by C.M. Owens
It took what felt like forever before she looked up and met his eyes with bloodshot ones of her own.
“I received an interesting phone call today.” She said, leaving Thomas to worry even more about what this conversation was about.
“From who?” Thomas asked, his voice held a note of the fear he was desperately fighting to hide from her.
“Marcus Williams.” Marie told him and watched for his reaction. He couldn’t hide the shock that made his eyes widen.
“Why would he be calling you?” Thomas asked carefully.
“About you and his daughter being mates.” She said in a blunt voice.
Thomas felt his throat close at his mother’s words. It didn’t matter if they were ready for the news to get out, it already was. His mouth opened and closed, with no words coming out, as he tried to figure out what he should tell his mother. The last thing he wanted to do was lie to her.
“Thomas, I understand. We cannot choose who our mates are, that is something out of our control. I just wish you had trusted me enough to confide in me so I didn’t have to hear it from Marcus.” Marie told him as a tear slipped down her cheek.
“Mom…” Thomas began but stopped, still not knowing what to say, but wishing he’d come up with something.
“What have I done to make you feel you can’t trust me? You used to tell me everything and now you’re keeping secrets like this from me. I don’t understand.” Marie sobbed to her son. Thomas felt horrible for making his mother this upset and moved from the desk chair over to the bed next to her and pulled her into his arms for a hug. She leaned into him and cried.
“I’m sorry Mom. I was just afraid the feud between you, Dad and her parents would keep us apart. I have been in love with Angelica since we were young children. We were just trying to figure out how to tell you without us being torn apart in the end. All we want to do is be together.” Thomas told his mother as he stroked her back while she cried on his shoulder. “It had nothing to do with trust. If there’s anyone I trust in the world with my secrets, it’s you.”
Marie looked up at his words with more hope in her eyes than he’d seen when he first walked into the room.
“There is nothing in this world that will make me think less of you. I’m not sure your father is ready to hear this news yet though.” Marie told him as she wiped away her tears.
“Mom, we were just being careful.” Thomas told her feeling ashamed that he’d ever doubted how much his mother loved him.
“I understand that and I understand why. You both still need to be careful for now, but Marcus and I will help you through this with as little friction as possible.” She told him as she stood to leave the room. He could tell she was still hurt by his lack of confidence in her, which made him feel even worse. He adored his mother.
“I have a question Mom.” Thomas said as a thought occurred to him and he pushed away the shame he was feeling at hurting his mother’s feelings.
“What is it my son?” She asked, squaring her shoulders, but not turning around. He could tell she knew what he was about to ask and was afraid of the question.
“Why did Marcus call you? I thought the two of you were as caught up in this feud as Dad and Camilla.” Thomas asked her and saw her tense up even more.
“There are a lot of things you don’t understand. I can’t explain any of this to you right now so please do not ask me to.” She said before heading to the door.
“Well, it’s funny you should say that when you just made me feel like crap because I didn’t tell you about me and Angelica.” Thomas said, sudden anger flaring up in him. To him it was hypocritical for her to make him feel guilty for doing the same thing she was now doing to him.
“You don’t understand.” Marie said in a soft voice.
“Then help me to understand.” Thomas replied, standing up and facing his mother’s back.
“No.” Was all she said before she opened the door, walked out and closed it with a soft click behind her. It took everything Thomas had in him to keep himself from going after his mother and trying to force her to explain what this stupid feud was all about and why it was so dangerous for him and Angelica to be together as mates.
Instead of chasing his mother, he ended up pacing his room once again. He was so frustrated after his mother’s visit he didn’t know what to do with himself. On one hand, he was relieved she now knew and that took a load off of his shoulders, but on the other hand, all of these secrets about this feud were driving him insane. He was caught in the middle of something he didn’t understand and so was his mate.
The talk with his mother made him feel like he’d beaten his head against a brick wall and all he had to show for it was a headache. He decided, as he moved over and sat down at his desk to begin his homework, it was time they found out what the feud between their parents was all about, once and for all. There was the chance his and Angelica’s mating might just be what it took to mend fences between the families and end it once and for all. At least, that’s what he was hoping for anyway.
Chapter Twelve
Not much happened over the next couple of weeks, other than Thomas and Angelica’s normal school routine and homework. Thomas had tried his best to find out what was going with the feud between his and Angelica’s parents, but ran up against brick wall after brick wall. He was running out of ideas for finding out the information he felt they needed.
At lunch, he finally told Angelica what he’d been doing.
“Hey, I have something to confess to you.” He began and Angelica turned a worried look in his direction. She’d been gazing out the window to the cafeteria at the birds that were flying high in the sky.
“Confess? What’s going on?” She asked him, her full attention now on him.
“I’ve been trying to figure out what the feud between our parents is all about after that talk with my mom a couple of weeks ago.” He admitted to her. Her eyes got wide as she stared at him.
“Why didn’t you tell me sooner? I could have helped.” She asked him, a little bit of hurt creeping into her voice.
“I didn’t want to put you in danger in case I stirred up something I shouldn’t have. Not to mention, I was hoping it would be something our mating would put an end to and surprise you with it, but no such luck. I haven’t been able to find out anything.” Thomas told her, frustration building inside of him.
Angelica placed her hand over his and offered him an understanding smile.
“It seems our parents have been very careful in hiding whatever it is they have against each other. I do have an idea on how to find out though, but it’s a long shot.” Angelica told him. She went on to tell him about her talk with Jerome and how she’d ended up confiding in her father about their relationship.
“So, you’re thinking your father’s assistant may know what’s going on and be able to shed some light on it for us?” Thomas asked her when she was done.
“I’m not sure he’ll tell me even if he knows though. He seems like a vault when it comes to people’s secrets. He could have told my father about us the day we discovered we were mates, but he didn’t. Like I said, it’s a long shot.” Angelica said, doubt in her voice.
“That’s true, but he seems to have a soft spot for you and wants to help you. Maybe that will work in our favor.” Thomas said, with renewed hope in his voice.
“You may be right, but I can’t just corner him to ask. I have to do this just right otherwise he’ll see it coming. He can read emotions, remember?” Angelica reminded him.
“Well, we’re going to have to figure it out. We need to know what is going on with them. I just want to be with you Angie. I don’t want to have to worry about our parents trying to keep us apart somehow. You have been my heart since that day in the field and I’m tired of hiding it. I want to shout it to the world.” Thomas told her and made her heart melt at the feeling behind his words.
“I feel the same way. It’s so hard pretending everything is normal every night at dinner when my mother is houn
ding me to find my mate. All I wanna do is shout at her ‘I’ve found him’, I’ve found you.” Angelica told him, her voice softening at the end.
“I wish I could tell my father too. He’s not as understanding as my mom is though. I’m also trying to figure out why your dad would call my mom to fill her in about us. I never even knew they’d ever talked to each other.” Thomas said, his mind spinning circles around the mystery all four of their parents presented them with.
“What is with all of the secrecy?” She said with frustration.
“I don’t know but it’s very irritating.” Thomas said, holding her hand.
Angelica agreed as they stood to dump their lunch trays and head to their separate classes. Of course Thomas wouldn’t hear about Angelica walking to her class alone, so he walked her there, as usual, which brought a smile to her face. Every moment they spent together made her heart bubble with joy.
The rest of the day passed uneventfully and as she made her way home, she tried to figure out a way to get Jerome alone so she could ask him what she wanted to know. Pacing her room, she glanced over at the calendar and noticed prom was only a week away and she still hadn’t gotten her dress yet. Everything clicked into place in her mind. Grabbing her purse, she ran out of her room and down to her father’s study.
She took a moment to catch her breath before raising her hand to knock on the door. Before she could make contact to knock, the door swung open and Jerome stood right in front of her. He moved to the side, but didn’t leave as she stepped inside.
“Hello my beautiful daughter. What brings you here to see me?” Marcus asked as he stood up from behind his desk and moved over to where she stood. He wrapped her up in a bear hug, which made her giggle, before pulling back and looking at her face.
“I just realized prom is in a week and I still don’t have a dress. Is there any way Jerome can take me shopping so I can get what I need?” She asked him in a sweet voice with puppy dog eyes. She knew her father would have a hard time denying her when she asked like that.
“Do you have anything you’re working on at the moment?” Marcus turned and asked Jerome with eyebrows raised.
“Not at all. I have no problem taking Angelica shopping for you sir.” Jerome said even though the look on his face said he’d rather have someone drive needles under his fingernails for fun.
“I’m sorry. I would ask Anna to take me but I have no idea how to get a hold of her. Mother won’t let me know where she lives or have her phone number for some reason.” Angelica said. She really did feel bad about making Jerome go through a shopping trip with her and saw an opportunity to possibly get information about her sister at the same time.
“I don’t know why your mother isn’t letting you talk to her. We’ll have to invite them over for dinner again soon so you can spend some time with her. I know how much you miss her, my dear.” Marcus said, placing a kiss on her head, but not taking the bait she’d laid out for him.
“That would be wonderful Dad. I miss her so much.” Angelica said, her mood perking up at the thought of getting to spend time with her older sister. They’d been so close before she’d met Patrick, mated and moved out.
“We’d better get going if you’re going to be back before dinner ma’am.” Jerome said, holding the door open for her.
“Before you go, is your homework finished?” Her father asked her. He was such a stickler about it.
“Yeah, there wasn’t much so I got it done at school.” Angelica told him and he nodded his head as he waved them on.
Before leaving the study, she asked him for some money to get what she needed. Pulling out his wallet, Marcus handed his daughter a wad of one hundred dollar bills, so thick her eyes nearly popped out of her head in shock.
“You get whatever dress your heart is set on, my dear. You’ll be the most beautiful girl in the room.” Marcus said with a huge smile.
“Maybe I should hold that for you?” Jerome suggested.
“Yes, that would probably be a good idea.” Angelica said, knowing the world was dangerous and, even though she had powers, using them against a human mugger wouldn’t be wise. Jerome would be better equipped to fight off any attackers and keep it safe. She handed the money over and he put it away without a word.
Together they walked off. Jerome made her wait in front of the house as he went to retrieve the car instead of just letting her walk to the garage with him like she’d tried to insist on. He pulled the car up, let it idle as he came around to open and close the door for her and climbed back in. They both buckled up without a word and were off to shop in the most exclusive stores around.
Chapter Thirteen
It was a shopping trip from heaven for Angelica, other than the fact she was really all alone. She didn’t have her friends there to help her pick out the perfect dress or even more important to her, Anna. Jerome, being a guy, wasn’t much help at all.
She looked through dress after dress, trying to find the one she felt was perfect for that special night. It was the junior prom because Thomas was a junior and she was only a sophomore at sixteen years old. She wanted to look perfect for him. He and Alex were getting the three girls in.
Trying on dress after dress, the store clerk gave Angelica her best opinion, but that didn’t mean much to her. Finally, she found the dress she knew, without a doubt, was the one that would make Thomas be unable to keep his eyes off of her.
It was a sleek silk dress in a champagne pink color that clung to every curve she had. It had a high neckline with a choker collar but left the shoulders, back and arms bare. The dress settled on the curve of her hips and flowed down over her legs, all the way down to the floor, with a short train. It had lace accents placed strategically in different places, to make it even more feminine and perfect for her.
Twisting and turning to get the full effect in the floor-length mirrors, she whirled around in a circle and could not stop smiling at how beautiful she looked in the dress.
“This is it.” She exclaimed, thrilled with her choice.
She went back into the dressing room and put her street clothes back on, careful to hang the dress back on its hangar so it wouldn’t be wrinkled, before carrying it out and over to the register.
Jerome quickly moved up to the counter and paid for the dress while the cashier bagged it in a garment bag, so it would not get dirty while being transported. Once they were finished in the dress shop, Jerome carried the garment bag as Angelica led them into a shoe store.
She tried on pair after pair of shoes, trying to find the ones that would match her dress to perfection. It took an hour to narrow her choices down to three pairs. Unable to decide, she asked Jerome for his opinion.
“I suggest you get all three pairs. Your father wouldn’t object if they make you happy.” He said to her. He wanted nothing more than to end this trip with a teenage girl. They’d been shopping for several hours now.
“Are you sure he won’t be upset if I do that?” Angelica asked him with worry in her voice.
“I am positive he only wishes to see you happy. Get all three pairs and let your friends help you decide.” He replied to her in an easy voice.
Nodding her head, she told the cashier to ring up all three pairs as she put her own shoes back on and Jerome went over to pay for her purchases.
Deciding she’d go on another shopping trip later for any accessories she may need for prom, she told Jerome they could head home. She could see the relief in his face when she told him she was ready to go.
He carried all of her purchases to the car and very carefully placed them inside so the dress wouldn’t be harmed during the trip, since it was very delicate.
Once they were buckled into the vehicle, Jerome looked over at her without starting the engine.
“I know there is something you wish to ask me. I wish you would just ask.” He told her in a quiet voice.
“I’m sorry. I don’t want to put you in an awkward position and I’ve been trying to figure out how to ask you
this without doing just that. Unfortunately, I haven’t been able to come up with a way to do that.” Angelica said, her voice was full of nerves.
“You are a very compassionate young lady who thinks of others before herself, most of the time. Ask me what you need to ask me. I cannot guarantee I’ll know the answer, or be willing to give you the answer to your question, but if it’s reasonable, I will do my best.” He told her honestly.
“I am grateful for that. I know you’ve been with my father for many, many years and know what happened to cause the feud between my family and the Daniels’ family. I need to know what happened and if there’s anything Thomas and I can do to repair the rift between them?” Angelica pleaded with him. She was so tired of being in the dark about everything.
“Yes, I have been with your father for a very long time. I remember when you and Anna were each born.” Jerome began and Angelica held her breath as he spoke. “Both of you were such beautiful girls. My mate adored you both before she died. She was your nanny. I’ll bet you don’t remember her because you were so young when she left us.”
“No.” Angelica breathed in shock. Tears filled her eyes as he spoke and she didn’t have to be able to read others’ emotions to feel the pain in his heart as he spoke of his mate. She’d had no idea he and his mate had always been such a huge part of their lives.
“Yes, she loved you both as her own children. You see, both her and I were Solarians so we were unable to have children of our own. Being able to care for the two of you was such a blessing for us. At that time, we were only concerned about protecting the two of you from your mother.” He told her, his voice sad and full of pain.
“Why our mother?” Angelica asked, she knew her mother was a cold woman, but other than when she’d crossed her, she had never felt like she was in danger from her.
“Have you heard of the great prophecy and the story behind it?” Jerome asked her with a serious look in his eyes.
Angelica shook her head no because, in her memory, no one had ever spoken about it in her prescience.
He went on to explain about the prophecy in as much detail as he knew. There was no way she could have known by asking him about the feud between hers and Thomas’ families, she would learn so much, that had been kept from her, about the history of their race.
