The Vampire’s Servant
Chapter 65

The rest of the trip to the garden center was uneventful. Gray saw a patio set that he liked and put it on top of the cart. When we got to the area where the live plants were, the boy working there told him to leave it by the checkout counter and he would ring it in with our other purchases. There was a display of night blooming flowers for 'Moon Gardens'. That was precisely what I was there for. What I had seen online was that this garden center had the largest variety of night blooming flowers that would survive in the climate we lived in. A moon garden was a perfect idea. Victor could enjoy the flowers and they all smelled beautiful. It would make for some wonderful evenings on the patio.

When we got back home, I called Drew and asked him to deliver the blood. He told me how happy he was that I was back home and promised to bring the blood by in the evening. There wasn't any in the fridge and I wondered where Amy had gotten the blood. When I asked her she told me that she used her own.

I was grateful, and a little disturbed. She explained that powerful blood was healthier for vampires and that she wasn't bothered to donate so everyone would be healthy when searching for me. She said she didn't mind giving me her blood, because it would help me heal faster and she wanted me in the best condition possible.

Amy, Dillon, and Jean-Claude, all came out to help in the garden. There were some tools in the nearby shed, they were older and not in great condition. I decided I would need another trip to the garden center to get newer tools in the future. That would have to wait, though. I had a lot of work to get done.

We started working on the reorganization of the plants that had started to overrun the garden. The landscapers had rid the area of most of the grass and weeds. All we really had to do was move some plants, fertilize, and get the new plants in. I hadn't realized how much faster work goes with four werewolves. Before lunch, we had already started moving rose bushes and other daytime plants to one side of the garden. I wanted the night blooming flowers to be nearer to the house.

Amy made lunch and we all ate on the grass near the garden. Dillon told me the story of how he first met Amy when she was twelve and her training test results. Jean-Claude and Gray looked at her in shock upon hearing the story of her taking out a rogue with a weight disk.

It strengthened my resolve to be more like her. She was strong and skillful even at a young age. I wanted to learn to be like that. If I was going to actually be the mistress of this territory, I didn't want people thinking they could hurt those who were dear to me or even hurt me. I wanted to be strong.

We went back to gardening and nearly had all the bushes moved, when there was a shriek. I nearly jumped out of my skin. I turned around to see what had made that sound and saw Gray flopping his arm around. "Get it off! Help me!" He shouted.

I rushed over and saw a fat spider clinging to his glove for dear life. It looked about as startled as he did. I stopped his hand from moving and delicately took his little passenger from him. With great care, I transplanted it onto one of the rose bushes and went back to Gray to see if it had managed to bite him somewhere.

Carefully, I took off the glove, looking over his hand and wrist for any sign of a bite. Nothing was there. He was hyperventilating the whole time.

"Are you alright, Gray?" I asked softly.

"Is it dead? Is it gone? Goddess, it was huge! That thing could have eaten a child." Gray said.

"Are you afraid of spiders?"

"Who wouldn't be? Creepy things." Bellamy shuddered.

"Bemy, are you afraid of spiders?" Dillon chuckled.

"I didn't see you rushing over to help when you saw it, Dilly." She snorted.

"Are all werewolves afraid of spiders?" I wondered.

"No." Jean-Claude responded with a smirk. "I didn't think any werewolf was afraid of spiders."

"Don't you dare tell Lucien about this." Amy warned.

"Of course not, Luna." He replied, trying not to laugh.

I kissed Gray's hand. "Don't worry. I'll protect you from them." I whispered.

"Don't make fun of me." Gray said quietly. His eyes were downcast and he looked sad.

"I'm not. I can't fight werewolves or vampires. I don't even think I could fight a human, but I can make sure that spiders are taken care of. I can protect you that much, at least." I told him.

"You really aren't laughing at me?" He asked.

"No. I would never laugh at something like that, Gray. I'm sure you can't help being afraid of spiders. Val is afraid of them, too. I know he wishes he wasn't. He told me that it was a phobia. An irrational fear. You know that you're bigger and stronger than them, but your mind still wants to run away. I understand." I smiled slightly. "I love you. I can take care of the spiders for you."

He moved his hand behind my head and kissed me. I wondered if Victor was afraid of them too. I couldn't imagine he was. If he was though, I would be much more useful around the house. I'd gotten used to all the spiders in the basement a long time ago. "I'll take care of the werewolves, Victor will take the vampires, you just keep those creepy monsters away from me." Gray chuckled softly.

"Deal." I replied. "Now, we have more work to do. I promised Victor I'd be there when he woke up. Why don't you take care of building the patio furniture? There will be fewer spiders there."

"Are you sure?" He asked.

"Certain. Can you bring your truck around to the back so I won't have to walk around the house to get the flowers?" "Anything for you."

Gray got up and headed toward the front of the house. I finished up with the plant he had been putting in and headed back to the, now, empty areas of the garden. Amy went to help with building the furniture, but Dillon stayed behind after scolding Jean-Claude for not being more sensitive.

I worked on mixing the soil with the fertilizer while they unloaded the flowers from the back of Gray's truck. They were very fast. I finished just as they arrived with the last of the flowers.

Dillon helped me get each of the flowers planted while Jean-Claude put up the little white wire fence around each of the planting areas. I loved how everything was coming together. It looked beautiful.

Some of the plants I'd gotten were day blooming and would attract bees and butterflies. Many of the night blooming plants would open up in the late afternoon and attract hummingbirds. I really wanted to see them.

When Gray was done putting together the furniture, he called me over and asked my opinion on it. I thought it was perfect. Now there would be plenty of places for people to sit.

"It's getting close to when Victor wakes up. Why don't you head in and take a shower? You smell like sweat, dirt, and fertilizer." Gray said, wrinkling his nose.

I laughed. "I suppose I should. I certainly don't want to climb into Victor's bed covered in those things. He probably wouldn't forgive me."

"Go on, angel. We'll finish up here." He replied and shooed me away.

Quickly, I went to my room and stripped out of my clothes. When the shower was nice and hot, I climbed in and worked to wash all of the day's dirt down the drain. I washed my hair twice, just to be sure it was clean.

Once I was done, I went into my closet to find clean clothes. I pulled out a long, flowy, skirt and a top that looked good with it. I figured it was worth the laundry to be in something nice and comfortable.

My phone alarm started going off. It was time to start the blanket warming. That was timed out perfectly.

I went into Victor's room and set the blanket to warm, then I crawled up on the other side of the bed. I got under the sheets and blankets, moving Victor's arm to fold around me. I breathed in his scent as I curled up next to him with my head on his chest. This felt just perfect. The very slight and slow beat of Victor's heart made me smile as I started to feel the gentle warmth of the blanket seep into me. I must have been more tired than I knew, because I found myself struggling to stay awake.

-

[Victor]

-

I woke to the weight of Echo's head on my chest. She was snoring ever so slightly. She must not have listened to me and wore herself out today. I stroked her back, reveling in the heat of her little body curled against mine. Echo sighed and her hand started trailing up and down my stomach in the same pattern I was gently etching into her back. Every time I woke up with her beside me, I was grateful it wasn't some dream or travel to another reality. Somewhere in the multitudes of reality, there was a place where Echo and I weren't together. I knew that as assuredly as I knew anything. There was a me who wasn't getting to experience her. Somewhere, there was a me that never would. I pitied him. "Good evening, Echo. How was your day?" I asked. "Mmm. Long. I got everything done, though." She sighed.

"I'm glad to hear that." I smiled.

She was always so dedicated to her work. It seemed like she was really coming back to herself. I hoped it wouldn't cause any problems for us. She was growing into such an interesting young woman. "Victor?"

"Yes, princess?"

"Are you afraid of anything?" Echo asked, tracing over the lines in my stomach.

"I don't understand the question. I'm afraid of very little. Sunlight, true death, losing you... your sire becoming angry with me." I chuckled.

"Oh, I was wondering if there was anything I can protect you from. Gray is afraid of spiders. I got to save him today and it made me feel really good." She admitted.

I thought about it. I was definitely not afraid of spiders. I came from an era where things like that were just something that existed with you. I tried to think of if I had any simple fears, but vampires rarely did after they'd been alive as long as I had.

"You already protected me. You got the windows taken care of, you stayed with me, you came to me when Marius was punishing me, and even protected me from him on the first day you met him. All I need is you. I feel good and safe just having you around." I told

her.

"I guess that's true." Echo sighed.

"Let me watch over you. That's all I need. Let me watch how you grow and change over the years. Don't ever block me out. Keep me forever." I murmured and kissed the top of her head.

"I can do that." She answered, her fingers now trailing along the edge of my pajama pants.

"What are you doing, my princess?" I asked.

"Nothing." Echo giggled as her fingers slipped below my waistband.

Echo was never this forward. It shocked me a little, but I snapped out of it when I felt her fingers going lower. As she made gentle contact with my stiffening member, I took a quick breath. "Did I hurt you?" She asked.

"No, Echo. We shouldn't be doing this right now." I replied.

"I'm just curious. You've touched me there. I just want to know what it feels like."

I had never been so at war with myself. I desperately wanted to let her, but was it too much too fast? What if I lost control? I wanted her, but I was waiting until she was healed.

"Hands only. I love you, but I don't want to get too caught up in things you aren't ready for. When I say stop, you stop." I demanded.

"Really?! Thank you, Victor!" Echo said excitedly.

I tried to think back to when I had ever had a woman as excited about just touching me. Excited for s*x and everything that went with it, definitely. Even my wife hadn't been as eager to just explore me.

Her hand made its way around me. She seemed to be trying to put her fingers all the way around it, but they didn't quite make it. She gave up and started running them up the sides to the tip.

Echo traced the rim of my foreskin and gently swirled her index finger over the tip that had started pushing through. I could feel the wetness of her spreading my precum over it. I groaned as her finger slid over my tip again.

"Is this okay?" She asked.

"Yes." I breathed.

Her hand gripped around the girth of me and she moved her hand up and down briefly. I was about to tell her to stop, when she started making her way down to my more sensitive bits. Her fingers trailed over the textured sack and she started kneading it with her hand. I arched at the feeling.

"Will you show me how to make you feel good, Victor?" Echo requested in the most adorable shaky voice.

I reached for her hand, placing it back on my painfully hard length and wrapping her fingers around me. Then I began moving it up and down. I closed my eyes, taking in the scent of her arousal while she stimulated me. "It's so thick, Victor. Is it going to hurt me?" She whispered.

The mere mention of being inside her had me surging. Her delicate innocent tone made feelings well up in me that I had no idea I could feel. I wanted to protect her, make love to her, hold her forever and never let her go.

"I'll do my best not to hurt you, sweet Echo. I promise."

"It's okay if it hurts a little. I love you." Echo murmured and kissed my chest.

I pulled her hand off me and rushed to the bathroom. She wasn't ready for the mess I was about to make. I never thought hearing someone say they loved me could pull me over the edge like that. I shivered thinking of the power she had over me. At least I knew I had that power over her as well. My perfect little Solus Amor.