by Tamara White
“Come on, Zach, we need to talk,” I tell him leading him back to his room.
Evie
Watching Dane and Zach leave, I feel happy knowing they might finally get some closure. I could feel how scared Dane was to leave, but if I want to have any chance of bonding with Zach as well, I need to know there are no hard feelings between them, so I can be sure of what I’m feeling. It’s hard enough knowing Dane still loves Zach. He doesn’t realize it, because the love is buried underneath hurt, betrayal and anger, but I felt it.
I thought it would hurt knowing he was still in love with Zach, but I don’t think I could deny them a relationship if he really wanted it. Who am I to tell the guys who they can and can’t love?
Besides, it seems a little hypocritical of me to say no you can’t be with Zach, but I can. I guess it will be something that we will need to discuss if it comes to that point in our relationship. I’m not sure whether the guys may have other bonded out there or if I’m the only one. From what they’ve said it’s normal for a female to be bonded with multiple males, but can males be bonded to multiple females? That’s a talk for another day, right now I want to focus on the here and now.
I’m lying on the bed, surrounded by the guys. Teddy’s hugging me against him, while Mike and Ky are both snuggled up around me.
“So, what happened after I was taken? Is everyone ok?” I ask them
“Yeah, we’re much better now, but I’m tempted to fit you with a tracking chip so we won’t lose you again. You scared us. I asked you not to wander off by yourself, and what do you do the next morning? Go outside by yourself,” Mike says exasperated.
I sigh. I knew they would be upset “I know and I’m sorry. It just hit me what had happened. Teddy’s father is the reason I have no mother and Ky’s father is the reason I never had a loving father growing up. I needed a moment to think.” I definitely regret how I reacted that day.
“And now? How do you feel about Teddy and I, knowing what happened to your parents?” Ky asks me.
I’m mad at their parents, but I was never upset with them. I know they had nothing to do with it.
“I love you. When I woke up in the basement, I realised what an idiot I was and that their actions were not yours. Do you forgive me for walking out?”
Mike, Teddy, and Ky are all watching me with guarded looks so I imagine they think I’m lying. I let them feel how sincere I am and that I don’t hold them accountable for what their parents have done.
“They shouldn’t have to forgive you! They should have protected you better!” my father says from the doorway.
I really need to stop letting myself get so absorbed in what’s happening that I don’t notice what’s around me. I didn’t hear him until he started speaking.
I’m surprised he’s angry with them for not protecting me when he was there too. Why isn’t he angry with himself? Shouldn’t he be feeling guilty too? All my guys have felt guilty, but my father just feels angry.
“We should have protected her better? You told us you knew she was going to be taken, but didn’t know when. You could have warned us when she walked off alone, so one of us would have made sure to follow her even if we were going against her wishes!” Ky says, angry with my father.
He knew I would be taken? Why didn’t he tell us?
“Dad? Did you really know I was going to be taken? Why didn’t you tell us?” I demand.
Surely when you meet your estranged daughter and you know she will be kidnapped, you would warn her?
“Yes, I knew you would be taken, but I honestly didn’t think it would be so soon after finding you. I had a vision not long after I got away from Richard and Victor, telling me to enjoy my time with you because before I know it you will be taken from me. Never did I think it would happen within 24 hours of meeting you, or I would have said something. Besides, I was so happy to see you that it slipped from my mind until you were taken,” he says pleading with me to understand.
I sigh. I’m so tired and don’t want to deal with this today. As much as I want to berate my father for not telling us, I understand as I was equally overwhelmed when I met him for the first time.
“Ok. Are there any other visions you might want to warn me about? Now would be the time to do so,” I say.
I’m happy to see my dad, but there’s something niggling in the back of my mind that he’s not telling the whole truth.
“No more visions, I promise. Now how about a hug for your old man? Your bonded aren’t the only ones that missed you,” he says, smiling while holding his arms out for a hug.
I climb out of the bed on unsteady legs with Teddy holding his hands at my waist to keep me standing. Once he wraps me in his arms, I feel Teddy’s arm disappear, and a feeling of dread washes over me.
Leaning back, I look into my father’s eyes wondering why I’m feeling like this, but he just looks down at me with a smile on his face.
“Does your grandpa get a hug?” I hear from behind me.
I turn around so fast I almost fall over, but my grandfather’s there to catch me before I fall. He’s looking down on me with a huge smile across his face, and I can’t help smiling back. There are tears in my eyes now that I’m looking at him in the flesh. Seeing him here, knowing a piece of my mother is here with me starts my tears.
He hugs me to him, and I let all the despair over her loss flow from me.
“It’s ok honey, I miss her too,” he whispers to me.
After a few minutes, I pull away and let Ky grab me from my grandfather’s embrace. I could feel their worry when I started crying. I don’t know how I’m going to deal with four over-protective bonded in the coming months.
Kylan
I’m not sure what just happened, but I’m glad Evie’s in my arms. We all hate seeing her cry but when we felt her despair we had no idea what to do. Do we rip her from her grandfather’s arms and comfort her or let him try? She wasn’t trying to get away from him so we let her be. While hugging her grandfather, though, her pain eased making me glad we didn’t try to take her from him.
Dane must have felt her despair, because he and Zach burst into the room, both ready to hurt whoever hurt her.
“Guys. It’s fine. I’m ok,” Evie says from my arms.
Her back is pressed against my chest, while I have my hands on her hips ready to support her if she needs the help. She still feels slightly unsteady on her feet.
“Are you sure?” Zach asks while looking around the room for a threat, while Dane watches everyone.
It takes a bit of time for him to calm down. Poor guy must have freaked out thinking she was in danger while he wasn’t here to protect her. I would have acted the same way.
“I promise I’m ok. No one in this room would hurt me, and anyone that would want to would have to walk past you before getting to me. We’ll call you if we need help. I’m fine with Ky, Teddy, and Mike,” she says, pointedly looking at Dane.
He stares at her for a minute before turning and leaving without a word, but Zach lingers before following after him. I’m glad that Zach is taking her safety seriously. It makes me feel more confident that if she was to form a bond with him he would care for her and protect her. Just like the rest of us.
“We felt your despair and it scared the crap out of us! Are you going to explain what happened princess?” I ask her, rubbing my hands over her hips.
She takes a deep breath before blowing it out and walking slowly over to the bed. Sitting down, she faces us and looks over at her father and grandfather where they’ve taken a seat across from the bed.
“Before I was stabbed, I had a dream. Well, not a dream, but not a vision either. It’s hard to explain.
Anyway, I met my mother. My grandfather sent her to me to explain somethings. Seeing him it just made me miss my mom more. I didn’t mean for everyone to feel my despair, it’s just I wished my mother was alive to meet you, and it all caught up to me in that moment. My mother’s eyes are the same colour as grandpa’s and looking into hi
s eyes, it just hit me that she’s not here anymore.”
“Oh,” I respond, unsure of what else to say.
I feel like a total ass for prying, but I’m glad she told us. We all thought maybe he’d done something to her, but she was just reminded of her mother.
I understand how she feels. It took me a long time before I was able to look at anything my mother owned without getting a feeling of loss.
I wish there was something I could do to ease Evie’s loss, but if there’s one thing I learnt from my mother’s death, it is that it takes time.
No matter how much I want to help her, I know she won’t be ready to let go until she has come to terms with it. Hopefully, knowing she’s in a better place will help. At least she knows where her mother is, whereas, I have no idea where my mother went. I hope she went to the Afterlife, but I have no idea.
Teddy
I can’t help but feel sorry for Evie. Even though she’s known for the last few months her mother was dead it wouldn’t be easy seeing her again and not being able to be with her. The next few days are going to be hard on her, and I hope, for her sake, she gets some closure. Maybe with her grandfather and father here she’ll get to learn what her mother was like.
“I know this might be too soon, but do you want to see your parents? We have them set up in a room downstairs, and I’ve put a barrier up so they can’t escape,” Raphael says to Evie.
Too soon? Are you kidding me? It’s been one day, and he wants her to face them now? She can barely stand!
“Yeah, I need to know why. They were hardly touched by the demons. How could a person be that cruel?” she asks the room.
I sigh. There’s no point arguing with her, because she’s already made up her mind, but Mike tries anyway.
“Evie, maybe you should wait until tomorrow? You don’t have to see them now. They aren’t going anywhere. Plus, you need your rest. If not for your sake, think of the babies, please?” Mike pleads.
Nice one. I have to admit it’s a smart move on Mike’s part making Evie think of the babies. I feel slightly guilty at the manipulation, but she and the babies come first. The sooner she starts to adjust to us looking after the welfare of all three of them, the easier things will be.
She sighs, giving in after she looks at each of us seeing the same thing. Determination. We’re all set on her getting some rest even if it kills us. She needs to look after herself. Maybe after the doctor has been here, she’ll realize she has babies she has to look after.
I’ve always heard mothers don’t fully believe it’s real until they see it on the screen. Maybe that’s what Evie needs, to see they’re real and know she’s not only taking care of herself, but them too.
Evie
These guys are so silly. Do they really think I don’t know they’re manipulating me so I do what they want? All they had to do was ask me to stay, and I would have. They don’t need to make me feel guilty.
I do want to find out why my parents treated me so horribly, especially when demons barely had any influence over them. What kind of person treats another person that way? They raised me, and it kills me knowing they could treat me that way without any influence playing apart in it.
I feel the worry from the Teddy, Ky, and Mike, so I give in on seeing my parents now. I’m getting hungry again anyway, so maybe I should eat something and get some more rest. It’s probably the best thing for me and the babies right now, so I guess I’ll confront them another day.
“Ok, I won’t deal with anything until I’ve rested. But I will deal with them. I need answers,” I say to them while making myself more comfortable on the bed.
Looking over at the table beside the bed I see the packet of saltines Dane brought in earlier and reach for them.
The guys all watch me take small nibbles and pause in between the next bite.
“What? I’m not going to gorge on them and make myself sick again,” I say exasperated.
“So grandpa, how long are you here for? I know mom said you have things to do for the Creator, so if you need to leave I’ll understand,” I say to my grandfather.
“No Evie, I’m here until your babies are born, and I’m allowed as many visits as I like. The Creator agreed with your thoughts about it being unfair that I couldn’t save Amelia especially after I was unable to save my wife, so this is his gift to me. Time with you,” he says, smiling widely.
Wait a minute! “The Creator heard my thoughts? Whoa! I don’t know if I should be creeped out or not!” I’m trying my best not to panic, but it feels impossible not to panic. Oh no, can he hear all my thoughts? How the hell am I going to stop thinking bad thoughts?
Grabbing hold of my face my grandfather says “You need to calm down. If you keeping breathing like this, you’ll have a panic attack and pass out. Now copy my breathing.”
I copy his breathing and finally I’m able to calm down enough that he let’s go of my face and Mike pulls me into his lap, stroking my hair.
“He can’t hear you now so stop worrying. The only reason he heard you at all was because you were in a world of his making. When you met with your mother that was essentially his bedroom you were in. While you were there, he heard every word and thought from you. He can’t hear you anymore and he doesn’t judge you for your thoughts. He knows you don’t have control over what you think, and if he didn’t hear your thoughts it wouldn’t have resulted in me being able to spend more time with you.”
My grandfather explains, surprisingly calmly, considering he’s talking about the Creator of our world listening to my thoughts. I mean come-on, it’s a huge deal!
“Ok, I’m sorry I over reacted. I just freaked thinking he’d be angry at what I thought, and punish my babies and I. He’s not, though right?” I ask.
My grandfather laughs. “No, he’s not sadistic. He believes in letting the world run itself and letting his people make their own decisions. The only time he’ll interfere is when there’s something threatening the whole world,” he says.
I look to my father and the guys to see what they think. All the guys look curious which I guess it to be expected. I mean I gather they don’t hear much about the Creator every day. I guess it’s also why he’s been allowed to interfere now. Demons would be a big threat to us.
When I meet my father’s eyes, I’m shocked to feel the anger coming from him before he closes his face down into a neutral expression, but I know what I saw. Why would he be angry talking about the Creator?
“Well, Evie, we better go and let you get some rest. Maybe after your doctor’s visit tomorrow we can talk some more?” My grandfather says, distracting me from my father.
I turn to him, trying to forget the expression on my father’s face thinking it’s something to do with him having left the Creator.
“Sure, I’m feeling pretty exhausted, so I should try to get some sleep. I’ll talk to you tomorrow,” I say as my grandfather grabs my father, and leads him out of the room.
“Sorry, guys, but I need to lay down. It’s getting hard to keep my eyes open,” I say before yawning.
I lay down on the bed between Ky and Teddy, leaving Mike up at the end of the bed near my feet.
“Ok, Princess, you get some rest. We’ll stay here with you,” Ky says, while Teddy runs his hand over my hair in a soothing gesture.
For the first time in weeks I feel safe and protected and have no problems relaxing. Teddy stroking my hair is so calming that I drift off to sleep.
Chapter 11
Zach
After I know Evie’s ok, I follow Dane back into the room and wait for him to speak.
Neither of us spoke before we rushed out to see if Evie was ok. We sat there staring at each other, not sure where to start.
I felt her despair just as Dane did, but I felt a little apprehensive leaving her alone even while she’s protected. Something just felt wrong to me.
After getting back to the room, we’re back where we started staring at each other. Maybe I should explain why I never told h
im? May as well take a risk and tell him the truth.
“I understand you’re mad right now, but just give me a minute to explain everything. When my mother died you were gone on a trip for the council. Christian had already gone back home to be with his girlfriend, and I felt so lost and alone. Mom may not have been the best mother after Dad left, but she was all I knew.
I debated on whether to call you or not, but I thought you’d get in trouble with the council. There was also the fact that you were against your parents knowing about us, because of your father’s views on relationships forming outside of bonds. If I had called you to come back, your father would have suspected something else was going on, and I knew you didn’t want to draw attention to us until you were ready. Besides, I thought I was strong enough to handle it alone.
Anyway, the night after her funeral, I was invited to a party. I thought it would be the perfect place to unwind and grieve over her loss with a few friends until you could come home. That was the night you found me with someone else.
I got drunk, and Colin started paying me a lot of attention. It felt good to have him there for me, and not be afraid to show he was interested in me.
One thing led to another, and then you found us. You took off before I had a chance to explain what had happened. I didn’t even get to apologize for hurting you.
After that, I barely saw you, and I found out you requested a permanent move away from me without even talking to me. It killed me you just wanted to throw away what we had without working through it, but you just abandoned me to my grief. There were days when I hated you for abandoning me when I needed you most, but Christian came back and helped me through it. I’m sorry it happened, and I wish I could take it back, but at the same time I’m glad. If things didn’t happen that way would we have met Evie? Or would we still be together and hiding our relationship from everyone, because you fear your father’s reaction? I know there’s no way to take back what happened, and there isn’t any excuse for what I did, but now we need to find a way to move on.”
