I've Been Waiting for You

by Mary Moriarty

  Sally jumped up and ran to Travis taking his hands. “Come sit with us and tell me about yourself.”

  Travis glanced over at Odin. “I’m not sure I’d be understanding you Miss.”

  Sally detected his brogue. She pulled him to sit with them on the sectional couch. “About before you were changed.”

  He nodded, “Ah, yes then, has Odin told you who your mother was in all this?”

  Sally looked from one to the other. “No, he hasn’t.” She looked at Odin square in the eyes. “Who was my mother?”

  Odin smiled. “Don’t worry, it’s nothing bad. In that life she was Slaine, daughter to Brian Boru. It is said both his first and second wives were from the Fae. Slaine was an exceptional beauty and had the sweetest of dispositions. Her father loved her dearly and hoped that that would be what it took for peace. Sigtrygg and she were only married for a couple years. She was sixteen when she was given in marriage to my brother. But she never forgave him for turning against her father. She divorced him before the battle of Clontarf and then she married Colum O’ Heachthanna. It is thought my mother had something to do with her death ten years later, but that is for another day.” He took Sally’s hand and kissed it. Then holding onto it as if to anchor himself, he continued, “Those were dark days after Slaine’s death. Colum mourned her properly and then went crazy with rage. His father, King Cormac, sent him to the Holy Lands to stay. He wove his way there then back and forth. He ended up fighting with Richard Coeur de Lion.”

  “Richard the Lion Hearted.”

  Odin hugged Sally. “I knew there was something that drew me to you besides the obvious.”

  Sally punched his arm. Odin yelped and Sally rolled her eyes at him but fell into his arms to be hugged and kissed again.

  “Yes, Richard the Lionhearted, part of the Devil’s brood.” He shook his head. “If you think there was intrigue in Brian’s family, The Plantagenet’s family would be the definition of palace intrigue.”

  Travis nodded. “Most royal courts are, but they took the cake. Later that family became the Tudors.”

  Travis took Sally’s hand. “I was Odin’s Uncle. I took him under my wing, as I had wanted to have him be my successor upon my demise. Thor, who was Donnchad, had been given a minor area. It was my wish to groom Odin. My sister wasn’t happy if she wasn’t seducing someone with her beauty or stirring up trouble. She would have made a very good Witch of Macbeth.”

  “When did my mother come back, that is reincarnated?”

  Travis had walked to the kitchen to make a cup of tea, Odin and Sally followed him and sat down at the bar. “It was after the death of King Richard. Cormac allowed Colum home because he had been watching for her. She had been born to an Earl’s family. Colum knew the family, as he had been coming back and forth for some time. He time walked, as they say, so he could be in two places at the same time. He was one of Richard’s closest advisors and with Prince John always plotting, Colum didn’t dare be gone too long from the side of the King.” Travis took a sip of tea. “It was always thus.”

  Sally stood up and hugged Travis and took the cup of tea he offered her. “Thank you Travis.” Taking a sip. “You know, I will never be able to look at any of you in the same light. I mean, look at who you were and what you have seen and experienced.”

  Odin wrapped his arms around Sally. “Well, I’ve been waiting for you for an eternity.” He kissed the top of her head. “It was well worth the years of wait.”

  Chapter 6

  Sally and Odin’s relationship blended in easily with the rest of the family. Sally noticed that everyone accepted it. They saw Thor once in a while but he seemed to be preoccupied with Olivia. However, as Sally suspected, those two fought more than they got along.

  “Really we don’t fight that much. It’s getting better, it’s just he infuriates me with the whole caveman mentality.” Olivia sat at the kitchen counter while the men were out hunting.

  Sally thought it was a good thing as she had seen the looks Thor gave Olivia. She had heard Thor’s thoughts on the whole Olivia and him issue. “Is she here to drive me insane? I open her door and she says “Why did you do that? Don’t you think I am capable?” The only time we don’t fight is when, well, then it’s very...” he would look at his brother and Sally and stalk off.

  Odin hugged Sally before going hunting. “I don’t need to feed, but my brother does, so two hunters are better than one and your father and Travis are coming along with Cormac. We will see you in the morning.”

  So now, Sally, Olivia and her mother sat while Elsabet fixed hot cocoa. They had been up all night talking, dozing talking some more. Since Katherine no longer required sleep they stayed up with her.

  Olivia picked up her fork and took a bite of her pie. “The only good thing about this relationship, besides the sex,” she began, but Katherine about choked on her bite of pie but covered her mouth before spitting it out. Olivia, oblivious to the stir she caused, kept talking, “he loves my body. He says he wouldn’t change me a bit and a few curves never hurt anyone.”

  Elsabet brought the tray of hot cocoa to the counter. “That’s good, dear.” She said with a smile.

  Sally glanced over at her mother, and could see she wasn’t comfortable. She kept shifting her body to accommodate the baby. “Mom, let’s go to the family room and you can put your feet up.”

  Katherine smiled at her daughter. “Thank you, dear. That would be good.” They went and sat on the big roomy couch and Katherine put her feet up.

  “Mom, how much longer before the baby is born?”

  Katherine had let her head go back. Her eyes were closed and felt like she could stay this way forever. “Four more weeks. I think the baby will come hopefully right around Christmas or soon after.”

  Sally laid her hand on her mother’s stomach and after rubbing it she felt the baby kick. “Will the baby be human, vampire or fallen angel?”

  Elsabet came and sat on the other side of Katherine. Laying her hand on her daughter-in-law’s belly she rubbed her stomach. “It will be a very special baby, as its mother is descended directly from the Fae. Then, Colum is our son by birth. When he was born it was a surprise to us, seeing how it’s not too often a child is born from creatures such as ourselves. He was as human looking as any babe. He didn’t crave blood till he was about thirteen. Then his body started going through changes. I would suspect this baby would be the same. We have a team of doctors who will fly in to attend the birth. No sense in taking chances.”

  “Could I become pregnant?”

  Elsabet glanced over at Sally. “It’s not unheard of between a warm blooded creature and a creature like Odin, it just doesn’t happen that often.” She thought of Sally and her mother and knew if it was at all possible it would be between those two, as Sally’s family wasn’t exactly normal.

  They were all cuddled up on the big couch when the men came in. Odin sniffed the air and picked up Sally’s scent. He would always be able to find her now that they had shared blood. She was his mate. He saw her curled up in her mother’s arms, Olivia nestled against her. Both sound asleep. Katherine opened her eyes when she sensed Colum’s approach. She put her finger to her lips.

  Colum came up and placed a kiss on Kat’s forehead. “How are you, dearest?”

  Katherine smiled weakly. “I’m ready for this baby to come now. I don’t ever remember a pregnancy being like this. Even with my newfound strength I feel like I have had the snot beaten out of me. Sometimes I wonder if there are not two little ones. I feel like a war is going on inside of me.” She had looked in vain when the ultrasound was done but they saw only one heartbeat. They couldn’t even see the sex of the baby. Pregnancies with vampires were different, the amniotic sac being a great deal thicker.

  Colum placed his hand down on Katherine’s belly alongside Sally’s. Sally stirred and looked up, real sleepy like. “Colum?” Then her eyes opened wide and she sat up sending Olivia in a heap as she jumped up. “Where is?”

  “I�
�m here,” Odin caught up Sally in a bear hug and then a crushing kiss.

  Olivia tried to collect herself off the floor, felt hands picking her up, felt her body being turned and there was her caveman. She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him soundly.

  “How am I to get used to my little girl and my other little girl all grown up and in relationships?” Katherine asked.

  Colum kissed his wife’s belly and straightened up. “It’s the circle of life, dearest.”

  Katherine smiled up at her husband. “Well, at least the boys are still at home and I don’t have to worry too much, yet, about them going off.”

  Pat came down looking sleepy, walking through the family room as he headed to the kitchen. He saw his mother stretched out looking very pregnant. His step-father and the other men were home from hunting. He knew it wasn’t the typical hunting, not like he and his friends did. It was a little crazy but he had learned to love his extended family.

  “Morning Mom, everyone,” He said with a smile. “Anyone want coffee?”

  He saw the girls all turn from the arms of their men and nod.

  Chapter 7

  Sally put her last bag down on the floor. She watched as Odin surveyed all her bags and laughed. “Honey, there is no way we are getting this all in the Jag. I think Uncle will be following us down with a larger vehicle.”

  Sally smiled. “Well, we might as well do that considering Thor is moving in too, though he said he is taking the guest room.”

  Odin laughed as he pushed a button on his phone. “Yes, we will see how long that lasts.”

  Katherine wrapped her arms around her daughter. She didn’t know what the baby was, so maybe Sally would remain her only daughter. She let her hug last longer than intended. “Honey, be careful.”

  Sally looked up at her mother. “Why would you say that? I’m with Odin, and Thor will be with us too. It’s like having a couple Navy Seal teams around 24/7.”

  Katherine couldn’t shake the feeling. “I don’t know honey, it’s just something feels like it’s gonna happen. Granny always said I was like her and had the second sight. I’m just saying be careful, be watchful, don’t talk to strangers.”

  Sally could see her mother was serious but she tried to make light of it. “Mom, what could happen with Odin with me all the time?”

  Katherine shook her head. “He’s not with you at classes and when you run or Zumba.”

  “Mom, I don’t need a babysitter, I can take care of myself. We don’t crowd one another.”

  Katherine couldn’t shake the feeling of gloom. “Honey, maybe till this feeling passes, you should have him with you – well always.”

  Sally studied her mother’s face. She had dark circles under her eyes. Elsabet said it was normal, vampire or not, but Sally was picking up waves of worry from her mother. “OK Mom, I will have him with me.” She saw the look she was getting. “All the time, honest.”

  Colum had pulled Odin and Thor aside. He glanced over at his wife saw her trying to control herself. If he didn’t do something, she would be taking off and following her daughter. A lot of good that would do, the future heir to their throne born down in Rhode Island, away from security.

  “OK, listen up, I want a complete security system installed at the townhouse. Katherine won’t be happy till she knows it’s up and running. You two are to follow the girls to class and make sure you are invisible when monitoring them during classes, that way if someone is watching Sally and Olivia, they will feel they are able to do so. Katherine feels a threat is imminent. She can’t pinpoint it, but if she is feeling like this, we will do all we can to make sure she is comfortable and at peace. I do not, and I repeat, do not want her suffering complications because of worry.”

  Odin had been to the Council Meeting and they had been getting new intel in on one of the terror cells they had been monitoring. “I have my discharge papers, but should there be a need for me to take care of the problem we see growing in the Middle East, I can go.”

  Colum shook his head. “Your place is with Sally now. If her mother feels there is a threat, then that’s more important than fighting the war on terror. We have enough men in the field to fight.”

  Odin knew Colum was right, it was just he had been a warrior for almost one thousand years. He knew Thor wasn’t taking any new missions either. “I understand, that’s why I put in my papers. It’s just going to take some getting used to, that’s all.”

  Colum clasped Odin on the shoulder. Odin’s size nearly matched that of his future father-in-law. “Your Uncle will help set you up, that being his field of expertise.”

  Odin shook his King’s hand. “Don’t worry Sire, all will be fine.”

  “Let’s get through the next month and I will tell you then if all is going to be fine, considering the baby is late.”

  Odin could see Colum worried for his wife, not just because of first time father jitters but also because this child would be destine to be King or Queen someday.

  * * * * * * * *

  Sally was putting her books together and glanced up to the sound of Odin coming into their bedroom. “You always try to sneak in but are never successful.”

  Odin caught her up. “Honey, believe me if I wanted to sneak, you would never hear me coming. I may be large but I am also a vampire and with that has its perks. I am silent and deadly.”

  Sally found herself on their bed and straddled by her mate quicker than she ever thought possible. With her arms up over her head and Odin’s lips a fraction away from hers she smiled as he caught her. “This will be the fourth time I’m late for classes.”

  As Odin slipped his hand inside her jeans, he nipped at her lips. “I’ll help you with anything you miss, after all, I lived the time period. What a better way than from someone who was there? I’ll show you how the Vikings bed the maidens, after they plundered the European cities.”

  * * * * * * * *

  Olivia picked up her coffee that Thor had poured for her. She took a sip and heard laughter. “God, before you two came we were never late for classes, this will be the”

  “Fourth time she is late and,” Thor came up and hugged Olivia, “maybe sleeping together has its perks.”

  Olivia looked up into Thor’s eyes. Touching his nose with her fingertip, she watched as he took her hand in his and kissed it, one finger at a time. “Maybe it would be a good way to pass the time.”

  “Really?” he asked.

  Olivia loved his voice. It was like a gentle rumble.

  “Yes, but can you hold that thought till I get home this afternoon?”

  Thor let his lips catch hers, felt her respond. He caught her up and was thinking of picking her up and bringing her back to her bedroom when he felt his phone go off. It was his Uncle calling and with the sequence of buzzes it was important. “Hold that thought,” he kissed her nose. He put her down but kept one arm wrapped around her.

  “Yes?” he said into his phone. He felt Olivia grabbing for her books, let his arm slip.

  Olivia gathered her books and blew him a kiss. He held up his finger for her to wait but she just gave him a breezy wave. Olivia was two blocks away, almost to the coffee house that she and Sally went to when she felt her phone buzz with a text message. Opening it up she saw it was from Thor.

  You mean the world to me…xoxoxo

  She text him back Mmmmmm ditto...really...

  She was about to cross the street when a car pulled up and a woman put her head out the window.

  Olivia saw she was a Muslim woman, having a head covering on. “My husband and I are lost.”

  Olivia knew it was maddening to be lost. She walked up to the car. “Where are you going to?” Next thing Olivia knew she had something pointing in her back, looking behind her she saw a man had come up from out of nowhere. It was a gun he had sticking into her back.

  “Get in. Now,” the man said. Olivia tried to weigh the chance that she could outrun the people in the car or the man with the gun. Knowing where she was
at on her street, she knew the coffee shop was half a block away. Could she bring herself to bring danger and harm to all those innocent bystanders, knowing it was packed this time in the morning? Besides, they would probably run her over before she could even get to that place if they didn’t shoot her first.

  “I see you thinking, get in or I will be forced to shoot you.”

  She looked into the woman’s eyes and saw fear. It was then she saw the gun pointing at her, too. She heard and saw the back door open and she was roughly grabbed so she couldn’t get away.

  “Get in now.”

  As Olivia was pulled in she thought she caught sight of Sally coming down the street. She screamed as she was pushed in.

  Olivia heard a stream of Arabic and as she was pushed face first into the floor, a cloth with some kind of stinking stuff was pushed in her face. She tried to fight the feeling of heaviness and the quickly approaching blackness.

  Sally had been walking just a few steps when she thought she had heard a scream. It sounded so much like Olivia’s, but she was nowhere to be seen. It must be my over reactive imagination. All of Mom’s paranoia rubbing off. As she walked she dug out her phone from inside her purse. She was getting ready to hit Olivia’s number when a car came up to the side of the sidewalk. She saw a woman with a scarf on her head lean out of the car window. “Can you help us? We are lost.”

  She started to walk up to the car when she heard her mother’s voice. “Don’t talk to strangers” Then her phone buzzed. As she was about to push the button, she saw a gun pointing at her.

  “Get in, or I kill your friend,” the man holding the gun was pointing to something on the floor.

  “Not likely,” she said. She quickly saw that they did indeed had Olivia. “Olivia!” She ran for the car and was pulled in.

  She had the wherewithal to push her speed dial for Odin and hit the mute button. She quickly pushed the phone in her bag as she was stuffed down and a smelly cloth was pushed in her face. Her last thoughts were of Odin.