Bitten (Book 1 - Book 4)

“No, someone else did. A woman. Some slow acting venom. He was doomed. She covered her tracks. That's usually what happens to a teddy bear. They are short lived.”

“I need a phone and a knife,” Natalia said in one breath, thinking of the things she was going to demand from him.

"Okay," he said.

She hadn't expected him to agree so readily.

“I'm glad you came when you did,” she said in a slower breath.

"Tia said she had some meetings to go to so I miked you at lunch. I heard you when you said you needed my approval. No one from security should have been here.”

“Thank you for that,” she said, for once glad she was bugged

“I already have a phone ordered for you. You'll get it tomorrow. Tonight, we'll fit you with a knife.” The elevator stopped. Some people got on, ending their conversation. Once they reached the lobby, Uri led her toward a security station. The door opened just when they reached it, and they entered without a word.

"Over here,” a female security guard said once the door closed behind them.

To Natalia's eyes this woman was also a Viperian. The woman led them to another door. She used a key to open it. Inside, there was a white screen on a wall across from a camera on a tripod. There were wires hooked onto it that ran over to a desk. Behind the desk was a rack of sweaters and jackets.

“Stand over there,” the guard said, pointing at the white screen. “Face the camera. No smile.”

The camera flashed. Both Uri and the guard looked at a screen that Natalia couldn't see.

“That's good,” Uri said.

The guard grabbed a sweater from the rack.

“Take off your jacket and put this on. Button it all the way up,” she said. “Rearrange her hair.”

This was aimed at Uri.

Natalia put on the sweater. Uri used a finger to push her hair behind her ears.

“Good. No smile. Stand still.”

Another picture was taken.

Uri and the guard looked at this new picture and both nodded at each other.

The guard moved to the desk. A machine whirled into action. From one end came a badge. From another end, came a card.

The guard slipped the badge on a clip, then handed both the badge and the card to Natalia. “Sweater,” she said, holding out a hand

Natalia unbuttoned the sweater and handed it over.

“Your security card for the building and your ID badge to move around the city,” Uri said in almost a whisper while she put her jacket back on.

The guard ushered them out. Natalia could see that there was now an ambulance out front. Two EMTs with a stretcher were heading for the elevator. Uri let them go first, waiting for another elevator. Natalia slipped the ID card in her jacket pocket and clipped on the ID for the bank. “Follow me,” Uri said when they reached his floor.

He walked in the opposite direction of the storage closet, past his office to a conference room. Men were already unloading the boxes she had been sorting onto the table and floor.

“You have more room in here. We obtained the authorization to move the boxes since this room can be locked at night,” Uri said.

"Okay. Thanks.”

He left. The men finished unloading the boxes, and then they left.

Natalia took the time to take out and look at her two new ID cards. The one for the bank was the one with her in her suit coat. It looked professional. The other card, her official city ID, had the picture of her in the sweater which made her look more casual. She had seen her father's ID, and hers was just like his. It had all the official wording and security markings.

“Nattie Osrisca. And you made me a year older. Nice.”

She assumed the address on the ID card was for the house in the city and not in Viperia. A shiver went up her spine with the thrill of having the card. She could walk right out of this building and freely move around the city.

Someone passed the conference room. Natalia noted it was a Viperian woman. Her joy of the card dissipated. Someone didn't like her being around. This woman didn't even glance into the conference room, but that didn't make Natalia feel any safer. She wondered why this conference room would be any safer than the closet. The only advantage was she could see through the glass panes that made up one wall. There was still only one way in and one way out.

A security guard slowly strolled past, but he stopped just a few feet from the door. He stood there a long time before he paced back to where, she realized, he had been standing, just out of sight of the door. She figured Uri was able to get a guard posted. The guard probably thought he was guarding the files, while he was really discouraging anyone from bothering her.

Natalia felt a little safer. She turned her focus back to the files. With the expanse of the conference table, she was able to spread out the contents of the boxes and get more organized.

“It's five o'clock. How was your first day?”

Uri was standing in the doorway.

“Fine,” she said. “Time went fast.”

“Let's go."

As soon as she left the conference room, the guard locked the door and resumed his position.

“Is he staying there all night?”

“There will be a guard there until the files are sorted and returned to the file room.”

The elevator dinged and opened. As they entered the elevator, Sophie joined them.

“How did you like your first day?” Sophie said to Natalia.

“I enjoyed it.”

Natalia found she had actually liked doing the work. There was a feeling of accomplishment in being productive. She felt like an adult. This was the feeling she had thought she would feel in a job. And you were right mother. I didn't need to go to college, she thought to herself.

The limo ride was quiet. Natalia noted they weren't heading to the club. They dropped off Sophie where they had picked her up. The limo, then, took them back to the house in the city.

“No club tonight?”

"Only on Thursdays and Fridays,” Uri said.

The limo pulled up the laneway and stopped at the front door. Uri didn’t pull her out as usual, allowing her to exit the vehicle on her power. Uri stood there as if waiting. Natalia, for the first time, saw the driver of the limo. The driver was a Viperian woman with her tattoos covered up. She had a box with her that she handed it to Uri.

“Thanks,” Uri said.

He reached out for her hand. The front door opened. He led her into the house.

“Knives,” Uri said in explanation. “But let's change first.”

Natalia could now see that it was Mag who had opened the door.

He put the box down on a table before half dragged her upstairs.

“I am quite able to move around without you dragging me,” she said.

"Remember what I said about putting my scent on you?” he said.

He leaned in close.

“I like holding your hand.”

He kissed her cheek.

They changed out of their suits and put on jeans. She noted that he didn't hold her hand when they went back down the stairs.

Mag was letting in Grazie at the front door.

“Evening,” Grazie said, looking to be in a good mood.

He was still dressed for work, but he didn’t have his suit coat or his tie on.

“Evening,” Uri said. “We haven't even looked at the knives yet.”

“We can after dinner.”

She saw that the dining room was set for three.

As soon as they sat, Mag served the dinner. There was fresh sliced bread with butter in a bowl. The plates held a mix of steamed vegetables and a slab of raw meat.

Natalia didn't feel happy about more raw meat. However, she did slice off a small bit. It was warm and tender.

“You always have a good kitchen, Uri,” Grazie said.

He attacked the meat with gusto.

“Zena is an excellent cook,” Uri said.

He too started with the meat.

"How do you cook raw meat?” she said with a roll of her eyes.

Grazie chuckled.

“She knows how to prepare an excellent meal,” Uri said as if correcting himself.

There was silence while they ate.

Natalia wasn't feeling as hungry. She only ate half the meat and vegetables.

“You did have a large lunch,” Uri said.

He speared the remaining piece of meat off her plate and ate it.

“I still prefer my meat cooked,” she said.

"Cooking destroys some of the enzymes,” he said. "Enzymes we need to remain healthy.”

Grazie grinned and sipped his tea. They were all served sanguine tea.

“You, not me,” she said.

“Uri Jr, however..."

Grazie chuckled at Uri's words, seeming to enjoy the conversation exchange.

Natalia rolled her eyes.

“You're going to hold that over me?”

“For nine and a half months at least,” he said with a smile.

“Nine,” she said.

“Your gestation period will be a little longer.”

“Because Uri Jr is a Viperian?”

Both Uri and Grazie nodded.

“I hope it's a girl.”

“Then it will be ten,” Grazie said with a grin.

He reached for the box of knives. From within, he pulled out a roll of cloth. He unrolled it, revealing six knives.

“I sent the weights where I figured she would be,” he said. “No use trying all of them.”

“Were there any check points tonight?” Uri said.

Grazie shook his head no.

"Authorities are a little busy and with egg on their face. Apparently, they've uncovered one of their own who had been killing sex workers and putting fake bites on them. Giving Hollows a bad name.” “That's how you're covering up for Thomas?”

Both men looked up when she spoke, seeming a little surprised that she had caught on so quickly. "We can't let one of our bad ruin it for everyone,” Grazie said. “Most Viperians are good people.” "So, I take it, you're letting a teddy bear take the blame.”

"We're doing a flush of teddy bears. Need to get rid of them somehow,” Uri said. “We've decided there are too many. There is now a ban.”

“What about that meeting to have teddy bears escort the delivery drivers?”

“Not working. It's causing other issues.”

“Knives,” Grazie said, redirecting their attentions.

“Let's do this in the garage. I don't trust her with my woodwork in here,” Uri said, rising

Grazie grinned while he rolled the knives back up.

Natalia felt some apprehension about the knives, rethinking if she really wanted to carry one. “You're going to show me how to fight or throw a knife?”

“Both,” Grazie said.

“If he can't teach you, then no one can. He's the best. At teaching, that is.”

Grazie guffawed at that comment.

"Just showing that you can throw a knife carries more clout than knowing how to fight with one,” Grazie said.

They stepped out into the garage. She was amazed at how large it was. There were three stalls with the last one being extra long. That was where the limo was parked. In the middle was a black expensive looking sports car with tinted windows.

“I would move that out of here,” Grazie said, nodding toward the sports car.

“Already on it,” Uri said, grabbing a set of keys from the wall.

The middle garage door opened.

While Uri backed out the car, Grazie hung up a dartboard on the wall.

"Why not just teach me to throw a dart. Might be safer.”

“The weight of the knife is going to help you position your hand and help you gauge your force. Throwing a knife will help you learn to throw a dart. At least in my class,” Grazie said.

He unrolled the knives.

“Finger through them. Pick each one up. Feel the weight and how it balances in your hand. But be careful. They are sharp.”

Natalia lifted each knife. She couldn't feel any difference. Visually, each knife was different. The handles and blades varied in length and width, but not by much.

“I don't really feel any weight difference.”

“Go through them again,” Grazie said.

Natalia sighed and picked up each knife. She pick up two and balanced them in her hand. As soon as she placed them down...

“Go through them again,” Grazie said.

"How many times?”

“Until you notice the difference.”

“They all look different.”

"By feel, not sight.”

"Okay, maybe this one feels heavier on this end, more so than the others.”

"Good. Now, hold them like this and see how they balance.”

He had her balance them on the back of her hand. Only, then, did Natalia notice how different each knife really was. Each knife balanced in a different spot, not always the center and not one knife balanced the same as any of the others.

“The center of balance is different for each knife.”

“Correct. Now hold the end of the handle with two fingers and gently swing.”

“I see. Each knife swings differently because of the center of balance. Okay, so what does that do for me?”

“Now take hold of a knife.”

He pointed one out, ignoring her question.

“I'll start with showing you how to throw holding the handle.”

He positioned her fingers around and along the handle.

“Now, right foot slightly forward. Stand relaxed, never tense. Stare at the target. Bring your arm back, then forward and release the knife.”

He held her arm, preventing her from going through with his instructions.

“I will demonstrate.”

Grazie moved in slow motion. Natalia thought the knife was going to just fall out of his fingers when he released it, but the knife flew from his hand and hit the target: dead center.

"Your turn.”

Natalia didn’t think this was going to work for her. She went through the motions, hardly serious that the knife was going to even make it to the target. She was surprised when the knife hit the target with a thud at the bottom. It just made the target. Another inch and it would have hit the wall.

Grazie chuckled.

“Beginner's luck,” Uri said.

He stood well off to one side from her.

“We may have another dart player,” Grazie said, handing her another knife.

Natalia rolled her eyes, thinking he was making fun of her.

"Repeat what you just did. Stay relaxed as if you don't care where that knife goes.”

Natalia eyed him and did just that.

The knife hit with a thud on the outer left part of the target.

“Is that where you were looking?” Grazie said.

“No. I think I was looking at the nail holding up the target.”

“Look at where you want it to hit or we'll be out here all night.”

Natalia progressed through all the knifes. One missed all together, but the rest stuck within the target, but nowhere near the center, where she had been looking. Grazie pulled out the knifes and lined them up beside her.

“Again,” he said.

She repeated, deciding to concentrate more on where she was throwing since she was actually hitting the target. Again, there was one knife that missed. Grazie put it aside.

“Again,” he said.

After the fourth series of throws, Natalia figured out that Grazie was eliminating knifes more so than having her practice. There were now two knifes left.

"About where I thought she would be,” Grazie said.

“My knifes are all over the place and never where I'm looking,” she said.

“You're hitting the target,” Grazie said. “At or about torso height.”

“Better than I thought,” Uri said.

Both he and Grazie looked over the knives that were left.

"A far cry from the wrist flick you use playing darts,” she said.

“That's from years of practice. Something you'll have to work on,” Grazie said.

“Leave those two and we'll continue tomorrow, otherwise she is going to have a sore arm,” Uri said. “And then I'll have to listen to her.”

Grazie nodded with a snicker.

“You have a sheath?”

“Yes,” Uri said, nodding.

“Have her carry this one tomorrow,” Grazie said, motioning toward one of the knives.

Uri moved the knife so it was at an angle to the other knife.

“Thanks, Grazie.”

“See you tomorrow.”

Grazie left through the open garage door. Uri followed, but only to pull the car back into the garage. On his way back to her, he grabbed the knife he had set at an angle.

"So, what's the plan for tomorrow,” she said, following Uri back into the house.

“The same as today. You'll continue to work. Hopefully, HR will get with you and officially make you an employee.”

Mag was setting a tray in the living room.

“I thought I only needed sanguine tea at meals.”

Uri grinned while he handed her a glass.

“I'm making sure you get enough.”

He took a glass for himself.

"So, what does it do for you?” she said, taking note there were fresh chocolate chip cookies as well. “Like a vitamin.”

Natalia took a cookie. They were still warm. The pairing of the tea and the cookie was surprisingly good. Uri was snarfing down cookies as well.

"What's in the cookies?” she said, pausing after her second one.

“Just cookies,” Uri said. “Most foods are what they are.”

However, he grinned, and she didn’t believe him. Despite that, she ate a couple more. They were really good. Between the two of them, the cookies disappeared fast. She just had enough tea to wash the last cookie down.

Uri took her hand after she put her glass down.

"We can go to bed earlier tonight,” he said.

He gently led her upstairs.

“To sleep? Or something else?”

Uri just chuckled. Natalia found as soon as they hit the bedroom, it was something else. He pulled off her shirt, then licked her shoulder. Moments later, she felt the fangs. There was only the one bite. Through the heat and the pleasure, she didn't remember getting undressed the rest of the way. They were both panting in a sweaty embrace.

“That was more intense than the first time,” she said.

“Takes a long time for your body to get rid of the venom, thus it accumulates,” he said as he rolled off her.

“That was only the third bite. The other two were on Friday morning.”

“I shouldn't bite you again for another couple of days or longer.”

“I thought I was immune from becoming a teddy bear.”

“You are, but I still don't want to overwhelm your body.”

It felt like a moment later that Uri rose. She slipped under the covers, but they were suddenly flipped off her.

“Rise and shine.”

“What?”

"Six am.”

He pulled her out of bed.

“You've got to be kidding.”

Before she knew it, she was dressed in another suit and they were sitting at the dining room table sipping tea.

“Here is a sheath for you. Take off your jacket.”

He rolled up her blouse sleeve to strap the sheath to her arm. Once he was happy with how firmly attached it was, he slid in the knife.

"Don't play with it. It is very sharp,” he said as soon as she reached to feel.

“And this is allowed in the bank?"

She rolled down her sleeve and put her jacket back on.

“The metal detectors don't see these knives. Don't pull it out unless you intend to use it,” he said in a serious voice.

She found she could just reach the hilt of the knife with her fingers.

Uri drained his tea mug.

“Let's go.”

She stood to follow him, but Mag hurried in. She noticed straight off that Mag's tattoos were gone, which made her appear like any normal maid. However, she looked very concerned and was slightly out of breath.

“House check,” Mag said under her breath just as two men in suits entered the dining room.