by Amanda Perry
“Julianne,” Mary starts, once everyone is seated. “I’m very sorry for the way my boys behaved and I believe they are as well, though it’s up to them to give you apologies individually.”
When Mary pauses, I assume she’s waiting for some sort of acknowledgment from me so I simply nod. It isn’t her fault they took me and acted like crazy cavemen, and she can’t make them sorry if they aren’t.
“Let me take a moment to introduce everyone. You know me and my husband, Abe.” She pats her husband’s shoulder, then turns around to face the rest of her family. “My older son is Brecken and I know the two of you met. The redhead is his ma… um, his wife, Izzy.”
Izzy gives me a wide smile. “Sorry about Brecken. He’s a man and therefore he doesn’t think before he acts.”
“Izzy,” Mary chides, while her own smile tries to break free. She shakes her head and points to Remus. “Remus is my middle son and Nikki is his wife. Then, there’s my only girl and youngest child, Vivian. Her, erm, boyfriend is Joseph.”
As they all acknowledge me with small waves, smiles, and nods, and Mary turns around to face me again. She gestures to Levi beside me and beams. “And this is Leviathan. He’s my youngest boy.”
With only a look from Levi, I find myself blushing a thousand shades of red. I open my mouth to say something cool and witty, but in true Julianne fashion, I end up embarrassing myself further. “Are you married also?” It’s almost impressive how awkward I can make a situation just by opening my stupid mouth.
Levi’s eyes pop wide and his pouty lips part in surprise. At least I’m not the only one shocked by my stupidity.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to say that out loud. I meant to say hi.” I turn to Mary with pleading eyes. Bless the woman, she quickly catches on that I’d like her to interrupt me and change the subject. She squeezes Abe’s arm and gestures to me.
Abe stands from his seated position and stuffs his hands in his pockets. “Julianne, I’m not going to sugar coat things for you. You’re likely wondering why in the world we haven’t let you free, even after we said we believe in your innocence. There’s a reason.”
“There is.” It’s pointless to deny it. We all know why they haven’t sent me on my way by now.
“You saw Brecken. You saw what we are.” Abe is matter of fact about it. He knows I saw something I shouldn’t have. I appreciate him not beating around the bush. “I’m not going to lie to you and try to convince you that you were seeing things. There are new reasons for you to know the truth about us.”
My hands shake with anticipation. I knew I wasn’t crazy, but the confirmation from Abe makes it all more real. Do I actually want to know who, or what, these people are? I should get up and run far and fast. As much as the logical part of my brain tells me to get the hell out of dodge, there’s a bigger part of me that refuses to leave and I don’t understand why. I need to know what Abe is going to say. I need to stay and learn about this family.
“Julianne, my family and I are demon shifters.” Abe shuffles back to his seat, giving me time to process what he had just revealed.
My heart stops for a full second at his confession. Out of the corner of my eye, I notice Leviathan’s head jerk in my direction. His panicked gaze darts to my chest. It makes me wonder if he heard my heart beat as it stopped then picked up speed. I can hear my pulse beating in my ears and I have a feeling that the rest of them can hear it too, if their worried looks are any indication.
“Julianne, take a few deep breaths,” Remus orders gently, kneeling in front of me. I think I hear Leviathan growl at his brother, but it could be my imagination.
I try to mimic Remus’ breathing and after a few tries, I finally manage to copy him. He smiles at me encouragingly and nods his approval. “Good job, keep taking deep breaths.”
When I have myself under control, I look around the room at everyone. “You’re going to kill me, aren’t you?” I ask, my eyes filling with traitorous tears. I may not have much to live for, but I don’t particularly want to die either. “I saw Brecken and now you have to kill me to keep your secret. This is like a really bad horror movie.”
“Never,” Leviathan growls, looking ready to attack anyone who contradicts him. “I will never let anyone hurt you again, Julianne. I swear it.”
Scrunching my brow in confusion, I meet his intense gaze. “Why? You don’t even know me. I don’t understand.”
Leviathan takes my hands and holds them gently in his. Every nerve in my body comes alive under his touch. Leave it to me to crush on my potential killer. “Julianne, do you feel different since you woke up?”
I start to shake my head, but the buzzing in my body suddenly intensifies and reminds me of its presence. “I feel... something,” I tell him truthfully, trying to figure out exactly what is different. A week ago, I would have hesitated to tell a demon shifter kidnapper about a weird new buzz in my body. Then again, a week ago, I wouldn’t have believed there was such a thing as a demon shifter kidnapper.
“I need to confess something, but please don’t run from me when I tell you.” His voice pleads as he holds my gaze and squeezes my hands softly. I notice he holds my hurt hand closer to my wrist. I wonder who put in the stitches when I was out. I hadn’t noticed them before now.
“I’ll try, but I can’t promise you anything. I’m sort of being held against my will by… demons,” I remind him, stumbling over the last word. Had I not seen Brecken turn into a pointy toothed crazy person with my own two eyes, I would have called them all crazy and made a mad dash for the door. I’m still trying to wrap my mind around it.
Leviathan takes a deep breath and squeezes his eyes shut for a second as if trying to build courage. “Julianne, in our world every shifter has a mate. I have never heard of a shifter and a human bonding before. But what happened earlier, the shock you felt and the buzz you feel now? That’s me; that’s us. You are mine, just as I’m yours.”
I want to laugh; I wish I could. Then I could tell him he’s insane and bolt out of this crazy place or wake up from this screwed up dream. But everything he just said feels... right. Somehow, I just know he’s telling me the truth and even if I wanted to run from him, which oddly enough I don’t, I wouldn’t last long without him. I need him and he needs me. Why do I feel all of that so deeply? I don’t even know anything about him, for crying out loud.
“It isn’t completely unheard of, Levi,” Abe mutters, breaking the not-so-private moment the two of us were having. Running his hands through his hair in frustration, he stands and begins pacing the living room. “Your mother and I know of only one other occasion where a shifter bonded with a human and the human survived long enough to live their life with their mate. It’s an old friend of ours. You would know them as your Uncle Sam and Aunt Lydia. He bonded to Lydia when she was a human. Not many people talk about it because it’s so rare and unknown.”
Mary nods her solemn confirmation and continues where Abe left off. “It’s sort of taboo in our world because the humans who bond with shifters don’t survive. Their mate brings them into a world of shifters and they either get killed by those who cannot control themselves or they simply don’t survive the change.”
“No.” Leviathan shakes his head in denial. “There has to be a way to ensure she’s safe and...” He stops, pursing his lips and looking back at me. “I will keep you safe, Julianne. No matter what it takes.”
I don’t mean to, but I find myself smiling gently at him. His eyes dart to my lips and I see them darken slightly. “I know you’ll keep me safe. Why do I feel that so strongly?” I ask, not understanding how I can practically feel his thoughts and feelings. It’s like he’s pushing the truth of his promise into my mind.
He grins at me and puts his hand on my cheek. “That’s the bond, Love. It only grows stronger from here.”
It’s not only the bond I sense. I also get the feeling there’s a rocky road ahead of us.
11
Sitting on the couch sipping on my water, I watc
h as everyone shares discrete glances. Suddenly, everyone but Leviathan stands and heads out of the room, making various excuses for why they are leaving. It’s almost insulting to my intellect that they think I’d believe their load of crap but I let it go. It was obvious they were trying to give us the illusion of privacy.
When Leviathan and I are alone, I start to get nervous. I have no idea what to think about everything that’s going on and all I want is some time to think things through. I need to figure out how I feel about all of this new information. Sitting next to Levi makes it impossible for me to form any coherent thought, let alone deal with the intensity of the day. Not that my house would be a better place to mediate. Lauren likely has a hoard of people crammed inside and her crappy stereo turned to deafening volumes.
As if he read my mind and knows my internal debate of whether to leave, Leviathan places a finger under my chin and pulls my attention to him. “Stay with us, please,” he murmurs quietly with dark, pleading eyes. “We have a nice guest room you can stay in. I promise no one will disturb you. I just don’t... I don’t want you to leave.”
It isn’t a hard decision, in reality. I don’t have anything worth going home to. I know Leviathan would never let them hurt me and the only one I would truly worry about is Brecken. He scares the hell out of me, but I think he’s busy getting scolded by Izzy, so hopefully he won’t bother me.
“I’ll stay,” I assure Leviathan and smile slightly when he lets out a relieved breath.
“It’s late for you. Would you like anything to eat or drink or would you like to sleep?” he asks, helping me to my feet but not letting my hand go.
“How long have I been here?” I ask, suddenly realizing I don’t have a clue what day it is or even the time.
Leviathan has the decency to look guilty as he answers. “It’s around midnight so that makes this Saturday. Remus and Brecken picked you up around four in the morning on Thursday. You have been here for two days.” He rubs the back of his neck as he watches his words sink in.
With a huff, I pull my hand from his and wrap my arms around myself. It’s my feeble attempt at holding myself together while I try to handle everything. Leviathan seems to be struggling with his emotions as well, but I’m too distracted in my own hectic mind to try and figure out what his problem is.
“Can I please just be alone now?” I whisper, hoping he will take me to the guest room he mentioned earlier and leave me be.
He studies my face for a moment before nodding sadly. “Come with me.”
I follow him up the stairs and down the hallway. We pass the empty room I had been kept in and continue on to the end of the hall. Pointing to one room, Leviathan throws over his shoulder, “That room is mine.” He opens the door to the room next to his, gesturing for me to go in ahead of him.
“This is the guest room. It’s yours for however long you want it,” Leviathan murmurs, sounding defeated. I don’t like that twinge of sadness to his voice. I first noticed it when I met him and it makes me wonder where it comes from. “I will be right back.” He leaves the room for a moment and comes back with a pile of towels and clothes. “If you decide you would like a shower, the bathroom is across the hall. It’s the only door that is open. Anything you need is in there. Feel free to use whatever you’d like. I don’t have any clothes for you, but there is a shirt of mine here and a pair of pajama pants with a tie. Hopefully that helps.”
I almost want to giggle at the blush on Leviathan’s face as he sets the clothes and towels down on the end of the bed and begins to fidget. I wonder why he wouldn’t ask his mother or one of the other girls in the house for extra clothes.
“Thank you for that,” I tell him softly, unsure of what else he wants me to say.
He simply nods and turns toward the door. Before shutting it, he says, “If you need anything, I’ll be next door.” With that, he closes my door softly and I then I hear his open and close a short moment later.
With a heavy sigh, I grab the towels and clothes and walk to the bathroom quickly. The decor inside the room is simple and neat. Black and white with a splash of green here and there. Everything in the house is pristine and I can’t help but wonder who has to clean it all. At my house, I’m the only one who cleans and it’s always useless as my aunt and her stupid friends ruin the place within hours of me cleaning it up. They’re worse than toddlers.
Shaking out of my thoughts, I lock the bathroom door and quickly strip down. A glance at myself in the mirror shows me a bruise on the side of my neck from Brecken, but it’s nothing compared to the one going all the way up my spine from when I fell and hit my back. It hurts like hell when I touch it so I try to be gentle as I wash my body. Luckily, someone left a plastic bag for me to cover my hand since I can’t get the stitches wet.
I spend a long time under the hot spray of the shower thinking over everything going on. I’m in a house full of mythical creatures and one of them claims that I’m his mate. The idea is so crazy I want to laugh, but I can’t bring myself to call them insane. I should be running far away from this place and these people, but my mind and heart won’t allow me to do that.
I saw Brecken with my own eyes. His teeth were extended and sharp. His eyes were glowing angrily. There is no way he could fake that, especially the massive wings extending from his back. When all those features changed right in front of me after Izzy walked into the room and started yelling at him, I tried desperately to convince myself I’d imagined it all. Unfortunately, I can’t deny what I saw.
I kind of like Izzy. She has been standing up for me from the start and while I’m sure that has nothing to do with who I am and everything to do with Brecken being an idiot, I can’t help but have a little respect for her. I met Nikki last, but she was nice to me as well and I think if we were to meet under different circumstances the three of us could maybe be friends.
Mary and Abe seem to be really nice as well. They were trying their best to make up for their sons’ mistakes. I’m wary around them still because they appear to be the ones who call the shots around here, and if they feel like I’m not worth it they could kill me or tell their kids to do their dirty work for them. They don’t strike me as the type to do such a thing, but I have learned that not many people, or beings, are worthy of trust.
I haven’t said more than a few words to Vivian and Joseph so I can’t really say what I believe their intentions are. They did let me use the bathroom when I asked, so that earned them points. I also noticed that Joseph always seems nervous and antsy. That worries me a bit because that tells me there is something to be nervous and antsy about. Vivian seems like an all-around happy girl. She looks very young, maybe sixteen. Joseph appears a little older than her, maybe about nineteen.
This thought makes me wonder how old these people really are. If the myths are true, they are probably like six hundred years old or something like that. Do they kill people for blood? Do they kill people for fun? What are their intentions with me? They mentioned human mates don’t survive the change. Do they want me to be like them? Are they going to force me into something I don’t want? What if they are really just some crazy cult that kidnaps people and converts them?
I start panting as I sink to a sitting position and pull my knees up, hugging them tightly with my arms. I think through all the possibilities the future may hold for me. None of them seem to have a good outcome. I can’t be a damn sharp toothed demon thing! I don’t want to die either!
Hot tears trail down my cheeks, but I try to keep my sobs silent so no one hears me. I don’t understand why this is happening to me. What am I supposed to do? I don’t even know these people and they are going to want me to join their kind so soon?
Leviathan said I’m his other half. What does that even mean? Is he going to expect me to jump into bed with him or something? If so, he is sadly mistaken. I may feel inexplicably drawn to him, but I’m keeping my v-card firmly intact for the foreseeable future, thank you very little.
Thinking of Leviathan has my
heartbeat and tears calming down. After a few more moments of catching my breath, I’m able to stand and finish my shower. Getting out, I dry myself off and wrap a towel tightly around my body. I search the drawers and find one with a new toothbrush, toothpaste, mouth wash, deodorant, brush, and hair dryer. Do they just keep these things on hand just in case or did someone get them specifically for me? Just another question to add to the endless list.
With a tired sigh, I go about drying my hair and brushing my teeth. When I’m finished, I pull on Leviathan’s shirt and pants. I giggle when I have to pull the tie really tight around my waist and roll them a few times so I can walk in them. They are way too big on me but they are very comfortable and warm. For some reason, this family must not believe in heaters because the house is freezing.
I wonder if they sleep in coffins in the basement or something and that’s why they don’t bother with heaters? Letting out a very unladylike snort at my thoughts, I pull the door open and peek my head out. When I don’t see anyone around, I take my dirty clothes and towels and shuffle to the guest room quickly.
I see a hamper in the corner of the room and put my clothes inside of it. The room is amazingly clean and perfect. It’s decorated in modern grays, whites, and yellows. They all tie in perfectly and give the room a happy and calming feel. Looking over the king-sized bed, I wonder where I should put the millions of decorative pillows that are on it.
Before I can make up my mind on where I can place them so they don’t get ruined, there is a quick knock on the door. I make my way over and open it, assuming it will be Leviathan or Mary checking on me. The last person I expect to see is Brecken standing there. I guess that’s why I squeal and stumble backward, landing on my butt.
12
Eyes wide, I watch as Brecken steps toward me with his hand out. I can’t stop myself from flinching at his actions, but soon realize he’s trying to help me up. I hear Leviathan’s door opening at the same time Brecken opens his mouth and speaks.
