The two of them had eyes only for each other now, though dad seemed ready to expire.
“How...?” he looked to Thorn and me for some kind of explanation but his mother beat us to it, my dead grandmother.
When had my life become a Stephen King novel? That’s what I get for moving to New England.
“I was the one who told Anna how to keep hiding. From that first night I led her away from here. I’m sorry son it was the only way to keep all of you safe until now. They would’ve killed all of you if she’d stayed here.”
She looked pointedly at the Divecki family who were all trying to escape the room at this point.
All except Mina who was about to lose her eyes if she didn’t stop staring at my future husband like a lovesick puppy.
“Thank you.” Wow, I hadn’t expected that from dad, but I suppose he was in shock. Nothing about this day seemed real anymore, and I was waiting for the other shoe to drop.
“So mom wasn’t crazy? There really were people after us all those times she kept dragging us all over the place?”
“Far from it, she loves you both very much, that’s why she made such a sacrifice. Only at the end her fear was too great and she didn’t want you to come back here to fulfill your destiny.
She still believes that the ones who ordered the murders of you and your grandparents would be successful if you came back here.”
Again she looked towards the Divecki family who were blocked from leaving the room by Bryce and his father, whom I had yet to meet officially.
“How much does she know, my mom?”
“Enough but not all. She doesn’t know for instance that I’m dead and that all of our meetings take place while she’s in a dream state. I usually use a very strong compulsion on her to get her to do my bidding.
She thinks that it’s all a fairytale and I’ve never seen any reason to teach her different. Her mind was at breaking point when I found her, it would’ve been cruel to force any more truths on her.
So I let her believe that I was just being fanciful, but when it came to the danger, she took that very seriously.”
“What now?” I asked the room at large. My grandmother answered me. “Now, the son that you have conceived will grow up to be very strong indeed and will do many things for our kind.”
She’d just told dad that Thorn and I had had sex. I guess he was too blown away by current events to catch on.
Mina was out of her seat at the news of our son. Her eyes were wild as she looked around the room.
“You promised father, you said he would be mine.” What a spoilt, whiny bitch.
“I’m afraid your father spoke out of turn when he told you that young Mina. You were never considered, it was only as a precaution after Ekaterina had been murdered, that your family was even mentioned.
The legend states that it is the Vikov and Azarov lines that will be the bearers. Farther more it is providence that you are all here as there is something else that must be discussed.
As you all know, the society watches over many aspects of our country’s history, from its inception up until today.
“As some of us know, Azarov is not the original name of this family, but Alexeevna.” I guess not everyone knew that truth, but I wasn’t sure about their reactions.
“I see that you all recognize the name. As we can see here tonight the striking resemblance between Ekaterina and her granddaughter, there is no longer any doubt as to her place.
Now as to my reason for bringing this up, this is something that young Thorn brought to our attention some time ago.
They are both descended from the Great, which means their son will be the first born purely of that line in over three hundred years.
As such, anyone who should oppose them or bring harm to either of them will be executed.”
Dad cleared his throat at the mention of execution. “Not to worry sir Peter, all punishments will be carried out in the mother country. Ekaterina, would you care to tell us what you know of these murders?”
Now I knew that I’d fallen down the rabbit hole. Was he questioning a ghost? And why was no one including myself freaking out over this?
We were all acting as though it was perfectly normal to be in a room with a woman who had died almost forty years earlier.
“I wasn’t very careful coming on to the end. I had just found out that my beau was the offspring of The Great. We had never shared such confidences before, but while the child grew inside me, my eyes were opened.
When I realized I didn’t know where to turn. I understood the danger, not just to me or even my son, but to my future granddaughter.” Here she smiled at me before carrying on.
I knew that there were many who would put it together if they ever found out.”
Put what together? the question was a silent one, but she turned to me nonetheless.
“They would put together that both you and Thorn were descendants of The Great and that any children you bear will be of pure lineage. Meaning that the child of the legend will be powerful in more ways than one.
Some would want to protect such a child, while others would seek to wipe him off the face of the earth.”
“Did the Diveckis learn of your secret somehow?”
“No, it was nothing like that. They needed money. Their power had waned over time, and was all but extinct.
They plotted amongst themselves to be rid of me, but they had no knowledge of the son I’d already birthed.
It was Sergei Divecki himself who came to my home, under the guise of friendship. I was so preoccupied and as you all know I’d long had a grievance with my gift and took every opportunity to thwart them.
Besides I had no need to fear another one of the five families or so I thought. That morning I had taken my son, whom I had named Alexi after his father to a neighbor’s house.
The old lady didn’t know that he was mine. I led her to believe that I was doing a friend a favor and had to run out.
When Sergei showed up I thought nothing of it. I didn’t know he had killed me until I felt the poison in my blood.
Why? I asked him as I lay dying on the floor. He callously walked over to the stove and set it to blow while he told me that his family needed the legend more than I did.
That I had proven over time that I wanted no part of it and then he walked away.
As I laid there with my life flow ebbing I cast one last spell so that I would be able to come back and set things right. Only then will I be able to be at peace.
I found my son after many years of searching but he could never hear nor see me. I felt the Azarovs when they came here and I knew that the legend was going to be fulfilled after all.
Then they found out through their spies about young Thorn’s attachment to the baby. They couldn’t be sure but the report had all the earmarks of what had been written in the annals.
How these two souls from the leading families will know each other from the beginning and how the male would stand as protector of the younger female until it was time.
My power wasn’t what it should be or I would’ve senses the plot and put an end to it, but I was too late.
It was only after the animal had been shot and was dying that I was able to touch his mind and see what they had done.
This time it was all of them involved. They had joined hands as one to carry out this dark act.
They knew of this man’s proclivities and they hired him to carry out the slaughter after having the Azarovs brought to Russia under some false pretense.”
“What does it mean, what has any of that to do with my inheritance?” Mina was still making a last ditch effort to hold onto something that wasn’t hers.
Thorn took my hand just as I was about to leave my chair and go knock her one. “Leave it Milaya I will deal with her later.”
“Not without me there you won’t, if you go anywhere near that female again I won’t be held responsible for my actions.”
“You will trust me in all things and
not show such weakness as female jealousy.” He kissed me before we both turned back to what was going on in the room.
The Divecki family was arguing with members of the council, but it was no use. I was expecting bloodshed and lost of limbs at least, but everything was handled so diplomatically that it was easy to forget that we were discussing murder.
They were simply taken into custody, all except Mina who would’ve been too young to take part in either attack.
“I must go now my work here is done. I wish you two all the happiness the world has to offer.” She walked over to dad and whispered something in his ear before touching his cheek fondly. And then just like that she was gone.
Chapter 23
JASMINE
It felt strange going back to my father’s house after all that, like my life had been changed irrevocably and this was no longer part of my reality.
“Azarov I’ll see you in the kitchen, there’s a matter of my pregnant daughter to discuss.”
Oh boy, I guess he had heard everything after all. I rubbed my hand over my tummy and thought of calling mom.
There was no longer any reason for her to stay away. She could come back and be with her family, if the thought of being back here wasn’t too horrific for her to bear.
Thorn followed dad after squeezing my hand and I sat on the couch and tried to get my bearings.
I knew that my life was going to be changed forever from this night onward, but as long as I got Thorn in the bargain, I was happy with whatever came.
There was a strange wind outside the window, one that made the hairs on my neck stand on end.
I looked towards the kitchen where the men were, before heading towards the window. I know she was out there I could feel her.
She hadn’t been rounded up with the rest of her family and I doubt if anyone saw her as much of a threat now that the deed was done.
They hadn’t factored in mental illness, which I was pretty sure she had a healthy dose of.
I snuck out the door to face her. Somehow I knew she wouldn’t leave so peacefully, and I was glad for it, I had a score to settle.
I could see her even though she tried to hide in the dark. My senses seemed sharper, so that even the cool evening air hurt my nose with its strength.
On the way here Thorn had explained to me that everything about me was going to change, even more so because of the baby I carried.
It was going to take some time he said, for me to get use to all of the changes.
“Why don’t you come out? I know you’re there.” I was barely quick enough to move out of the way when she came at me.
I was ready to try out my new skills, but I never got the chance. Thorn came out of nowhere and grabbed Mina by her throat, dragging her away from me. It was so quick, almost faster than the eye could blink.
“I warned you.” My mouth opened in a silent scream when he twisted her neck. The snap was loud in the still night air.
He looked over at me after letting her body drop at his feet. “You’re going to get a tanning, didn’t I tell you to leave this to me?” He started to move towards me, but I was frozen to the spot.
I finally came out of my daze when dad came flying out the door. I moved to put myself between him and Thorn, to protect Thorn from what I was sure was coming.
“Is that her?” He looked down at the crumpled body.
“Dad...”
“Not now kiddo, us men have things to take care of.”
Thorn came over to take me back inside. “What did dad mean, what’re you going to do?”
“Jasmine, there are some things I won’t discuss with you. Just because you have power now does not mean that my wife will be allowed to get into physical altercations.
That’s never going to happen. You will stay here until we get back, you’re perfectly safe now.” He too looked back at the body.
I was taken inside and put to bed like a good little girl, which made me grit my teeth.
“I can feel you and if you do any of what’s going on in your head I will tan your little ass even more than I am going to when I get back here. Now rest.” He placed his hand over my stomach where the little light had flown earlier.
“I love you both, very much.” He kissed me like he was going off to war before leaving the room.
I laid there wide awake as my mind replayed it over and over again. He’d snapped her neck like it was nothing. I searched myself for my feelings on that one.
I was more than a little surprised that I wasn’t frightened by anything I’d seen and heard today. It all felt so right, like the part of me that had been missing all along.
I wanted to get up but my body was suddenly so tired. I was asleep within minutes, the day finally catching up to me.
I’m not sure how long I slept before I was awakened to his head between my thighs. I was suddenly wide- awake.
Chapter 24
THORN
She was asleep when I came into her room hours later. Her father and I had taken care of our future. It had been part of my plan since the whole thing had come to light years ago.
I’d worked out in my head that it was his right as the son and father to take vengeance if he was so inclined, against those who had brought harm to his family.
There wasn’t a Divecki left on the face of the earth now, and when the council found the dead bodies in the morning, there might be speculation and suspicion as to who the perpetrators were, but I was confident nothing will ever come back to us.
“You’re awake.” I felt the change in her temperature on my tongue as I dug deeper, lifting her ass in my hands to bring her closer to my mouth.
I drank her juices hungrily as my fingers played inside her pink flower.
“Thorn...”
Her voice was full of heat and passion as she tugged insistently on my hair. “No, stay still; I’ve decided that since you’re with child I can’t spank your ass, so I will carry out your punishment another way.
I took my time teasing her pussy while she begged and pleaded with me to take her now.
When she grew hoarse and my jaw hurt from digging my tongue too deep inside her, I relented.
Turning her roughly onto her stomach, I lifted her ass where I wanted it. “Keep your chest flat on the bed. That’s it, now hold onto the bars.”
As soon as she complied I looked for my son in her womb before plunging into her. All the books say I won’t hurt her this way, but I wasn’t taking any chances.
I know very well that I can and will get rough with her sometimes, and she won’t be much different in the weeks and months to come.
“Oh hell Thorn.” I started to pull back out of her thinking I’d gone too deep, but before I could castigate myself she pulled me back in.
“Don’t you dare stop, that feels so good.” She arched her back deeply just before I was about to order her to. Holding her hips firmly, I pumped in and out of her faster and faster, while our minds joined.
“Hang on malenkaya.” I pulled her hair until her head was bent all the way back and I could reach her mouth with mine.
Like two starving wolves we ate at each other’s mouths as I fucked her with hard deep strokes. For a brief moment I enjoyed the fact that this was my Jasmine finally taking me.
The emotion was high in both of us and it wasn’t long before she was screaming into my mouth while I went blind as I poured my seed into her again.
We didn’t stop, couldn’t seem to as her still too tight pussy kicked me out and she turned in my arms.
She dragged me down to her and reached between us for my cock that was wet with her juices, and pushed it inside her.
We were glued together from toes to lips as I pounded the full force of my cock into her. I saw us from above, the look of sheer ecstasy and bliss on her face as I worked my cock in and out of her.
“There will never be a day that goes by that I won’t have you like this. I’ll never be without you again, ever.”
My words touched
off her orgasm and she squeezed around me and lifted my body with hers as I pounded through her climax and into my own.
***
The next day the three of us laid low as I took stock of my new life. Dad had called mom earlier and they’d had a very long conversation, which ended with her promising to come out soon.
I tried getting the past night’s activities out of them, but neither would budge.
I lazed about being waited on hand and foot because of the baby that was no bigger than a pinhead.
Thorn was going to be a pain I could tell and dad wasn’t much better. They were already arguing about the best way to raise the baby.
There was a lot to work out, like the fact that Thorn insisted I move in with him right away.
Dad thought we should get married first and he wasn’t about to budge, but Thorn acted like it was a done deal.
“We can’t be apart sir, and there is more room at my home than there is here. We’ll stay one more night and then I’m taking her home.”
They argued back and forth forever while I sat and watched TV. Now that I had the answers I was more relaxed, so I wasn’t about the two of them going at each other.
In the end dad agreed that I could go with Thorn and Thorn promised that dad was always welcome.
They seemed to have a lot to discuss and were still at it when I went to make dinner.
The three of us sat around talking late into the night after they were through, before dad said it was time for bed because we had school in the morning.
Somehow that seemed more unreal than everything else. Thorn didn’t even bother to hide the fact that he was going up to my bed.
It’s strange, but when we weren’t having sex I wasn’t worried about dad knowing that he was in my room, but now, I felt very self-conscious as we entered my room and closed the door.
His eyes looked different as he looked down at me, almost as though they were shining with some inner light.
His hands moved over my body as he removed my clothes, and I burned with need.
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