“I haven’t been well taken care of! My step mother was uncaring and mean to me. I had to take care of myself. Why didn’t she step forward to help me?”
Skye was angry at the thought she had family close enough, but they had never reached out to her. She had grown up feeling alone and hated by the woman she thought was her mother. It drove her to feeling numb. She became a cutter so she could feel something, but even that would only last for a small period of time.
She hadn’t cut since Maddox came into her life which shocked her to think of it now. He made her feel alive. He made her feel loved and not alone. Skye looked back to Nancy who was staring at her as if she were waiting for her to gather her thoughts and pay attention.
“If she would have stepped in earlier you would not be as strong as you are now. You had to learn how to fight for yourself. Demons have been after you your whole life. You’ve always evaded them by not using your powers. Then you get with Maddox and BAM you all of a sudden are using your powers daily. And worse, mixing your powers with his. Demons are not good for your health. He will drain you of your life. He will kill you. You have to know this. You have to realize he doesn’t love you.” Nancy forcefully said to Skye.
“You are one stupid siren.” Maddox said walking around the corner with Buck behind him. Skye wasn’t surprised to hear them approach. She knew Maddox wouldn’t trust her alone with anyone that could possibly hurt her.
“Demon, I believe you were not invited to this conversation.” Nancy showed her teeth. Skye noticed they looked pointed, which they never had before. Her eyes were glued on Nancy’s mouth. She could physically change herself? Skye ran her tongue across her own teeth happy they were still normal.
“I love her. I am here to protect her from everyone and anyone who would harm her.” Maddox remained calm surprising Skye.
“You just want to make sure you are the only one able to drain her. Can’t handle competition right?”
“Nancy, I’ve been with her for nine months. If I wanted to hurt her or drain her I would have done so already. I’ve never even tasted her blood.” Skye looked to Maddox. It was something she had known demons did, but something they had never really discussed.
“So, you really do want my blood?” Skye whispered making Nancy laugh.
“Of course he does.”
“Shut the hell up!” Skye yelled to her. “I’m talking to my boyfriend!” She looked back up into his eyes.
“I’ve never hid the fact that demons feed off of people like you.” He whispered back looking ashamed of his nature. Skye felt his pain and wanted to end it. She decided to change the subject.
“We’ll talk about that later.” Skye said returning her focus back to Nancy.
“Where is my grandmother?”
“It doesn’t work like that, Skye. I will let her know you want to meet her and what is going on in your life. She will reach out to you.”
“Don’t mess with me.” Skye grabbed Nancy’s arm tightly.
“Ouch, that hurts you know.” Nancy squealed loudly. Skye pushed her away trying to not make a scene.
“That’s only the beginning of the hurt you will get if I don’t get more answers from you soon.” Skye threatened.
Nancy smiled seductively at Maddox and Buck then skipped away from them. Skye’s mouth opened in shock.
“It’s okay Skye.” Maddox tried to calm her.
“Seriously? That slut just gave both of you ‘the look’ and it’s okay? She’s lucky I didn’t chase her down and beat the hell out of her.” Maddox smiled as Buck laughed.
“My violent little vixen. I don’t need a siren when I have you.” Maddox said kissing her head. Buck groaned.
“For a demon you sound so whipped.”
“Buck grow up.” Skye winked at him.
“Never. It’s against my religion.” he joked.
“What religion?” Maddox scoffed.
“Buckology. I make the rules as things go along.” He shrugged walking away. Skye rolled her eyes and walked with Maddox dreading having more questions now than answers.
Skye ran her fingers over Maddox’s bare chest. His chest was rising and falling softly. It was nowhere near as frantic as it had been hours ago. Skye smiled shyly at the memory of their love making. Every time with him was different for her. He was never what she expected him to be.
With his eyes closed and his long eyelashes covering his beautiful eyes she could almost see him as human. He was so relaxed. Nothing was worrying him at that moment in time. He wasn’t trying to protect her or fight off an enemy. He was just sleeping.
She wished there could be more moments like this, moments without worrying. She knew he was afraid his father would discover her presence at any moment. And as much as Maddox hated to admit it, he couldn’t defeat his father. His father was older and much stronger.
“Why are you staring at me?” His voice sounded rough from lack of sleep.
Maddox spent his days in school, evenings trying to spend time with his father to ease his suspicions, and nights with Skye. He never had any real down time.
Skye was taking advantage of the evenings he was with his father and experimenting with her powers. She knew Maddox didn’t want her to but she saw no real reason not to. She needed to know what she was capable of and if it could help her if and when she needed it.
“Maybe I think you look pretty.” Skye said teasingly. He grunted.
“Demons aren’t pretty. We are scary, dangerous, and devilishly handsome.” She laughed.
“Okay Mr. Devilishly Handsome. Maybe I just like you so much that I feel like looking at you.” He put his arm around her pulling her face into his neck.
“Better answer.” he said approvingly. Skye’s phone buzzed. She reached over and picked it up to look at it.
“Nancy says my grandmother isn’t ready to meet me yet. Apparently she’s pissed off I’m dating you.” Skye grumbled after she slammed her phone down.
“Your grandmother is an Elf and you are dating her enemy. It’s natural for her to hate me because of that.” he pointed out.
“Don’t be mature. I’m not in the mood to be mature right now,” Skye huffed. “I get she doesn’t like what you are, but I’m her granddaughter and I’ve been a freaking orphan almost my whole life. It’d be nice to have a little guidance. Everything in my life I decide and half the time I don’t know if…” Skye sighed.
“You’re doing the best you can.” He rubbed her shoulders reassuringly.
“What if my best isn’t good enough?”
Skye heard Maddox talking but she wasn’t paying attention. She needed her grandmother and she would find a way to see her. She knew Nancy was the key to finding her. She decided right then that she would follow Nancy if she had to. She also knew she couldn’t tell Maddox. She would have to do it when he was with his father so her grandmother wouldn’t turn her away.
“Just give it time, okay?” Maddox said.
Skye simply nodded. She had no idea what he had been saying but knew better than to tell him that. She didn’t want to hurt his feelings. A demon with hurt feelings could be a whiny thing.
“Do you have to drink blood to survive?” Skye finally asked. She had avoided the question. She knew they did drink blood but she didn’t really know what would happen if they didn’t.
“Baby, it’s a part of me I hate. I don’t want to talk about it.” He kissed her forehead. She looked up into his eyes patiently.
“Tell me.” Skye insisted.
“Can’t you just drop it?” There wasn’t much hope in his voice that she would, so when she shook her head he laughed.
“I never was good at doing what others wanted me to.” She smiled waiting on him.
“We can go long periods of time without consuming blood but it weakens us. We eventually have to feed off of someone.”
“How long has it been since you fed?”
She felt him tense and couldn’t help but feel pity for it. She knew he was ashamed of
his true nature but she also knew if they were going to stay together they had to be honest with each other. Not everything could be perfect in relationships and she was willing to face the ugly, or in this case the bloody, to keep him.
“Seven months.” he finally answered.
“While we have been together,” she wasn’t asking. She knew that was what he didn’t want her to know. He was afraid she would be jealous and by the look in her eyes he had been right.
“I didn’t kill them. It’s not necessary. We take what we need and let them go. They know no one would believe that a person bit them and drank their blood. They probably blame it on vampires.”
“Are you weak now because it’s been so long?” Skye wondered.
“You always ask the questions I don’t want you to ask.” He paused. “Yes, I am weaker now because I haven’t fed in a while. Supernatural blood usually keeps us stronger for a longer period of time. If that supernatural is from certain bloodlines it makes us even stronger. Humans sustain us and keep us strong enough though.” His voice was low.
She marveled at the fact he had always been a demon but he could still be ashamed of himself.
“Maddox, it isn’t your fault. You’re a demon. It’s your nature to need blood. You shouldn’t be ashamed of who you are.” She touched his rough cheek with her soft hand stroking him softly.
“Maybe you’re right but maybe you’re not. The thing is Skye it’s not drinking the blood that makes me feel evil for a lack of a better word. It’s the fact that I enjoy it. When I’m drinking from someone it’s one of the most exquisite feelings in the world.” He was silent for a moment while Skye thought about what he said.
“How exquisite?” she pondered out loud.
“Second best feeling in the world.” Skye opened her mouth to ask the question he had predicted she would ask. Instead he put his finger over her lips. “You should know the first and best feeling I’ve ever experienced. It’s always with you.” Skye couldn’t help her huge smile.
“So you drink blood and enjoy it. Sex with me is much better so let’s continue to focus on that.” She teased playfully.
Maddox’s face was still stern with a look of concern and unhappiness that made Skye frown.
“Graduation is coming up and you are looking and smelling more like an elf every day. My father will see your glow and know what you are, and I won’t be strong enough to defeat him. Buck can’t side with me either. As much as he cares for you, he knows he can’t go against the family. I’ll be exiled for it and I won’t sentence him to the same fate. But I don’t know how to keep you safe from my father. I can’t allow you to be hurt.”
Skye stared at the man in her bed. He wasn’t just a demon. He wasn’t just a man. He was a warrior. He was a warrior who didn’t possess the power he needed. She knew if she hadn’t fallen for him he would be safe from possibly having to fight his family and die. She also knew he would never blame loving her for what was to come.
Maddox hated to admit to Skye he wasn’t strong. He hated feeling weak and worse admitting it to the woman he should be able to protect. Her skin was glowing more and more as time passed. He didn’t know if that meant she was coming into her powers so her skin was reflecting that, or if over time it just naturally happened. He wished her grandmother would see her and guide her.
He knew he was completely in love with her and couldn’t imagine a world where she was hurt because of him. He had even begun to ponder the thought of leaving her. She could be safer if she weren’t surrounded by demons. The thought tore at his chest making his heart ache. He ran his hand down her naked back needing to just feel her soft skin against his calloused hands. The hands of a demon who could be the reason for her death.
Fighting the panic of losing her, Maddox rolled on top of her kissing her passionately. He was lost with the thought of losing her so he could only do one thing, be closer to her in that moment. He made love to her slowly. He pushed her over the edge several times before he even entered her body.
He needed to watch her beautiful face as she surrendered to him. He needed to feel her body’s electric pull, the force that brought them together, still strong and fierce. He watched her until he was lost to the pleasure himself and found his own release. He closed his eyes, roaring her name loudly before falling into a deep sleep in her arms.
Chapter Ten
Maddox parted with Skye after school to go to his house and spend time with his father. He didn’t tell Skye that he had to go on a mission with his father. He was afraid that if she knew, it would turn her away from him. He knew he was going to face other evil creatures, but that didn’t justify it for him, so how could he expect it to be justified to Skye?
Maddox kissed her gently as he walked her to her car. Then getting into his own he drove away before glancing at her again. He was afraid he would turn away from his family right then and be with her instead. Every fiber of his being wanted that, but he knew it would only be a death sentence for her.
As Maddox drove away with a sad yet determined look on his face, Skye watched him until his car was out of her sight. She was bothered by the fact he was visually upset and was hiding whatever was bothering him. But Skye had her own plans to worry about at that moment. Nancy was leaving school on foot to walk to Skye’s grandmother’s home.
Skye pulled on a black hoodie to cover her hair and slipped out of her car following Nancy from a safe distance. Nancy walked on the sidewalk humming to herself the entire time. Skye stayed back far enough to keep Nancy from noticing her.
Skye felt so nervous she thought she was going to be sick. Luckily Nancy kept herself distracted by flirting with all the men she passed. Skye was amazed at how confident she was with men, but she supposed for her to be a siren she had to be.
After several minutes Nancy finally walked into a yard that was off into the woods by a few hundred feet. Skye walked slowly through the woods trying hard not to make a sound, but every time a branch cracked she was sure she was caught. However Nancy kept going without seeming to notice anything.
The house in the woods was a beautiful small cottage. It was made of different colored rocks on the walls and surrounded by so many flowers and plants that Skye couldn’t help but gasp at the beauty. She quickly put her hand over her mouth hoping Nancy hadn’t heard her. It seemed Nancy was still caught up in her own thoughts because it didn’t faze her at all.
Nancy walked around the side of the house to the backyard where a beautiful woman was on her knees tending to her garden. Skye froze seeing the woman. She looked just like how she had always imagined her own mother would look; light blonde hair, almost as pale as Skye’s, with beautiful bright green eyes.
“Nancy, dear you are preoccupied today.” The woman said without even looking up to her.
“I’m always preoccupied. So?” Nancy shrugged.
“I’m just letting you know if you weren’t so busy thinking of the next man who would be between your legs you would have noticed that you were followed.”
The woman didn’t sound too concerned but Nancy instantly looked around.
“I didn’t hear or see anyone.” Nancy said still looking as if she didn’t believe what she had heard.
“Nancy you have a good heart, but your natural instincts can be a drawback. My granddaughter followed you here. In fact she is standing in the woods right now staring at us and listening to every word we say.” Skye wasn’t sure what to do at that moment but she knew she wasn’t going to run like a coward.
“Skye?” Nancy asked out loud confused.
Skye sighed. She then slowly walked into the yard, careful not to step on the plants. Nancy huffed mad that someone was able to follow her without her noticing, Skye’s attention was focused only on her grandmother.
The woman looked up into Skye’s eyes and smiled. Skye was tempted to just stare at her. She was beautiful and the warmth coming from her was almost overwhelming.
“Hi Grandma,” Skye finally managed to say.
&
nbsp; “Oh child,” the woman laughed as she stood up to face her. “I’d prefer if you called me Nanna. It’s a bit more southern. Don’t you agree?”
Skye nodded silently as she looked at her Nanna. She didn’t look old enough to be her grandmother. She looked to maybe be forty years old if that. Skye finally found her voice again.
“Hi Nanna. I’m your granddaughter, Skye.” She felt her voice waver a bit. “I know I wasn’t supposed to sneak here, but I had to meet you.”
“I’m not mad that you found me. I am, however, thankful you didn’t bring your boyfriend here with you.”
Skye knew that was a conversation she wanted to avoid. Her grandmother would never understand what she shared with Maddox. Skye simply shook her head.
“I respect your wish not to meet him, but I needed to meet you. I’ve been alone my whole life and when I found out I had a family member, I just had to do whatever was necessary to find you.”
“You need to know that I had no idea that you had felt alone. I knew your step-mother had raised you with another man, so I assumed you were happy.”
“Have you seen the way she dresses? That doesn’t scream happy.” Nancy interjected.
They both shot her a look which made Nancy throw her hands up defensively.
“Nancy, why don’t you let me have time alone with my granddaughter?” Nanna asked politely.
Nancy nodded as she walked off and inside the small cottage.
Nanna looked up and down at Skye. She slowly took in her clothes, her black make up, her black boots, and other accessories. She looked back into Skye’s eyes.
“I suppose your way of dressing should have been a flag to me. I just assumed you liked to dress that way. Not everyone likes light colors.” Nanna almost said more to herself than to Skye.
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