by Desiree King
"Can I get a minute?" I asked softly.
"Control…We don't know…Do you really think a solo goodbye is wise?" Jenny asked.
"If I'm not back in five minutes come get me," I pleaded looking down the hall toward the kitchen where I knew Victor was lurking.
"Okay…" Johnny smiled.
Silently, I walked down the hall and entered the kitchen as Victor was zipping the case to my new gift closed, then turned to face me.
"We're ready to go…" I smiled shifting from foot to foot as we stood about ten feet apart.
"Um…Oh God! Come here!" Victor exhaled and crossed the distance in a blink of an eye and gathered me into his arms and holding me close, tight. "I'm gonna miss you so much." He whispered into my hair.
"I'm gonna miss you too." I felt the tears slipping down my face. He took both my cheeks in his hands and kissed me softly. He was gentle, caressing my face and neck tenderly like I would shatter under his touch, but those five minutes that we had to ourselves flew by before I was ready and long before Victor wanted but our commercial flight home was not going to wait for us. We bid our goodbyes and Johnny drove Jenny and I to L.A.X.
Chapter 12
Orlando
The flight was long and trying but I sat with one of his shirts in my hand and read a book since I could not sleep anymore this morning. That evening, afternoon really, we landed at MSO in Orlando and within minutes we were in Joey's SUV headed home.
"So…what do you want to do first?" Joey asked as he drove.
"I just want to unpack and relax." I answered I felt sad and lost without him. For almost six months I had spent so much time with Victor that I was having a hard time being apart from him. I felt as though I had left my heart with him as if there was a sucking black hole where my heart was. This would be the longest four weeks of my life and the times I could speak with Victor were like diamonds to me, precious. I would speak to him at least once a day but sometimes more. Jenny and I spent most of our time together but even that was not good enough. Late at night, my laptop would chime and I would open it to see Victor smiling at me.
"Hey babe…" He spoke, his voice harsh and dry.
"Hi." I said barely above a whisper.
"How was dinner?" Victor asked happily.
"Fine…" I hesitated, but I wanted to beg him to come to me in secret. I wanted the sweet taste of him in my mouth. "Vic, I miss you…"
"I miss you too…"
"I fear…God…" I stammered and he laughed.
"You need a little time babe." He smiled.
"No…don't go!" I felt a rush of panic and knew he would see it.
"I miss the way you taste." He let that sneer spread across his face.
"I was just thinking that." I was amazed.
"Well, it's true I do…and the silk of your skin." He was serious.
"Come to me please…" I felt the tears filling my eyes.
"Alex it's only another week, then I will do anything you wish." He smiled but I could see he felt the same way, desperate, lonely, craving that touch.
"But the moon phase." I stammered.
"I know we made it through one, we'll make it through another."
"I need you."
"I know exactly how you feel, do this for me…take a hot bath then we'll go to bed together." He sniffled but tried to hide it, "See ya in your dreams."
"Okay…I'll see you in my dreams," I said as I felt the warm tear fall down my face.
"I love you…goodnight." He answered, pressed his hand to his face, then the screen went black. I did as I was told and day by day his scent was fading. I slept less and less. Over these four weeks Jenny and I worked tirelessly to puzzle out everything we could about my relationship such as, was it possible for a Siren and a werewolf to be soul mates, could we get pregnant, and why am I so effected by the moon now but never was before. We theorized and hypothesized twenty-four hours a day. Of course there is one other person of interest who stayed surprisingly on the sideline as much as he could, Jacob. He was distant and quiet which suited me fine, the last thing I wanted was to answer questions. Time passed slowly but finally the night before Jenny and I would return to Los Angeles Joey would secretly change everything.
Chapter 13
California
It had been four weeks since Victor and I had been together. That morning when I stepped off the plane in L.A., I saw Victor's face standing on the tar mat. I wanted to run to him, throw myself into his arms, and tear our clothes from our bodies. Jenny followed behind me and when I froze for a second she whispered to me.
"Alex are you okay?"
"I…dunno if I can do this." I smiled.
"What? The Vic thing?"
"I want him…So bad right now."
"It will have to wait…Joey's with us…as well as everyone else."
"Just go along with me." We headed down the stairs and luckily Joey stepped out before Victor or Johnny got to us.
"Alex…What's going on?," Victor asked watching Joey coming down the stairs.
"Joey is taping a show, so he rented a house and invited everyone to come stay for a few weeks." I whispered.
"Hi…" Joey smiled walking up, "surprise…"
"Hello…It's good to see you." Victor lied so well.
"Don't worry we're not staying with you…"
"Alex told me…um…if you guys need anything let me know." Victor smiled and shook Joey's hand.
"Hey Joe…Do you have this under control?"
"Yeah…why…"
"Victor, can we head home? Jenny can stay with them…I don't feel great." I lied just as well.
"Okay…" Victor said taking my carryon bag from me.
"So…we'll see you after we get settled." Jenny smiled and we went our separate ways we got out to the car. Victor drove his yellow viper. He tossed my bag in the trunk and climbed in the driver's seat. He stayed silent and drove for about a quarter of the way before I spoke.
"I missed you…"
"I missed you too."
"What's wrong?"
"Thank God Joey got off the plane before I reached you, or Jacob would have gotten all the proof he needed."
"If we hurry we could release some of this energy." I smiled at him.
"Really?"
"Yeah, Jenny is gonna stall for an hour or so."
"You're so smart," He smiled and suddenly we were driving much faster. We pulled into the driveway only about five minutes later and got out of the car and headed up the stone steps to the side door that leads into the kitchen. Victor closed and locked the door behind him. As soon as the lock clicked over we were all over each other, a tangle of arms and legs. He lifted me up onto his body so I had to wrap my legs around his waist to hold on. We were headed for the stairs but only made it to the dining room table and we started tearing at each other's clothes. I was completely nude by the time I got his shirt off and belt undone. His lips were hoarse at my throat, grazing me with hard teeth as his hands roamed over my body. That was when we were interrupted by an older man, easily in his sixties, clearing his throat behind Victor.
Victor turned slowly to face the man, trying to shield me at the same time.
"Victor…what did I say?" The man spoke eloquently.
"Dad…what are you doing here?"
"Don't change the subject."
"You told me not to sleep with humans." Victor spoke clearly.
"Are you challenging me?"
"No."
"So you're just not minding me…"
"But Dad you don't…" Victor tried to defend himself.
"No buts…Do you think I made that order up to spoil your fun? This is serious. What if she becomes pregnant? The cubs would kill her. Werewolves and humans can't mix."
"She's not human!" Victor blurted out.
"What?"
"She's half witch."
"What kind?"
"Um…she hasn't got any power yet."
"Damnit! She is human with witch blood…It takes power to be a
witch…"
"But dad…"
"Lisa has issued a challenge on your human…"
"Fucking bitch!" Victor cursed.
"Do you understand? Do you get it now?"
"Why did you choose Lisa? Do you hate me in some way that I don't know about?"
"No…because she is strong…Now, we have two choices, I can take her by force or you can bring her tomorrow night for the hunt."
"But Lisa will kill her!"
"Not my problem. What's it gonna be?"
"I'll be there," I spoke up stepping from behind Victor.
"Alex…you don't understand," Victor started.
"Fight to the death right?," I said voice strong.
"Yeah…"
"I get it." I was going to have to tell him everything but it could wait till his Dad was not in the room.
"But Alex…"
"I understand." I cut Victor off and watched his face as he figured out I was hiding something.
"Well then, goodnight…what a waste." The old man shook his head on his way out the door.
"What the hell?" Victor shouted as the door shut.
"Vic…it will be okay…come out to the pool with me." I took his hand and started to lead him out the back.
"Alex do not try to distract me…" Victor sounded angry as he followed me.
"Vic…I lied to you before when I said I did not have any magic…"
"What do…?" Victor started to interrupt and I cut him off with a movement of my hand.
"Please, just listen…" I said as he sat in a deck chair in front of me. "Okay Vic, my mother was not a witch and I killed her two years ago…but more importantly, my grandmother was a Siren. Do you know what I'm talking about?"
"No way…"
"Yes, I'm a Siren. As you would know your kind has hunted us almost to extinction. My grandmother was the last known and I'm only hoping you love me enough to help me. Victor listen to me carefully I have a lot to tell you and you're not going to like most of it, but I need a clean slate."
"Okay…here." He handed me a towel from the chair. "I'm having trouble focusing." I wrapped myself in the towel and sat back down.
"Thank you…" I took a deep breath and started from the beginning. "Okay so when I was fifteen, I moved in with my brother for the summer break and at the same time Joey`s band was doing well. I had a huge crush on Jacob and I did not think that would ever become anything 'till my friends, Lynn and Chris starting seeing each other, in secret of course, she was sixteen and he was nineteen. It would have been a scandle. At my sixteenth birthday party, Jacob kissed me, my first kiss. Jacob and I dated for almost six months before anyone found out about us and even then it was only Lynn, Chris and Pete. They promised not to say anything. Days later, Jacob and I slept together for the first time, which brought me into my full Siren powers. Before that it would only show itself as a defense mechinism, but thats not important. Soon, we met a group of vampires. Their fledgling bit Jacob and infected him with the vamp virus which laid dormant until he died. I learned what little I know about being a Siren from Liam, the leader of the group. We spent a few weeks with them before Jacob was forced to destroy them, when he discovered Liam had goals to take me for himself. When I started my junior year I met Jennifer, she was at my school and we became fast friends. Jenny was a model with a manager who was getting her really awesome jobs; major fashion magaizine covers, national commerials and even runway work. She introduced me to Ryan Williams. He started getting me work too but what I did not know was on top of a percentage of our pay he expected us to service him sexualy. When he made his move and I refused, he hit me, knocking me unconscious. Within an hour Jacob knew something was wrong and forced Jenny to admit that Ryan had been abusing her. She told him that I must have refused him and he did not take no for an answer. Jacob hurried to rescue me but it was too late. When I came to, Ryan was inside me so I fed on him. when he came, I took his life.
Jacob came in as I was franticly beating his corpse. Jacob disposed of the body and watched me dilligently but I acted fine, perfectly fine, and showed up at his place and insisted he make love to me to erase Ryan`s touch from my skin. In the process, I freaked out and killed Jacob the same way and ran. He came to after I left, but he would never be the same as the Jacob I fell in love with. His soul was gone. I ran to my mom to get help, to get control, but I feasted on her lifeforce. Again, with nothing more than a motherly hug of comfort. After killing my mother and the love of my life I decided becoming a siren was the destruction of everything I loved and I slit my wrists. Jacob found me there and saved my life by using the coagulant in his silva. Within a week, I discovered when he saved me he got a taste for my blood and for a while my low self worth allowed him to use my body for blood and sex. That was when he killed my trust in him. I started seeing a psychiatrist and Jacob and I made a deal. He would leave me be so I could find love, I would get three years to do so and if I failed to do so in that time, I would bind myself to him for the rest of my life." At the end I sat with my hands folded in my lap looking at my feet. I felt ashamed of my past. I foolishly clung to the idea that he would never have to hear it all.
"So what powers do you have?" Victor asked.
"I feed on emotional energy, and to do that they either have to open to it or be mesmorized. I can put poeple into a trance of sorts and feed on their life force by singing and it's addictive, intoxicating. I can also shift into two forms the ethrial and water forms. I can also make any man do my bidding..." I was terrified he would think that this would be why he fell for me.
"Wow…" Victor finally broke the silence, "So can I see you…you know, shift forms?"
"Not right now…I'd say we have less than ten minutes till everyone gets here." I answered and stood.
"Oh damn! I forgot…" Victor laughed and took my hand. "Come on lets go get covered then we can talk about all this."
"So…we're okay…you're not gonna…"
"What, kill you?" He laughed. "No…but we'll have to keep this secret because I know a few other's who would disagree. Johnny would be cool, my mom…maybe."
"Vic.. So we`re okay?" I asked scared out of my wits.
"Yes, I love you more now then ever before."
"Really after everything I`ve done?"
"All you proved to me is that you are the strongest person I`ve ever known. To have been thru hell and still be the sweet loving caring beautiful woman you are ... there are no words for how much I admire your courage to tell me it all." I was stunned. He was better than I deserved.
We went upstairs and I put on my swimsuit and a sheer wrap around my waist. I was so nervous; I still was not sure how well this was all going to go over. I stood in front of the mirror for what felt like forever before I finally wrestled up the nerve to walk out of my room and into his. The door to his bedroom was open, but I stood frozen in the doorway as if there was an invisible barrier stopping me from moving further into the room.
"Alex…what are you doing?" He smiled coming out of his closet wearing his red and black board shorts.
"On the same brainwave," I smiled suddenly feeling better with him only across the room.
"So you gonna come in our bedroom?" Victor laughed sitting on the bed.
"Our bedroom?" I smiled stepping over the threshold of the door.
"Well, yeah…you'll have to keep your room for everyone else to see, but really…I can't wait to wake up with you in my arms in our bed." He wrapped his arm around my waist as I sat beside him.
"I'm still having trouble getting this all through my mind." I leaned my head on his shoulder.
"So…we still have some things to talk about."
"I know…I would understand if you went back to Lisa to get away from all this." I could not meet his eyes.
"What?" Victor was shocked. "Alex look at me," he lifted my face till I met his eyes. "I will never let you go…I told you once I was addicted to you…I meant it and the longer I'm with you the more impossible it is to live without you."<
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"Victor…I killed my mother in grieving angry passion. I'm promised to a vampire and my family will freak out."
"You're eighteen years old what can they say about it?"
"I don't think that will really matter…" I looked away from his eyes. "My brother and Dad are the least of our problems. We have that fight with Lisa to worry about and Jacob will not take this lying down."
"So lets think about this…the Lisa issue can be solved and the Jacob issue at the same time. As for your family…they'll get over it." Victor got to his feet and stared down at me.
"What are you talking about?" I was confused I obviously did not follow him around that bend.
"Marry me!" Victor blurted out.
"What?" I asked wide eyed.
"Marry me…" Victor said.
"Don't you think that is a bit extreme? I mean getting married just so we can get rid of our exes is…"
"No…Alex I planned on asking you tonight in bed," Victor said pulling a huge diamond ring from his pocket. "It fixes everything…my dad will not force me to marry Lisa and Jacob will not force you to oath yourself to him…I love you…marry me…"
I stood in front of him not sure what to say. I was in shock from the suddenness of it all. I looked around anywhere but at him. I thought over everything quickly. There were no more secrets between us. I slowly looked up into his eyes and saw his face start to fold in on itself. He was expecting me to say no.
I spoke in a whisper, "Yes…"
"Really?" Victor was instantly ecstatic.
"Yes!" I smiled, now sure I wanted this.
"God…I love you." He smiled, slipped the ring on my finger, and wrapped his arms around me.
"I love you." I spoke softly as he kissed me.
"So do we tell them now or what will the plan be?," Victor asked scooping me up into his arms.
"Well, I've been thinking of a way to tell everyone we're together for awhile. Tonight at dinner, I'll tell my family that mine and Jenny’s boyfriends are coming to dinner. If they ask, you guys don't know anything about it."
"So when we show up it will let the cat out of the bag." He smiled.