by Heather Linn
“Jaden I have explained this to you, I was waiting for Cat and Darien to get here. This is something that we need to be together to hear.” Leave it to the Doc, young or old he didn't believe that anyone had the right to rush him; he was all about the show.
“Well Doc,” I said, “we are all together now. There is no reason to put off the good news, wishful thinking I know, but now can you just go ahead and spill it?” As soon as the word Doc came out of my mouth I had Darien’s full attention. He knew that I was scared; I had not called Walker “Doc” since before we decided to feed him and keep him young. My looking back at Darien was all it took for him to move closer to me and take his hand in mine. His strong fingers brushed against the ring. For a second he hesitated but then he intertwined his fingers with mine. His touch made me feel better instantly. I had nothing to be afraid of. Darien, the little boy that used to chase the thunderstorms away when we were kids was here to protect me. No monster was going to get me.
Walker looked down at our hands locked together and I swear the tiniest smile crossed his lips, but it was gone faster than I could confirm seeing it.
“I think it would be best for everyone if we all grabbed a chair.” Walker was already seated as was Jaden. That left me and Darien. Not once letting go of me, Darien moved two chairs together and we sat quietly, unmoving, fearful that this would be the news that ripped away the happiness that had taken us months to get back.
“I guess there is nowhere better to start than the beginning.” Talking slowly and making sure that we understood everything that he said, Walker told us the news that would once again turn our little family upside down. “There are three people that you need to meet. Please stay open minded when I bring them in. I have worked secretly with these three for a long time now. I trust them and there is no reason that you shouldn’t.”
As if they had been standing there waiting to be cued, two people walked through the door. First a man with black skin and ice blue eyes. He stood about 6’6” and his stature demanded the attention of everyone around him. He was more than just a big guy. He had a look in his eyes that erased any doubt that size didn't matter. It was a look that only a real Vampire was able to pull off, a look that told you he could end your life and not think twice about it.
The second person was a woman. She looked to be about our age and she was definitely human, though she was trying hard not to look it. Her hair was as black as the night itself, but her face was pure and angelic. She looked like someone that you instantly wanted to comfort. She was beautiful and she knew it. There was something about her that I didn’t like, some vibe that she was giving off. Of course, maybe it was the way she was looking at Darien. I was sure she saw him like she saw most of the men that she encountered. He was a challenge. I knew her look. I’d seen it before. I knew that she thrived on the thrill of the hunt. The tension between me and her silently grew; I knew I wouldn't let her win this trophy and she thought she was going to easily claim the handsome prize attached to my hand. I could tell that she would go after him, not because he was better looking than Walker and Jaden, because he wasn't, but because out of the three men in our group, he appeared to be the one that was already spoken for. A real predator will pick a free range animal over a caged one any day. But this wasn’t the case with her because jealousy drove her, and jealousy makes you realize that you may not be the center of a guy’s world like you need to be. I took my eyes off the woman long enough to look at Darien who was oblivious to her stare. Point one for me. I didn’t see the third person walk in. I was too busy looking down at Darien’s hand in mine. But then Darien piqued my attention when he squeezed my hand so hard that I was sure it was going to break. My eyes shot right to Darien’s face and I was surprised to see his mouth hanging wide open. Not wanting to, I slowly turned my head to follow his gaze. What he was looking at sent my head spinning.
Standing less than three feet in front of me stood the female version of Akia. I felt the color drain from my face, I felt my pulse quicken, and I felt my other hand reaching for my gun.
“Don’t even think about it, Cat.” The voice came from Walker. “You pull that gun and I will have it out of your hands faster than you can blink.” I absolutely hated when he reminded me that he was still the boss, even though he looked our age, there was no question who the alpha of the family was.
“Who the hell is that and why the hell is she here?” My voice was drenched in disapproval. Good, that is exactly what I was going for. But inside my heart was trying to tear free from my chest! Why would Walker bring someone in here that looked so much like the man that I could never be with? Darien rubbed my hand making circles, trying to calm me down. I was so pissed and confused that I was shaking.
“Cat, I would like you to meet Makeen and Jessie,” Walker said, and he gestured toward the giant man and the drop dead gorgeous bitch who had somehow managed to become my least favorite person in the world. When I didn’t acknowledge either of them, my eyes never leaving the face of the female Akia, he continued. “And this is Kira. She is Akia’s twin sister.”
My mouth was moving before I had time to think about it. “Look Doc, I don’t know what this nut case told you, but Akia doesn’t have a twin sister. This is someone who happens to look a lot like him and she’s trying to take advantage of it.” I was pissed at her for doing it, but I was even more pissed at Walker for falling for it. Inviting these three outsiders into our world could get us all killed and he knew better. Before I had a chance to talk, the fake twin stepped forward.
“It is nice to finally meet you Cat; I have been watching you for a long time now.” Her voice sounded so much like Akia’s that the hair on the back of my neck stood up. If I was smarter I would have ignored her. I would have acted like a girl for one of the few times in my life and buried my head in Darien's chest, cling tightly to him and beg him to lead me out of the room. I wished I was smarter, but let’s face it; I am too curious to be smart.
“What do you mean you have been watching me? I don’t know what kind of line you fed Walker here, but I know I am not falling for it.” I was angry. I wanted Walker to know that, even more, I wanted the three strangers in the room to know that I was far from convinced. I had no intention of believing anything that they said. I wasn’t falling for this; I wasn't going to be as naive as Walker. I had made up my mind and that was all that mattered.
Then she did something that completely threw me off guard. She reached out and grabbed my hand and no matter how set in stone my mind was that they were all fakes; my body sensed otherwise. The waves of heat that suddenly pulsed throughout my body began where our hands touched. Touching her was like touching Akia. For a brief moment I forgot where I was and I truly believed that it was his hand in mine. For just a second all was right in the world and I could feel that dreamy smile edging across my face.
I felt weak, like someone had zapped every ounce of strength from my body. Just as I was sure my knees were going to give out, Darien jerked my hand free from Kira's and suddenly I could think clearly again. I didn’t even try to hide my confusion when I fell against Darien, not because I didn't want to, but because I felt like the world was spinning around me too fast and I might suddenly fly off again.
“I don’t care who you are or who you think you are, but if you ever touch her again I will kill you myself.” Darien’s voice cut through the room and I shivered. I knew that Darien meant every word he threatened and I felt instantly safe. Then Walker made a move.
“Everybody needs to calm down. We are all on the same team here.” I am not sure why, but Walker was really starting to piss me off now! How could he possibly believe that this woman was anything important to us, and how could he have been dumb enough to let these three into our refuge? What the hell was he thinking? Even more, why did he choose this way to spring these people on us? I had no idea and apparently, neither did Darien.
“I don’t know who you are talking about Walker, but I am not on the same team as these frea
ks.” Darien’s voice radiated strength. I knew that if someone didn't make sense of everything that was going on soon, this was going to get very bad very quickly. There were way too many emotions filling the room.
“Man you are looking at this from the way wrong angle.” I had forgotten Jaden was there. He hadn’t said a word the entire time. I let my guard down just a little. If Jaden was leading, everything would smooth out soon, because that is what he did; he made sense of confusion. “If I were you Darien, I would be more worried about why Cat reacted the way she did when Kira touched her rather than who Kira is or isn’t.”
That was so not what I wanted to hear him say. I wanted him to make everything better, but this time he failed me. This time he was just as confused and puzzled as the rest of us.
As much as I hated to admit it, Jaden had a point. I turned my head to Walker and waited for an answer. If it was the right answer, I would be free of Akia because that would mean the feeling I got when she touched me had been nothing more than an illusion. If it was the wrong answer then I was in a lot of trouble. I had enough trouble in my life, plenty, so just then, I was hoping for a little easy.
“We will continue this conversation when you all sit down and control yourselves.” I had no idea how someone that looked so young, so innocent and fun, could contort his voice to Father mode so quickly, but Walker had mastered the trick and there was no questioning the fact that we were all going to do as told.
Two minutes later the seven of us were choosing seats at the dining room table. Darien sat beside me, sitting so close that his leg was pressed against mine. I needed that touch to keep me grounded. On the other side of Darien, much to my disapproval sat Jessie, who slowly inched closer to Darien with every chance she got. After I figured out what was going on with these people I was going to take Jessie girl down a few pegs, you could bet on that, and I was going to enjoy every minute of it! I watched as the others sat.
Walker had taken a seat at the head of the table and Jaden sat opposite him. Makeen was sitting directly across from Darien. I knew that Makeen had chosen the seat opposite Dairen just in case he needed to get at Darien quickly. Kira sat opposite me and I was stuck staring right into the female face of a ghost from my past. The entire situation was surreal and completely unnerving.
”First and foremost, let me answer the questions that you all have. I would appreciate it if we could all act like adults so please let me finish.” When no one protested the Doc started to spin his tale. “Kira is Akia’s twin. I know this because I have been in her life since the day they were born.” When no one objected, he continued on. “The royal family had no need for a daughter. They wanted a son to rule over the kingdom. Akia was first born, followed shortly by Kira. The birth of Kira disgusted the Vampires because they believed that since Akia was the perfect mix of human and Vampire DNA, Kira must have been born of left over genetic material, meaning that they didn't believe she was pure enough to let live. They ordered her execution immediately. I waited for the guards to rid the kingdom of the baby. When I saw the Vampire in charge of her execution I grabbed him, killed him, and placed another baby, a human baby in his arms. This baby had died because its young mother had been caged and used for food during her pregnancy, she was weak and half drained and her baby died in labor. It was a very risky move for me to make but the stars were aligned in my favor. Even though the infant was human, it looked close enough to Kira that no questions were asked. Mix that with the fact that the Regent was ashamed that his human mate had birthed a girl, and the murder of Kira was quickly brushed under the rug and forgotten. I didn't even have to worry about the fact that I had killed the guard. The Vampires figured that he took his own life after killing a royal baby, that he feared later consequences for spilling royal blood. I really never thought it was going to work, but the birth of Akia was being celebrated so wildly, that no one worried too much about one dead guard. I took Kira to a place where I knew she would be safe, to another group of rogue humans that risked their lives to get her across the country. I have been keeping contact with the humans that took her in and raised her ever since.”
Walker hadn’t lost his ability to explain things in a matter of fact way. He didn't care that he had once again kept things from all of us. He didn't care that he was telling us once again that everything he raised us to believe wasn’t true. How many more surprises could he possibly have in store for us? A more pointed question was, how many more of his surprises would we have to deal with before we started questioning whether or not Walker was someone that could be trusted?
“So she is one of them? That is another good reason she shouldn’t be here Walker, but you still haven’t explained why Cat acted that way when that freak touched her.” Apparently Darien wasn’t impressed with the fact that he was sitting across the table from Dominus royalty. But before Walker could answer Darien’s question, the freak across the table spoke up.
“May I please answer? I think the explanation for Cat’s reaction to my touch would be a little less harsh if it comes from me.” When Walker nodded approval she began. “It is quite simple, really. It is because Cat and I are soul mates.” Her voice grew soft and intimate as she tenderly spoke her reason. She was so embarrassed by her words that she blushed.
I had heard enough, I had to get out of the room and away from everyone in it or I was going to go mad. It was bad enough that Walker was treating this Kira like she was one of us, giving her the right to talk after telling us that he was in charge. But worse than that, he should have been defending me instead of letting this stranger say the things she was saying.
How did he not understand how much she was humiliating me? Even more, how did he not get how bad she was hurting me? The fact that Walker was sitting there looking at Kira so sympathetically just added fuel to my fire. I had to say something.
“Look I am flattered and all but I am not gay, I have no gay tendencies or urges, and I am sure I have outgrown those teen years of experimentation that men get wet dreams about. I don't know what sick twisted game you are playing here Kira, but if you are trying to get a date, just ask. I will tell you No, but asking straight out would be a lot less trouble.” OK, maybe I was being harsh, but who did this woman think she was?
“I had no interest in girls either Cat…. until Akia kissed you. You see, I have known about you my entire life, and I have never felt anything towards you but a morbid curiosity, but then he kissed you and I dreamt it was me in that hotel room. I have never had even the slightest interest in females until that night. Now you are all I think about.” Kira's voice was laced with shame and for just a second, I felt sorry for her.
I didn't want to feel sorry for her. I wanted to be angry. I hated her and I hated Walker too for even thinking that introducing the two of us was a good idea. “Walker, I don't know exactly what it is that you were hoping to accomplish by throwing me into a room with this weirdo, but you’re failing. One of us has to go and at this point I am willing to be the one that leaves.” Good classic Cat move, completely ignore the problem that is pissing you off. Wickedly though, Kira either didn't know me well enough to shut up and drop it, or she didn't care what I was going to do and just wanted her voice to be heard again. Whatever the reason that drove her to it, she continued on with her story like I had never opened my mouth to object in the first place.
“Cat, believe me, I can only imagine the thoughts that are roaming through your mind right now, but please remember that as uncomfortable as you are right now, multiply that by a thousand times and you will know how I feel telling you this.” She was looking into my eyes, begging me to understand with hers, trying to manipulate me into falling for her. “The thoughts and urges that I have had are so foreign to me that I can almost ignore them, the dreams however, are real enough to make me blush and I am anything but a naive women. I can feel you Cat, I can taste you, smell you and it gets to the point that I wake up aching for you. Can you almost imagine how much tension that makes?” She was no lon
ger looking at me; instead she sighed and looked down at the table.
Wow! A Dominus just avoided eye contact with me? That was a shift in the planets. A distant part of me pulled me towards her. If it wasn’t for Darien’s hand on mine, I think I would have gone to her. I think I would have touched her face and looked in her eyes, so I could tell her everything was going to be OK. For just a second, I thought about doing anything I could just to make her look at me again, so that I could let her know that I wasn't put off by her or the thoughts she was having towards me, but I shook that idea from my head quickly. I didn't know what to say to her. I didn't know anything about her. I wanted to be shocked. I should have been shocked, but the shade of pink that rose so invitingly to her cheeks when she admitted her feelings toward me stirred things lower in my body. Places and feelings that I thought had died when I allowed Akia to believe that my life ended that day in his cellar warmed again.
Before I could push these feelings out of my head and before I could stop myself, I felt the color rush to my cheeks and I was sure I was as rose red as she was. This wasn't good. If I couldn't control my face people were going to be able to guess what I was feeling. I wanted Darien to know that I wasn't buying any of the lies this woman was telling, but if he looked at me right now, I was sure he would think the exactly the opposite. I was trying way too hard to get control of my face. The room was tense enough without me trying to wash neutral onto a face that surely was showing fifty different emotions.
“Cat I need you to listen to me more closely than you ever have before, I need you to trust me and I need you to stop plotting for two damn seconds.” Walker’s voice boomed through my embarrassment. Good, if I looked like I was plotting as opposed to nearly panting, then maybe, just maybe, I could save this mess.
