Southern Spirits (The Southern Series Book 3)

by Shelley Stringer

  “How long ago?” Constance continued to probe.

  “When he was nineteen or twenty,” I replied softly. “And he absolutely does not like to talk about it, so please don’t say anything.”

  “No, of course not,” John replied softly.

  “I don’t even know how old he is,” Ty muttered as Brie laughed.

  “Brie, did you know about this?” John asked her incredulously.

  “Well, yes, but only because he let something slip once. He said something about loving someone who doesn’t know – an unrequited love. I always assumed it was Chandler,” she offered as I choked on my wine.

  Banton was quick to rub my back as he murmured, “Are you all right?”

  “Yes. I’m fine,” I managed to choke out after I caught my breath. “He is absolutely not in love with me. He thinks of me as a sister, that’s all,” I assured them. Banton snorted.

  “Well, who isn’t in love with Chandler,” Ty joked, passing by me to refill his wine glass at the buffet. After filling it, he turned and kissed me on top of the head, leaving me to blush profusely.

  “Hey…watch it,” Constance called out good-naturedly.

  “Seriously, Chandler…you can connect with the feelings thing, kind of like a ‘super Aldon.’ Have you ever gotten the love or lust vibe when he was around someone?” Brie asked.

  Constance’s mouth dropped open. “Andie, what the hell is she talking about?”

  I glared at Brie, much like I had glared at Banton earlier.

  “Chandler has many talents as you all know. But since she’s been bitten numerous times, and going through the pregnancy…her ability to sense other people’s moods and feelings, especially ones she is close to, has been dramatically heightened.” Banton explained as he placed his arm around my chair.

  “What? Whose feelings can you read?” Constance demanded.

  “No, it’s not like that,” I retorted. I paused and glanced at Brie as she smiled softly at me, nodding her head to encourage me to continue. “The first time I felt it, it was with Brie. I could feel what she was feeling, when I was working with her to get through her transformation issues. Then there are the spirits in our house,” I paused and took in the many curious glances around the table, Banton’s included.

  “I’ve been meaning to ask you about that comment at the hospital when Elly was sick. What things in our house are you able to connect with?”

  “Well, I can feel my mom,” I paused and glanced at Constance as her eyes misted. “It’s mostly a calm feeling, like a warm hug when I’m anxious or frightened. Then there’s the soldier, DeLee…”

  “Who?” Ty and John chimed out in unison.

  “Banton, Ev and I have seen him on more than one occasion in our house and at the cemetery down the road. He’s the famous soldier…the one in the papers from time to time.”

  “I’ve read about him. People think they see a bleeding soldier walking down the road by the cemetery,” Ty commented.

  “Chandler thinks he is Marie-Claire’s dead husband, killed during the war while she was pregnant.” Banton added as he rubbed my back gently.

  “Who’s Marie-Claire?” Ty asked innocently.

  “She was Judge Johnson’s daughter. I told you the story about Chandler’s house,” Constance reminded him as he nodded. “So, you can feel his spirit…sense his emotions?” Constance urged me to continue.

  “Yes. He’s filled with such a deep longing. He’s also very protective. I feel it strongly. Whoever he is, he isn’t there to harm anyone. He’s there to protect, and I think he’s looking for his family.”

  Constance shuddered, wrapping her arms around herself. Ty placed his arm around her shoulders, and then looked up at me. “I’ve never seen anything except the mist.”

  “That’s Aunt Kelly. That’s Chandler’s mom,” Constance said softly.

  “Anyway, I can feel Banton’s moods, although I don’t decipher them accurately. I guess I’m too close to him to feel them clearly,” I stated as he grinned down at me. “I can feel Constance’s moods sometimes…and I realized recently I always have, even before I was bitten.”

  Constance’s head snapped up. “Really?”

  I nodded at her as I smiled. “Even when we were little. I sensed when you were jealous, happy…frustrated.”

  “I just always thought you were super easy to get along with, and all along, you were one step ahead of my moods.” She smiled and placed her hand over mine at the table.

  “So why can’t you use those super powers to figure Everett out,” Ty asked as Constance elbowed him.

  “I’m not sure I’d ever tell any of you specifics about what I feel. It seems like a breach of your trust, somehow. But I do know that all I’ve ever felt around Everett is extreme love and devotion. He’s extremely protective of all of us. But I’ve never gotten that sense of physical love or longing toward anyone. Not like Constance and Ty put off, anyway,” I joked as Ty leered at Constance.

  “Oh, stow it, Preston…you’re not gettin’ any tonight,” she joked as he pulled her into a hug.

  John was strangely quiet throughout the entire monologue, and when I glanced at Banton, I realized he’d gotten quiet too. When John sensed that there was a break in the camaraderie, he looked up at me and his discomfort was apparent. Brie moved her hand and silently clasped his on top of the table. I knew John was wondering if I had ever felt his feelings while Banton was missing, and Banton was wondering the same thing. Would we ever get passed this emotional hurdle?

  “Well, I don’t know about you, Banton, but this raises a lot of questions about when he was staying with the girls. He was sleeping in the same room with Andie, for Christ’s sake,” John blurted out. I noted an undertone of jealousy, and anxiously wondered if Banton picked up on it.

  “Yeah, I’ve had that same thought.” The muscle in his jaw flexed with agitation, and I realized I was holding my breath as he continued. “Chandler assures me he’s never felt anything for any of them except like a brother,” Banton finished distractedly. I was so proud of Banton. I knew he still struggled with jealousy toward John, and we’d skirted the issue tonight. But he was hiding it well, and treating John almost normally. I placed my hand intimately on his thigh, and I felt him relax.

  “Well, I hear little gurgling sounds from over here. It’s time to get some Aunt Brie kisses,” Brie announced, standing and moving toward the twins. We’d placed them in the corner on a small sofa, and they’d been napping throughout dinner. Matty and Elly were awake, and it soon became apparent they would be the entertainment portion of the evening.

  After we’d cleared the dishes and helped Brie clean the kitchen, we visited for a while in the living room. Ty and Banton joined John in a short tour of the unfinished attic space, and left us girls to talk and enjoy our wine.

  “So, Brie…what’s the sex like now that you’re a super- human Aldon?” Constance blurted out as I choked on my wine for the second time that evening.

  “Not bad at all. That’s one transformation I’ve enjoyed,” she offered. I glared at both of them.

  “Oh, come on, Andie. Don’t be a prude! I know you are wondering too.” Constance could always be counted on to shock everyone and liven up the conversation.

  “The question is, does John enjoy it too?” Constance asked as I drained my glass on purpose.

  “That’s a definite yes,” Brie grinned over at me and winked. “I never knew it could be so…hot.”

  “I think I need more alcohol for this conversation,” I said wryly as I held up my empty wine glass.

  “Here, let me get everyone a refill,” Brie offered, grinning as she took the wine glasses and retreated to the kitchen.

  Elly began to fuss, so I picked her up from the pallet we’d made them in the floor and then searched in the diaper bag for their bottles. Constance automatically picked Matty up. She was so used to helping me that we worked in unison where the twins were concerned.

  After we had them both nursing conten
tedly, Constance started in on me.

  “Okay, Andie…dish. What’s wrong with Banton?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Who was the awkward visitor? You’ve both been on edge this evening.”

  “Someone from Banton’s past. An old fling,” I added.

  She raised a perfectly manicured eyebrow at me. “What did she want?”

  I sighed. “I wish I knew. She left a card with her number and said she needed for Banton to call her. He called her back before we came over here, and she wanted to meet with him. In private,” I added.

  “Whoa, sister. He didn’t say yes, did he?” she asked as she pulled the empty bottle from Matty’s mouth and then lifted him to her shoulder to burp him.

  “No, of course not. He told her if she needed to talk to him, she could come to the house. He told her he didn’t keep secrets from me. Whatever it was, she could talk to both of us.

  “Well, that’s a relief. Does he have any idea what it is that she wants?”

  “Not a clue. I guess we’ll find out tomorrow if she shows.”

  I watched Elly as she worked to finish her bottle. She held up her tiny hand to touch my face as she did every night. I smiled and leaned my face down to let her touch me. She grinned, letting go of the nipple and drawing her breath in to cackle out loud.

  “Is my baby girl still awake?” Banton asked, returning with John and Ty.

  “Here, see if you can get her to take the rest of this,” I urged as I handed her over to Banton. He grinned down at her as he took her in the crook of his arm, readjusting the blanket around her and balancing the bottle against his chin.

  “They’re growing so fast, Chandler!” John exclaimed as he took Matty from Constance. He settled down in his recliner, and sat Matty down in his lap to play with him.

  “Uh-oh, I think somebody’s diaper’s full,” John announced, wrinkling his nose. “It’s a little warm down there, and he’s gettin’ squirmy.”

  “Time to give him back, man! That’s the one thing I can’t do,” Ty joked as Constance rolled her eyes.

  “Holy mother,” John gasped out as his eyes widened. “Look at his eyes!” His eyes darted to Banton. Banton rose and walked over to see. I already knew what it was. Matty’s eyes were glowing like Elly’s.

  “There he goes, Mommy,” Banton murmured, glancing at me. John looked up at Banton as Banton added, “Elly’s have been glowing like that a few days. Matty’s just now catching up.”

  “Wow, do they have fangs?” John asked excitedly, lifting Matty’s little lip. Brie reached over and slapped his hand away. “No, of course not! Don’t be an idiot,” she scolded John.

  “Chandler, what do the doctors say? Will they have fangs like Everett? Will they be venomous? How will they be able to go to school?” All of the questions that had been on my mind when I first saw Elly’s eyes occurred to Constance.

  I rose and picked Matty up out of John’s lap and took him back to the pallet to change him. “They will be fine, and we’ll home school them if we have to,” I said a little too forcefully as tears gathered in my eyes. I gazed down lovingly at my son, choking back the lump in my throat. His eyes were glowing with the little flecks of turquoise mixed with the beautiful brown like Elly’s. I knew we would have challenges with the twins, but I didn’t want anyone else pointing it out.

  Banton was immediately at my side, sensing that my feelings were hurt. He sat down beside me and placed his arm around me, nuzzling my hair.

  “Andie, she didn’t mean anything by it,” he murmured.

  “Oh, gosh, Chandler…I didn’t mean…I just worry about them, you know. I love them so much,” Constance declared as I nodded.

  “All of this is just a little much to take in, and there’s a lot to consider. They may cut their fangs around five or six, and the venom may come with puberty. We just don’t know for sure. Ev says there are Aldon teachers planted in the public schools, and they can be placed where they can be protected,” Banton informed them. I looked up to find they were all listening intently.

  “You know, Chandler…your babies may be the only children who any of us get to help raise,” Constance said softly as she gazed at Brie. John placed his arm around Brie, pulling her down into his lap.

  The room was silent while everyone considered what challenges each one of us faced.

  “Well, we certainly have more interesting things to talk about than most couples our age,” Ty joked as everyone chuckled.

  “And on that note, I think it’s time we called it a night,” Banton urged as he helped me get the babies back into their baby seats. After the goodbyes and kisses were exchanged, Ty and Constance walked back with us to our house.

  Chapter Nineteen

  I sat silently brushing my hair out, watching the soft rain falling outside the bay window in our bedroom. I was mesmerized by the dancing patterns that the moisture made as the wind swirled it around under the soft light in the alley. I placed my chin on my knee and thought about the many nights I’d sat here waiting for attacks from the Orcos. Fear had become so common place that it felt as though I was missing something. It was hard to grasp that we didn’t have to look over our shoulders constantly. Since Banton and Ty had returned home, there had been no reports of any Orco activity, and the Aldon had finally stopped their scheduled watches. Everett told us they still patrolled our neighborhood from time to time, and there was an organized effort to keep track of any Orcos in Baton Rouge.

  I still had a feeling of unease. I wondered if I would always feel this way. As the stairs creaked outside the door, I knew Banton was returning from checking the doors downstairs and letting Beau back into the house from his nightly romp. I stood quickly and checked my reflection in the mirror. While dressing for bed, the urge hit me to feel sexy and alluring, so I’d searched through the dresser until I found the white satin gown I’d worn the night Banton proposed to me.

  The blond bombshell ex-fling with the sports car had nothing to do with it, I thought as Banton opened the bedroom door. He paused and slowly raked my body with his eyes.

  “Oh, baby,” Banton breathed, crossing the room to me. He looked so sexy with only his pajama bottoms on, the white ones that hung provocatively low on his hips. As he moved to touch me I was still staring, fascinated with his muscled abs. I reached out and traced the pattern of his muscles with my fingers as he wound his fingers in my hair.

  “Your hair is getting so long, Chandler.” He breathed in, taking in the scent as he buried his face into it. I wound my arms around his waist and slid my fingers into his waistband, caressing his bare skin.

  “The twins down for the night?” he asked, pulling away to look down into my eyes. He touched the hair on my forehead, sweeping it back and around behind my ear. I nodded.

  “They’re out. It was late and they were so tired when we put them down, I don’t think they’ll be up till five or so,” I answered, tracing my lips down his throat.

  “Good. Because I might not be through with you until then.” He brushed his lips back and forth across mine. I caught his bottom lip with my teeth and tugged gently as he moaned.

  “Do you have any idea what you do to me?” he rasped out, his voice ragged. He tangled his hands in my hair once more and pulled gently, pulling my face up to look at him. I shook my head.

  “You paralyze me. Sometimes I think I’ll go mad if I don’t have you, right at that moment. Like tonight, when you blushed as Ty teased you. You were so beautiful in the candlelight. I just wanted to whisk you around the corner and push you against the wall,” he said forcefully. “All of a sudden, all I could think about were your legs wrapped around me, my hands on your body, sliding your dress up, sinking into you and losing myself,” he said huskily.

  “Banton!” I scolded him, mortified. Well, maybe not mortified…maybe a little flattered.

  “I can’t help it, baby, you get me so hot. Just one touch, one glance…”

  I pulled back to look up at him through my lashes. �
��What’s stopping you now, stud?” I asked huskily, emboldened by his declarations of lust.

  His nostrils flared as his eyes narrowed. Picking me up, he moved me across the room, pressing me up against the wall beside the window. As he slowly slid his lips down my throat, I threw my head back and moaned. He jerked my gown up, cupping my hips in his hands and lifting me up. I wrapped my legs around his waist. I tugged at his waistband, and in a moment there was nothing between us. His mouth trailed down across the thin lace on the bodice of my gown, and my breath became shallow as his mouth found a tender peak. Readjusting my hips once more, he slowly entered me, moving slowly. As I held on to his massive shoulders, I wondered at how much bigger his shoulders and chest seemed to be. He was solid muscle, rippling as he moved against and inside me.

  “Chandler, oh…baby, you feel so good,” he moaned as we both found our release, reveling at our connection, our bodies once more melded into one. When our breathing slowed, he rested his forehead against mine.

  “Chandler, I love you, from the very depths of my soul,” he whispered breathlessly.

  “I love you too, Banton. So much that it scares me sometimes.”

  He gently lowered me until my feet touched the floor, and then he picked me up in his arms. Turning back toward the bed, he kissed me softly as he sank down into the covers with me still in his arms. My eyelids were so heavy I couldn’t keep them open.

  “Sleep, Andie,” he murmured, kissing me on the forehead. I snuggled into his chest, with his arms firmly wrapped around me, drifting off into a peaceful sleep.

  * * *

  Elly gurgled baby noises at me as I finished her bath. I could hear Banton blowing kisses on Matty’s tummy in the bedroom as I wrapped her in a towel. I smiled, enjoying the moment. The happy baby noises that surrounded us were the most precious sounds I could imagine, and I found myself waking up before the twins every morning in anticipation of what wondrous thing they would do next.

  Banton was stretched out on the bed with his head propped on his hand, watching Matty play with his toes.