The Pearls

by Michelle Farrell

  “Thank you Winston.”

  Winston made his phone calls and about twenty minutes later another van pulled up and four men hopped out. They were all dressed in a company uniform and were unloading boxes, tape, and other packing supplies. Justine was out of the car and looking all the men down. From what she could see none of them had flecks in their eyes. She breathed a sigh of relief but stayed outside to watch the area around the house.

  Zoe chose two of the men to follow around and watch what they were doing, Kaiden chose the other two. Within three hours all the shelves were bare and closets were emptied. They had the living room stacked with boxes. Zoe was impressed these guys worked fast. Kaiden ordered some pizzas and they were all clustered on the floor waiting for the delivery guy to get there.

  Justine was still outside hyper alert for anything. A car had pulled up and she instantly felt the pull. A tall man stepped out of the car. He had the most gorgeous dark green eyes with black fleck in them. Justine just stood there staring at him, she couldn’t move. He stared at her too, but he had pizzas in his hand, about six of them. His hair was covered under a hat that had the pizza logo on it. His lips were set in a firm line, but she could tell they were full lips. He walked right up to Justine and whispered “Not yet my love, but soon, right now you are being watched and I am trying to keep you safe.”

  Justine didn’t know what to say she just watched him move away from her and go to the door.

  Kaiden answered the door and stood in shock. Zoe came up behind him and also stared in shock. They had felt the pull of a full-blood. Kaiden opened the door before he could even knock.

  “Now is not the time to stare, you are in danger here and need to leave soon.” He told them

  “We know, we are not staying here tonight, the movers are taking everything and then we are leaving, but we will be close for a couple days.” Kaiden told him

  “I know who you are and I know everything, I have been watching her.” He nodded behind him. “I will be close but I cannot be with her just yet. I have taken care of two men that have been watching you and they were close. I have not seen what I assume is their father yet, but he will be here soon after what I did”

  “Understood, I am Kaiden this is Zoe” Kaiden nodded to Zoe “and I assume you know who Justine is?”

  “I do, nice to meet you Kaiden and Zoe. Here are your pizzas. The man who was delivering them was a half-blood. They know who you are and where you are.”

  Kaiden took the pizzas from him and handed them to Zoe. “When will you come to her? As soon as we have what we need, we are leaving the state, so how will you find us?”

  The man turned to Justine and moved in front of her.

  “My name is Gabriel, but you my love, can call me Gabe. I am not leaving you, I will be watching, and I will come to you once you are safe and no one is watching.” Gabe reached for her hand and gently laid a kiss on it.

  “Gabe” Justine whispered out. She didn’t know if she wanted to faint or throw her arms at him. She knew she did not want him to leave. She fell in love the moment his eyes met hers and he kissed her hand.

  Gabe strode away got in his car and drove off.

  Justine just stood there and watched the car drive away. She wanted to run after it but could not move. That was him that was her soul mate and the way he touched her she was instantly in love. Justine would be patient, he said they were being watched and she knew she could not act out of the ordinary, she had to wait.

  Zoe came out of the house with a box of pizza and she walked over to Justine grabbed her hand and led her to a small picnic table that was outside.

  “You ok?” Zoe asked

  “Zoe that was him! Is this how you feel? He kissed my hand, he walked away, and he said we are in danger. There are men watching us. How do you breathe around Kaiden? How do stand that pull? How do you function throughout the day without smothering him? How have you not kissed him yet? All I wanted to do was grab that man and hold on to him, to bring those lips to mine and never let go.” Justine looked wild her voice reaching a level Zoe had never heard.

  “I am scared Justine. But yes I feel all of that and Kaiden is around me all the time, and well, at least I have held him in sleep for the last two nights.” Zoe was embarrassed.

  “Sorry I am babbling but damn that was my soul mate.” Justine just zoned out and stared into space.

  Zoe sat there and ate her pizza. Justine grabbed a piece but said nothing. They both just sat there lost in their thoughts when Kaiden came out a while later and sat next to Zoe.

  “So that was interesting. I am going to take this very seriously and as soon as the truck is here and they are loaded we are out of here.” Kaiden stated

  “We fully understand the danger now. It has been laid out for us by Gabe. Gabe, he has a name and a face now” Justine said longingly

  “Well I will tell you, I am glad that he knows what we are, and it seems he knows who the enemy is too. He might be able to help us shed some light on all of this and honestly, I can’t wait to get to know him more.” Kaiden told them

  “That is a bonus and since we think he knows so much maybe he knows where others are.” Zoe said

  The moving truck came a short while later and the men were busy loading it all up. Zoe and Justine quietly watched them load the furniture and boxes. Justine could not get Gabe of her mine and when anyone asked her anything she would just mumble an answer. Zoe knew they were not going to get through to her today. Kaiden was just hanging up from talking to Mr. Steinman.

  The truck was pulling away while they were getting in the car. Zoe wanted to walk through the empty house one last time and see if they missed anything, she doubted they had. Zoe did not want to leave the house, but she knew she had to. There was no choice in the matter, but at least she got to keep all their things. When she was done walking through the house she got in the car and they drove off.

  Chapter 18

  Justine stared out the window as they drove. She wondered where he came from and what he was like. She knew, since he knew what they were, that he must have had his parents, like Kaiden did, and that made her nervous. Gabe called her “my love” though so she knows he accepts her already. Knowing that he was protecting her and watching over her made her feel all that much safer. She glanced behind her then and spotted a car, it was the same grey color as the one that Gabe drove up to the house in, but the sun was creating a glare so she couldn’t see the driver.

  Kaiden drove north into Oregon and then he drove towards the coast. He was trying to put as much distance as possible between them and the house. Once he spotted some cabins for rent in a secluded area, he pulled into the office area, went inside and rented one. They were about an hour away from Coos Bay in a remote area. The rental office stated that there was a very small harbor town about ten miles south of the cabin he rented and they had some restaurants there.

  Kaiden drove them to the cabin and they got all their bags out of the trunk and then headed to get some food. The restaurant they agreed on was small but had shrimp on special. While they were eating Justine felt a gentle pull and glanced out the window. She could just make out a figure on the cliff. She smiled and he gently waved. She knew then that it was him that was behind them in the car and he had followed them here.

  Justine didn’t say anything to the others; she just ate her dinner in silence and kept looking out the window.

  Once they were back at the cabin they all took seats in the living room area. The cabin had two bedrooms, a small kitchenette, and a small living room with a fireplace. There were no televisions, as this was meant to be a retreat cabin, but there were small radios in the bedrooms. Kaiden made a fire for something to-do, he was used to having television to watch to pass the time. Zoe got up and grabbed her guitar while Kaiden was placing wood in the fireplace.

  Once Kaiden was back on the couch Zoe shifted to face him and placed her guitar in her lap. She placed her hands at the neck and at the strings. She felt the urge
to play once Kaiden looked into her eyes. She had made up her mind tonight that she was going to make a move and tell him how she felt. She knew after seeing Justine open to the love of a man she just laid eyes on, that she herself was being silly in denying and holding back her feelings.

  She let her hands flow over the strings the sound that came out was something new. The song that flowed out of her was similar to her other song, but this one was full of love and passion, full of the dreams that she now had. The love she felt toward Kaiden flowed through her fingers into the song.

  Justine let them have their moment. She felt the love in the song and decided to go sit out on the deck.

  Kaiden just stared at Zoe while she played, he wanted to grab her face and pull her lips to his. He felt the message behind the song and wanted to fill it.

  When Zoe was done she closed her eyes and laid the guitar in her lap, she wanted to soak the song in. The song gave her courage for what she was about to do. When she opened her eyes she stared into Kaiden’s. She lifted her hand to his cheek and gently pulled him to her. Zoe wanted to feel his lips on hers. She wanted to soak him in and the memory of the song with it.

  He paused an inch away from her face and raised his hands to each side of her face and very softly met her lips. As their lips met and danced in a slow song something shifted between them and was cemented in a bond.

  Zoe could feel Kaiden inside of her, all his feelings were laid out for her to feel. That shocked her, if she could feel his, could he feel hers?

  Zoe pulled away first and looked at Kaiden in shock. Kaiden stared back with the same look on his face.

  “My parents never told me that part and I am sorry, if you weren’t ready for that, I didn’t know about this part.” Kaiden was horrified she was going to run and his emotions clouded out her calm. He felt her emotions as soon as they kissed, but he was so panicked now that his emotions were hiding hers.

  “I am not sorry, I have wanted to kiss you and I don’t know how this is possible, but I feel you. Do you feel me?”

  “Yes” Kaiden felt her calm then and relief flooded through him.

  “Any other surprises I should expect?”

  “Umm the only other one I know of is when we make love. There will be a strong urge to bite for us and well if we bite while making love we turn, and I don’t think we should turn until we are in a safe location.” Kaiden blurted out and then furiously blushed.

  “I agree, but it’s good to know that if the urge arises we can still do it, we just fight the urge to bite.” Zoe laughed at his embarrassment “I think I should tell you though I have never well done it, as you know I have never had a boyfriend”

  Now Kaiden embarrassment turned to remorse, he knew she hadn’t had a boyfriend but he didn’t expect her to be a virgin. “Don’t worry I don’t want you to feel rushed or that I am pressuring you into anything. I want you to be yourself with me and feel comfortable with me.”

  Zoe felt remorse coming from Kaiden and this confused her, “You’re not a virgin are you?” and she was slammed with instant shame from him, so much so it made her flinch.

  “No I am not. But that was always just sex for me. I have never had a girlfriend and I never took them to my place. I was always looking for you Zoe. I just, on nights that I felt desperate that I would never find you, I didn’t think I just acted, I’m sorry.” He said with regret coursing through him.

  “I know I should be jealous, but I am not. You have a past and so do I. Although they are quite different, I am not upset.” Zoe explained to him. It seemed she was a lot better at feeling his emotions than he was at the moment. Kaiden was clouding her feelings with his own. She placed both her hands on the sides of his face and kissed him. She was telling him that she was not mad or jealous through the kiss.

  Justine walked through the door at that moment she had heard everything they talked about. Not that she wanted to, she was trying to give them privacy, but the fantastic hearing was proving to be an annoyance at the moment.

  “So you guys figured out something new huh?” Justine asked totally interested in this new detail.

  “Yes we have” Zoe beamed “Seems the first kiss creates a bond and I can feel all of Kaiden’s emotions. Although, he is letting his feelings run wild and not feeling me.” Zoe laughed and gave Kaiden a gentle push.

  “So all I have to do is kiss Gabe and I will be able to feel him? Like really feel him? Like if he is in danger or vice versa I will be able to tell?” Justine was totally serious and Zoe could tell she had a plan working inside her head.

  “Well we kind of just figured it out so I don’t know for sure.” Kaiden replied solemnly

  “Well I want to know. So I guess I am going to just go find Gabe and if we are in danger and he comes then I will ask him if he saw it or felt it.” And with that Justine ran out the door. Zoe immediately ran after her before Kaiden even realized what Justine meant.

  Gabe was on top of the cliff face overlooking the cabin they were staying in. He set himself up a small tent and was making some soup at the fire he made. Gabe watched them leave the restaurant and go back to the cabin. He was too far to hear what they talked about, but not long after he heard a guitar. The song he faintly heard touched his heart.

  Gabe wanted to be with Justine, so much so it ached inside. Gabe knew he was a good looking man, many women told him so when he walked the streets. But he never gave in to any of it. He knew there was one woman out there that was made for him. One woman that would make all other women irrelevant. Sure he looked at other women and saw the beauty of them, but they were not Justine. Gabe remembers his parents smiling faces and he has pictures of them, but he was five years old when they sent him with Mary and he doesn’t remember the love.

  Knowing that there was one woman for Gabe drove him to be a good man for her. He wanted nothing more than to protect her and cherish her. When he saw Justine from afar, when she was alone, he could tell she had been wounded in her past. He knew someone had hurt her so much that she wore a constant frown on her face.

  Gabe also noticed that once this Kaiden came into the picture that her frown changed, she now had hope in her eyes. Gabe respected and was thankful for that fact. He was glad Justine now knew what she was and her destiny. He loved her fiercely for learning about it and then facing it head on and not running. Gabe was in awe of the natural strength in Justine.

  Onyx Dragons were not known for their strength, they were known for being evasive and unseen. But Justine had an inner strength that would rival any Fury Dragon, they were the true fighters. Gabe himself had changed his fate when he learned how to fight.

  The night had arrived quickly here on the coast and the chill of the night settled in around Gabe. He moved closer to the fire to stay warm and watched the house. Justine was outside looking in his direction, no doubt she saw him regardless of the fire, he knew she had excellent night vision as did he and he could see her clearly. Gabe poured his soup in a bowl and started to eat, while he ate he watched. He saw Justine sit up a little straighter like she heard something. She didn’t look around just continued to stare at him, so he continued to eat. A minute later she got up and went inside the cabin. Gabe took this opportunity to unroll his sleeping bag and make his bed up.

  As he laid his pillow in place he heard rustling in the trees, the only trees around were near the cabin. Gabe hurried out of the tent and looked toward the cabin and what he saw stunned him and pulled at his heart.

  Justine was running at full speed towards him and Zoe was right behind her. Zoe had a smile plastered to her face like she was holding back, but the look on Justine’s face was unwavering determination. He then looked beyond them and saw Kaiden gaining on them. Gabe’s first reaction was that he had done something to them, but the smile on Zoe’s face made him stay put.

  “We learned something new!” Zoe yelled out, she wasn’t even winded.

  When they got within fifty feet of him Zoe stopped and let Justine come alone. Kaiden stopped
right at her side and they turned away. It only took Justine a second to reach him. She stopped running and walked up to him with purpose written all over her face and in her step. It was Gabe’s turn to stand there frozen in place and speechless.

  “They realized something he didn’t even know about.” Justine said nodding her head toward Kaiden.

  “Just do it Justine” Zoe shouted.

  “Do what?” Gabe whispered, shocked that he was even able to speak

  “This” Justine said as she put her arms around his neck and pulled him into her and kissed him hard.

  Kaiden was so surprised he didn’t do anything at first then he felt the softness of her lips and started to move his lips over hers. The rush he felt from kissing her was unreal to him. He thought he could spend the rest of his life just doing this. As his arms reached around Justine’s waist something happened.

  His mind was clouded with fear and wanting. A longing ache he never felt before surrounded him. Gabe pulled away and looked into her eyes and saw everything she was feeling in her eyes.

  “What just happened?” Gabe asked breathless

  “Did it work?” Justine asked

  “I am not sure what you are talking about.” Gabe said confused.

  “Well I feel your confusion so it worked.” Justine said with confidence

  “Are you saying what I feel right now is from you?” Gabe was distressed he just wanted her to feel happiness

  “You can change that.” she whispered in his ear

  “Oh I plan to, but please explain all this to me” he begged. This was something unexpected and amazing to him.

  Kaiden and Zoe walked up then and stood there in each other’s arms near the fire.

  “Well, best I can say is they kissed for the first time. I wasn’t eaves dropping, but kind of hard not to. Well something happened in that kiss and I knew from what Zoe was saying she could all of a sudden feel his emotions. So I thought if that was the case we needed to have that too. With you watching over us and all, I just figured if you can feel me, it would make this a lot easier for you, to do your thing.” Justine looked to the floor while she spoke and found what must be a very interesting rock on the ground.