Bitten (Book 1 - Book 4) novel Chapter 19

Thursday morning, Natalia was looking forward to work, or more specifically to hear from Francie how her dinner date had gone. When she had told Sherri that Francie wasn’t attending on Wednesday night and why, Sherri seemed to already know this and there was no more talk about it.

“You’re antsy this morning,” Uri said when he took her hand and headed for the limo.

“Work is much more interesting and fun working with Francie,” she said.

“Do you still have reading to do?”

“Yes. Tia said I would see my schedule this week for classes.”

“Good. I’ll see if she can take you home after work while I go to the club.”

“Sounds good. I need to get this book done before you find any more for me.”

“Oh, I have lots more I could give you,” he said with a smile.

“Let me see what Tia has for me first.”

He leaned in and brushed her cheek with his.

She noted he had more of a musky smell to him. His breath still carried the scent of breakfast and tea.

It was raining when the limo pulled up to the bank.

“We’re going to get wet,” she said.

“Bonnie’s coming with umbrellas,” he said.

The limo door opened. Uri nudged her and she stepped out. Bonnie covered her with an umbrella, then handed it to her. She had a second one for Uri.

“Just make sure we bring them back tonight so she can put them back in their place in the limo,” he said when they paused at the door.

They shook the rain from umbrellas along with everyone else.

The ride up the elevator was slow. Natalia noted the gentleman next to her had the smell of bacon on his breath. It smelled good.

They were the only ones on the elevator when it reached the top floor. Bailey was waiting. She immediately started with Uri’s schedule, following him into his office.

Natalia turned toward the conference room, noting the scent of coffee on Bailey’s breath.

Francie was in the conference room. She smiled at Natalia.

“Have a good night?” Natalia said.

Francie rolled her eyes.

“Oh, it was wonderful.”

Natalia noted the sarcasm in her voice.

Francie moved to the back of the room to grab a box.

“A once a day kinda guy,” she said in a whispered voice. “Hardly a Romeo. I know he’s not entertaining any of his wives in the bedroom.”

“Maybe a little vend to up things?” Natalia said.

“I’m not supposed to,” she said with a grimaced. “And I would rather not.”

They emptied three boxes to sort onto the table, rearranging boxes that were full.

Uri passed the conference room, heading toward Ravi’s office. A few minutes later, he returned, but with Ravi close behind him. Ravi glanced in and smiled. Francie smiled big back at him.

“Meetings,” Francie said, focusing on the work.

“How things going?” Tia said, appearing at the door.

“Files are getting sorted,” Natalia said.

Francie just smiled.

“I’m stealing Nattie from you for some of the day, Francie. You’re on your own,” Tia said.

“No problem, things are under control,.” she said with a wink.

Natalia grabbed her satchel and followed Tia. They rode the elevator down to the tenth floor. However, after getting off, they had to wait. Their path was blocked by Sophie and three other people.

“I need access to your systems. An office. A laptop. A cup of coffee would be nice,” one man said.

He was wearing a suit that didn’t fit him very well. His attempt to puff himself up and make himself look important made him look ridiculous.

“Of course, Mr. Sturt. We’re getting those things right away,” Sophie said with a smile at the man.

The other two people, another man and a woman, obviously employees of the bank because of their ID badges, looked perturbed.

“I’ll need to have some time with your Controller… what’s his name?” Mr. Sturt said.

“Uri Osrisca,” Sophie said. “Janet. Bob. I’ll catch up with you later.”

She waved her hand to tell them to go. The two people left looking relieved.

“Which conference room or office are you grabbing,” Tia said. “I have Nattie.”

Natalia watched Sophie do a slow look around. The four of them were now the only ones in the hall. When Sophie turned, she slightly brushed against Mr. Sturt. Natalia could have sworn Sophie blew in his ear when she did so. Mr. Sturt was staring fully at Sophie’s breasts.

“Mr. Sturt is doing an audit. He came a day early,” Sophie said.

“Not a good audit if you expect me and cook the books,” he said.

Natalia felt the slight vibration of communication between Tia and Sophie.

“I won’t need my office for a bit,” Tia said.

Sophie turned, almost ramming her breasts into Mr. Sturt.

“This way, Mr. Sturt.”

He ogled her, looking hungry while he followed her with no hesitation.

Tia stayed near the elevators until Sophie disappeared into an office.

“I have some tests for you to take,” she said, finally heading in the same direction as Sophie. “I’ll get your school schedule put together and your books. The online classes start next Monday.”

“I hope I’m ready. Uri said the standards are tougher.”

“You’ll do fine,” Tia said.

The door to the office that Sophie had gone into was only partially shut. Tia paused. There was a name plate with Tia’s name. Natalia could just see Sophie breathing into Mr. Sturt’s ear. He was fondling her breasts. She unfastened three buttons, and he almost shoved his face into her cleavage. Then, she slowly leaned down to his shoulder, moved his collar away and bit him. She looked like she had tasted something bad and wanted to spit when she was finished.

There was a delayed reaction before Mr. Sturt stopped fondling Sophie and slid, drooling, down the front of her, to the ground. Sophie propped him up against the wall behind the desk. He was no longer visible.

Sophie rebuttoned her blouse, then took a tissue from Tia’s desk and wiped off the drool.

“I think that’s the last time he shows up unannounced,” Sophie said, stepping out of the office.

She fully closed the door.

“I’ll keep watch on him,” Tia said.

“Don’t bother. I’ll have security move him in a few hours. We’re going to let him wake up in Hell.”

Sophie wiped her blouse again, looking disgusted.

“This way, Nattie,” Tia said, continuing down the hall toward a conference room.

“Hi, is this Natalia?”

“Hi, Shiela. Yes, this is Natalia or Nattie. Shiela is a proctor for the University. There are some placement tests you need to take before we put your schedule together.”

“Have a seat,” Shiela said, indicating the end of the table where there were three pencils and a calculator.

Natalia could see she was Viperian.

“My office is being used by an auditor, so I’ll be all over. Just give me a call on my cell when she’s done,” Tia said.

“Will do.”

Natalia took a seat. Shiela handed her a sheaf of papers.

“Before we start, what’s the name of your High School?”

“Central Reeds.”

“You graduated this year?”

“Yes.”

“And the name under which you graduated?”

“Natalia VosPass.”

“Good. Now read through the front page. Follow the directions. This is timed. You have two hours.”

“Okay. Thanks.”

Natalia read the whole of the first page before she did anything. The instructions were simple. Write her name on the first page of the test and answer all the questions. The test was multiple choice, but the instructions noted that some calculations were required.

Natalia almost needed the full two hours. The thirty pages tested her reading and math skills. Some of the math included logic, however, she didn’t really find any of it to be related to the finance area.

“I’m done,” she said, handing in the papers.

“Good. Go take a break. Get a drink. Use the restroom and then I’ll get you started on the next set of tests.”

“Okay.”

Natalia went down the hall to the restrooms. Tia’s door was still shut. On her way back, however, two security men were carrying out Mr. Sturt. They each held one of his legs and had one of his arms around their neck. They headed toward the back stairs.

“I need to fuck something,” Mr. Sturt said, sounding very groggy.

“We’ll find you something,” one security man said.

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.”

Natalia waited until they were gone before she returned to the conference room. She took a long drink of sanguine tea before she resumed her seat.

“I’m ready.”

Shiela handed her another large sheaf of papers.

“This isn’t timed. Answer as much as you can.”

Natalia noted this was the financial test. It covered formulas, theories, and just about everything she had read. There were even questions on current laws which was the book she hadn’t finished.

She was on the sixth page when Bailey arrived to drop off a sack lunch.

“Take a break, then get back to it,” Shiela said.

Natalia chose to eat and continue with the test. Every book that Uri had given her pertained to this test.

Tia stopped in.

“I’m back in my office,” she said.

“Looks like she has a couple more pages to go,” Shiela said.

“Five to be exact,” Natalia said.

“Good.”

Tia left.

It was two-thirty by the time Natalia was done.

“That was intense,” she said, handing Shiela the papers.

“Take a break. I’ll get these graded.”

Natalia headed for the restroom. Tia was in her office. On her way back, however Tia was gone, but Natalia saw she was in the conference room with Shiela.

“We’re almost done,” Shiela said.

“She’s about where I expected her to be,” Tia said.

“She tested up where most of our grads test,” Shiela said, looking impressed.

“Uri had her read all the books.”

“Still…”

“She’s Ryan Crockland’s sister,” Tia said.

“Oh, that explains it.”

“You did well,” Tia said, looking up with a smile.

“I have your transcripts from your High School. I’m waiting for the system to run through the schedules based on how you tested and your grades from High School.”

Shiela picked up an electronic tablet.

“Looks like it’s finished.”

Tia and Shiela sat on either side of her.

“This is yours,” Shiela said, indicating the tablet.

“You’ll take all your classes on this,” Tia said.

“Here are the online books you need. These are the classes. The exams. You’re able to access what you need as you progress. The instructions are pretty self-explanatory. Based on what you just went through here, you’ll have no problems,” Shiela said.

“So these are the classes I take for this semester?”

“No, you get these done as fast as you can and then we’ll give you more. Your classes are not defined by semester,” Shiela said.

“You’ll complete this four-year degree in two years or less,” Tia said.

“Wow.”

“No more club nights with Uri,” Tia said.

“Agreed.”

“Okay, let’s get you back upstairs. We left poor Francie long enough,” Tia said.

Natalia slid the tablet into her satchel with a charger that Shiela handed her. Tia accompanied her back upstairs.

As soon as the elevator opened, Natalia could hear Francie. She was singing, but she wasn’t in the conference room.

Mag hurried in.

“Yes, ma’am?”

“Why is this cookie glowing?”

“Is it?”

“Yes,” she said, almost shouted. “What is in the cookie?”

“It’s just a cookie,” Mag said.

“Beetle larvae,” Uri said, taking a bite out of a cookie.

“What?” Natalia said, swinging toward him.

Mag swirled around and smacked him hard on the arm.

“She needs to eat these cookies,” Mag said with irritation.

He shrugged, grinned, and finished his cookie.

“She needs to find out eventually,” he said.

“Is this what I’m eating that makes me glow?”

“You’re seeing things?” Mag said.

Natalia swung her eyes back to Mag.

“Of course, I’m seeing things. Signs. Symbols. Glowing hair. Lineage marks.”

“Excellent,” Mag said, turning and leaving the room.

Natalia swung her eyes to Uri.

“What am I eating?”

“The larvae of a subterranean beetle normally found in the tropics.”

“Say what?”

“We raise them. Dry and ground them and make cookies out of them. They coexist with a fungus and together they create chemicals that when we ingest them, make us bioluminescent.”

“Why?”

Natalia was dumbfounded, not sure she understood.

“Well, actually, that’s a side-effect.”

She stared at him hard.

“Without this in our diet, our venom will weaken. For you, if you don’t eat these cookies, the baby won’t develop properly.”

“I would get a baby without venom,” she said flatly.

“We’ve come to rely more on the side-effects than on the strengthening of the venom,” he said. “Your glow designates you as part of the Viperian community. The side effects of eating the larvae combine with side-effects of being bitten result in the sharpening of your senses. You can now see the glow. But I take it you’ve only progressed to where you can see the glow in the dark. In time, you will see it during the day.”

Natalia realized he was inching closer to her. She stepped back, but he reached out to touch her. It was a gentle touch.

“You’re beautiful,” he said. “Each day, you glow with health. You glow with my baby.”

He took another step closer. They were almost face to face.

“If Sherri said tomorrow that you had to kill me, would you?” she said, not knowing why that came out of her mouth.

She felt as if she was testing him, not quite believing him.

“No. I would never be able to do that.”

She met his eyes.

“I would fight to save you. I would die for you,” he said.

He leaned in and kissed her cheek, then stepped back.

“You didn’t breathe in my ear,” she said.

“I love you. If you don’t know that by now, I’ve failed. I want you to feel your true emotions, not one I’ve passed on to you.”

Natalia almost felt tears in her eyes for the strong feelings she had toward him.

“You’re very much part of my life now,” he said. “I don’t want this to end. You’re the only woman I want.”

“So, I need to eat the cookie,” she said matter-of-fact.

He smiled.

“You need to fully commit to this life that you are so a part of.”

“I need to eat the cookie.”

He took one last step and put his arms around her.

“You need to eat everything that Mag puts before us. Has there been anything you didn’t like?”

The question set Natalia back. It wasn’t a matter of whether she liked a food but the discomfort of eating things she wasn’t used to eating, like raw meat, which she now fully enjoyed. The sanguine tea, which she now craved. And now…a beetle.

“I guess there really hasn’t been anything.”

“I have a present for you,” he said.

She wondered why he changed the subject.

He pulled a velvet pouch out of his pocket. From within the pouch he pulled out a necklace made with silver chain. There was a pendant covered in blue gems and diamonds. It almost looked like a cross. He held it up and pressed one of the gems. A blade shot out and the pendant became a knife. He pressed the gem again and the blade slid back into the pendant.

“Your second knife,” he said with a smile.

Natalia felt as if this was the most wonderful gift anyone could give her. She touched it gently. He put it around her neck.

“It’s as beautiful as you are,” he said in almost a whisper.

She leaned in and kissed him. The kiss was gentle. She half-expected him to embrace her with added force, but he didn’t. Instead, he wrapped his arms around her and the kiss increased in passion. She leaned into the heat of his body.

Uri loosened his arms just a bit, leaving his lips touching hers.

“You’ve taught me how to be gentle,” he said. “I like that.”

She realized he was right. He was becoming more tender in their love making.

“These are some of the best cookies I’ve ever eaten,” she said, brushing her lips against his when she spoke.

“The larvae impart a rich fatty, sweet buttery taste.”

“The knife is beautiful. Thank you.”

“Are we having a boy or a girl?” he said.

“A girl.”

“Have you thought of names?”