by K. M. Raya
She’s quiet for a moment. “What if they’re not?”
Blinking at my feet, I watch the gravel crunch under my boots. We’re walking at a pretty steady pace, but I feel like my feet are growing heavier at every mile marker. “You’re right,” I tell her finally. “It’s pointless to imagine the worst. We just have to wait and see…”
I look to the side, not wanting her to see my eyes shining, showing how weak the prospect of being left alone makes me. I stiffen for a moment when fingers grip mine. Snapping my eyes downward, I see Ret’s gloved hand gripping mine tightly. Comfort spreads through me, and warmth blooms in my chest. I smile up at her, but all she can probably see are my squinty eyes.
“We’re with you, Hell. Even if it doesn’t turn out the way you want it,” she promises and my heart lurches. She squeezes my fingers. “We’re a family, and we’re not going anywhere, I swear.”
“Damn straight!” Dante shouts again, and the two of us whip around, walking backwards and smiling. Missy and Nina are strolling hand in hand off to the side, watching us in amusement.
“Do you ever stop snooping?” Ret asks him, to which he just shrugs.
“She’s right, though,” says Alex. “We’re with you, baby, and I can’t wait to meet the family.”
“Same,” chimes in Wyatt as he throws a stick for Anubis to chase after.
My eyes go round and my jaw drops a little. I never thought about it that way. Am I really bringing home my three boyfriends and my… girl… friend… ish, to meet my father? Gulping, I whirl back around with their laughter on my heels, hiding my burning face.
☣
The sun is beginning to set by the time we stumble upon a familiar sight that has my stomach doing backflips. We left the road about twenty minutes ago, and have brought our trek to a small dirt path that I know leads towards the back of daddy’s property.
About ten feet ahead is an old well, looming in the distance like some sort of spectre. There’s a slab of wood laid over the top, and the stone column barely even peeks out from the packed dirt. If you didn’t know what you were looking for you’d never even know it was there. The closer we get, the more my hands sweat.
Alex must see the way I’ve clammed up, because when I glance at him from the corner of my eyes, his head is swiveling back and forth between my tense form and that fucking well. That nightmare laying in wait. His blue eyes go wide. “Helana, is that…”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” I hurry forward, making a point to not look towards the well. Alex’s chuckles follow after, and I only pick up the pace.
“It can’t get you anymore, babe—” he drawls from behind me.
“Dude, what are you talking about?” asks Wyatt.
“Nothing, he’s talking about nothing,” I tell him quickly. “We’re five minutes out, so hurry the fuck up unless you wanna be left out here with your thumbs up your asses.”
All six of them are laughing and I hear someone whisper again, “Our girl has such a way with words…” Our girl.
Ignoring them, I start to break into a run. I can feel myself getting closer. Though the fog shrouds everything else around me, I can feel my home through the soles of my thick boots. This land is mine, and I’m back to claim it after a year of nightmares. The others sense my urgency and I can hear them running after me. The sound of stomping feet is the only noise around. We run for a full two minutes, my heart pounding practically out of my chest when suddenly, up ahead…
No fucking way…
How is it possible?
I look on in awe as I come to a screeching halt, the others panting as they run up on my sides. Anubis continues on ahead as I drop to my knees. Dust billows up around me as I look up, up and up. A massive wooden wall looms thirty feet high and wider than I can see before the fog consumes it. This wall wasn’t here before and my stomach is in my throat.
Anubis is barking and howling, so loud in the silence that there’s not a single chance that it goes unheard. He’s clawing at the wall, like me, not understanding what’s happening. Missy and Nina gape up at it too, eyes wide and jaws probably unhinged. We stand here for a full minute before shadows peek over the top. They’re men, dressed in camo uniforms, gripping rifles in their hands and squinting down at us from behind mask covered faces. I can’t tell if I recognize any of them.
“State your business!” one man yells down at us. I choke for a second, not quite comprehending what he’s saying. I must take too long for the man’s liking. “I said state your business, friends!”
“We need to get inside!” I shout up at him. I’m met with a round of laughs from above. Wyatt goes to push me aside, hands balled into fists, but I stop him with a hand on his arm. Looking back up at the men, I shield my eyes from the sun glaring through the fog, creating halos of color in the desert air. “Can I speak to Reginald Gray, please?!” The men stop laughing immediately.
I sound like an idiot asking permission, but I need to be diplomatic. These men don’t know me from Eve, so I don’t blame their caution.
“Y’all ain’t those trapper fella’s are you?”
I scoff, offended, and surprised they even know about the trappers. “Fuck those guys!” I yell up at them. “Now can I speak with Reginald!?”
Silence meets my question, and I feel a hand on my shoulder. Missy and Nina come up beside me. “You sure about this, Hell?
I don’t respond, my eyes are still locked on the men at the top of the wall. Two shadows have disappeared. We wait for a few more very long, excruciating minutes, when suddenly, I hear a loud groan. The sound of scraping dirt fills my ears and Anubis’ howls turn to whines. The fence in front of me starts to open into two gigantic doors. I stand here in awe, watching as they part, two men in military garb pushing it through the dirt. Dust rolls inward, but when I squint my eyes, I feel my heart leap back into my throat. Tears prick my eyes and I drop my crossbow to the dirt with a loud clatter. A figure emerges from the dust, his shadow illuminated by flood lights as he steps just past the gate.
I can see the portly shape of his belly, and the wide brim of that old hat… I can barely breathe as he comes to a stop with less than twenty feet between us. We face each other, my eyes drinking in every detail, when the purest, most comforting, most familiar voice rolls out from behind a mask that could never hide those jovial green eyes. “Hell or high water… is that you, sweetheart!?”
I break into a sprint, letting my feet guide me home as my body crashes into his massive form. His arms come around me, squeezing me tight, and I can hear his sniffles through his mask. Even through mine I can practically smell the pipe tobacco on his jacket. My arms are shaking and tears spill over my cheeks. “Daddy, it’s me...” I choke.
He strokes my hair with shaky hands, just as three more figures step up behind him. He won’t let me go just yet. Taking my shoulders in his hands, my father takes the time to look me over, eyes roving everywhere all at once like he just can’t believe his eyes. The crinkles near his eyes more pronounced than ever, and grey hair peeks out from beneath his hat. “You gave this old man the mother of all conniptions, Helana girl. We thought we lost you...”
I can’t help but laugh in hysterics and throw my arms around him again, whispering over and over how sorry I am for leaving. Looking past his shoulder, I can see our house in the distance, but where flat land and the barns used to be now stands dozens of small houses that look like they were built by hand, along with all manner of people walking to and fro, all carrying weapons or farm equipment. Several honest to God tanks are parked off to the side with a bunch of trucks and trailers.
My group comes closer, I can hear their footsteps approaching cautiously from behind. Butterflies erupt in my stomach as my three brothers jog around my dad and Niko wraps me in his big, smelly arms. The boys take turns hugging me and ruffling my hair out of my ponytail, but I can tell each of them are on the verge of real man tears. Looking at them, it’s like a world of weight suddenly lifts from my shou
lders.
But when I turn back to daddy, his eyes are no longer on me. He’s staring down these three large men standing behind me, carrying massive weapons on their backs and keeping their attention locked on his only daughter. Daddy and my brothers are standing shoulder to shoulder now, arms crossed as they size up my men. “And who might these be, Helana?” Scottie asks, eyes raking over the guys skeptically.
My head swivels, meeting the sharp gazes of the men I’ve come to love more than anything on this planet. They followed my across multiple states, watched my back at every turn and saved me from certain death more times than I can count.
We’ve become a family, in every sense of the word, and it’s time to make this family whole. Their eyes are on me still, never straying even for a moment, and for some reason, I can tell they’re all smiling. After a tense, nerve wracking few seconds, I turn back to my dad while Anubis runs over, planting his butt in front of Alex’s feet. Daddy raises a single bushy eyebrow and I laugh nervously.
“So, about that…”
The End
About The Author
K.M. Raya
I'm K.M. Raya and I write books! Primarily romance, paranormal, YA, mafia, fantasy and Reverse Harem.
I started writing in high school for the school paper, and after that it was a whirlwind. Most of my college years were spent creating stories and blogs and bringing my imagination to life so that one day I could share them with you all. I live in California with my amazingly supportive husband and my two crazy cats, who both definitely proofread everything I write. I spend most of my free time watching B movie horror flicks, crime dramas and any vampire TV show I can find. I'm a lover of fantasy, swoon worthy book boyfriends and suffer from a serious case of wanderlust that can only be cured by reading dozens of books a year.
Thanks a bunch for giving me a follow. I hope you enjoy my worlds and all my little creations. You can find my books on Amazon Kindle, Barnes and Noble, or if you want, you can follow my Facebook, Instagram and Goodreads!
Books By This Author
Blue Blooded (Arcane Academy Slayers)
A Reverse Harem Vampire Urban Fantasy~ Standalone
Exiled. Forgotten. Disgraced...
My name is Blue Graves. I come from one of the greatest lines of vampire slayers in existence. A true legacy... or, at least I used to be. Ten years ago, my sister and I were banished after a tragedy that still haunts me. But I never let myself forget where I come from, or what I am.
When a pardon arrives at my door in the form of a coveted acceptance letter to the slayer training university of my dreams, I have no choice but to accept. I've trained for this opportunity. I've spent every single night of my exile hunting the creatures of the dark and turning them to dust with the business end of my silver-tipped stake.
As thrilled as I am to finally be back home, the other students definitely don't share the sentiment. While ignoring the perplexing glares of a mysterious guy with the saddest eyes I've ever seen, the unrelenting attention of an overbearing werewolf who thinks I'm his mate, and the sly smirks of a darkly seductive new student, I try my hardest to make a place for myself and regain the honor and prestige that the Graves family once had. But when students start turning up undead on academy grounds, and the nearby human city falls under attack, all fingers point to me, the one Slayer who doesn't deserve to be here.
Angel (The Brotherhood Book 1)
A single day at Draven Preparatory Academy and she's already made enemies. They call themselves 'The Brotherhood.'
Carter, Holden, Captain and Ellis rule the school like gods while their fathers rule the city. But Angel Valentino has never been one to take orders blindly. After her father-- one of the most feared and infamous mobsters on the East Coast sends her to Draven, Angel finds herself entangled in a web of love, lies, death and darkness.
Being a Brother comes with a heavy price and an unshakable legacy that spans generations. They don't like this baffling new girl who threatens to turn their world inside out. She might just be the most beautiful, most darkly alluring girl any of them have ever laid eyes on--with a heart of steel and intellect well beyond her years, but Angel has secrets too . . . and in their world, secrets get you killed.
Devils (The Brotherhood Book 2)
I thought I'd finally done it. He could no longer watch me...groom me and play with my life like a pawn in his deadly game. Me and my guys fled far away with blood on our hands and fire at our heels, with promises of a life together on the horizon.
But nothing this good can last and I should have seen it coming.
Thanks to Sal g*ddamn Valentino and his manipulative ways they think I'm a liar-a double agent, and nothing I can say will change their minds. The Famiglia has come for me, and it looks like the Brotherhood is back to hand me right over.
Lament (A Contemporary Bully Romance)
~Extended Edition Novella~
Seventeen year old Freya Lockwood has lived a privileged life. Surrounded by amazing friends and a loving family, she couldn't have asked for anything more.
Until the night that changed it all.
One bad decision leads Freya down a spiraling path of tragedy and crippling regret. Her once picturesque world has been turned inside out, permanently. Nearly a year has passed since that fateful night and Freya's high profile parents are eager to be rid of their troublesome teen. Shipped off to Wolf Mountain Summer Camp with her classmates, she must learn to navigate this new existence of hers alone for the first time ever.
When lifelong friends turn their backs on her and the guy she's loved since childhood promising her nothing but misery, Freya sinks deeper into a depression that just might be impossible to claw her way out of. There is a hole in her heart that doesn't want to be filled-- but there are still those who might want to try.
Tensions are high at Wolf Mountain and things soon take a dangerous and deadly turn. Freya must fight-- sometimes literally to overcome the guilt that threatens to consume her.
Kindred (Into The Darklands)
A BEAUTIFUL NEW STANDALONE FANTASY ADVENTURE!
~~~
Princess Sera has lost everything.
After her castle is destroyed with her family inside, the realm rejoices the downfall of her father—the Tyrant King. Presumed dead, Sera flees to the one place nobody will ever find her—the Darklands.
For five years the princess trains in the kingdom of the Kindred—a haven for banished magical beings outlawed by the fallen king.
When a destructive new power rises and threatens her new home, Sera discoverers a dark, long hidden secret about herself that might help her save them all. A powerful ancient Dragon, a Warrior Elf and a renegade Necromancer from her past enlist themselves in Sera's service—aiding her as she gathers the largest army of Kindred in history.
War is spilling into the Darklands and the last living royal will stop at nothing to save it.
The Witching Hour
A YA/NA Vampire Romance
There's something strange about Annabelle. Fenrir, Lucian and Wraith have been watching over the not so human girl from the shadows since the day she was born. As Hellhounds and ageless warriors bound by blood and oath to their future Night Queen, they'll stop at nothing to prepare her for her ascension to the vampire throne. When tragedy strikes, Anna must decide if she's ready to bond with her protectors and follow in her mother's footsteps. With an exiled prince out for her blood and circling her throne, Anna's life is in more danger than ever before, and the only thing that stands between her and death are the three determined Hounds who would die for her.
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