Subj:    DKFIC: Adult: (K)nightfall Blood-Tryst - part 1/6
Date:    97-04-05 14:52:30 EST

This is fanfiction based on characters created by J. Parriott and B. Cohen for the TV series Forever Knight and no copyright infringement is intended.
copyright Ro Hart - April 1997
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For Eloise - Happy Birthday!
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(K)nightfall Blood-Tryst - part 1/6
by Roberta Hart
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It was late. Soleil had been up since dawn and it was now after midnight. After working at the lab her full shift and filling in for someone else, she was ready to drop. As she was driving home, she turned on her FK-CD. It relieved her tension, but made her eyes droop. Sol pulled the car off the freeway and stopped at a 24-hour Shop 'n Go for a large soda, heavy on the caffeine. As she pulled back on the highway, she thought she heard a noise. She turned her radio down to listen. Did she hit a squirrel or something? As she looked in her rear-view mirror to check, she was appalled to see a pair of bright, glowing green eyes staring back at her. She let out an involuntary shriek, but when she pulled sharply over and stopped the car, she was relieved to find that it was just a stray cat. Some old tabby, black as night with great, green eyes. It stared at her, terrified and let out a hiss, followed by a kind of choked "mrrr".

Sol pulled the car further off the road and turned to bend over the back seat. The cat let out another half-hearted hiss and tried to swipe her with its claws, but she picked it up by the scruff and pulled it closer. It was younger than she'd first thought. A half-starved kitten, its matted fur puffed out in fear. Gently, she began to pet it, examining it for scars or a collar or something.

"Shhh, calm down, little one," she murmured to it. "I won't hurt you. Where the hell did you come from?" She found a collar on the cat - it was frayed and loose. The I.D. tag on it was scratched and worn, but she made out some markings. She'd need better light to read them. She pulled the collar off and put it in her pocket.

"You must have been lurking at that store just waiting for an old softy like me to come along, huh? Don't worry, baby. We'll find your owner." She petted it as she talked. As soon it calmed down, it let out a huge yawn, and chirruped at her again. Then it settled down to sleep in the seat next to her. "Well, looks like I've got a boarder tonight," she sighed to herself. The cat didn't wake up all the way home.
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When she walked in her door, she took it straight to her bathroom and gave it a thorough cleaning - head to tail. It didn't like that much! It hissed and spat and tried to escape, but Sol was quicker. After a while, the cat submitted, but with an air of injured dignity. When Soleil was done, she towel-dried it, then brushed its fur to silkiness while the room heater hummed and the coils glowed. Its black fur was like heavy velvet. But it was so thin! Sol took special care to croon softly to the cat as she groomed it. It was purring up a storm when she took it to the kitchen, opened up some leftover chicken and cut off a large helping for the two of them. They ate in companionable silence while she chatted to the cat again.

"Hmmm, let's see. You're female, about 6 months old I'd guess. You're a stray, but you're obviously used to humans.." She bent to pet the cat while it was eating, but it hissed at her and batted her hand away. "Whew! Feisty too!" she laughed. "I think I'll call you Janette!" The cat finished her dinner and daintily began to wash her paws.

"Let me see what this tag says," she said, carrying it to the brightest light in the room. She saw the initials "NBK" and an odd phone number. (Well! This cat must have hitched quite a few rides!) she thought to herself. Certainly not a local number. She'd check on it in the morning. Sol looked at the clock. It was well past 2:00 A.M.

Soleil went to the living room and sat on the sofa. What a day it had been! And now, she'd have to find this cat's owner. She hoped it wouldn't take too long - she surely couldn't keep Janette for long with her crazy work hours!

As she stretched out on the couch, thinking fondly of her warm bed, Janette came in from the kitchen and boldly crawled onto her lap. She absently petted it and they both drifted off to sleep.
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(Knightfall Blood-Tryst - part 2/6
Ro Hart (Roandshan@aol.com)
copyright April 1997
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When Soleil woke the next morning, she was surprised to find herself and the cat on the couch. "Gosh! I must have been tired last night!" she exclaimed. Janette yawned and stretched. "Well, girl, I'll call your owner during breakfast. I'm sure he or she is worried about you."

As she went to her bathroom to get cleaned up and dressed for the day, Sol noticed a few odd things. First of all, on her night stand she found a necklace that she'd been missing for weeks. She found that three dirty socks from the living room had been placed neatly in the bathroom sink. Then she noticed an old newspaper had been pulled down from the countertop and deposited in the tub. It was shredded, as if by claws, and smelled of excrement. The toilet paper had been unrolled too, as if Janette had played with it during the night.

"Oh, my gosh!" Sol exclaimed. "Janette!" she called. The cat was sitting in the hallway, calmly washing herself. "Did you do all this?" she asked it. Janette just blinked at her, then continued washing. "I can't believe it!" said Soleil. "You're not only paper-trained, you clean up after me!" She bent to pet the cat, laughing. "Thank you so much, you sweetie! I'm so sorry! I was so tired last night, it didn't occur to me to let you out to go pee." What a clever animal! she mused to herself as she showered and dressed. Whoever her owner was, they were very lucky!

In the kitchen, Sol got herself some coffee and a bowl of milk for the cat and dialed the number on Janette's frayed collar. The phone on the other end rang, then an answering machine came on:

"Hi, I'm either in bed or incommunicado, so leave your message after the beep."

Soleil was so shocked and amused by the recording she almost forgot what to say. Then she cleared her throat and spoke, "Uh, yeah, my name is Soleil Nesbett. I found your cat, or rather, she found me. She's okay, but a bit starved. Please call me back as soon as you can so we can arrange to get her home to you." She gave her home and work numbers, both of which would activate her pager, and hung up. "I can't believe it!" she said to Janette. "It's another FK fan! He's got a great message!" She was still chuckling when her phone rang suddenly. She dove for it and mumbled, "Hello?"

The voice on the other end almost made her drop the phone. She fell into the nearest chair, weak-kneed.

"Hello, this is Nick Knight. You say you found my cat?"

(This has got to be a colossal joke!) her mind screamed at her, but she managed to keep her voice even. "Uh, Mr.Knight?"

"Detective Knight. I'm a cop." was his reply.

She was further stunned. (A joke. It _has_ to be a practical joke!) Soleil stammered back, "Uh, yeah, sorry. Well, I was driving home last night and I found your cat had slipped into my car. She's here with me now. Can you tell me where you live so I can either drop her off or have her shipped?" She wasn't surprised at his answer.

The familiar voice answered, "I'm in Toronto, Canada."

(Of course!) she thought to herself.

Nick continued, "Where do you live?"

(This can _not_ be for real!!) She felt like jumping up and down, screaming with excitement. Sol told him where she lived.

Nick paused for a moment, then he said, "Well, it just so happens that I'll be in that area this weekend...for business. So I'll swing by and pick her up then, say, Saturday night?"

She gave him directions to her house, then they hung up. She still sat in the chair, gripping the phone like it was a cobra. Could this be for real? She didn't know what to think. If it was a practical joke, it was a great one! And she'd kill to find out if this was really, truly Nicholas deBrabant, Nick Knight, Toronto P.D, vampire cop!!

Sol hurriedly called a friend of hers on the DK-loop and told her the whole story.

"Well," answered her friend, "you'll know tomorrow if it's a hoax."

"Tomorrow!! Yikes! It's Friday today, isn't it?" She suddenly realized she and Janette had already wasted half a day. "Omigosh! I gotta clean up this place and be sure to have some....some stuff on hand...just in case its really _him_!!"

"Well, be sure you don't accidentally serve him Ribena or Cran-Currant juice by mistake! Those spit-take stains are really hard to get out of the carpet!" laughed her friend.

"Thanks a heap," Soleil replied, semi-sarcastically. "I gotta go see the butcher. Maybe he'll have something on hand."

"Yeah, right," said her friend before hanging up, "tell him you're making blood-sausage or something."

(Right), thought Soleil, switching off. (Forget the bovine blood! Just get human! He's a changed vampire. I know it!) An evil grin spread across her face at a new thought. (And if I play my cards right, by the end of the night, he'll be sipping from _me_!)

Sol put the phone down and started running around the room, cleaning as she went. Janette looked on, bored, and lay down on the window-ledge for a nap in the sun.

"I'm seeing Nicky in the eeve-ning! Ding-dong the bells are gonna chiiime!" she sang to herself as she scurried to and fro, the wide, evil grin still plastered on her face.
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(K)nightfall Blood-Tryst - part 3/6
Ro Hart (Roandshan@aol.com)
copyright April 1997
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Saturday afternoon found Soleil frantically stocking her cupboards with odds and ends. Shopping usually calmed her nerves and focused her, but she was anything but calm today. Nick was coming! Here! Tonight!! She had all her favorite CDs ready to go in the player. She'd also obtained some bottles of human blood. She had...connections in her line of work.

Of course, she'd rather Nick sipped from her, but since they were hardly acquaintances, it might not ever come to that. Damn! The thought of what he could do to her...do _with_ her...made her shiver with desire.

Soleil had to calm down. She sat in the rocker with Janette in her lap, brushing and stroking the cat's fur until it gleamed. She pulled out a red velvet choker from her dresser drawer and slipped it around Janette's neck. "There! Don't you look lovely?"

Then she noticed the clock. It was 4:00 PM. Time to get ready for Nick. He'd be here shortly after sundown. She sipped a Ribena & wine cooler on ice as she brushed her hair and put on a low-cut silk blouse over her favorite jeans. If only she had a video camera! She'd love to tape this evening for her FK friends, but maybe it was safer that she didn't. If Nick was real, the Enforcers were real. And they'd make mincemeat out of her if she had physical evidence of their existence. Soleil felt another, less pleasant, shiver of fear run through her heart. But her desire to see Nick over-ruled her sense of danger. He wouldn't let anything happen to her. Would he?
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A little while later, the scene was set. Soleil and Janette were as ready as they could be. Her favorite soft music was playing. The lights were low and a fire burned in the fireplace. Soleil was still a little fidgety, despite her drink. The cat looked regal, not a whisker out of place, as it sat on a sofa cushion, eyes half-slit.

The doorbell rang at 6:05 PM. Soleil dashed to get it, but before she opened it, she slowed her breathing and slipped into "professional mode" - which usually made her the center of calm at work when her patients got a little out-of-hand. She opened the door.

Nick stood there, in a black leather jacket, electric-blue shirt and black jeans. His hair shone golden in the porch light. His eyes matched the brilliant blue of his shirt, and when he smiled that charming smile of his, Soleil had to bite the inside of her cheek to stop herself from grinning back at him like a maniac. Her voice didn't shake as she murmured, "Det. Knight? Nice to meet you. Won't you come in?"

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(K)nightfall Blood-Tryst - part 4a/6
Roberta Hart 1997
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Nick nodded his thanks to her and entered. Soleil took his jacket, marveling at the supple coolness of it as she hung it over a chair. She turned back to him and said, "I wouldn't have pegged you as a cat-person, detective. Dogs? Yes. But cats?" Sol let the sentence trail off there to see what he'd say.

"Well," he admitted, "she's sort of "on-loan" - a friend of mine had to relocate and he asked if I could care for her until he settled in. Then he'd send for her."

"Oh, that's awfully nice of you to do," said Sol. Then, she found herself grinning at the scene before her.

The little black cat had leaped off the couch and was making chirruping noises at Nick as it weaved an ecstatic dance around his ankles. He looked faintly embarrassed as he knelt to pick her up. "I see she's none the worse for wear, for all she's traveled," he said, smiling at Soleil. "Thank you so much for finding her. I hope Ebony wasn't any trouble."

The feel of his approval was so heady - Soleil found that despite her best intentions, she was grinning back at Nick. At this point, she'd sooner swallow a rat than contradict him. And, the cat's manners _had_ been exceptional. "Oh, no, she was an angel. Did....did you say her name was...Ebony?" She was a little disappointed. "I hope I haven't confused her while she was here. I've been calling her...uh...something else."

"Oh? What?" asked Nick, putting the cat back down. It sat at his feet, purring madly.

Soleil was suddenly embarrassed. "It's...not important," she dodged the question. "Oh....I'm forgetting my manners! Would you care for something to drink, detective?"

His eyes twinkled, but he said, "No, thank you. I'm fine. And call me Nick."

She moved to the couch and he sat across from her on a chair. She sipped her wine-cooler as he filled the awkward silence. "So, Ms. Nesbett, you have a lovely home."

"Thanks, Nick," she managed. "And you can call me Sol."

" 'Soul'?" he repeated, confused.

"Um, no, S O L : Soh-L" she enunciated slowly. She was warmed by his smile and relaxed enough to grin back at him. The incongruity of a creature of the night socializing with a woman named for the Sun didn't escape her. It was so bizarre! "My full name is Soleil."

His expression mirrored hers, with an ironic twist to his lips. "A beautiful name."

"Thank you." Sol sipped more wine.

Nick watched as Ebony padded up to his chair and leaped onto the back of it, settling down near his shoulder like a guardian. He absently reached up to scratch her ears, then asked, "If you don't mind my asking, Sol, what is it you do that you were out so late - and just in time to rescue this little miscreant?"

"I work at a medical lab." Soleil couldn't resist the opening, so she took it. "My more obnoxious clients call me a vampire." The abrupt wariness in Nick's expression made her hurry to explain. "I'm a Phlebotomist and a technologist. I draw people's blood for testing and run it through a series of checks, depending on whatever the patients' physicians are looking for."

Nick relaxed and nodded slightly. "I'm sure that 'vampire' joke gets old after a while?"

"Yeah, it really does. I've drawn blood from many different places, but never their necks. Although," she added, smiling, "I have been tempted from time to time!"

The expression on his face was priceless. Soleil was light-headed from holding back her laughter and feeling very reckless. Did she dare go any further? "I imagine you've seen more than your share of blood in your line of work?"

His eyes went slightly hooded, but he said evenly, "Yes. Its ... unnerving sometimes."

Coughing, Soleil quickly excused herself, rushed into the kitchen and turned on the water to muffle her hysterical reaction. She knew full well that he could probably hear her laughter, and was no doubt mystified by it. To cover, she rummaged through the cupboards.

"Are you all right?" he called.

"Fine!" she sang out. "I'll be right back!"

Soon she was carrying out a tray of snacks. As she laid it on the coffee table, she said, "Just help yourself, Nick."

Then she dashed back to the kitchen and got out two of the special bottles of blood and a wine goblet. As she did so, a sudden rush of nerves and sexual tension hit her, and she had to stop moving or collapse. When she was calmer, she went to the sink & splashed some cold water on her face, then wiped herself dry with a towel.

(_What_am I doing?!) her mind screamed at her, but it was too late. She heard him call, "You need any help in there?"

"No!" she yelped. She put the blood and the goblet on her best silver tray. Then she set her shoulders and re-entered the living room, carrying the tray aloft like she bore the head of John the Baptist. She set it down before Nick with a flourish, stared him right in the eyes and said, "I think this will be more to your liking, Nick."

She sidled away from him, watching closely all the while. She sat on the corner of the couch farthest away from him.

Nick reached for one of the bottles, but she could tell he already sensed what was in them. "Blood?" he asked coolly. "Is this the sort of joke your clients at work are so fond of ?"

She froze under his gaze, but kept her resolve. "No," she replied softly. "I...I really wanted to show you...how much I...how happy I am to help you. And, I've always wanted to meet you."

His expression was puzzled, but she rushed on, "You see, I _know_ you're a vampire. And, I'm a Resister. But I...I'm loyal and I'd _never_ endanger you or the Community."

Nick was coldly calm. "What are you saying? I'm a what?? This is some joke, right?" His gaze grew darker, more dangerous. Soleil couldn't move.

The small cat at his shoulder had run away at the tone of his voice. Soleil wished she'd had the courage to follow Jan...er...Ebony.

But, her body was frozen in place, while her voice just babbled away, "There's a lot more of us out there than you realize! But don't worry, you're safe! Nobody would _ever_ believe us, and besides, none of us would ever tell. We might have our differences, but we all agree on one thing: that you're an exceptional man and an honorable vampire. We believe in you. We admire you. I...I love you." The last words were out of her mouth before she could stop them. Suddenly out of breath and words, Sol just sat there, pinned beneath his gaze.

"_Love_ me??" he sneered. "We've just met!! You don't even _know_ me!"

Sol looked into his eyes and saw the tension, the very real underlying threat in his face. He _could_ kill her. If he couldn't guarantee her complete cooperation, the Enforcers would do the job for him. She had to be very, very careful.
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(K)nightfall Blood-Tryst - part 4b/6
Roberta Hart 1997
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Nick was fuming, "If you had _any_ sense, you'd be running the other way so fast your soul couldn't catch you!!" The anger in his voice made her flinch, but Soleil answered him as best she could.

"_I_ know you, Nicholas." She felt like crying, but held herself in check. "We _all_know you. We care so much about you. We only want what's best for you."

"Hah! I've heard _that_ one before!" he muttered. His voice was harsh with sarcasm. "You must be mad! Do you hear yourself? You and these 'others' _love_ me?? What others? How many are there? Are all of you delusional?"

Just then, he moved so fast she never even saw it, but suddenly he was on her, pinning her to the couch as he gripped her arms tightly. His eyes had glints of gold in them. The rapid pounding of her heart, the fear, the adrenaline rush in her blood sang to his vampiric senses. Nick's fangs throbbed in his jaw as his anger mounted.

"Resister or not, you _will_ tell me who else knows my true nature! I refuse to be destroyed by the Enforcers because of a pack of romantically-addled, gothic-loving, vampire-wanna-bees who think my life is some sort of voyeuristic game!" His voice was harsh and threatening.

Sol flinched, dropped her eyes and mumbled, "We're the...um, Dark side of your faithful Knighties." She looked up quickly to see Nick's expression. Apparently, this was the _last_ thing he'd expected her to say!

"Shit!" he swore. "Not another one! Is there a War going on or something?" he demanded.

"No! Not that I know of !" she gasped.

Nick rolled his eyes and shook his head, but still held her fast in his grip.

Soleil felt brave enough to continue, "Our Code states that we should encourage you to give up searching for a "cure" and re-embrace your vampiric nature, while still maintaining your vow not to kill. To re-learn how to _sip_ the blood, not drain mortals to death."

Nick snorted, "You're a little late! I already know _that_ lesson! And besides, I'm off the cow blood! I've been off it for a year!"

"Oh, we know!" Sol explained, "We were just so tired of seeing you kill yourself slowly with that...bovine starvation diet. We love you best as what you really are: a vampire."

Nick was exasperated. "Love? That's infatuation! What a feeble mortal weakness to offer to a vampire!" Then, suddenly, he got angry. "And who the hell are _you_ to judge me? Until you've seen all the things I've seen in 800 years, you can't even begin to comprehend my existence!" His words were heavy with sarcasm. The feral look on his face and the golden gleam in his eyes told Soleil she was dancing too close to the edge.

She trembled in his grasp, staring up at this regally arrogant, other-worldly creature before her. He was hot death in an ice-cold-second. He was above her kind. Beyond her ken. The natural Predator cornering his reluctant prey. She felt a hot rush of desire for him, attracted to his danger like a moth to a flame.

But deep in her soul, she also knew the human qualities in Nick which enabled him to control the Beast, to sip and not kill. To feel compassion and wonder and even joy in the frail mortals around him. The Raptor-Prince flying down to catch a flower in its claw, and not crush it. To even cherish those few mortals he let into his life _because_ they loved him - claws, fangs and all. Mortals were here and gone like fragile bubbles. He was rock and stone. Unchanging, but weathered by the stream of mortal lives that flowed around him. Soleil wanted to convey her comprehension of his nature, but words failed her.

Looking deeply into her eyes, Nick saw that she _did_ know him, in a way. The dichotomies which had once pulled him back and forth, toward the Light, toward the Dark. And the peace he'd found since embracing his true nature.

Relenting, Nick released her. His voice was rough with emotion. "If you know what I am, then you know what I must do, to protect you from the Enforcers."

"I'm a Resister. You can try," she said breathlessly, "but not without my compliance."

"Then you _must_ submit your will to me," he countered. "You _must_ forget!"

Sol could feel his will pressing on her mind. There was steel in his eyes. For a brief second, she wanted nothing more than to acquiesce, but she had one more card to play. She held firm. She had a momentary flash of memory from some long-forgotten English class: ('acquiesce' : "to rest". From the Latin: acquiescere: meaning: "to die".)

With a shiver, Soleil touched his face and whispered, "I ask for only one thing."

"Your life?" he asked. The Predator was still there, held at bay by his will.

"One night. With you. And my life at the end." (Though nothing like it was before!) she reminded herself.

The expression on Nick's face was odd. There was admiration for her audacity, anger with her impertinence, all tempered with a look of wonder. "Do you realize what you're asking?" he growled.

"Yes," she said softly. "And I trust your strength, your control and your discretion. Am I wrong to do so?"

He looked so non-plussed she took pity on him. "You _have_ been "re-vamping" yourself, haven't you?"

Now Nick grinned, his fangs slightly visible. "You could say that," he replied. His expression sobered. "I've regained much of my old strength, even with bottled human blood. To kill for food nowadays is needless." His eyes, though still golden, were fixed on long-ago memories. "I constantly feared what the next bout of bloodlust would do to me. Afterwards, like any excess, it paled. Like a drug, the more you do, the more you crave. And, of course, the guilt drove me mad." He shook his head. "It's better this way. Even bottled, human blood gives me the strength I need. And," he added, with a husky whisper, "it's healed my soul."

Sol gave him an impulsive hug, then suddenly, she realized how close his fangs were to her neck! A sharp shiver and a wave of desire hit her, hard. She pulled back and tried to lighten the mood a bit.

"I'm so glad! Compared to the real thing, I imagine that bovine blood must have been worse than those protein-diet-shakes we mortals choke down to lose weight!"

Nick's expression was so full of surprise and chagrin, she had to laugh.

Nick chuckled with her. "Yeah, I've been on diets like that too!"

The sight of his face, so boyish, yet with the hint of fangs and eyes of gold, stilled her.

Nick sensed it. He slid off the couch onto one knee. He took her hand, kissed it and said, half-mockingly, "I shall be yours, then, for tonight. In exchange for your life, you promise to keep my secrets."

"Agreed!" she said. He had powers enough to read the solemn truth in her eyes. He pulled her closer to him, took her in his arms and kissed her deeply.
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(K)nightfall Blood-Tryst - part 5/6
by Roberta Hart
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Nick held Soleil close in his arms. His lips were cold on hers, but she was on fire. Her heart was pounding but she was ready for whatever happened. His kisses moved from her mouth to her eyes, her cheeks, her earlobes, her neck...

Then, Nick pulled her down from the couch, to lay atop him on the rug before the fireplace. Sol was so excited by the feel of his lips, his hands. Through his jeans, she could feel that he was already hard. Quickly she unbuttoned the front of his shirt so she could touch his soft, cool skin. He nuzzled her face, her chin and neck. Sol felt the sharpness of his fangs trail across her skin, and she was rocked by a wave of lust and desire. She clung to him, begging, "Oh, god, Nick! Please, take me!"

But Nick knew what he was doing, and he took his time with her. He rolled her over so now she was lying on the rug, as he lay next to her. Slowly, he removed her blouse, then her bra, caressing her skin with his fingers as he did so. He nuzzled and licked her nipples, then ran his fangs up her torso from navel to throat. When he raised his head, he was grinning ferally.

Sol was already panting, hot to feel his hands on the rest of her body. She moved to remove her jeans, but his hand stopped hers. He kissed her palm, caressing her breasts softly as he spoke.

"Patience is its own reward, my dear." Nick's voice was rough, but his hands were gentle.

With every touch, she felt her desire mount. He slowly undressed her, kissing and licking each part of her that he uncovered. Then he shed his clothes. She took in the sight of his perfect immortal body, like a white marble statue. Tall and strong. A fighters' body with a poet's face. But that face now glowed with the hypnotic beauty of a Vampire, all golden eyes and sharp teeth. Glimpsing the intelligence and power behind the wolfish expression, Sol realized that in that moment, she'd do anything he asked. Anything. Resister or not, she'd lost her heart, soul and mind to this Eternal Knight.

Nick felt her silent acquiescence and smiled. It would be so easy to force her, but he admired the way she'd gently seduced him. She and her friends _were_ his Darkest followers, and he felt just as protective of them as he did their Lighter siblings (who were, no doubt _very_ disappointed in him by now!) No, he wouldn't have to coerce this one. She was his, body and soul.

Nick bent his head to taste her. Slowly, he caressed her along the length of her body, prolonging her sweet agony. She shivered under his touch. Then, with the softest of scratches, he kissed all her pulse points, lingering over the last one on her inner thighs. His fangs left a trickle of blood where ever they touched her, and he licked the blood away.

She was moaning now, lost in passion beneath his teasing assault. Her blood was sweet, her body warm and ready. He parted her labia and probed her clit rapidly, feather-light with his tongue. She tensed and bucked her hips, riding the crest of her sudden orgasm. As she got there, he mounted her, thrusting his penis deep within her. He moved hard and fast now, causing her to peak again and again. Just then, he felt his own ejaculation begin, and he swiftly sank his fangs into her sweet flesh. The blood filled his mouth, pushing him over the edge.

He held on, his body entwined with hers, every thrust of his hips slaking his lust, every pump of her heart feeding his Beast.

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(K)nightfall Blood-Tryst - part 6/6
Roberta Hart 1997
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They made love all night. Sometimes roughly, passionately; at times slowly, languidly. Twice, Sol found herself drifting off to sleep for a while, but always waking to find him there, caressing and arousing her once again. He paused whenever she needed to replenish her strength, bringing her small amounts of food and drink. He amused her with anecdotes about sex-play in times long-past, and carried her from the living room to her bedroom when she was ready. He was funny, charming, gallant & sensual; utterly captivating her.

Once, while in the bathroom, Sol muzzily glanced at her reflection in the mirror. She had three bite marks, and there were scratches everywhere, but since he had only sipped from her, she wasn't in any _real_ physical danger...yet. Was she? Soleil peered closer at her own reflection. Exhausted? Sure, but the aches and pain, even from his bites, didn't seem to hurt as much as they should. (Well,) she mused (I must be in shock.) Sol knew she couldn't keep it up - her mortal body couldn't take much more, but god! how she wanted to! She now understood how those many, many women in his past had happily died in his arms with blissful smiles on their faces. She came close to the same impulse several times this night, but thanks to Nick's superb control and forbearance, she was still alive.

When she returned to him, he was in bed, sipping a large glass of blood. His eyes were bright blue. He looked very relaxed.

She laid down next to Nick, on her left side, facing him. Idly, she ran her hand along his side, from shoulder to hip. She couldn't get enough of the feel of his smooth skin. He somehow seemed warmer. Probably from the blood he was drinking now. She smiled dreamily, remembering how it felt when he'd sipped from her tonight.

Abruptly, she realized that he'd said something. "Hmmm? I'm sorry," she blushed and looked back up at his face. "Did you say something?"

Laughing, he said, "I asked: 'How are you?' "

"Ecstatic. Completely satiated. Replete." She had to pause, yawning.

He grinned, "Tired?"

"Exhausted!" she had to admit, laughing too.

Gently, he covered her with a blanket and handed her a glass of juice. She sat up long enough to drink it all, then snuggled in his arms. "Thanks, I needed that."

"Anything to please you, my Lady-Sun," he smiled, kissing her hair.

"What time is it?" she asked sleepily. She felt odd. (Hmm, must be the sugar-rush hitting me) she mused. It _had_ been a while since she'd eaten anything substantial.

"Near dawn. I can feel it," he said.

He watched her closely. Her eyelids were drooping, but she fought it. "Will you be here with me today?"

"Yes. It's too late to find shelter from the dawn. That is, I'll stay if you don't mind."

"You _know_ I'd love to have you with me forever, Nick," she murmured, drifting off. "But since I'm not immortal, I'll have to settle for as much time as you'll give me."

Nick gently kissed her, easing her head onto the pillow beside him. The small amount of his blood he'd mixed in her cran-currant juice ought to heal her completely by day's end. Her pain he'd assuaged with a post-hypnotic suggestion during one of their more languid sessions. (He'd found that she was _most_ vulnerable to his mental powers while deeply in the throes of passion.) The marks of their love-making would vanish, but the sweet memories were hers to keep till the end of her life. He knew that, as little as it was, the blood he'd given her would bind her to him, mind and will and soul. She was his already, in her heart, but it never hurt to buy a little insurance.

"Cynic!" he whispered to himself. Then, he smiled bitterly. During 800 years, he'd learned that the incautious vampire was frequently the next pile of ashes baking in the sun. And he'd gone through too much to risk that fate!

"No, Sun-Child," he said to Soleil, watching her sleep. "Perhaps someday, some night, I'll come to you and ask if you want to...finish what we've started here. And by then, you can make the Choice of your own free will, not because you are...enthralled by me."

Kissing her once again, he turned and composed himself for the dawn, and the dreamless, lethargic repose that now filled his tranquil days. The last thing he felt was the weight of a small black cat, settling in his lap, as Ebony purred herself to sleep.
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end of part 6/6