To Pay the Piper-Ch.2

Anita's voice caught Amante off-guard and he turned to regard her curiously, having heard many tales about the human woman who all of vampire-kind feared and respected, who managed to rule both the wereleopards and the werewolves.

He was surprised by her smallness, but was well-aware that size, or even appearance, mattered very little when it came to protecting what was yours.

Amante would forever be trapped in the body of a sixteen year old man-child, and many had seen him as weak. They had all been proven very, very wrong.

Out of habit, Amante stood as she entered and bowed, arching an eyebrow when she smirked at the gesture.

"What, is there a convention for old dead French guys and nobody told me?" she quipped.

Jean-Claude sighed, looking as if he was used to her peculiar brand of humor. "Ma petite, this is Amante. The people you saw in the parlor were his."

"Why was Nathaniel out there?"

"That, I do not know. Amante wished to discuss something with you, and we had not spoken of Nathaniel except for what you heard as you arrived," Jean-Claude told her.

Anita nodded, then perched on the end of Jean-Claude's desk. "What did you need to talk to me about Nathaniel for?"

"First, I must assure you that he is not at fault," Amante told her. "It was my choice, and I did not see any other options at the time."

Anita frowned. "Go on."

"I received a call about a year ago from a S&M club. One of my 'cats had apparently gotten into a bit of trouble, and needed my assistance," he explained. "When I arrived, I stumbled upon Nathaniel. He had been greviously injured, and his top did not seem to realize that he had taken things too far, so I intervened."

"I have some talent for healing, but Nathaniel's injuries were beyond my abilities," Amante told her. "I was afraid he would be dead before medics could arrive, and I gave him the first two marks."

Anita's eyes narrowed dangerously, but she waved a hand at him to continue.

"I retrieved my 'cat, and took Nathaniel home with me to heal what the marks could not. I learned later that Nathaniel is one of the rare submissives that is incapable of telling someone to stop when it is too much," Amante said. "So, I offered to protect him, on the condition that he would ask for domination from no one but myself or you, as his Nimir-Ra."

"Why didn't he say anything?" Anita demanded.

"I asked him not to, Ms. Blake. I apologize for that, but I did not feel confident that my people would be safe in this city as yet, and I wished to wait and see if it would be worth the risk to let ourselves be known."

"He speaks the truth, ma petite. And more, he has been here for ten years, without so much as a whisper of trouble," Jean-Claude answered.

"So, what exactly is it you want to ask me about Nathaniel?" Anita asked finally.

"I ask only that you do not keep him from seeking me out, should he wish to do so. I know the limits of what his body can safely heal, but I do not trust others so much, and his judgement is not reliable," Amante said.

"Fine. What about the marks?" She questioned.

"If he were more independent, I would suggest the possibility of giving him the final two marks," Amante said. "But, he is so broken, I do not believe he could make the choice intelligently. Once he has learned independence and is able to think clearly enough to understand what it would mean, perhaps I might consider making him my human servant. But as things stand now, it would be very like taking advantage of a child."

"You know him pretty well," Anita acknowledged. "You implied you've dominated him. Have you slept with him?"

Amante blinked, slightly taken aback by her bluntness. "Yes, I have," he answered finally. "I am attempting to teach him that pain is not all he can have, and I would prefer him in my bed pleading for my touch rather than hanging from chains and begging me to hurt him more."

"He was gone a week, and he was with you, wasn't he?" Anita demanded.

"Yes. The first five days, he refused anything but torment," Amante informed her. "He would not even accept food or water. On the fifth night, he was too tired to protest when I had my people take him out of the chains to bathe and feed him. I am attempting to teach him to seek pleasure instead of pain, but thus far he will not allow the pleasure if I do not hurt him first."

"You sound like you don't enjoy it," Anita said, frowning.

Amante shrugged. "At first, I liked that he wanted to be dominated. It was refreshing, and it gave me an outlet for my occasional fits if pique. But, I expected him to grow tired of being hurt, not to demand more. He will not tell me, but I believe there is something in his past that makes him crave the punishment, something he was told so often that he believes he deserves it. I do not mind causing pain, when it is wanted and is a precursor to pleasure. But, Nathaniel wants to be hurt simply for the sake of being in pain. That worries me."

"Most vampires your age get off on hurting people," Anita commented.

Amante blinked. "My age?" he questioned, very sure that he hadn't told her how old he was.

"Yeah. Two thousand, give or take a century," she said, then smirked. "I'm a necromancer. I can feel how old you are in my head."

"Ah," Amante acknowledged. "You are not wrong. I am eighteen hundred and eighty-two years old, including my human life."

"So, that's what, eighteen hundred and sixty-six years you've been a vamp?"

Amante nodded. "Yes," he acknowledged, surprised that she had guessed his mortal age exactly.

"He is one of Belle Morte's line, ma petite," Jean-Claude informed her. "Belle herself made him."

"And you don't think it's odd that he comes out of the closet, so to speak, right when she's about to send one of her flunkies to argue with you?" Anita demanded.

Amante's eyes widened slightly. "Pardon?"

"Belle Morte requested a visit. I refused, but agreed that she could send some of her people here for a meeting," Jean-Claude informed him.

"Yes, and she is sending Lissette, your maker, simply to irritate you," Asher commented.

"Belle always did know how to make a statement," Jean-Claude said with a gallic shrug.

"What do you have against Belle?" Anita questioned.

"She is responsible for the deaths of over a hundred of my people. She slaughtered them while I was away and could not protect them. I will hate her until I am naught but dust," Amante said.

There was a light knock on the door, then one of Amante's people poked his head in the door. "Can I...?"

Jean-Claude nodded. "Enter, please."

The man smiled and went to his master. "Amante...Julie just called. I'm needed at the hospital," he said quietly, though he knew that everyone would hear him anyway.

Amante grinned suddenly, flashing fangs. "Congratulations! Of course, you must go, Ryan," he said.

Ryan smiled. "Thanks, Amante."

Amante waved his hand dismissively. "Don't thank me. Your wife needs you," he said. "Just remember that no matter how many times she curses you and says she hates you, it will pass. The first child is always the hardest."

Ryan laughed and hugged Amante. "I'll see you tomorrow," he said, then headed for the door.

"I expect to see pictures of the little one!" Amante called after him.

Ryan grinned and waved, then was out the door.

Amante shook his head, smiling. "I feel like a grandfather. Again."

Jean-Claude chuckled. "I know the feeling. I have often been conned into babysitting for one of my people. The child is two years old, and will get into anything that is not bolted down."

"I find myself in the same predicament on occasion," Amante said, shaking his head in fond exasperation.

"To get back to the point of our meeting, I will allow you to stay within my city. If your people wish to move further in town, by all means, do so. Since you no longer need to hide, you may wish to take housing closer to civilization," Jean-Claude said.

"Thank you, Jean-Claude. Would you like to choose from among my people to serve you tonight?" Amante questioned.

Jean-Claude shook his head. "I thank you for the gift, but it is not necessary. I have more servants than I need already. I find myself often scrambling for things to occupy them with. Perhaps Asher would like someone for a while, though."

Amante looked at Asher questioningly. "Perhaps I could use a pomme de sang, though I would need their services for more than a month," Asher said.

Amante gave a slight nod. "Of course. I will speak to my people and see who is willing to undertake such a committment. Do you need their decision tonight?"

"Oh, no. If you need a few days to let them consider, by all means, take them," Asher said. "I understand their reluctance. My appearance is hardly what it once was."

Amante frowned, not understanding what he meant. "I don't follow you, Asher. What is wrong with your appearance?"

Asher turned his face sharply, baring his scars to the light more fully.

"Oh," Amante realized aloud."I hardly noticed them. Truthfully, it has been so long since we last met that I assumed they had always been there. I was more concerned with telling off Belle Morte than noticing your appearance."

Asher's lips quirked upward in a slight smile. "She has that effect on a lot of people, but very few actually indulge in such a barrage of verbal abuse."

Amante nodded. "I wish that I had not, given what the consequences were."

"There are things we all regret, Amante," Asher said quietly. "Belle seems to be a regret we three have in common."

"Not to interrupt you guys' trip down memory lane, but how is having two pards in the city going to work?" Anita asked. "From what I've seen of the other groups, 'wolves included, they don't play well with others."

"I'm glad you brought that up," Amante told her. "The way I see it, we have two choices. We can either combine our pards into one unit, or we can remain seperate. Your pard was here first, even if you were not Nimir-Ra at the time, so if you wish to remain seperate groups, I will accept any territorial boundaries you wish to set in place for the full moon. While in human form, however, I believe it would be unfair to restrict my 'cats from going certain places, excluding private homes and such, of course."

"If we were to join our pards, how would that work? I don't like the idea of my 'leopards answering to anyone but me. Even Micah doesn't have as much say so with them as I do," Anita said.

"Micah?" Amante inquired.

"My Nimir-Raj. He brought his pard in and joined them with mine," Anita explained. "We agree on just about everything, so it hasn't come up yet, but if it came down to it, I'd expect my word to be law, not his."

Amante shook his head. "Then perhaps a joining is not possible," he said. "My 'cats are an extension of who I am, as I am an extension of each of them. I would not give that up for anyone or anything. It would be like severing a limb."

"You love your pard that much?" Anita asked, askance.

"Ms. Blake, I have known every one of my people since the moment they first stirred in their mothers' bellies," Amante told her. "I held them each when they were but hours old, and watched them sleep. I've seen them take their first steps, heard their first words, dried their tears, and bandaged their scraped knees. I have walked most of the women down the aisle, and witnessed for the men at their weddings. I did the same for their parents, and their grandparents, and great-grandparents, and so on, for nine generations past. They are my children in every way that matters, and I love them more than my own life."

"What about Nathaniel?" she asked.

"I love him as well as if he'd always been with me," Amante answered. "Not as my child per se, because I could not sleep with any of my 'cats, but just as much."

"Why does it bother you to sleep with your 'cats?" Anita questioned.

Amante shrugged. "Could you sleep with someone whose diapers you'd changed? They are my family, my little ones. I share a bed with many of them, but not in a sexual context. Surely, you must know what I mean."

Anita nodded. "It's gotten so I feel lonely if there aren't four other people in bed with me. I'm thinking of investing in a king-sized so nobody ends up on the floor."

Amante laughed. "My bed is eighteen feet by ten feet...More often than not, there will be ten people in my bed, and none of them is me."

Smirking, Anita replied, "Yeah, I get that a lot, too. On a smaller scale, though."

"So, we are agreed then? We shall remain seperate, but non-hostile toward each other?" Amante asked.

"Yeah. I've had about as much grandstanding and arcane shapeshifter bulltshit as I can take," she answered. "The only place I can think of for your people to stay away from is the meeting place we use on the full moon. I'll talk to my pard about that and get back to you. If they're okay with it, I don't see a problem with sharing space when everybody's furry, either."

Amante smiled. "Good. Then I shall take my leave. I've quite a few people sleeping out there. I think it would be best if I got them home and tucked in for the night."

"You do realize that it's only ten o'clock, right?" Anita questioned wryly.

"Yes, but this meeting has worried all of us. They have not slept well for days," Amante said, standing again.

He turned to Jean-Claude and Asher, bowing slightly. "Thank you for your hospitality, Jean-Claude. Asher, it was good to see you again, without Belle Morte casting a shadow on your presence. I will call here in a few days to let you know what my people have decided in regard to becoming your pomme de sang."

Asher nodded. "Thank you, Amante. It is good to see you, as well. After Belle's punishment, she had hoped you'd ended your life. I am glad to see that was not the case."

Amante smirked. "I would not give her the satisfaction. I greatly enjoy annoying her with my continued existence."

Jean-Claude chuckled. "Oh, you will fit in well here."

Smiling, Amante bid them goodnight and returned to the sitting room, waking his slumbering 'cats and herding them outside to the cars.

Without worrying about whether his presence would be tolerated, Amante's heart was a great deal lighter.

It had been a while since he hosted a party, and it would be fun to invite Jean-Claude and his people, as well as Anita and her pard. It would be something like extended family, he mused, reclining in the back seat of his car thoughtfully as one of his 'cats drove them home.


	St. Louis 2003 Anita's voice caught Amante off-guard and he turned to regard her curiously, having heard many tales about the human woman who all of vampire-kind feared and respected, who managed to rule both the wereleopards and the werewolves. He was surprised by her smallness, but was well-aware that size, or even appearance, mattered very little when it came to protecting what was yours. Amante would forever be trapped in the body of a sixteen year old man-child, and many had seen him as weak. They had all been proven very, very wrong. Out of habit, Amante stood as she entered and bowed, arching an eyebrow when she smirked at the gesture. "What, is there a convention for old dead French guys and nobody told me?" she quipped. Jean-Claude sighed, looking as if he was used to her peculiar brand of humor. "Ma petite, this is Amante. The people you saw in the parlor were his." "Why was Nathaniel out there?" "That, I do not know. Amante wished to discuss something with you, and we had not spoken of Nathaniel except for what you heard as you arrived," Jean-Claude told her. Anita nodded, then perched on the end of Jean-Claude's desk. "What did you need to talk to me about Nathaniel for?" "First, I must assure you that he is not at fault," Amante told her. "It was my choice, and I did not see any other options at the time." Anita frowned. "Go on." "I received a call about a year ago from a S&M club. One of my 'cats had apparently gotten into a bit of trouble, and needed my assistance," he explained. "When I arrived, I stumbled upon Nathaniel. He had been greviously injured, and his top did not seem to realize that he had taken things too far, so I intervened." "I have some talent for healing, but Nathaniel's injuries were beyond my abilities," Amante told her. "I was afraid he would be dead before medics could arrive, and I gave him the first two marks." Anita's eyes narrowed dangerously, but she waved a hand at him to continue. "I retrieved my 'cat, and took Nathaniel home with me to heal what the marks could not. I learned later that Nathaniel is one of the rare submissives that is incapable of telling someone to stop when it is too much," Amante said. "So, I offered to protect him, on the condition that he would ask for domination from no one but myself or you, as his Nimir-Ra." "Why didn't he say anything?" Anita demanded. "I asked him not to, Ms. Blake. I apologize for that, but I did not feel confident that my people would be safe in this city as yet, and I wished to wait and see if it would be worth the risk to let ourselves be known." "Jean-Claude?" "He speaks the truth, ma petite. And more, he has been here for ten years, without so much as a whisper of trouble," Jean-Claude answered. "So, what exactly is it you want to ask me about Nathaniel?" Anita asked finally. "I ask only that you do not keep him from seeking me out, should he wish to do so. I know the limits of what his body can safely heal, but I do not trust others so much, and his judgement is not reliable," Amante said. "Fine. What about the marks?" She questioned. "If he were more independent, I would suggest the possibility of giving him the final two marks," Amante said. "But, he is so broken, I do not believe he could make the choice intelligently. Once he has learned independence and is able to think clearly enough to understand what it would mean, perhaps I might consider making him my human servant. But as things stand now, it would be very like taking advantage of a child." "You know him pretty well," Anita acknowledged. "You implied you've dominated him. Have you slept with him?" Amante blinked, slightly taken aback by her bluntness. "Yes, I have," he answered finally. "I am attempting to teach him that pain is not all he can have, and I would prefer him in my bed pleading for my touch rather than hanging from chains and begging me to hurt him more." "He was gone a week, and he was with you, wasn't he?" Anita demanded. "Yes. The first five days, he refused anything but torment," Amante informed her. "He would not even accept food or water. On the fifth night, he was too tired to protest when I had my people take him out of the chains to bathe and feed him. I am attempting to teach him to seek pleasure instead of pain, but thus far he will not allow the pleasure if I do not hurt him first." "You sound like you don't enjoy it," Anita said, frowning. Amante shrugged. "At first, I liked that he wanted to be dominated. It was refreshing, and it gave me an outlet for my occasional fits if pique. But, I expected him to grow tired of being hurt, not to demand more. He will not tell me, but I believe there is something in his past that makes him crave the punishment, something he was told so often that he believes he deserves it. I do not mind causing pain, when it is wanted and is a precursor to pleasure. But, Nathaniel wants to be hurt simply for the sake of being in pain. That worries me." "Most vampires your age get off on hurting people," Anita commented. Amante blinked. "My age?" he questioned, very sure that he hadn't told her how old he was. "Yeah. Two thousand, give or take a century," she said, then smirked. "I'm a necromancer. I can feel how old you are in my head." "Ah," Amante acknowledged. "You are not wrong. I am eighteen hundred and eighty-two years old, including my human life." "So, that's what, eighteen hundred and sixty-six years you've been a vamp?" Amante nodded. "Yes," he acknowledged, surprised that she had guessed his mortal age exactly. "He is one of Belle Morte's line, ma petite," Jean-Claude informed her. "Belle herself made him." "And you don't think it's odd that he comes out of the closet, so to speak, right when she's about to send one of her flunkies to argue with you?" Anita demanded. Amante's eyes widened slightly. "Pardon?" "Belle Morte requested a visit. I refused, but agreed that she could send some of her people here for a meeting," Jean-Claude informed him. "Yes, and she is sending Lissette, your maker, simply to irritate you," Asher commented. "Belle always did know how to make a statement," Jean-Claude said with a gallic shrug. "What do you have against Belle?" Anita questioned. "She is responsible for the deaths of over a hundred of my people. She slaughtered them while I was away and could not protect them. I will hate her until I am naught but dust," Amante said. There was a light knock on the door, then one of Amante's people poked his head in the door. "Can I...?" Jean-Claude nodded. "Enter, please." The man smiled and went to his master. "Amante...Julie just called. I'm needed at the hospital," he said quietly, though he knew that everyone would hear him anyway. Amante grinned suddenly, flashing fangs. "Congratulations! Of course, you must go, Ryan," he said. Ryan smiled. "Thanks, Amante." Amante waved his hand dismissively. "Don't thank me. Your wife needs you," he said. "Just remember that no matter how many times she curses you and says she hates you, it will pass. The first child is always the hardest." Ryan laughed and hugged Amante. "I'll see you tomorrow," he said, then headed for the door. "I expect to see pictures of the little one!" Amante called after him. Ryan grinned and waved, then was out the door. Amante shook his head, smiling. "I feel like a grandfather. Again." Jean-Claude chuckled. "I know the feeling. I have often been conned into babysitting for one of my people. The child is two years old, and will get into anything that is not bolted down." "I find myself in the same predicament on occasion," Amante said, shaking his head in fond exasperation. "To get back to the point of our meeting, I will allow you to stay within my city. If your people wish to move further in town, by all means, do so. Since you no longer need to hide, you may wish to take housing closer to civilization," Jean-Claude said. "Thank you, Jean-Claude. Would you like to choose from among my people to serve you tonight?" Amante questioned. Jean-Claude shook his head. "I thank you for the gift, but it is not necessary. I have more servants than I need already. I find myself often scrambling for things to occupy them with. Perhaps Asher would like someone for a while, though." Amante looked at Asher questioningly. "Perhaps I could use a pomme de sang, though I would need their services for more than a month," Asher said. Amante gave a slight nod. "Of course. I will speak to my people and see who is willing to undertake such a committment. Do you need their decision tonight?" "Oh, no. If you need a few days to let them consider, by all means, take them," Asher said. "I understand their reluctance. My appearance is hardly what it once was." Amante frowned, not understanding what he meant. "I don't follow you, Asher. What is wrong with your appearance?" Asher turned his face sharply, baring his scars to the light more fully. "Oh," Amante realized aloud."I hardly noticed them. Truthfully, it has been so long since we last met that I assumed they had always been there. I was more concerned with telling off Belle Morte than noticing your appearance." Asher's lips quirked upward in a slight smile. "She has that effect on a lot of people, but very few actually indulge in such a barrage of verbal abuse." Amante nodded. "I wish that I had not, given what the consequences were." "There are things we all regret, Amante," Asher said quietly. "Belle seems to be a regret we three have in common." "Not to interrupt you guys' trip down memory lane, but how is having two pards in the city going to work?" Anita asked. "From what I've seen of the other groups, 'wolves included, they don't play well with others." "I'm glad you brought that up," Amante told her. "The way I see it, we have two choices. We can either combine our pards into one unit, or we can remain seperate. Your pard was here first, even if you were not Nimir-Ra at the time, so if you wish to remain seperate groups, I will accept any territorial boundaries you wish to set in place for the full moon. While in human form, however, I believe it would be unfair to restrict my 'cats from going certain places, excluding private homes and such, of course." "If we were to join our pards, how would that work? I don't like the idea of my 'leopards answering to anyone but me. Even Micah doesn't have as much say so with them as I do," Anita said. "Micah?" Amante inquired. "My Nimir-Raj. He brought his pard in and joined them with mine," Anita explained. "We agree on just about everything, so it hasn't come up yet, but if it came down to it, I'd expect my word to be law, not his." Amante shook his head. "Then perhaps a joining is not possible," he said. "My 'cats are an extension of who I am, as I am an extension of each of them. I would not give that up for anyone or anything. It would be like severing a limb." "You love your pard that much?" Anita asked, askance. "Ms. Blake, I have known every one of my people since the moment they first stirred in their mothers' bellies," Amante told her. "I held them each when they were but hours old, and watched them sleep. I've seen them take their first steps, heard their first words, dried their tears, and bandaged their scraped knees. I have walked most of the women down the aisle, and witnessed for the men at their weddings. I did the same for their parents, and their grandparents, and great-grandparents, and so on, for nine generations past. They are my children in every way that matters, and I love them more than my own life." "What about Nathaniel?" she asked. "I love him as well as if he'd always been with me," Amante answered. "Not as my child per se, because I could not sleep with any of my 'cats, but just as much." "Why does it bother you to sleep with your 'cats?" Anita questioned. Amante shrugged. "Could you sleep with someone whose diapers you'd changed? They are my family, my little ones. I share a bed with many of them, but not in a sexual context. Surely, you must know what I mean." Anita nodded. "It's gotten so I feel lonely if there aren't four other people in bed with me. I'm thinking of investing in a king-sized so nobody ends up on the floor." Amante laughed. "My bed is eighteen feet by ten feet...More often than not, there will be ten people in my bed, and none of them is me." Smirking, Anita replied, "Yeah, I get that a lot, too. On a smaller scale, though." "So, we are agreed then? We shall remain seperate, but non-hostile toward each other?" Amante asked. "Yeah. I've had about as much grandstanding and arcane shapeshifter bulltshit as I can take," she answered. "The only place I can think of for your people to stay away from is the meeting place we use on the full moon. I'll talk to my pard about that and get back to you. If they're okay with it, I don't see a problem with sharing space when everybody's furry, either." Amante smiled. "Good. Then I shall take my leave. I've quite a few people sleeping out there. I think it would be best if I got them home and tucked in for the night." "You do realize that it's only ten o'clock, right?" Anita questioned wryly. "Yes, but this meeting has worried all of us. They have not slept well for days," Amante said, standing again. He turned to Jean-Claude and Asher, bowing slightly. "Thank you for your hospitality, Jean-Claude. Asher, it was good to see you again, without Belle Morte casting a shadow on your presence. I will call here in a few days to let you know what my people have decided in regard to becoming your pomme de sang." Asher nodded. "Thank you, Amante. It is good to see you, as well. After Belle's punishment, she had hoped you'd ended your life. I am glad to see that was not the case." Amante smirked. "I would not give her the satisfaction. I greatly enjoy annoying her with my continued existence." Jean-Claude chuckled. "Oh, you will fit in well here." Smiling, Amante bid them goodnight and returned to the sitting room, waking his slumbering 'cats and herding them outside to the cars. Without worrying about whether his presence would be tolerated, Amante's heart was a great deal lighter. It had been a while since he hosted a party, and it would be fun to invite Jean-Claude and his people, as well as Anita and her pard. It would be something like extended family, he mused, reclining in the back seat of his car thoughtfully as one of his 'cats drove them home. And so it began.