The Awakening: A Witch-Vampire Romance: Feel the Heat.

by Anastasha Renee

  Jaxx walks around the car to get my door, then hands me out. As we stroll up the front, I notice a Harley Davidson V-Rod parked on the other side of what has to be his uncle’s black Lexus. I turn to Jaxx.

  “Does your uncle have a thing for Harleys also?”

  “Umm, no. He is much too contained to ride any sort of bike. Let alone that monster.”

  That makes me giggle. How could anyone related to Jaxx be tucked in? When we get to the front door, Jaxx walks right in, but I lag back out of nervousness. I’ve never had the “meet the parents’” moment.

  “Come on, little raven. He won’t bite. Well, not much.” He rolls his eyes at my confused look.

  “I’ll let him explain.”

  We move through the house and Jaxx twines his fingers with mine. At his touch I relax instantly.

  “You are my instant Xanax,” I laugh.

  When we reach the front room, I notice a tall, slender-muscled man who is probably in his mid-twenties leaning against the main book case. He has dark hair and even darker eyes. You could get sucked into those eyes and never escape, I think to myself, then quickly divert my gaze to take in the room. Instantly my eyes catch eyes that are mirrors of my own. I feel Jaxx go still beside me as I stiffen with confusion.

  “Seb, what’s going on? Who is this,” Jaxx is seething. I have a feeling that he has some idea what is going on and he doesn’t like it one bit.

  I take in the one I know that must be the stranger in the room. He is tall, but still an inch or so shorter than Jaxx. I would say he hits about six foot one at least. He stares at me like I should know him. His eyes are the same as mine. His hair color matches mine, even his well-defined cheek bones and full lips are mine, I think, my heart racing.

  “Gavin,” I whisper in awe.

  He jerks as if electrocuted by an unknown source.

  Jaxx bristles beside me and I can feel the anger and confusion radiating off of him.

  “Who-”he starts to say, but his uncle cuts him off.

  “Let it be, Jaxxsane. Watch and listen, but for goddess sake let this play out,” his uncle says with so much authority I don’t think anyone could deny him.

  “Who are you,” I ask my twin just to be sure.

  “You know who I am. Just as I know you, soul deep. We might not share the same soul as you and your destined,” he looks to Jaxx then.

  “But we are of the same blood and womb,” Gavin says softly, regarding me carefully.

  As my thoughts are confirmed I latch onto Jaxx for dear life. I never thought I would meet my twin two days after learning he even existed. Jaxx looks at me and I am sure he notices the pain twisting my face and my heart.

  “I don’t care who this is,” Jaxx snarls.

  “This is my home Sebastian. I let you stay here because we are family, but you have stepped too far with this, and you’ve upset Ella intentionally just to feed your curiosity.”

  “I do apologize, dear nephew, but as you can see there is a reason for my bringing dear Gavin into your home. The reason just hasn’t opened itself to me as of yet.”

  Jaxx looks at me, telling me silently with that look that he will explain yet another thing in time. Then he turns to Gavin and narrows his eyes. He seems to be sizing him up as prey.

  “What is your reason for being here? If you wanted to find your sister, you could have done it without pushing yourself upon her unexpectedly,” Jaxx asks harshly.

  “You’re right, of course. I ran into your uncle at the conclave and he told me that he’d seen someone that could be my mirror image. I’ve been looking for my sister for months, ever since I found the letter from our mother that was kept from me.”

  I stifle a gasp, knowing I have the same letter tucked away at my uncle’s house.

  “Yes, Arabella, I see that you know of which I speak. Our mother abandoned me as well. I was raised by some very unsavory characters. Until I found the letter I thought I was stuck with them. I was ashamed of where I came from. Until I found out I had other family. A twin. You.”

  “I need to sit,” I say, squeezing Jaxx’s hand.

  “Come,” Jaxx murmurs as he leads me to the nearest sofa and seats me beside him, as close to his side as possible.

  I look up and notice that although the conversation is happening around him, Jaxx’s uncle has been listening and absorbing.

  “I see why you are the historian of our people,” I tell him as I stare at him.

  “Why is that my dear?”

  “You absorb everything around you as if it’s a part of your nature to do so. But I have to tell you, what you just did to me, springing this on me when I’ve just found out what and who I am is fucked,” my voice is seething with sudden rage.

  I feel my anger rise, the darkness peeking over the pit within me. Jaxx and Gavin both give great belly laughs at my talking to his uncle as I had, which only serves to piss me off all the more. I am confused, hurting, and fucking livid and they are laughing at me.

  Fuck this noise, I think.

  Décor and knick knacks around the room start to rattle, but Gavin and Jaxx are too busy laughing their asses off to notice. Jaxx is turned on his side, clutching his stomach guffawing, but I know that Seb has noticed. The windows start to bend inward as I stand. Books from the built-in mahogany case start to slip from the shelves to swirl around me like a vortex. A literary bubble.

  I glance at the pair of them laughing and the books fly as fast as missiles in their direction. When they start to hit Gavin and Jaxx, one or two of them pinging them in the head, they immediately stop laughing and start looking around, finally catching a clue.

  “Stop fucking laughing at me,” I boom. My voice sounds like a waterfall inside the enclosed room.

  Jaxx braves the books swirling around me as they move faster and faster to wrap me in his warm embrace.

  “Baby, breathe. We weren’t laughing at you. We were laughing because no one ever talks to Seb like you just did,” he whispers into my ear.

  I start to take deep, calming breaths.

  “Telekinetic. Strong, so very, very strong,” Seb says almost to himself.

  “Untrained. Yet still so focused. I wonder what her other gifts are?”

  “Hey, douche! I’m right here! Stop talking about me like I’m some kind of experiment!”

  Seb flashes me a smile full of fangs.

  Well that’s different, I think to myself, but I’m not really surprised. What is one more surprise added to this cluster fuck?

  “A little respect is warranted,” Seb snarls at me.

  I guess he doesn’t like the word ‘douche’. I wonder if he knows what it means, I chuckle at the thought.

  “If you come near me with those shiny little teeth, I’ll twist your innards until they melt out your nose. You get me, fang?”

  With that Gavin and Jaxx are rolling again. This time I don’t feel the least bit angry. I smirk at them.

  Seb even chuckles a bit after his shock at my words wears off.

  “Jaxx, I think she is a keeper.”

  I groan at the chauvinist shit going on. I walk over to the side bar and open the mini fridge.

  “May I,” I ask Jaxx.

  “Sure, baby, whatever you want. You know that.”

  I grab myself and Jaxx a soda, and toss him his. I rejoin him on the sofa and snuggle into his side.

  “So maybe we can get this over with? I’m drained from the day I’ve had,” I pitch my voice low, addressing everyone and no one at the same time.

  Seb comes to attention at that. He takes a seat on the arm chair closest to me.

  “What do you mean with the day you’ve had? Why are you drained?” I have a feeling that inquisitive is a weak word to explain this man.

  Jaxx explains about the drain of energy that we both had been experiencing every time we were away from each other. Then he goes on to tell everyone about the bathroom experience. Gavin looks baffled by what I’d done, but Seb just looks as if he is soaking everything in and ca
tegorizing it for later.

  “So, shitty day, to say the least,” Seb says while looking at me with his fathomless eyes.

  I start to squirm in my seat, but I don’t break contact. I just stare at him.

  “Seb,” Jaxx says in warning.

  I turn to look at Jaxx, hearing the warning in his tone and raise one brow in question.

  “Seb can mesmerize most Trues, Sups, and Norms with his stare. Not all Vampires can, but Seb is rustic.”

  I laugh at that.

  “Well he may be rustic, but he obviously can’t trap me. But don’t worry Seb, your eyes are very pretty,” I tease him once more.

  He turns slightly pink at my compliment, but doesn’t respond.

  “So now can you explain why my long lost twin is here and why you decided to spring it on me all of a sudden?”

  “For your reaction, of course. What other reason could there be?”

  “Prick,” I mutter and Seb chuckles.

  “The truth is that he was lost without you, Ella. He has been wounded and wandering aimlessly far from his chosen path for years. He needs you. That is why I decided to bring him to you.”

  I look at Gavin as Seb speaks and I notice the sadness in his eyes. He seems so alone. Like I had been until I found Jaxx. I get up off the couch, move to him and pull him into my arms. “I know I don’t know your story brother,” I whisper for his ears alone.

  “But as you said, we are blood. You are a part of me. I love you already. You will never be alone again.” I hug him to me tighter, not caring if he likes it or not. I feel the need to be close to him.

  Gavin squeezes me to him and I feel him shudder against me. He might be crying, but I don’t pull back to see.

  Jaxx clears his throat behind me, shattering the moment.

  “Ella, we still don’t know what kind of person he is. We don’t know what kind of life he has led.”

  I pull away from Gavin and spin around to confront him.

  “He is my brother, Jaxx! He could murder thousands and I would welcome him. Will you turn him away when I need him almost as much as I need you?”

  He shakes his head in defeat at my words.

  No of course he wouldn’t, I think. Of course he realizes how serious I am about welcoming my brother into my life and how determined I am to keep him here, at any costs. I can see it on his face as he watches me, his eyes full of love and understanding.

  “Can we at least get a little back story from him? I would feel better knowing something about him at the very least.”

  I look back at Gavin and he nods his head.

  “I was raised by the very worst of our kind. They use their gifts to fleece the Norms, Causing harm and chaos everywhere they go. I was left with them when our mother split us up. They were our father’s family,” he utters, hanging his head as if in shame.

  I hold up my hand and stop him there.

  “Were?”

  “Yes, sorry, I just assumed you knew. Our father was killed in an accident before we were born. At least they called it an accident. His family hated him for not conforming to their ways. So I have always doubted the accident story. Anyway, I was raised knowing nothing different. I started to help them steal from Norms at a young age. It wasn’t until I came into my maturity and my powers manifested that they started hounding me to do horrid things. Things that make me want to retch just thinking about it. When I refused, they kicked me out. All I had was a few items that were special to me. My bike, a picture of our mother and father, and my talisman,” he says as he lifts the talisman from underneath his shirt. It is a long, roped, silver chain with a huge jade chunk wrapped in an opal braid at the end.

  Beautiful, I think, and then focus on what he’d just said.

  “You have a photo of our parents?” Hope doesn’t even describe the feeling floating inside my head and heart.

  “Yes. Would you like to see? Stupid. Of course you do.” He pulls it from his wallet and hands it to me.

  I see where my life sprang from for the first time. Our mother was a blonde with jade green eyes, a willowy figure, and a smile so sweet it made you want to weep. Our father was as dark as our mother was light. With raven black hair and eyes, at least six foot two inches tall, and a bulky build. They looked very much in love in the photo, wrapped in each other’s arms as if they couldn’t be separated by anything. Gavin and I are a perfect mix of them both. I look up at him with tears in my eyes as I hand the photo to Jaxx. “Thank you for that. You have no idea what it means to finally see them. When did you find our mother’s letter?”

  “Not long before I left the hell I grew up in behind. Have you always had yours?”

  “No, I got mine from my adopted uncle after my parentals kicked me out for being a dark and satanic soul, so just a couple of days ago.”

  He looks bewildered at my statement, but I leave the explanations for another time. Jaxx hands the photo back to Gavin and he promises to have a copy made for me.

  “So now that the mushy mush is done,” Seb begins.

  I actually almost forgot he was here. He blends in. It is kind of creepy, to tell you the truth.

  “I hear Ella has some questions for me. As I expected since she was raised by Norms and she just found herself to be a True blood last night. I must say, dear, you are taking everything remarkably well,” he raises a dark eyebrow at me.

  “Yes, well, you either adapt or you drown.” That is the only answer I have for him.

  “So get to it. What are your questions? After the explanations we can talk about your training.” He waves a hand at me as if he is a King addressing his court.

  “I’ve gotten the basics from Jaxx. I know that our people are hunted. I know that we have always been around. Sometimes we are more open with ourselves than others of our kind, but what I want to know is why I feel drained when I’m separated from Jaxx. Also why did I start seeing my powers develop at the age of five when I’m told that they don’t come until you are eighteen at the least? And I want to know the history of our people. I want to know everything.”

  “Now that’s a tall order, but first things first. What do you mean that you started experiencing your powers at five,” Sebastian looks astonished by this.

  “My adoptive parents tried to have me exorcised of demons when I was five because I threw a tantrum. When I lost my temper because I didn’t get my way, my eyes glowed and the tables shook all over the house. The Priest they took me to laughed at them and told them that I was a normal little girl, but I have always known that I am different. So I hid myself, and pretended to be docile and calm at all times. I didn’t want to end up in a lab somewhere.”

  “Hmmm well that is different,” Seb replies, as he mulls over everything that I said.

  I take the momentary lack in conversation to snuggle into Jaxx and lay my head on his shoulder. I really am wiped from everything that had occurred earlier in the day.

  “I don’t have the slightest idea why your powers came on so early child, but it may be because of how you were treated by the people who were supposed to love and protect you. Perhaps it was a defensive result to the trauma.”

  What he says makes sense to me. I shrug and snuggle deeper into the couch with a yawn.

  Jaxx stands and pulls me off the couch with him. He looks around the room.

  “I think she needs food to refuel.”

  “I think we could all use a nip,” Seb chuckles at his own joke.

  I laugh too. It is wonderful that he is so comfortable with himself. I turn to him and ask what other kinds of sups there are in the world.

  “Vampires, werewolves, and witches! Oh my,” Seb jokes.

  I shake my head, getting the point. If I exist, why not?

  “What are you going to have for dinner, Seb? I’m sorry if that was rude,” I ask him almost meekly.

  “I am going to dine on a lovely blood bag, unless there are any of you that are offering something warm?” He winks at me.

  Jaxx pulls me closer at his w
ords.

  “No nibbling on my girl,” he laughs halfheartedly.

  “Why not? I’m using him to answer my questions and to help me play catch up. It is the least I can do,” I reply.

  Gavin and Jaxx look mildly revolted at my volunteering to donate blood to Seb.

  “Ella, I don’t think you know what you are asking for. It is not like the many vamp romance novels floating around out there. Unless they are feeding off of their chosen mate, it is a very painful experience,” his voice is full of warning.

  “I figured sharp teeth sinking in wouldn’t feel all that good, Jaxx.” I lift my chin stubbornly.

  Seb might be a pain in my ass thinking I was a new toy to figure out, but he had helped. I always repaid my favors.

  Always.

  I shrug Jaxx off and walk over to where Seb was watching us, leaning against the kitchen counter. I pull up the loose sleeve of my tunic and offer him the bend of my elbow. He looks at me like he hasn’t ever seen anything quite like me before, but in a lightening quick movement, he grabs my arm and sinks his teeth into my tender skin at the bend of my elbow.

  I stifle a scream of surprise. The pain is horrid, but bearable. I stiffen as he starts to suckle. Jaxx comes up behind me and wraps his arms around my waist. I lean my head back on his shoulder, never taking my eyes off of Seb. It is over within minutes.

  As he releases my arm, he licks the lacerations and I watch as they close instantly.

  “My thanks, Ella, it’s very rare to have someone offer me what you just have,” he tells me with reverence in his voice

  I shrug once again. Not blowing off his thanks, just not playing that much into it.

  “It’s fair. You helped me by answering some of my questions. You brought me my brother. And I’m assuming you are offering to become my teacher in the near future.”

  “All true.”