away and he grinned.

The smile was wiped off his face when Embyr's hand was abruptly jerked out of his own. He stopped and turned toward her to see Asha holding her by the wrist. Embyr was pulling against her. Marko quickly pushed through the crowd and caught her other hand again. She gripped his fingers like he was a lifeline.

"Let go, Asha. I'm not going home right now."

"Yes, you are, so get moving. How the hell could you lie to us like that!? You know you can't take off without us!"

"And why is that, exactly?" asked Marko. He glanced behind Asha and saw Cynder and David.

The head vampire was watching Asha, curiously, waiting for an answer and Cynder was biting her lip, watching the exchange, silent for once. Marko looked back to Asha, still waiting.

"She's 18, Asha, and a shifter as well. She's not a kid and she's not defenseless either, so why the bodyguard bullshit?" Marko pressed.

"Damn you," Asha hissed, narrowing her eyes at him. Her voice was quiet and angry as she spoke. "She's in danger, all the time. There are things in our past that we haven't told you, things we can't tell any of you, not yet and those things will hurt her if they can. She can't be unprotected."

"She wasn't unprotected." David finally spoke and Cynder looked up at him. Asha turned slowly, releasing her sister's wrist and Marko pulled Embyr gently toward him. She stepped back until she was pressed against him and she turned around, pressing her face against his chest. He looked down at her and put his arms around her, closing his eyes and resting his cheek against the top of her head.

"What are you talking about?" Asha snapped.

"She wasn't unprotected," David repeated. "She was with Marko. As bodyguards go, a vampire isn't a bad choice."

"It isn't the same. You don't know what they are, what they're capable of. How can I trust him to keep her safe?" Asha demanded.

"I don't think it matters if you do or not. Embyr seems to trust him just fine," said Cynder, quietly, looking at something behind her.

Asha turned and saw her youngest sister in the arms of the vampire. Her hands were clenched in his jacket, her face buried in his shirt, holding onto him as if she were afraid to let go. He was holding her close, one hand on her head, the other at her waist, like she was something precious to him. Asha took a step toward them as if to pull Embyr away, but Cynder caught her arm.

"Don't. David's right. She's safe with him." Embyr looked up at Cynder's words and Marko opened his eyes. Asha looked undecided for a moment, and then she saw the look on Embyr's face and her shoulders slumped in defeat.

"Just- just don't take her to the cave tonight, okay?" Marko nodded, slowly and Embyr smiled a little at Asha.

"I'll be fine, Ash. And you know I'll be home before dawn." Marko laughed, softly, as they turned and walked away.

~*~

Marko walked Embyr slowly toward her apartment when the sky held just a hint of lighter color to the east.

"Are you going to tell me about the people that are after you?" he asked, finally. She'd known it was coming ever since Asha's little speech and she sighed.

"I can't, just yet. I have to wait until we all agree to tell. As soon as I can, though, I'll tell you everything," she promised. He nodded and stopped as they reached her building. Embyr looked up at him from under her lashes, wondering if he would kiss her. He lifted her face with a finger under her chin and lightly touched her cheek with his palm, his thumb tracing her lower lip.

"Goodnight, Embyr," he said, quietly, and turned to walk away.

He was still silently berating himself for being a coward when she called his name. Marko stopped and looked back to find Embyr moving toward him. Without a pause, she slid her arms around his neck and pulled his mouth down to hers. Marko's hands slid around her waist and he pulled her closer, returning the kiss. Moments- hours, days- later, she gently pulled back, her lips red, her eyes tinged with gold, her face flushed.

"Goodnight, Marko." Then she turned and ran into the building.

~*~

"She went straight to bed this morning," said Asha, quietly. Cynder, looking in on Embyr, softly pulled the door shut and turned to her older sister.

"We can't hold her so tightly anymore. We're suffocating her," Cynder said and Asha nodded.

"I know. I'm just afraid. If they get their hands on her again, it'll be worse than before."

"Marko won't let anything happen to her. But they have to be told, Ash. We can't keep it secret anymore. David's demanding an explanation and I told him that I'd give him one tonight," Cynder told her, slowly making her way into her room. Asha followed, watching as her sister sat down on the edge of her bed.

"How much will you tell him?"

"What I have to. The facts; that we were changed on purpose, what they did to Embyr, why we ran. They need to know it all." Asha was silent for a few moments and then she sighed.

"It's just as well. It'll be easier not to have to keep secrets and worry what might slip out. Get some rest. Sundown seems to come sooner these days." She left Cynder's room and closed the door behind her.

~*~

Her lungs were on fire and she knew she'd have to stop soon, but she couldn't. She was nearly there and she didn't know how far behind her pursuers were. Hopefully, at least a day or two, but there was no guarantee that they weren't less than an hour away. Struggling for breath, she ran, stretching long muscles into bigger strides, covering more ground faster. Trees and brush scratched at her, but she ignored them. She had to get to them, to warn them, and to beg for their help.

~*~

They were at the edge of the dunes again, in the place that was rapidly becoming their playground and also their battleground. The bonfire was lit once more, though the mood around it was definitely more sober than it had been that first night. The blood of David's creator, Adrianna, had long since disappeared, drying and blowing away with the top layer of sand, the rest of it soaking into the dunes.

David was reclining against one of the logs around the fire, Cynder stretched out on the sand beside him, her bare feet kicking in the air. His fingers were lightly stroking over one tanned shoulder and his eyes were on Asha as she tried to gather her words. The three sisters had decided that they would tell their story together and Asha had suggested that they gather in this place. Laddie was sitting cross-legged near the fire, huddled in his oversized jacket, staring into the flames. Paul and Dwayne were sitting behind him, silently and Marko was directly across from David, Embyr sitting between his legs. He was holding her against his chest and her knees were pulled up, her bare toes digging into the sand. Asha was sitting alone, her head in her hands. The three sisters were dressed nearly identically, in cutoff shorts and bikini tops. To make the shifting go smoother, they'd said. Cynder had decided that telling their story included showing the vampires their beasts and Asha, surprisingly, had agreed.

"Embyr was only 12 when it began. I was 17 and Cynder was 15. We had parents, a home, we went to school and we had friends. And then Cynder met a girl who'd transferred to our school and became friends with her. Her name was Dusk and she was a wereleopard. We didn't know it, of course and all three of us liked her. We went to her house one day and everything changed." Asha's voice was harsh as she spoke, telling about Dusk's keeper and creator, Angelina. She sounded cold and unemotional as she described the way Angelina had ordered them chained and repeatedly injected with her own blood with the purpose of changing them into leopards. A tiny thread of rage could be heard when Asha spoke of Angelina separating Embyr from them, locking her away to use as leverage against the older two sisters. She noticeably left out the things Angelina had wanted of Cynder and Asha, but nobody spoke up to remind her, simply listening as she talked about Cynder being beaten when she mouthed off or misbehaved, which, of course, was often. Asha herself had been punished for trying to protect her sisters and repeatedly for trying to get to Embyr. She briefly described how they had, with help from Dusk, finally gotten Embyr free and escaped. They had run, hiding in small towns across the country, never staying long, never making friends, always moving on, until they reached the west coast and Santa Carla.

The only sound was the crackling of the fire. Asha sat silently, staring at the ground. Embyr had turned in Marko's arms and he was holding her tightly, anger in his eyes at things he couldn't change. Cynder's feet had stopped swinging through the air and she leaned her head against David's leg, her eyes closed. His hand had settled on her shoulder and he slid it up her neck, to her head, pulling her hair back behind her ear and stroking his thumb over her jaw line. Dwayne was staring at Asha and Paul was looking at his hands, unsure what to say.

"Are you going to shift now?" Laddie's voice was loud in the silence and they all looked at him. Cynder smirked a little.

"Yeah, Laddie, we are." She stood up and reached for the tie of her bikini top, bold and unembarrassed. Embyr and Asha rose to their feet and started for the cover of the brush to take off their clothes. David watched his mate disrobe, his eyes studying her form appreciatively. He knew the others were watching, but didn't really care. She belonged to him. She tossed a glance over her shoulder at him.

"Just so you know, when I'm a cat, I like to have my belly rubbed." He grinned and she turned away again, taking a few running steps and leaping forward, arms outstretched, as if she would land on her belly in the sand.

It didn't happen. Seemingly in slow motion, she shifted, limbs shortening, fur flowing, until four black paws touched down on the sand and a big black cat turned slowly toward them. Cynder's tail lashed the air, lazily and she stalked toward the bonfire, blinking glowing golden eyes. Laddie laughed as she moved to his side, butting her head against him and nearly knocking him over. The boy rose up on his knees and reached out, burying his hands in her soft black fur. She purred and the vampires laughed, quietly, until a small sound from the woods drew their attention. Even as they looked to find the source of the noise, Cynder was turning, pouncing forward with a growl in her throat.

The leopard's scream tore through the night and another cat emerged from the trees, meeting Cynder in mid-leap. The two black bodies slammed together with a sickening crack of muscle and bone. They were both growling and slashing, their teeth snapping as they fought. The vampires were on their feet, unsure of what was happening.

"Is it Asha or Embyr?" asked Marko, dancing on the balls of his feet, needing to act, but not knowing what to do.

"Neither!" said Embyr, running out of the woods, holding her bikini top against her chest.

"Asha's coming," she gasped, sliding to a stop beside Marko. Even as she spoke, a third cat joined the fray. Muscles rippled under inky black fur, golden eyes flashed, teeth gleamed white and blood flowed until two leopards had pinned the third to the sand.

Immediately, the defeated cat started to shift and Cynder and Asha did the same. Asha pulled back as her human form emerged, crouching on the sand so that she wasn't quite so exposed. Cynder didn't care, just stayed where she was, pinning the other shifter down. The form of a girl had emerged, long blond hair splayed around her, blue-green eyes wide as she looked up at Cynder.

"Cynder, wait! It's me," she said, breathing hard. Cynder's eyes widened and Embyr's gasp was audible.

"Dusk," said Asha, in disbelief.

David blinked at the scene before him and it took a moment for the facts to sink in. He was, after all, a man and his mate was lying naked on top of another woman. Once he realized who the blond girl was, however, he started moving toward them, his eyes scanning the tree line for any other threat. The others had apparently had the same idea. Marko was leading Embyr closer to the rest of them. Dwayne was pulling off his jacket and putting it over Asha's shoulders. She stood up and it fell to mid-thigh. David slid his arm around Cynder's waist and pulled her off of the other girl.

"Get dressed. We're too exposed here. The rest of them can't be far behind." Cynder growled, but did as he said, grabbing her shorts and pulling them on. Dusk was still lying on the sand, but she was shaking her head.

"They aren't here, at least not yet. I don't know how long it took them to realize where I'd gone."

"What the hell are you talking about?" Asha demanded.

"They figured out where you are, Asha. Angelina wants you back and she's dead set on punishing you for escaping." Dusk sat up, and Asha reached out a hand, pulling her quickly to her feet.

"How do we know we can trust you?" she asked.

"I helped you get away, Asha. She had me long before she ever got a hold of you. With everything you three went through, there's still worse things that she can do and she'll do them to me if she ever gets a hold of me again. I need your help." Asha looked at Cynder, who nodded.

"She's right. She helped us get out. If she's playing us, we can always kill her later."

"Fine. Let's get the hell out of here," Asha said, moving toward the trees to retrieve her clothes as Embyr slid her bikini top back on. Cynder glanced over at Paul.

"Paul, instead of standing there with your mouth open, why don't you give her your jacket?" The blond vampire blinked and looked at her, then realized what she'd said.

"Oh, right." He slid out of his coat and handed it to Dusk.

"Thanks," she mumbled, pulling it on. It fell to her knees and she pulled it closed in front.

They gathered around the motorcycles before they realized that it wasn't going to work. There was one person too many.

"I'll fly Embyr back to the cave and wait for you there. Asha can take Dusk on my bike," said Marko, finally and Asha hesitated only for a moment before she nodded her agreement. He wrapped his arms around Embyr and took to the air. She held on tightly and closed her eyes as the wind rushed around them.

~*~

Michael and Star were already in the cave, sitting on their bed with the stereo on. They looked up when Marko arrived with Embyr.

"Where are the others?" asked Star.

"They're on their way, bringing company," said Marko, sitting down on one of the couches. Embyr sat on the floor beside him, her head resting on his knee, curled up on the cold stone like a cat.

"Come sit up here," Marko said, but she shook her head.

"No. I need something steady under me. Everything's spinning out of control." Her last words were barely more than a whisper and Star slid off the bed, dropping to her knees beside the girl.

"What's going on?" Marko filled them in, quietly and Star pulled Embyr into her arms.

"It'll be okay. David and the boys won't let anyone hurt you," Star said. Mike was looking at Marko, watching the other man's face.

"Marko won't let anyone hurt you," he corrected and Star looked up at him, then over at Marko. He reached out a hand and Embyr took it, letting him pull her onto the couch. She curled up into a ball, her head resting on his lap and he stroked her hair back away from her face. She said nothing, just stared straight ahead, only her eyes moving to the entrance when they heard the faint sound of the motorcycles outside.

Moments later, David led everyone in, the procession of vampires and shape shifters. Star retreated to her bed and Mike sat on the floor in front of her, leaning back against the mattress. Laddie made his way through the group to his own bed, taking off his jacket and kicking off his shoes.

"I think I've got some clothes here that will fit you," said Cynder, leading Dusk through the curtain, as David sat down in his armchair. Paul perched on the arm of the empty couch and Asha paced until Dwayne grabbed her by the shoulders and forced her to sit at the other end of the couch. She glared up at him and he didn't blink, just stared back at her. Finally, she looked away, crossing her arms. She was wearing her short cutoffs and bikini top with Dwayne's jacket over the top and her hands were hidden inside the sleeves, making her look very small.

"Asha." She looked at David. "Tell us about Angelina. Who does she keep closest to her, how many people work with her and what are they?"

"She keeps a leopard with her almost 24 hours a day. A real cat, not a shifter. He wears an iron collar and a thick chain that she holds by a metal ring on the end of it. She's trained him as an attack animal. Jacob and Dristan are usually with her. They're her favorites, her guards, her lovers, whatever the occasion calls for. A lot of the time, they'll punish others for her." Embyr shuddered a little and Asha looked sharply at her. Her little sister's eyes were shiny and afraid and Asha clenched her jaw for a moment, in anger, before turning back to David.

"There's always at least two other shifters besides Jacob and Dristan..."

~*~

Dusk sat quietly on the bed while Cynder rummaged through an old dresser.

"Where did they get all this old furniture?" she finally asked, breaking the silence.

"There used to be a resort here. It was destroyed by a quake and they took a lot of what wasn't ruined. Most of the caverns are furnished and I know they've got at least one big room full of extra stuff." Cynder turned around and tossed something black at her. Dusk caught the tank top and Cynder turned back to the dresser, still digging. Finally, she found a pair of blue jeans and she threw them to Dusk. The other girl stood up and let Paul's coat fall to the ground, quickly pulling on the jeans and tank top. She picked up the jacket and turned to Cynder. They were quiet for a moment, and then Dusk spoke.

"The Master vampire, he's your lover?"

"David. Yeah, he's my lover- mate- whatever. He's mine." Dusk's smile was wry.

"You always did go for the bad boys." Cynder gave an answering smirk.

"Head vampire, biker, yeah, I think he qualifies in the bad boy category."

"Good to know some things don't change," Dusk said.

"Yeah," Cynder said, softly. She reached out her hand and Dusk took it. They walked together through the tunnels and back to the main cavern.

~*~

All eyes turned to them when Cynder and Dusk walked into the cavern, their hands still linked. Cynder heard Dusk's shaky intake of breath at the intensity of the stares and she squeezed her hand reassuringly before releasing her. Cynder perched on the arm of David's chair as Dusk took Paul his jacket.

"Thanks for letting me borrow it," she said, as she handed it to him.

"No problem. Have a seat," he said, gesturing to the space on the couch next to him. She did, pulling her knees up and wrapping her arms around them. Cynder glanced at David's face and saw him surveying their group with a tiny smirk. She followed his gaze and realized why he was looking so self satisfied. Their numbers were even. Four men, four women and a mixing of power potent enough to make almost any opposer think twice, with David in charge. No wonder he was happy.

"We should head back to the apartment soon," Asha was saying. Embyr's head came up, quickly.

"No! I- I don't- we can't- I can't go back there. Not during the day," she said, her eyes wide. Asha sighed.

"Embyr-"

"No, Asha! I won't. We're safer here," Embyr told her. Cynder watched Embyr's fingers clench on Marko's arm and saw the panic on her face. She knew exactly why her sister was refusing to go home. Marko couldn't spend the day in their apartment. It wasn't secure against the sunlight and Embyr wasn't secure without Marko. Somehow, in the last two nights, he'd become her lifeline, her safety zone.

Asha had fallen silent, chewing her lip in thought and Cynder spoke up.

"She's right. It is safer here. The cave is hidden and there's no way for anyone to trace us here by conventional means. There's plenty of room for all of us and we aren't alone," she told Asha. The oldest girl sighed and nodded, letting her head fall back against the couch.

"Fine. We'll stay here. Let's figure out sleeping arrangements now. I'm tired."

Cynder, of course, would sleep with David, in his room, while Paul offered his bed to Dusk, since he usually slept hanging in the back cavern. Cynder wondered, though, if Paul was going to try and change his sleeping habits in the near future. From the way he was watching Dusk, it was a very real possibility.

"Asha can take my room. I won't be using it," said Dwayne and Asha nodded.

"Embyr-"

"Will decide on her own where she's going to sleep," said Cynder, pointedly. Asha closed her mouth, her eyes flashing as she glared at Cynder. Embyr was already on her feet, not even noticing the conversation, making her way out of the room and through the curtain with Marko.

"She's 18, Asha and she hasn't been a kid for a long time now," Cynder said, before her sister could remark. She didn't wait for a response, just followed Embyr's example and headed for David's room.

~*~

Marko slid out of his jacket and pulled his shirt over his head, watching Embyr the whole time. He sat on the edge of the bed and toed his boots off, kicking them to one side. She was standing still, her back to him, hugging herself. Marko stood up and moved behind her, putting his arms around her waist and pulling her against him.

"Embyr?" She turned her head so she could see his face. "What is it?" he asked.

"I'm scared," she said.

"They aren't going to get to you, I promise," he told her. She shook her head.

"It's not that," she whispered.

"Then what?" She raised her eyes to meet his gaze.

"I've never done this before." After a moment of surprise, Marko kissed her temple.

"We don't have to, if you're not ready." She turned around.

"No, I want to, to be with you. I just don't know how to begin," she said, very softly.

"Well," he said, sliding his hands up to her face, burying his fingers in her hair and pulling her closer, "I think we should probably begin with this."

His lips were soft on hers and she returned the kiss, hesitant at first, and then more boldly, sliding her arms around his neck and raising up on her toes. His fingers found the ties at her neck and back and tugged at the strings until her bikini top gave way, falling to the floor. The feeling of his chest against her bare breasts sent heat streaking through her and she found herself tugging at the snap of his jeans. He undid her shorts with one hand and gave a sharp tug, sending them sliding down her legs. His hands on her waist guided her to the bed and he released her long enough to take off his jeans. He started toward the bed and paused, just looking at her. Slender waist, gently rounded hips, her arms crossed shyly over her breasts, Embyr leaned slowly back against the pillows. Her face was flushed, her lips swollen from his kisses and Marko moved quickly to her, lying next to her and pulling her against him.

She was soft and untutored and she responded to him with absolute honesty, a surprised gasp, a quiet moan, the clenching of her fists in the sheets. He touched and teased and tasted her in every way until she reached out and pushed him to his back, rising up on her knees beside him with every intention of returning the favor. Her touch was curious and light, until she found something that made him draw a sharp breath or let out a soft groan. Then she would grow bolder, using her hands, her lips, teeth and tongue until he grasped her by the upper arms and pulled her back up so they were face to face, rolling her underneath his body and propping himself up on his arms. He met her gaze, steadily and she nodded, raising her knees on either side of his hips and sliding her hands to his waist to pull him closer.

The pain was sharp, but brief and faded away while Marko kissed her. It vanished completely when he moved and Embyr forgot everything but the feeling of him, the sensations coursing through her. Her nails bit into his shoulders and her back arched as her world shattered and she heard her own voice say his name. She dimly heard him cry out at his own release and then felt the tingle of power along her spine, the brush of her beast inside her. Something in Marko was calling to her beast, but she didn't have the energy to analyze it right then and she honestly didn't care. Marko lowered himself beside her, pulling her against his chest and rolling so she was lying half on top of him, her head on his shoulder, her small palm on his chest, just over his heart. He pulled the blankets up over them and she closed her eyes.

"Marko?"

"Hmm?"

"Will you be here when I wake up?"

"Always, Embyr."

"'K," she said, her voice slurring as sleep overtook her.

~*~

Somewhere to the east, a tall woman stroked the inky black fur of a leopard, her eyes staring into the sky, toward the ocean. They'd stopped for the day, checking into a room to wait until sundown. They weren't restricted to the nights, but most of her people preferred it's cool darkness to the bright light of the sun. She knew that Dusk had run to the sisters, to warn them, maybe to seek protection, but it didn't matter. She would find them, all of them. They were hers, created of her blood and they had been very naughty. Their punishment was something she was greatly looking forward to.

~*~

Cynder woke around mid-day, as she usually did. David was still sleeping beside her. Normally, this was the point when she would slide out of bed, get dressed and make her way back to the apartment, but this time, she didn't have anywhere to go, so she snuggled closer to him instead. He mumbled in his sleep, sliding his arms around her and pulling her more firmly against him. The vampires found it hard to wake during the day, no matter how far underground they happened to be. Marko and Paul had once described it as a weight on their chests, as if the sun rising into the sky was pushing down on them, making them weaker, tired, so it was almost impossible to stay awake. Staring at David's sleeping face, Cynder decided that wasn't such a bad thing and closed her eyes once more.

~*~

Asha roamed around the main cavern, wearing Dwayne's jacket over her bikini top again. She hadn't had a chance to get any clothes from home and she and Cynder didn't exactly dress in the same style, so she'd opted to stay in what she had on. It had been chilly in the cave when she'd woken and she slid Dwayne's jacket on to stay warm, she reasoned, fingering one of the silver studs in the collar. Her gaze moved over the odds and ends that decorated the cavern, smiling a little at the giant poster of Jim Morrison. Star's curtains were closed around the bed and she and Michael were barely a dark blur behind them. Laddie was sound asleep, hugging a battered teddy bear to his chest, one hand dangling over the edge of his bed.

With a sigh, she sat down on the couch, wondering what she should do while waiting for the others. Her head came up when someone pulled back the curtains and she saw Dusk walk slowly into the cavern. The blond girl was dressed in Cynder's clothes, a tight black tank top and low-rise blue jeans and she was rubbing her hands over her arms, as if she were cold.

"Where is everyone? Damn, it's cold in here," she said, seeing Asha.

"I know, but I don't think the cave comes with central heating. The vampires don't wake until closer to dark. I'm sure Cynder and Embyr are still sleeping too."

"Don't I wish," came Cynder's voice and she stepped through the curtain with her eyes half open. "I'm so damned tired but I can't go back to sleep! There's too much going on in my head," she complained, flopping down sideways in David's armchair, with her bare feet hanging over one arm and her head laying on the other. She was wearing a pair of tight jeans that had been "Marko Altered" as she had decided to call it. They were slashed and torn all the way down both legs in the front and the back and her red jersey was mesh, cropped up to her ribs so that her black bra showed every time she moved.

"When are you going to learn to dress yourself?" Asha asked, rolling her eyes. Cynder glanced down at her outfit.

"What? I couldn't find a shirt, so I borrowed one of Marko's. Lucky I left a bra here a few days ago, or I wouldn't even have that!" Dusk laughed and Asha shook her head, deciding it was a lost cause. Cynder just grinned.

"So, anyone seen Embyr yet?" Asha's amusement faded into a scowl.

"No, we haven't, no thanks to you." Cynder rolled her eyes and sighed.

"Get over it, Ash. It's about time she got to live a little and Marko's perfect for her."

"You are a very bad influence on our baby sister, Cynder," Asha told her and Cynder smiled.

"You just hate it that she might turn out more like me, don't you?" Asha glared and opened her mouth to make a smart remark, but stopped when Laddie sat up on his bed.

"What'cha talking about?" he asked, through a yawn.

"Nothing, Laddie. Sorry we woke you," said Asha, still staring at Cynder.

"S'okay. I usually get up first anyway. Why didn't you guys light the barrels? It's cold in here."

~*~

Embyr opened her eyes slowly, feeling the warmth of a body pressed against her. Her mind still foggy from sleep, she blinked at Marko's sleeping form, confused as to why she was naked, in a strange bed, with the vampire, who was also lacking in the clothing department. Then she moved and the aches that sprang to life brought it all back in a rush. She smiled and turned toward him, running her fingertip lightly down the bridge of his nose, until he mumbled something and rolled to his back. She laughed, softly and slid out of bed, stretching, carefully, before looking around the room for her clothes. She found her shorts, but not her top and she grabbed Marko's shirt off the floor. He had torn the bottom of it off and it came to just above her belly button when she put it on. Taking his jacket off the top of the bedside table, she leaned over and kissed him, lightly and whispering that she'd see him in a while, before pulling on the jacket and slipping out of the room.

Her sisters and Dusk were already awake, gathered in the main cavern. Cynder was sprawled in David's chair and grinned when she saw Embyr walking slowly into the room.

"Hey you," she said. Asha looked up from where she was sitting on the couch, her eyes scanning Embyr from head to toe, worriedly.

"You okay?"

"Fine," said Embyr sitting down on the empty couch and carefully pulling her feet up. Cynder smirked at the way she was moving and Dusk gave a little grin from where she was standing, beside the burn barrel, warming her hands. Embyr finally sighed.

"Look, it's supposed to be weird the morning after with Marko, not you guys!"

"Embyr!" Asha said, surprised. Cynder laughed out loud and Dusk just shook her head with a smile.

~*~

Marko woke to an empty bed. He sat up, quickly looking around the room. Embyr's clothes were gone and so was his jacket. Dimly, he remembered her kissing him and whispering something in his ear. Pulling on his jeans, he padded out of the room, barefoot, in search of her.

Cynder looked up when Marko entered the cavern and had to smother another grin. He was barefoot and bare-chested and his jeans were zipped but not snapped. She looked at Embyr, to see her reaction. The younger girl was raking her gaze over her lover with a very womanly look of approval. Her eyes lingered on his unsnapped jeans, then flicked up to his face.

"Good morning."

"But from the looks of things, I'd say it was an even better night," Paul quipped from near the burn barrel. Marko laughed and Embyr's face flushed, but she was smiling, her eyes bright. Asha finally smiled, Embyr's happiness overcoming her worries and Cynder glanced her way with a grin.

"See, told ya she'd take after me!"

~*~

"This is the place. Santa Carla," said Jacob and Angelina felt a thrill go through her.

"Stop and ask someone where the troublemakers can be found. That's where we'll find Cynder." They were nearby, she could feel it. Dristan pulled into a gas station and asked the attendant where they could find the good parties.

"Down on the beach, by the Boardwalk," the guy said, as if the answer should have been obvious. Angelina's eyes turned to where the roller coaster could be seen above the buildings, the lights gleaming in the darkness.

"Hurry, Dristan." She could almost hear their screams already.

It didn't take long to find someone who remembered the three beautiful brunettes, a teenager with a bright green mohawk.

"Oh, hell yeah, we see them all the time. They hooked up with a bunch of bikers when they first started coming around. Spend a lot of time on the Boardwalk, usually together, except the crazy one. She always rides with David, he leads the bikers and sometimes it's just her, without the other two girls."

"And where do they go when they aren't with the bikers?" Jacob asked.

"I heard they got a place over on 5th, by the docks. You their parents, or what?"

"Or what," said Jacob, turning away from the boy and walking back to where Angelina was waiting with Dristan.

"They have a home on 5th street, somewhere close to the docks," he reported, watching Angelina's eyes light with excitement.

"Then we go to 5th street. If you can't get all of them, make sure you get Embyr. Once we have her, we have all of them," she said.

~*~

Asha and Embyr hurried down the street toward their building. They needed to grab more clothes and a few necessities if they were going to be staying in the cave for a while. Marko had wanted Embyr to wait until he'd fed so he could go with them, but Asha was in a hurry.

"We can just go, get what we need and meet you back here. It'll only take a few minutes and then you'll have time to feed and we'll have the rest of the night to do whatever," she said, grabbing Embyr's arm and pulling her away.

"I'll be right back," Embyr had told him, over her shoulder, as Asha led her away.

"Hurry, Asha," said Embyr, nervously looking around her. The street outside their apartment seemed darker than usual and she couldn't shake the feeling that someone was watching them.

"I'm trying, the door's stuck again," Asha grumbled, jiggling the lock until it finally gave way. She stepped into the building and felt around on the wall for the light switch, flipping it on. She squinted as the florescent lights flickered, and then brightened, pausing to let her eyes adjust.

Embyr heard a shoe scrape the pavement and turned to see an all too familiar face. She gasped and Asha spun around just in time to watch Dristan grab for Embyr. He missed her arms as she ducked, but caught her long hair in one fist. Her blue eyes wide, Embyr shoved Asha back and slammed the door closed, locking her sister inside, even as Dristan jerked her backwards by her hair. His arm came around her throat, cutting off her air and her struggles stopped as her vision started to go black. The last thing she remembered seeing was Asha's face in the window, screaming her name, her fists pounding on the glass.

~*~

An hour after they'd last seen Asha and Embyr, Cynder started to worry.

"They should've been back by now," she said. Dusk looked at her.

"You think something happened to them?"

"I'd bet on it." She turned from Dusk and took a step toward the bonfire where the vampires were hanging out.

"David! I need you to take me home, now," she called. He looked up.

"What's up?"

"Embyr and Asha aren't back yet." Marko's head came up, his eyes worried. He looked at David, who nodded.

"Let's go boys."

~*~

They found Asha sitting in the stairwell of the building after Dwayne and Paul broke the door down. She was shaking and crying and saying, "Embyr, they took her, they have Embyr, oh, God," over and over again. Marko stepped forward and grabbed her by the upper arms, yanking her to her feet.

"What happened? Where is Embyr!?" he demanded, giving her a shake.

"Put her down, Marko!" Cynder yelled, catching his arm and pulling. He didn't move, just held Asha and stared at her, willing her to answer him. Finally, she spoke.

"Dristan. He was here. Embyr pushed me inside and pulled the door shut. The damn door! It's jammed again! Fucking jammed! He took her away. The glass was too thick," she sobbed. Cynder looked at the window beside where the door had been. It was cracked, spider webbed almost all the way across, but the wire mesh inside had prevented it from breaking completely.

"Let her go, Marko," said David, making it an order.

Marko slowly released Asha and stepped back, turning and putting his fist through the window that Asha had tried so hard to break. The wire gave way, but shredded the skin over his knuckles. Nobody commented on it. Dusk was holding Asha upright, Cynder was staring at the empty doorway and Paul and Dwayne were looking at David for instructions. Asha found her feet and took two quick steps, putting her face to face with Marko. Her voice was almost too soft to hear.

"I didn't trust you to keep her safe, but it was me who lost her. I failed her, not you. I'm sorry." Marko didn't answer.

"We have to find her. They'll hurt her. They will torture her until we give ourselves up." Cynder's voice shook and David put his hands on her shoulders.

"We'll get her back and anything they've done to her will happen to them," David said.

"Angelina will be somewhere easy to find. She wants us to come to her, so she won't be hiding. It'll be somewhere remote, without anybody else around, so no one will investigate the screaming," Dusk said.

"It'll also be somewhere that everyone knows about. She'll have had to heard about it from someone in town," Cynder added.

"The Cave," said Dwayne, suddenly. Cynder looked sharply at him.

"I thought no one knew about-"

"Not our cave," he said, impatiently. "The Santa Carla Cave. It's a big cave down by the water, about a half-mile out of town. Used to be a tourist attraction, before they built the Boardwalk. Then it got shut down and nobody really goes there anymore."

"Let's go then," said Cynder.

~*~

Embyr felt cold mist on her face and slowly opened her eyes. The smell of salt water invaded her nose as she blinked in the darkness. A light flared and she looked over to see Angelina lighting a lantern. At her feet was Raj, the leopard, his eyes gleaming.

"We've been waiting for you to wake up, Embyr. Raj has missed playing with you since you left us." Embyr tightened her jaw and tried to step back. She bumped into a cold stone wall and turned her head to look up and behind her. She was shackled with iron chains that were imbedded in the stone of the wall, her hands above her head. Her shoulders were throbbing from when she'd been hanging by her wrists, unconscious and she wondered if they might be dislocated. Her gaze flicked back to Angelina.

"What do you want, Angelina?" she asked, levelly. The woman's eyes widened a little in mock innocence.

"I want you back, of course, and your sisters and Dusk. I miss you. We're a family and families should stay together."

"Fun as it was before, I don't think I want to spend any more time playing house with you and yours," she said, angrily.

Inwardly, she was shocked at herself. Mouthing off was Cynder's area, not hers. She didn't have time to analyze it, though, because Angelina was rising to her feet, her eyes narrowed.

"I can see you've spent too much time away from home. Cynder's bad habits are rubbing off on you. You remember what happened to Cynder when she spoke to me that way, don't you, Embyr? She was punished for it and you will be as well." From the shadows behind her came Jacob and Dristan. Two men she didn't recognize emerged as well, but only to speak quietly to Angelina and then disappear once more.

Jacob approached her moving to one side and she kicked at him as he got close. He ignored her attempts and turned her away from him, grabbing the back of her shirt and tearing it down the middle so it fluttered open, hanging from her shoulders. She struggled harder when she saw Dristan moving toward her, carrying one of his favorite toys. Jacob leaned close to her ear.

"Your sister never screamed for him. I can't wait to find out if you will."

~*~

"We have to go in alone or they might just kill Embyr right away," said Cynder.

"I'm not letting you walk in there without us," David argued.

"I didn't ask for your permission," she snapped, turning on him. He clenched his jaw and she looked up at him, her eyes softening, just a little.

"We at least have to make it look like we're surrendering. They probably know that we've been with you guys a lot, so we have to make them believe that none of you really give a damn what happens to us. Angelina will have guards out front. Once they take us back to her and return to their posts, give us 15 minutes, then take them out." David stared at her for a moment, then nodded.

"Fine, but if we think something's gone wrong, we're coming in."

"If you hear screams, everything is going just the way Angelina wants it," Dusk said, quietly.

"Let's go get Embyr," said Asha. Cynder touched David's face, lightly.

"See you on the other side, lover." She reached out a hand to Dusk, who took it and then reached for Asha. She accepted Dusk's hand and started toward the cave entrance.

~*~

Asha's eyes filled with tears as she took in the scene before them. It was something out of a nightmare, her nightmare, actually, the one thing she feared most. Angelina sat in on a large boulder, her legs crossed, her eyes sparkling as she watched her orders being carried out. Dristan was lovingly cleaning the black leather 'Cat', the whip with nine strips of leather, each of them tipped with the razor sharp claw of a shape-shifted leopard that he had killed. Jacob was leaning against the wall, watching as Raj paced and growled, excited by the scent of fresh blood.

Blood. Embyr's clothes were stained with it, her shorts soaked through and it dripped down her legs in rivulets. They could see that her shirt had been torn down the back and bloody lines crisscrossed over her shoulders and back, in some places showing the white of her ribs. She would heal and probably not scar, physically, if she was allowed medical attention soon. A beating like this, however, could break a person mentally. Embyr's head was hanging down, her chin on her chest and she brought it up when she heard them approach. Her bottom lip was bloody from where she'd bitten it. Her face was pale and her hair was wet with sweat and drying blood. Her shirt was clinging to her damp skin and tears streaked down her cheeks.

"What did she say? What did she do to deserve this punishment?" Cynder asked, hoarsely and Asha realized just how many times Cynder had lived through a beating like this one.

"She has apparently forgotten how to speak with respect. I think next time she will hold her tongue. She always was a faster learner than you, Cynder."

"Let her down, please. She needs help," said Dusk, her voice sounding very small.

"Not just yet. I'm not so sure you didn't just come here to try and get her free. You'll have to prove that you've come back to me," Angelina said.

"What do you want us to do?" Asha asked, closing her eyes in defeat.

~*~

A single voice, unmistakably Asha and definitely hurting, cried out and the vampires tensed.

"We need to get in there," said Marko, his eyes trained on the entrance to the cave.

"It hasn't been long enough," said David.

"I don't care how long it’s been. There's no telling what's happing to them," Marko growled. A small sound echoed out of the cave, a sob and David stood up.

"Let's go. Fuck the plan. We'll kill 'em all."

The two shifters guarding the entrance didn't know what hit them. Marko and Paul came at them from behind and grabbed their chins, giving a quick yank and snapping their necks. They dropped to the sand without a sound. Not bothering with the lantern the guards had been using, David led the way into the darkness, toward the faint orange glow at the back of the cave.

What they found there brought a cry of rage from the Master vampire. Cynder, his mate, was on her hands and knees, obviously in the middle of a beating. Even as they arrived, the man above her swung a booted foot and connected firmly with her stomach, sending her flying a few feet into the air and slamming against the wall. Dusk was against the wall, her eyes wide, her breath coming in quick gasps as a black leopard hissed and slashed at her with a massive paw. A second man had Asha by the hair and was snapping an iron collar around her throat. Her jaw was swollen and quickly darkening with a bruise.

At David's scream, the two men spun and Angelina rose to her feet, angrily.

"Kill them!" she ordered and the two men moved quickly toward the four newcomers. They hadn't been counting on their targets sprouting fangs and attacking. Jacob and Dristan lasted all of 5 minutes fighting the vampires hand to hand, which was, in fact, rather impressive. Angelina was fuming.

"Raj! Kill the girl!" she ordered and the cat let out a roar. It hunched it's shoulders to pounce on Dusk, but Asha was there, her arms tight around the cat's neck, riding it as it screamed and twisted and bucked, trying to follow the scent of Dusk's blood, which ran freely from the claw marks on her chest, neck and shoulders and Asha had an idea.

"Dusk, go to Angelina. Get as much of your blood on her as you can." Dusk nodded and scrambled toward the woman.

The boys were circling her, fangs bared and they jumped back, surprised, when Dusk rushed into their midst and leapt at Angelina, throwing her arms around the woman's neck and rubbing her blood all over Angelina, especially her throat.

"Dammit, Raj, I said kill her!" Angelina screamed. Asha let go and jumped back as Raj leapt at Dusk and Angelina. The older woman caught Dusk's wrists and pried her loose, throwing her off, just as Raj struck, landing on her chest and burying his teeth in her throat, following the scent of Dusk's blood. Angelina's scream quickly became a gurgle as Raj, his mouth flooded with warm, fresh blood, settled in to eat.

Her breathing ragged, Dusk picked herself up off the ground, leaning on the wall for support. Asha stayed sitting, letting her head fall back as she regained her bearings and her breath. David knelt beside Cynder and rolled her to her back. Her lip was swollen and her cheekbone was bruised on both sides. Her left eye was starting to blacken. It was pretty much a certainty that there were more injuries that he couldn't see, under her clothes and he was very, very careful as he sat her up. Her eyes opened and she focused on him with effort.

"Embyr?" she asked, barely audible. David looked and Cynder followed his gaze.

Marko was holding her feet off the ground to take the weight off her arms as Paul unhooked the shackles from her wrists. She screamed as her arms dropped and her shoulders protested being moved. Marko lowered her gently to the ground and sat beside her, cradling her against his chest. Cynder reached out toward her, then started trying to crawl over and David picked her up, carrying her to Embyr's side and setting her down beside her.

"Em," Cynder said, staring at her face. Embyr met Cynder's gaze with tears in her eyes.

"I didn't scream for him, Cynder. I never screamed for him."