Scarlet Dawn (4 page)

“What did the other girl look like? You said one had blue hair, what did the other one look like?” Sierra frowned.

“Some platinum-blonde pit-viper of a vampire with purple eyes,” Axle shrugged.

“You remember her eye color, Axle? I never remember
anything
like that!” Quinn grinned, “Has someone
finally
caught your eye?”

“Shut up,” Axle rolled his eyes and looked at Sierra, “Why ask what she looked like?”

Sierra frowned, “That’s Serena Vailean, the new leader of Clan of Vail. Please be careful around her, Axle; from what I’ve heard she’s not one to be trifled with. She’s still new to The Council’s policies, so she’s prone to aggressive and reckless behavior.”

Axle nodded, “That certainly sounds like what we saw.”

“Yea! She was a real bitch!” Quinn smirked.

“Language!” Sierra hissed at him, “I don’t need the kids to hear those kinds of words. Things are rowdy enough around here.”

“Sorry, Miss Sierra,” Quinn pouted.

Axle looked over, startled by the sudden shift in Quinn’s tone. It was moments like
that
that made him realize how young his comrade still was.

“Anyway, we’ve got to head back for the night,” Axle sighed. “There’s been a lot of activity at the subway and we don’t want someone else staking claim to our turf.”

“You can always come back here, Axle. You know you are always welcome here,” Sierra frowned. “And I’d feel better if you guys weren’t sleeping the streets at night after working so hard for us.”

Axle shook his
head, “We couldn’t do that to you. It wouldn’t be safe for the orphanage. As certain as I am that nobody knows we’re here, I’d rather not take a chance with so much at stake.” Axle smirked, “Besides, it’s actually pretty cozy!”

Sierra rolled her eyes at that and Axle smirked before he nodded to the others to give them a moment.

“Bye, guys,” Sierra waved to them, “Thanks again.”

Lucas blushed and stammered his farewells.

Drake nodded back and herded the two down the stairs to join the others.

Sierra bit her lip and looked up at Axle, “About that Serena girl…”

“Look, don’t let her concern you. Aggressive or not, she’s just like any other clan warrior.”

“I don’t mean about the warrior part,” Sierra bit her lip.

Axle frowned, “What then?”

“About what Quinn said…” She blushed.

“What Quinn…” Axle’s shoulders dropped with realization and he shook his head, “Oh god, Sierra! No. No! It’s
nothing
like that! I just haven’t told Quinn about you and me; he’s still got some puppy-dog crush on you and I don’t want to start any tension that could impact us on the—”

“Then you
didn’t
find her attractive?” Sierra frowned up at him.

It was Axle’s turn to blush. “I… I mean, I guess. If you’re into that sort of thing, I mean, but… like, I wouldn’t—
y’know—personally, and all—”

Sierra giggled, “You always were a bad liar.” She sighed and shrugged a shoulder, “It’s fine, though. I hear she’s very beautiful, and there’s no harm in looking, right?
I mean, I look too.”

“You do?” Axle raised an eyebrow.

“Mmhm. All the time,” she giggled and swayed her hips in a brief tease, “Like that Shayne guy, for example.”

A growl slipped from Axle’s throat, “Shayne? That vulgar little pervert—”

Sierra giggled and pressed a finger to his lips, “Shhh. I was just teasing. I just don’t like being alone in my jealousy.”

Axle blushed at being caught and nodded, “Alright. That’s fair. You got me.” He paused, looking at her and wondering if he
should
take her up on the offer to stay. Finally, he took a deep breath and pulled her into a hug, “We’ll be back soon with more. I promise. If something happens, you know how to reach me, and don’t hesitate this time.”

“I won’t. And thank you.”

“You don’t ever have to thank me for this,” Axle scolded her. “Though I
will
take a goodbye kiss if you’re offering.”

“Hmm… I don’t know. Have you been a good boy?” She offered a coy grin.

“As good as a guy who steals from the rich to feed the poor can be, I suppose,” Axle offered with a smile. “And speaking of stealing…”

With that, he swooped down and captured her lips in a passionate kiss.

Sierra gasped at the startling-yet-welcomed onslaught and wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him down to deepen the kiss as she pressed her tongue to his. The sounds of her moans pushed Axle forward and he ground his hips between her legs. Gasping, Sierra wrapped her legs around his waist and she shivered as his hardening assets pressed to her core.

Realizing that they were nearing the point of no return, the two fought to tear themselves away from one another. Still panting from the effects of their passion, the two gazed at the one another as they willed their pounding hearts to calm.

“Someday…” Axle nodded, straightening himself, “Someday it’ll be different for us. I promise.” He ran his thumb across her swollen bottom lip and smiled as she nipped at his thumb.

“I know. I await the day,” she smiled happily. “You’d better get back to the group before they begin to suspect the worse.”

Axle rolled his eyes, “I’m sure Shayne’s already telling some pretty tall tales in my absence.”

“Then you’d better hurry before the tales get taller,” Sierra offered.

Axle sighed, “You’re probably right. Even your innocent words are beginning to heat my core.” He offered her another quick kiss before forcing himself to turn away, “Until next time, Miss Sierra.”

“Yes,” Sierra sighed. “Until next time.”

Starting down the steps, Axle spotted Drake waiting for him.

“I take it from the look on your face that Sierra and you had a little alone time again, huh?” Drake raised an eyebrow.

“Don’t act so surprised,” Axle frowned, “You… you didn’t tell the others, did you?”

Drake rolled his eyes, “Like I’m sure they can’t figure it out for themselves. But no, I didn’t say anything.”

Axle nodded his thanks, “You’re a good friend.” He sighed, “Someday, Drake. Someday I am going to buy her a ring!” He smiled, “Once we get enough money, I can help set the orphanage to be a nicer place and Sierra and I can finally be together.”

“Axle… are you sure you want to put Sierra in that kind of danger?” Drake frowned, “You’ve amassed quite a reputation; earned quite a bit of enemies. You could risk putting her in a dangerous spotlight for those who’d want to get to you? And you know that she’s not strong enough to stop them; she’s not a fighter, and you’d be forcing yourself to
always
be a bodyguard first and a lover second.”

“That’s why I’m waiting,” Axle looked down. “I won’t ask her until I know that I’m free from that life. You know I wouldn’t do anything to endanger her
or
the kids.”

Drake sighed and nodded, “Well, I guess all we can do is hop, and I
do
hope for the best. I truly do. She definitely could use someone like you.”

“I’m glad you think so,” Axle laughed, starting towards the car to join the others.

Axle had gotten into the habit of parking the car several blocks down from the entrance to the subway, and though none in the group were unable to walk the distance it was clear that, though the body was willing, their minds weren’t happy that their rest was being delayed.

All but Axle, who could still feel the electricity from Sierra’s kiss racing through his veins. Stretching his joints, he looked around the others as they shuffled down the sidewalk; a wide grin growing as his therion instincts began to pull at him and he turned to the others.

“I’m going for a run. Drake, you want to join?”

“Nah. I’m going to pass out as soon as I get to my bed.” He smirked, “Besides, as tired as I am, you’re too slow for me when we run together.”

Axle scoffed, “Sure, whatever you say!”

The others grumbled, wondering out loud how
anybody
who’d had the kind of night they’d had could have enough energy to even
think
about running.

Falling back, he watched as the five walked off into the subway and he sighed, about to pull off his shirt when he suddenly froze—hearing a rustling of movement—and narrowed his eyes in the direction of an alleyway across the street.

“Whoever you are, step out now!” He snarled. Almost instantly the tall, lean female stepped out and he let out a relaxed sigh, recognizing her instantly from her dark hazel eyes and short black hair. “Oh. It’s just you,” he turned his back to her as he finished pulling off his shirt. “Will you leave me alone already? I already told you: I’m not interested. Can’t you just get the point and move on with whatever life you have?”

“Come now, that’s not fair,” the woman’s voice was just as toxic as her scent. “This time I have a proposition for you. Please just hear me out.”

He shivered at her voice and growled, turning to face her again, “Look, I’m not interested!”

“I just thought that—since you’ve clearly got something important that you’re trying to do and have something of a law-problem—we could maybe help one another.”

“If you think I’m
giving
you
any
of our earnings then you’re crazy! Plus, I don’t need your help. I’ve been able to do everything on my own already, what makes you think I’d need you?” He sneered.

“Well for starters” she glared at him, her purposeful stride driving her
ever-nearer, “we can get this ‘I’ bullshit out of the way! While I appreciate a man who’s willing to cover for his team, I think it more than insults our mutual intelligence to carry on such a ludicrous facade! Then there’s the little matter of my fee: there is none! I don’t want any of your so-called ‘earnings’—though I feel the implications are rather preposterous given that they imply that you
deserve
any of what you’ve taken—nor do I think you’re in a position to turn down my help considering the precariousness of your particular situation. What I’m offering you is
protection
—both from the preservers of the law as well as the breakers of it—and what I’m
asking
is for your
participation
.”

Axle frowned and shook his head, “I’m not going to pretend to have understood
half
of the words you just said, Miss Thesaurus, but if what you’re offering is real then what sort of participation are you expecting?”

The woman shrugged, “Every clan needs its members, right; its
warriors
?”

“
You
… you’re a clan leader?” Axle frowned.

“You can’t lead a clan of one,” the woman chortled, “Which is where your participation becomes somewhat imperative to the process. You and I and the rest of your little group can be the beginning of something new; something that can—and
will
—take your little Vail problem out of commission. Wouldn’t you agree that making supply runs to your little nursery would be easier with some
actual
support on your side? Wouldn’t you agree that having your own clan to back you up would make things so much easier for your little girlfriend? Just think of it: a clean record from The Council, and enough power and strength to protect yourself, your crew, your lady, and all those little ones with no real home? Isn’t that worth, at the
very
least, a moment of your time?”

“The jobs I take aren’t exactly Council approved, what makes you think they’d agree for your
clan
to do these jobs?” Axle narrowed his eyes.

“I’m afraid that my willingness to sway your skepticism just ran dry. Now, you either take me up on my offer or I find somebody else who will! This is the final time I’ll extend to you this offer,” she frowned. “Make your decision.”

Axle frowned, “My only chance?”

The woman nodded, “The choice is yours.”