by Amanda Perry
“I trust you slept well?” Abe asks while he pours a cup of coffee.
I give him a fake nod. “I slept okay. I’d ask if you slept well, but Levi told me you guys don’t need much sleep.”
Abe chuckles. “That’s true. We spend a lot of our evenings reading or a number of other calming activities. I spent my evening researching which new fitness watch I want.”
The sip of orange juice I’d just taken nearly comes out nose. “Fitness watch?”
“Demons need to keep in shape, too.” Abe winks, then turns and heads for the dining table.
I’m left in a fit of giggles with the mental picture of a gym full of demon shifters in sweatpants and neon headbands. I wonder if the famous fitness guy with the curly red hair and crazy antics is a demon shifter. He never seems to age and he has an inhuman amount of energy. It wouldn’t surprise me.
When Levi enters the room, all thoughts of flamboyant exercise gurus are forgotten. I feel myself blush all the way to my toes as he pulls me into a tight hug and kisses the corner of my mouth. I notice Mary grinning wildly and I blush even harder at Levi’s very public display.
When everyone is settled with a full plate in front of them, I decide it’s the best time to broach the subject of me going home.
“So,” I say, gaining the attention of everyone at the table. “I had a thought.”
“Uh oh,” Brecken mumbles, shoving a big bite into his mouth.
With the exception of shooting him a dirty look, I continue without acknowledging his quip. “I think I should go home and talk to my aunt.”
“Why?” Levi asks, sounding more than a little bit upset at the idea.
“I think she may know the people or person who set me up,” I tell him. “She and her... friends, for lack of a better word, are the only ones who had access to my bag to get my wallet. They’re also the only people in this town who even know my name aside from my old coworkers and half of them never even said a word to me.”
“You think her friends would do such a thing?” Mary asks, shock coloring her voice. “Surely your aunt would not allow such miscreants in the house, around her family?”
“Let’s just say my aunt isn’t the maternal type. All her friends are alcoholic drug addicts who come over to the house to party and start orgies,” I explain, scrunching my nose up in distaste. “They eat all the food in the house and Aunt Lauren blames me for it. I have no idea what I’m going to do now that I got laid off. My income was the only reason we were able to stay where we were. I paid rent and utilities.”
“You had to work and pay for everything? Weren’t you in school?” Vivian asks slowly, as if not understanding.
I nod. “I went to school during the day and worked the graveyard shift at the diner in town. Minimum wage was hard enough, but graveyard tips aren’t very good. Lauren would get angry when I wouldn’t have enough for the electric or water to stay on, but rent always came first. Sometimes I got enough tips for the rest of the bills and a little bit of food. I did what I could.”
Utter silence fills the room and I look around to see a lot of very angry glowing eyes; Levi’s expression looks particularly deadly. I don’t know what I said that upset them so much, but I hope their anger isn’t directed at me. I didn’t ask them to go paying my rent or anything; I hope they don’t think I’m fishing for a hand out.
“What would she do when she was mad?” Joseph whispers, shocking me. This is the first time he has said a word to me since I arrived.
I try to keep my surprise hidden as I answer him. “Different things.” I shrug. “If she was particularly drunk or high, she would get violent. Sometimes she would lock me out of the house or allow her friends to go through my room and take what they wanted which was stupid since I have nothing. It did suck when they’d take my clothes though. I don’t have many outfits and I hate having to find more. She put a lock on the fridge once, but then took it off when her friends complained they couldn’t get to the beer. That was stupid anyway; the only thing in there was alcohol. I don’t drink, so it was only a punishment to herself.”
I shrug again, and look back at Joseph. Something in his eyes makes me think he is from a similar background, possibly worse. “It wasn’t really that bad.”
“Where are your parents, Julianne?” Abe asks, taking my attention off poor Joseph.
I twist my hands in my lap and look down. “They died last year,” I murmur, holding back the tears. “I guess they didn’t have a will, so I was sent to my aunt because she was the only living relative. I hadn’t ever met her until the funeral.”
“I’m so sorry,” Abe whispers.
Clearing my throat, I attempt to change the depressing subject. “Anyway, I think I should go talk to Aunt Lauren.”
“No,” Levi growls, surprising me. When I turn to him with wide eyes, his scowl softens a bit and he explains himself. “I can’t let you go back to that place alone, love. If you insist on going to talk to that... woman, then I will go with you.”
“You are going to tell me what to do?” I ask, some humor in my voice but also a lot of disbelief.
Levi smirks and shakes his head. “No, but I’m not above pouting and begging. I’m also not above secretly following you if you decide you want to go alone.”
I chuckle softly and shake my head. “I have to go home at some point.”
“Why?” his brow furrows in confusion.
“Because I live there?” The statement comes out more like a question and I want to smack myself for sounding so unsure.
“Oh,” he mumbles, looking down at his plate.
After that, Nikki takes over the conversation. “Oh, I forgot to tell you, Julianne. I took a guess on your clothing size and ordered you a bunch of things online last night. They should be here tomorrow.”
“Nikki,” I shake my head slowly. “That’s really kind of you, but you shouldn’t have.”
She waves away my protests. “Nonsense. You can’t walk around in Leviathan’s pajamas forever. You need real clothes.”
“I’ll pay you back as soon as possible,” I promise.
She’s shaking her head in protest before I finish my sentence. “Not happening. Just say thank you and accept it.”
Even as I quietly thank her, I’m promising myself I’ll pay her back as soon as I can get another job.
If I wasn’t so distracted by Levi and his pouting, I’d likely argue further with Nikki. I’m not sure what I said wrong to upset Levi, but now doesn’t feel like the right time to ask him. I’ll need to wait until it feels right and we are alone.
18
The rest of the week flies by without incident. I spend a lot of time with Leviathan, getting to know him better. He is always very gentle and sweet with me, like he is afraid if he hugs me too hard or talks too loud, I will break into a million little pieces. I can’t help but feel like I’m falling for him already and the thought scares me.
No one has mentioned the topic of me going home since that night at dinner. Levi has actively avoided the subject and I don’t want to ruin our time together by bringing it up, but I don’t think I have much of a choice anymore. I’m not convinced that keeping away from my aunt is the best thing to do. I think she knows something, and the more I dwell on it the more I feel like I should confront her.
I have a feeling Leviathan has been trying to keep me distracted from my thoughts this week. On Monday, we went out for ice cream after I brought up that I was craving it. He said it was our first date. When he asked me to go with him, I swear he blushed and it was adorable. Tuesday, he dragged me out of the house to a park. We had a picnic lunch, which was very sweet and getting fresh air helped me clear my head. On Wednesday, Levi took me to a movie. I haven’t been to see a movie in over a year. Leviathan said he hadn’t been in about twenty years. Oddly enough that didn’t upset me the way I thought it would. Leviathan took me to a farmer’s market on Thursday. I may have gone a bit crazy getting a bunch of fresh fruits and veggies. They just had so many
good things there. Fresh fish, pasta, homemade jams, and more produce than I know what to do with. Lucky for us, Levi thought ahead and brought three large ice chests to keep it all cool on the trip back. He refused to let me pay for anything, insisting I only eat a third of what the rest of them eat and I shouldn’t pay for their big appetites.
Thank goodness Leviathan decided we would just hang out around the house today. After four days of running around, I need a day of rest. There have also been a few incidences with some of the Ashford clan showing up at the gate at random times. Every time the guards call, the family does a perimeter check while I bake everything I can get my hands on.
Today is different, though. Levi has been acting strange today. I think there’s something he wants to talk to me about, but he keeps stalling. I hope it isn’t that he wants to ask me to go home. I’m not sure how I’ll feel if he wants to get rid of me.
Finally, the silence and constant side glances get to be too much. Turning toward Levi on the couch, I wait until he’s focusing on me and address the situation.
“What is going on, Levi?” I ask, my voice quieter than I intended. “You’re acting strange today, is everything okay?”
Levi nods emphatically. “Of course, everything is fine, love. I just—” He pauses, pursing his lips together and studying me silently for a few moments. Finally, he lets out a frustrated sigh and runs his hands through his hair.
“I don’t want you to go,” he murmurs, looking straight into my eyes.
I wait for an elaboration that doesn’t come. “I don’t follow.”
“I want you to stay here with us, with me,” Levi admits, looking so unsure of himself it breaks my heart. “I want you to move in here. I don’t want to ever be away from you.”
My eyes go wide at his confession. “Levi,” I breathe, not sure what to think. Isn’t this what I wanted? I worried he didn’t want me to stay and he’s admitted to me he wants me here. Why am I suddenly unsure of what to do? “This is really fast. I need to think on this. You may believe this whole mate thing is foolproof, but I only just learned about it. I just… I need time.”
Looking utterly defeated and disappointed, Levi nods his understanding. “I would never try to pressure you, love. Just know that this is always your home. My family is always your family. Most importantly, my heart is always yours.”
Feeling tears pool in my eyes at his admission, I simply nod to him. I swallow a few times and when I can breathe past the lump in my throat, I let Levi know that I’m heading to bed. I need to process his words and I can’t even remember my own name when I’m near him, let alone make serious decisions.
Once showered and dressed in a pair of the pajamas that Levi insisted I purchase on one of our days out, I crawl into bed and think over his proposal. Would it be a good idea to move in with a guy I just met? Realistically, I’m already living here and have been for two weeks. The problem is, I’m only a teenager. The Black family may be supernatural and powerful, but they have to abide by the law. I have a few months before I’m eighteen and technically, I’m supposed to be under my aunt’s care. Maybe I could try to get permission from my aunt. It’s not like she wants me home, anyway. I’m only a burden to her so maybe she will let me go without making a fuss. Either way, I need to get home and pack my things. My clothes and such can stay behind for all I care. I’ll need a new job to buy more clothes and pay my way here, but I’d much rather buy new ones that don’t smell like smoke and don’t have so many holes.
My parents’ belongings that I was able to sneak and hide from my aunt are too precious to leave behind. I’ll need to go back and get those if nothing else. I realize quickly I’ve already made a decision. This is my home now, not the hellhole I lived in with Lauren. I don’t want to leave here, and most importantly, I don’t want to leave Levi.
I’ll need to wait for the right time to get my things though. There has to be a time when I can get out of this house, run to my aunt’s house and get my things, then get back here before anyone notices. I don’t want Levi or his family to see where I come from. It’s too embarrassing. I fall asleep coming up with a plan that I can only hope works out.
19
“It should be me doing the dishes, Joseph. Not you. You did them yesterday,” I say, standing in his way as he tries to get around me to the sink.
“No. You cooked. It’s only fair I help clean.” He grabs me around the waist, lifting me up and out of his way. He isn’t nearly as large as Leviathan, but he is far stronger than he looks.
“Hey! That’s cheating. It’s not fair to use your superhuman strength to try to win the battle.” Hands on waist, I chastise him, earning chuckles from those sitting at the table watching our war play out.
“All’s fair in love and war, Julianne,” Levi counters with a grin.
“Exactly,” Joseph agrees. “Afterall, the only reason you beat me to the sink was because you distracted me with sweets. That’s unsportsmanlike conduct. Everyone knows I have a sweet tooth and I’m a sucker for anything chocolate,” Joseph reasons as he turns his back on me, reaching to turn on the faucet before I can stop him.
Since the night I told the family about my aunt, Joseph has slowly opened up to me. He was born a shifter, but he was originally from the Ashford clan. The news shocked me until I found out the way they treated poor Joseph. He is kind and caring and they preyed on his giving nature. They would bait him, attacking a random person, and when he would try to intervene, they would beat him for it.
Vivian found him alone and terrified of his own shadow several years ago. The Black’s took him in without a second thought. It didn’t take them long to see what a kind person he really was. He still gets anxious around new people and I can understand that completely. I guess he has a hard time around humans being close to him as well. He wasn’t raised the way the Blacks were. If he wanted to survive, he had to kill people. I can see the guilt in his eyes when he talks about it.
Thinking about how hard Joseph has had it in his life almost makes me break down and allow him to wash the dishes like he wants to. Then I remember that this is the same person who stole the last garlic biscuit at dinner last night even though he knew I had my eye on it. Hardening my resolve once more, I shoot Joseph a mock glare and put my hands in my hips.
“Not happening, J,” I insist, getting ready to shoulder check him out of the way. He may be bigger than me, but he would move because he wouldn’t take the chance of hurting me. “It’s my night for dishes.”
“You say that every night!” He growls, throwing his wet hands in the air. “You cooked dinner, why can’t I do dishes this time?”
I open my mouth to reply, but Levi’s masculine laugh coming from the entry takes me by surprise and I turn around to see what he’s doing. He smiles happily down at me as he strides over to me and puts his arms around my waist. He pulls my body flush against his.
“Love, you know that you should be arguing that it’s not your turn, right?” he asks, still grinning down at me.
“But I want to help,” I whine, trying to ignore my heart’s erratic beating. Being this close to Leviathan always has me tied up in knots.
Levi huffs and shakes his head. “You help all the time. You’re always baking or cleaning or cooking or listening to my siblings bitch and moan about random things. You help plenty around here, so how about you come relax with me for a bit while Joseph does dishes, yeah?”
I want to argue that I cooked so I should clean up my mess, but the chance to spend any time alone with Levi is too tempting to pass up. I nod my head and allow Levi to pull me from the kitchen. The rest of the family go off to do their own things, so it’s only Levi and myself in the sitting room.
Leviathan pulls me onto his lap before I can even decide where I should sit. I giggle at him and roll my eyes when he wiggles his eyebrows at me.
“You are a goof,” I tell him, trying to hide my blush.
“A goof, huh?” he asks, smirking at me.
I smile at
him and nod my head. I’m not expecting his reaction to be what it is though. The humor drains from his face and he suddenly looks very serious. My smile also leaves my lips as his eyes flick back and forth between my eyes and my mouth.
“Is this goofy, too?” he whispers, kissing me softly.
He starts to pull away after a small kiss, but I’m not ready for him to go yet. I wrap my arms around his neck and pull him closer to me, deepening the kiss. I feel Levi’s tongue move across my lower lip, asking for entrance which I quickly and happily grant him. I don’t know how long we sit there, exploring each other through kisses, but a sudden shout for Levi has me pulling back so fast I almost fall off of his lap and onto my butt. Lucky for me he has his hands on my hips so I stay put.
“What?” Levi growls back at whoever it was yelling for him.
Brecken pokes his head into the room and gives me a knowing wink, causing another blush to stain my cheeks and an annoyed growl to escape Levi. Izzy comes around the corner and smacks Brecken upside the head, making me laugh at his stunned expression.
“What do you want, Brecken?” Levi asks, not amused by his interruption.
“Sorry to interrupt the romance, Bro.” Brecken smirks. “Another call at the gate; we gotta go.”
Leviathan groans and rolls his head back, exasperated. “Fine, I will be right there.”
He gives me one more soft kiss on my lips, then my forehead. Helping me stand, he repeats the same thing he has said every time he has left this week to go do a gate check. “Stay here, stay safe, and don’t get into trouble. I will be back for you as soon as I can, love.”
I simply nod, quite disappointed that they have to leave again but knowing that it needs to be done. “Be safe,” I whisper, hugging him tightly before he leaves.
