“God Miranda what kind of alone time did you give him, he hasn’t spoken about love in over a century. He didn’t even claim to love his last three wives, I don’t know what it is you have, but where can I get it.”
Michael started to laugh he needed to calm down Carma and Sahen for completely different reasons and get people to start talking again.
Miranda spoke up seeing that Sahen was about to strike, she used a calming voice to bring him around, “Sahen could you tell me why you were sent to me again. I need to know what my father expects you and I to do together.”
She knew that Sahen was only after her because Jared was but she also knew he came there with a job to and he needed to remember that.
There was a strange calmness over him as she spoke Sahen tried to remember why he was there. He realized he had gotten caught up in a territorial match with Jared and forgot the bigger picture. He really didn’t want Miranda he just saw an opportunity to upset Jared and that was fun.
“He sent me because your father decided you needed another body guard. I’m also here in case they screw up and you get kidnapped.” A light went when on inside his head, “By the way, that reminds me, you need to go into the house now so I can prepare for the second part of my job. Jared, I want you to watch this. I’m sure it will make you happy watching me do my job!”
The group looked strangely at each other as they walked into the house together. Just then a outraged look came across Jared face as he realized just want Sahen was going to be allowed to do to Miranda.
“Wait a minute don’t even think about it, I can’t let you...” his voice trailed off as he knew in his heart he didn’t have any other choice.
Miranda looked directly into Sahen eyes to get some idea as to what was going to happen to her. She knew that Sahen understood some of her powers, so he wouldn’t be surprised when she knew what he was going to do. She saw what he would try to pull and she calmly looked at him.
“I will hurt you personally if you do any of what is on your mind that has nothing to do with your job. You need to remember what you were told about me. I believe you told us Gage said stay away it bad enough she has a vampire for a boyfriend.” Miranda smiled put her arm out to the sides and waited for Sahen to “smell her”.
“Look I’m just teasing if I piss my dad off one more time, well he can’t kill me but, he can make living very difficult.”
Sahen realized his thoughts had crossed a very serious line and he wasn’t prepared for whatever it was that Gage was trying to do here with Miranda or what Gage would do to him.
“Look I’ll behave I promise!”
He turned to Carma, “you have to admit it’s just so easy, Jared makes it so easy.”
He started the very close job of “smelling” Miranda getting to know every inch of her being and learning all of the scents that she was made of. He knew that if he got anything wrong she could die because they would confuse him and he wouldn’t be able to track her.
When he was done he added, “do me and all of us here a favor, don’t get kidnapped, your human side is easy to get but the other side I don’t know.”
He turned to Jared, “I’ve never smelled anything like it before it’s almost unknown, I can’t place the scent anywhere and I’m the best.”
The word unknown hit the group like a lead balloon and Sahen caught sight of it, “you can’t think, she can’t be, what this human?”
Jared looked at Sahen, “No we don’t all think, but some of us have over active imaginations and can’t get passed it. However even Miranda knows that’s a long shot, but if whoever is after her could be afraid of her for that, well I’m all for it.”
Jared was hoping that Sahen would get the information out of his head and move on, but it didn’t work.
“Sure, whatever you say Jared.” Sahen turned back to Miranda bend down before her and said, “I am so sorry for anything I did to offend you. Your boyfriend may not believe it, but I’m not so sure he’s right, I know what I smelled and I know how I feel and that‘s enough for me. I would have known even if you didn’t tell me.”
He looked at the rest of the group, “I also guess she has a whole lot more power than anyone is every going to tell me about, doesn’t she? I can smell the fear in all of you,” he looked into Miranda’s eyes, “Your secret, as you can see, is safe with me.”
Miranda looked deeply into his eyes and then smiled at Jared, “Jared he too is willing to die for me.”
She turned back to Sahen, “However you won’t have to, please just keep me safe and don’t let Celbris get to me. I can see it in your eyes, Celbris has been in all of your eyes, and he’s the one coming for me. Jared you can’t fight him either because that’s exactly what they want, when they lose to you, that is the moment when they are going to try to kidnap me. They will call for my hand after some meeting, I don’t know how long but they are waiting for Jared to respond so they can weaken him, Sahen you have to fight Celbris for me. Carma your shield will protect him so you need to practice too, Michael and Mattis you need to spy on Emina and Mical. Let them know you’re watching them, Jared and I will stand with my father, that’s how we have to do it for know, that’s how we win. Don’t let Emina or Mical near me, I don’t want them to see my evil side or my death, I need to learn to shield my mind better now that I know how they can get in.”
“Well, now that we have that straighten out, we better all start confessing our sins.” Mattis continued on, “I don’t know about any of you but I don’t want Miranda to find out about something at an inopportune time, do you?”
They took turns confessing every little bad though or deed that any of them had done. They understood the ramifications if they didn’t tell her and she lost control at the wrong time. No one told Sahen want she was capable of just that she was and that’s really all he wanted to know.
“I don’t want to be responsible for any information getting out; you guys can keep that to yourselves.” He understood the job he took on was dangerous and he was ready.
When they finished up Mattis said, “Now I understand why humans say confession is good for the soul! I may not have one, but dam I do fell a lot better, sorry guys if I offended anybody. By the way did I tell you guys I was hungry?”
Everyone gave him an awful look. “You’re always hungry, Mattis!” Carma looked embarrassed, “Sorry I think he was born like that. Honestly I don’t how we come from the same family.”
“It’s ok Carma, it is way past dinner time and I still need to eat at human times. Let me go into the kitchen and figure out how to cook for everybody.” Miranda looked puzzled, “Does anyone here know how to cook? When Jared and I are bound, I should know how to cook for him, I never thought about it. Jared, what else is different, I also need to learn practical things.”
Sahen looked right over at Mattis, “You’re right it is bad, not if am I bound, but when we are bound, sad but true she won’t even play the field. I don’t know if your dad should be happy or sad, you took the first vampire you ran into.”
“Oh I went looking for him,” Miranda smiled she knew this part was going to shock Sahen, “I went looking for him to get him to kill me.”
On that happy note she walked into the kitchen to try and figure things out, she knew what was going to happen next. Jared came running into the kitchen giggling to himself and grabbed her from behind. As he kissed her neck and head, he turned her toward him and said, “That was truly mean! How could you leave him like that? He had no clue what was coming.”
Miranda kissed Jared back gently as Sahen came running into the kitchen with a million questions on his face, “Dear God! Can you two stop for just a minute? What do you mean you went looking for him so he could kill you? How does someone go looking to die when they’re one of us?”
“Sahen I thought I was a crazy human who saw things that weren’t really there. My human family was killed and I couldn’t get over it so I went to the woods to have Jared kill me, and the rest they say is
history.”
Miranda knew that wasn’t going to be enough. “Go get Carma she can explain it all, right now I need to learn how to cook.”
Sahen left with a lot on his mind and Carma was overjoyed to be able to tell the whole story to him. She left out the parts where Miranda’s power came in and called them gifts because Sahen didn’t need to know about them. Miranda smile as she watched them, “I think they make a good couple, don’t you?”
She watched as Jared’s facial expression changed from not understanding to looking further beyond what was on the surface.
He nodded and smiled, “I guess they can torture each other now, they are exactly alike. You’re right I think they are perfect for each other, even if they are from two different lines. Won’t their dads’ be piss? At least we will all have something in common.”
He looked at Miranda, “please don’t leave me right away tonight, let yourself have time to understand everything I’ve done, I am very worried about losing you.”
“Stop, I’ve heard a lot today, way more then I really wanted with Mattis, what could be so bad after all that?”
Miranda wanted to start talking now she could understand why Jared was so anxious, so she looked into his eyes. “All I see are your past wives. Jared I already knew about them, what’s wrong that you think I will leave you?”
Miranda looked deeper and then she saw it, the wives were happy, in love and working to make Jared love them. “You never really loved them, did you? That’s what you’re worried about. Michael said it before, you never loved your wives, but what he didn’t know is that they knew it.”
Miranda had stopped everything she was doing and stared not just into his eyes, but his face as well, “they worked and slaved trying to make you happy when they never could and you let them. You never had feelings for them you were just going through the motions, weren’t you.”
Jared was shocked she hit it right on the head, “My kills and all of the other stuff you’ve seen, this is my only secret, I’m sorry I was so cruel. They all died thinking they weren’t good enough for me and I’ve died every time they did wondering what was wrong with me. That’s what is wrong and that is my confession, I hope you can forgive me.”
Miranda stood still for a minute not sure where to begin. Jared took that as a sign that she would leave him and turned to go.
“Stop where are you going, you’re not the only one to do that in this room. Don’t you think I had the same problem too? The others hit it on the head, they couldn’t understand why I stayed with Ben when he was so awful sometimes with me and you said it about my family! Don’t you get it; I was going through the motions too! I didn’t know which way was up half the time. I never told Ben I loved him, the only thing I ever loved where my children and they were gone. That’s why I came too died by your hands in the woods that day, because my only love was gone and I knew I would never get it back again.”
Jared and Miranda stood together in silence arm in arm holding each other when Carma walked into the kitchen.
“What’s going on in here I thought you to where cooking?”
They looked at her, “We were confessing and it is good for the soul.
I think you can handle dinner, can’t you. Miranda and I need to finish her education,”
Carma gave Jared a sexy look and he just shook his head, “Not that education.” He turned to Miranda, “at least not yet, but soon I promise. I need to tell her about our family line and what to expect from our children.”
He smiled at Miranda, grabbed her in his arms and headed upstairs carrying her all the way.
The guys came running in, “What was that all about?” Carma played with them and wouldn’t say a word, “Come little sister what gives? I demand to know!” He jumped on her and put her in a head lock as the others jumped into help kill her.
“Alright! alright! It’s nothing they just had their own confession time, Jared told her about his wives and she told him and about her husband. They understand each other now and they have no secrets. Anyway he just took her upstairs to seal the deal.” Everyone was shocked it seemed to public for Jared until Carma let them off the hook, “Teasing!! He’s going to tell her about our family line and everything that we can and will do. She knows about everything else now it’s time to learn about the people she’s going to marry into.”
They turned to go feeling defeating because nothing juicy was happening as Carma yelled to them, “Get back over here you guys are helping with dinner, don’t even think about leaving.”
Michael and Mattis grabbed stuff to set the table and ran into the dining room to escape Carma telling them what to do. Sahen wasn’t so lucky, or so they thought, he stayed behind to help Carma cook. Soon they were laughing and arguing about all different ways to cook and prepare their food. After a while it got quite, Mattis and Michael starting taking bets on who killed who, when Miranda and Jared came downstairs.
Jared had told her all about his family line, who to trust and who not to trust, who was powerful and who wasn’t and finally their powers. They had amazing speed and agility, the best hearing of all the races and the ability to make you want to do things you normally wouldn’t. He laughed at how could never seem to use his glamour on her because she could block it without even knowing, and there was the gift of mind speak. They were both happy they had that, and they both had a lust for blood, but not enough to make them hurt anyone.
Miranda looked around when she came down the steps; she only saw Mattis and Michael, “Where are Carma and Sahen?”
The boys didn’t answer Miranda right away because they weren’t really sure how to. “We left them in the kitchen cooking. First there was laughing and then arguing and now, well for the last half hour, silence. We weren’t sure who killed who and we don’t want to look.”
Miranda and Jared started to laugh. “I don’t think you need to worry about who’s dead, I think you need to worry about them burning the food.”
Mattis and Michael stared at Miranda they didn’t have a clue what she was talking about, “Oh come on, you can’t see it? Death and killing makes noise, there are only a few things you try to keep quiet with this many people around!”
“Oh gross, Miranda, Carma won’t do that! With a werewolf? Please come on, Jared talk some sense into her.”
Mattis was trying very hard not to see it until Jared shook his head, “Carma he better be on the other side of the kitchen when I get in there!” Mattis was very angry so Miranda quickly followed him in.
“Mattis stop!” Miranda grabbed him by that arm and turned him around, “She’s a grown woman she can do what she wants, werewolf or no werewolf, leave them be.” She was uses her ability to calm him so there wouldn’t be a fight. “Besides if you say one thing about mixing bloodline, Jared and I will become very offended and then you’ll really be in trouble!”
Just then Carma and Sahen walked out of the kitchen with the food. Carma was angry at her brother but she stop when she saw Miranda calming him down, Sahen was his usual helpful self and give Mattis the thumbs up sign.
“Yeah I guess they are perfect for each other. You better tell dad I didn’t know about this or he’s dead! I’m not taking the heat for this one, I’ll tell him you hid it from me the way I hid not killing Miranda from you!” Mattis was really pissed and for good reason, their dad was going to kill him for not stopping this.
“For that I will teach you everything I know about being a woman in your new home. Cooking, cleaning, being a woman in general, our rules and rights and what ones we can break, thanks Miranda.” Carma gave Miranda a big hug and kissed her on the check.
Chapter 16
The evening went fast and soon they were trying once again to figure out sleeping arrangements that weren’t going to piss someone off.
“Mattis need to get over it! Sahen is not staying out side in his wolf form, that’s it!” Carma was angry and she wanted Mattis to know it she was stomping all around like a two year old.
“I understand how he feels, you’re his sister and he needs to protect you, Carma give it a break and I’ll talk to him.”
Jared went to speak to Mattis, “Look we can put two mattresses in the one room and you can sleep in there with your sister, and Sahen and Michael can sleep down stairs keeping watch. I don’t care if you want to put your mattress up against the door; you know he’s not going to try anything when he was sent here to do a job, that comes first. Stop being an asshole, and deal with it, or I’ll tell your father you knew!”
“Fine I don’t have to like it though.” Mattis started to calm down and soon everyone had their rooms and their times to be up to keep watch. Jared took Miranda upstairs and they went to bed. He was on permanent personal watch with Miranda in her room.
“I don’t think I’ll be able to sleep tonight Jared.” Miranda was starting to get worried again. “I don’t know what is going to happen when we go to my parent’s house.” A shocking new look came across Miranda’s face, “They don’t know about Sahen! What are we going to do? How am I going to explain him? My mother will see right through it!”
“Don’t you worry we have a few days to convince them that he’s cool and they’ll be ok with yet another friend coming along. Your mother loves having company and in the morning I’ll use my sweetest vampire voice and charm her and your dad into knowing its ok. I’ll just tell him a special friend of Carma’s showed up without warning. She’ll understand especially when I mention how amazing their daughter is and how she has completely captured me. I think your parents will drool at the thought that you may one day you might remarry, don’t you?” Jared was completely confident in himself and in his abilities.
“So you think you can keep my mother from changing her mind and wanting me to stay home instead of going “camping” with you guys for three months?”
Between Shadows Page 18
