City Limits

Chapter 6

Mir slipped into the darkness and watched with mild amusement as the young reporter cursed and left the club. After she was sure he was gone, she slid into the elevator and made the short trip up two floors. The bouncer at the door said nothing as she passed him into the true VIP room of Elysium. The bouncer was not there for the vampires but to prevent any curiously foolish humans from invading the den of vampires.



As usual, Aaron Radtke was holding court on the small island in the middle of pool. Any vampire who wanted an audience with the Regis was required to cross the blood red pool to reach him. That was not a particularly difficult feat, it was mostly a symbolic way of putting himself on a dais. While she did need to speak with him, she did not join the small band of vampires at the edge of the pool. She barely glanced at him but could feel his eyes - and his mind - tracking her to the bar. "A negative." she said to the bartender.



A few newer vampires gasped and oohed as the Regis stood and leapt from the dais in a single bound. He landed on his feet, without a single hair disturbed. Mir didn't have to turn towards him to know he was coming her way. She could feel his presence tingling all over her and becoming stronger as he got closer. She barely felt his physical touch through the cloud of mental caresses. "Regis." she said with a discreet nod.



He nodded at the human behind the bar. "AB negative my dear." he said. She looked at him like a dog in heat and nodded vigorously. She clumsily prepared the drink for him, blood droplets splattering on the floor and bar. With no finesse or showmanship, she presented the glass to him with her head ducked down.

"I don't think your new girl is going to make it." Mir said smirking. She looked at the bar - where her own drink still hadn't been served - and then over at the bartender. One mental push and the girl's gaze snapped up to her in fear. She was trembling all over but quickly poured a glass for Mirelle.



"Now now Mir - no need to frighten the poor child. It's her first day on the floor..." Aaron said. He was looking over the girl, hunger and desire mingled over his face as he took in her small frame and ample endowments.

Mir tried not to look over disgusted. "I didn't know you fancied dumb blondes Aaron." she quipped.

His head snapped around quickly and he snarled at her. Mirelle knew he wasn't offended on behalf of the girl but because she had disrespected him - especially here where everyone in the room had exceptional hearing and had probably heard every bit of their exchange.



Before he could say anything, she made herself look appropriately repentant, looking down toward the floor and waiting for his body to stop pulsing with anger. 'There was a reporter,' she couldn't say it out loud so she continued to look at his feet as she spoke to him mentally.

He was silent - physically and mentally - for a few minutes. He nodded and then put his fingers on her chin, tilting it up to face him. He put his hand at the small of her back and navigated them toward the door. Their drinks were left untouched on the bar.



They were both silent as the elevator moved down toward the basement of the building where Aaron had a small private apartment and office space set up. This was in addition to the sprawling old mansion he had in the hills outside of town. Just inside the door, Aaron leaned in close to Mir, pressing her against the wall. He didn't say anything but his eyes were on fire and she knew he wanted her, possibly as much as she wanted him. "Tell me out the reporter." he said, his voice low.

Mir, not as quick to change tracks as he was, had to shake off the pulsing desire insider he. "He came into the club tonight - looking for you. Alex Garza?"

"Garza...of the Times right?" he asked, pushing off the wall and away from her. "Care for a drink?"



"Sure." she said, following him toward the bar. "Yes, he's a writer for the Times. Said he got a tip that you'd endorsed Pike...you didn't did you?" she asked.

He didn't respond as he poured them both drinks and passed one over to her. "And if I did?"

"Oh Aaron..." she groaned thinking about all the implications. "You know how much attention this will get - considering your rather outspoken political opinions. When this gets out half the reporters in town will be focused on you..." She'd put her glass back on the bar without taking a drink and paced the room.

"Aren't you going to drink your drink Mir?" he said. "What's wrong with having a few reporters around? It's good for business."

"It's not good for us though!" she snapped at him. His nonchalant expression slipped as he flared with anger at her outburst but was just as quickly gone again.

"I wasn't aware there was an 'us' anymore Mir - much to my disappointment." he replied.

She rolled her eyes. "No there isn't - you got married remember? And that wasn't the 'us' I was talking about and you damn well know it!"

"I didn't get married - I took a partner. And it was strictly strategic." Aaron easily navigated the conversation in the direction he desired.

"Does Mrs. Radtke view it as a strategic endeavour?" Mir asked, trying to regain her composure. He was one of the few people who could rattle her cage in this way.



He seemed to think on that for a moment and shrug. "Can't say I really care." In a blur he set down his glass and was by her side, pressing her against the bar and twining a strand of her hair around his finger.

"Stop that!" Mir said trying to push against his chest. Even with her enhanced vampire strength it was like pushing against a wall. He was a vampire too and almost four times her age. If he didn't want to be moved by her, he wasn't going to be moved. "The reporter Aaron..." she tried to bring the focus back around to the original subject.

"Mmhmm, let's forget about the reporter." he whispered into her ear. Mirelle cursed her body's willing responses to him. His lips brushed against her skin and she let out a small, involuntary groan. "There's a good girl..." he teased.

"Why do you keep doing this to me Aaron?" Mirelle whispered, even as his strong hands ran along her pale skin.



Afterward, as they lay in the afterglow of the encounter, Mirelle's haze slowly cleared and her thoughts returned to the real reason she'd sought him out. "I don't think you can sex the reporter away Aaron..." she said as she climbed off the couch and collected her under things.

"Oh I don't know - he might swing that direction..." Aaron said with a grin on his face.

"Is everything a game to you Aaron?" Mir snapped. Inside she felt the sting of thirst since she'd left both her drinks go to waste and allowed Aaron to capture her attention for so long. She could feel the tug of encroaching dawn as well and wanted to be well away from here when she had to go to ground for the day.



"Not everything." he said, showing no sign of modesting or covering himself. "The reporter will be dealt with and I have Pike under control."

"That's exactly the problem." Mir said. "If the Concil finds out how much you're meddling in human affairs..."

"What about the girl?" Aaron said, brushing the topic aside. She knew that he thought he knew what he was doing but sometimes, though rarely, he let things go too far. "The one who snatched your dinner away last week."

"I went to her apartment like you asked." Mir said seething in frustration. As he was the Regis, she had to watch her words, but right now she just wanted to slap him.

"And..." he prompted.



"She wasn't there - but her apartment smells like Dog. Took me forever to get the smell out of my hair." Mir frowned and sniffed her hair again. It had been days since she'd been inside the apartment but she could still smell it sometimes.



"Dog?" Aaron asked raising his eyebrows. "Ah, were...do you think she's a were?" Mir was suspicious about Aaron unusual curiosity about this Lex but didn't say as much.

"No, I don't think so. I can...identify...Weres. Whoever, WHATever she is - it's nothing I've met before." she countered. "But she associates with Weres - extensively."

"Mhmm." Aaron said. He stood up, still not considering it necessary to cover himself, and walked over to her. "I want you to extend her an invitation..."

"Why?" Mir asked, feeling a sting of foolish jealousy at his interest. "She's nothing!"



"But she knows about us and is clearly a supe of some sort..." he said. "It merits investigation I think. And I'd like to meet her. No offense my dear Mir," he said, reaching out to stroke her cheek. "I'm several centuries older than you. Perhaps I'll be able to identify her."

Mir snarled and recoiled from his touch. "And if she refuses the invitation? She had no love of vampires on our first encounter."

"I'm sure you'll find a way to fulfill your Regis's wishes." Aaron said coolly. "I want the girl."



After several tense, silent moments, Mir nodded. "As you say...Regis." She collected the rest of her things. "I better be going before the dawn." she added, hoping he didn't object and try to keep her at the apartment.

He merely motioned to the door and disappeared into his bedroom, leaving her to show herself out.

------

The sun had been down for less than an hour when Mir returned to Lex's apartment. She could smell the hint of dog even before the elevator doors opened and snarled. "'I want the girl,'" she rolled her eyes. "Get your own damn girl Aaron..." she stepped into the hallway and approached the door, prepared to let herself in again. To her surprise the door was not only unlocked, it stood ajar. She glanced around the hallway before gently pushing the door in.



The apartment was in disarray with a few broken dishes and a few upturned chairs. There were deep claw marks slashed through the couch and the pictures on the wall were at all angles as if the place had been rumbled by an earthquake recently. The apartment still smelled of dog, only this one had a different, stronger odor.

None of this was particularly concerning to Mir. She didn't care in the least what sort of trouble the girl had gotten into. Except the girl wasn't here.

"Well damn." Mir said. "Now I'll smell like dog again and still have nothing to show for it..." She checked the apartment one more time and left, sure not to touch another more than necessary. On the way out of the building, she detected the unmistakable smell of Were and whipped around. He sensed her at the same time and their eyes locked on each other - each with an equal mix of disgust and anger.



End Chapter