by Mary Martel
Trenton wore clothes identical to Simon and that wasn't where the similarities ended. The black hair, silver eyes, and height were the same. Trenton shared the same features as Simon. I might have thought them twins if not for the lines that shot out around Trenton's eyes, marking him as older than what had to be his brother. He'd seen more to life and it had left its mark on him. He also had a jagged scar that started at his mouth and ran down his chin, down his neck, and disappeared into his black button up. He, too, had a neck tattoo that mirrored his brother’s and it also flashed the silver of his eyes when I looked at it.
Then poof, it was gone in the blink of an eye and back to black again.
Magic, they both had magic inked into their skin and for whatever reason it had flared to life when I looked at it the first time. I didn't think this boded well for me either. So much so, I almost wished Rain would say to hell with it and come out to my rescue anyways.
"Ariel," Trenton said curtly. His voice was the same husky timbre his brother had but rougher, almost like he was a smoker. I didn't smell cigarette smoke coming from either of them. "It's a pleasure to meet you."
I believed he really thought that, it was in his voice.
I looked between the two brothers and almost took a step back at the possessiveness in their eyes. It wasn't normal for having just met someone, and it reminded me of the way Quinton looked at me sometimes. This wasn’t right.
"What's going on?" I questioned Adrian in a quiet, but frantic, voice. "Who are these people and why are you really here?"
It was rude to be so blunt with him and went against everything Quinton had coached me when it came to my behavior toward the Council members. But it couldn't be helped because I was freaking out here and there was no stopping it.
I reached under the counter and fumbled for my phone. I clutched it to my chest like a security blanket, or, better yet, a lifeline. I wanted to call Tyson and beg him to get here as fast as he possibly could. He was my partner in crime when it came to the Council. Hell, he was just my partner in crime always. I could really use him right about now.
"Put the phone down, child," Adrian ordered. "I am not here to hurt you. We are not here to hurt you. You've got absolutely nothing to fear from us."
I hesitated before putting my phone back under the countertop. I didn't want to, but I did it all the same. A direct command from Adrian wasn't to be blatantly ignored. That, and it would only get Tyson into trouble if he rushed in here to protect me.
"These two," Adrian continued, "have both taken oaths and sworn themselves into the service of the females of our race. They are protectors, guardians if you will, and have devoted their lives to the safety of our females because there are so few of them these days."
He giggled to himself as he raised a heavily ringed hand to press it against his mouth. It did nothing to stop the giggles and I wasn't fooled in the slightest. He was enjoying my shock and confusion far too much.
"They're here for you, dear," he declared after getting his laughter under control. "They wish to serve you, to protect you. Isn't that just marvelous?"
My mouth dropped open and for once in my life I was at a loss for words.
What did that even mean? I was too afraid to even ask.
The shock wore off as I stared into Adrian's happy face. It was replaced with anger. This man didn’t understand that it wasn't okay to give a human being to another as if they were objects.
This wasn't even the first time he'd tried to give me another person.
"Adrian," I drawled slowly, hoping he really took in what I was saying here. "You can't give me another person, and you really can't just assign me what amounts to body guards without my permission. That's just not right. I also don't understand why you think you have any say in what goes on in my life or the people in it. It's weird and it's not right."
I had to snap my mouth shut because I almost said something about him not being my father and that I already had one.
Stupid, stupid girl. I couldn't afford to make mistakes like that.
"You mistake my meaning, dear," Adrian countered in a steady, sure voice. "It's not me who is, as you say, giving them to you. It's their decision to make and it's what they've chosen to do with their lives. The Council would never make those choices for people. We very much believe in free will. We're not here to rule over the witch community. I hate that you would believe that of us. We're here to guide and protect."
Yeah, right. That was a joke if I ever heard one. He thought he was king and wasn't fooling me.
My eyes shot to the brothers, wanting to see what they thought of Adrian's little speech. Neither of them looked like they'd even heard Adrian speak. They were solely focused on me, their eyes gleaming with dark possessiveness that put me on edge.
"You don't even know me," I addressed them, trying to warn them off. "You seriously don't want this. I'm a mess. And, not to be mean here or anything, but I think for the first time my life is actually working for me in a way that I like. If I add anything else to the mix, it's going to rock the boat. I'm really not interested in doing that."
Simon, the younger one, stepped up to the counter and placed his palms on top of it. He leaned toward me, his silver eyes flashing dangerously.
I took a step back without meaning to and Trenton stepped up beside his brother, placing a hand on Simon's shoulder.
"You're it for us," Simon stated in a dark voice.
"What?" I squeaked. "That's crazy. You're crazy."
What I really wanted to do was tell them to get the heck out of my store and to take their crazy asses back to the loony bin where they'd clearly escaped from.
"He's not explaining this right," Trenton interjected, his eyes pleading for me to understand.
There would be no understanding on my part. This shit was crazy.
"I'm not sure any explanation would really work for me at this point," I retorted and was horrified when their faces crumbled. They looked crushed.
"We've been searching for you for years," Simon pleaded with me with his eyes. "The magic recognized you. It's destiny."
I shook my head, destiny be damned.
"About that magic..." I began curiously. "I'm assuming you're talking about the silver light your tattoos gave off... What exactly did that mean?"
And did I really, honestly want to know?
"It means," Trenton said, "that the magic we had inked into our skin that would allow us to recognize our female has finally done its job. That light was the magic blinking out and leaving our skin for good. You only get one shot at this and it's for life. You're our female, we'd lay down our lives for you, gladly, because to lose you we'd lose ourselves."
I took another involuntary step back, away from them.
"Our kind usually fade not long after our females," Simon shared unhelpfully.
That female business was really starting to bug the crap out of me. I had to put a stop to it.
"Look," I said in my best no-nonsense voice, "I don't know what you think is going on here, but I'm really not looking for another boyfriend or two. My dance card is already full. You're going to want to look for a different female to do, ya know, whatever it is that you do with."
Silence filled the shop as I looked everywhere but at the people standing before me. I didn't want to see anymore possessiveness or crushed hopes and dreams.
Out of the front window of the store I saw a big, silver SUV come to a screeching halt in the parking lot.
I sighed in relief, feeling tension leave my shoulders that I hadn't realized had been there since Adrian first walked through the door.
Thank goodness.
My boys were finally here.
Chapter Nine
Adrian stood with his arms crossed over his chest beside Simon, who was standing next to Trenton. They stood like an unmovable wall, facing off against a pissed off looking Damien, Julian, and Quinton.
Rain had come through for me and called Quinton. I needed to give him a hug later f
or having my back.
"Young Alexander," Adrian drawled in a pleasant voice. "It's so good to see you again."
Adrian was having the time of his life here, it seemed. Good for him, at least somebody was enjoying themselves.
"As head of the—" Quinton started in an angry voice, but stopped when Adrian waved his hand at him.
"Do not even start that with me." Adrian smirked at him. "I came here to see Ariel, not you. She can see whomever she wants and I really don't think you want to tell me I cannot come and visit her. It won't end well for you and we both know it."
It was so ballsy for him to come here and threaten Quinton like that, especially in front of witnesses.
Quinton's face started to turn an alarming shade of red. He looked like he was on the verge of exploding. Not good.
Quickly, I rounded the counter and moved toward him. The overhead lights flickered dangerously and I knew I was running out of time to control this situation.
I stopped in front of Quinton, ready to tell him to calm down, but he didn't let me get a word out. Reaching out, he wrapped his arm around my back and dragged me forward until my front crashed into his. Without looking at me, he gave me a slight squeeze with his arm before turning to the side and gently pushing me behind him. He let me go and turned back to face off against Adrian's crew.
Both Simon and Trenton tensed, their fists clenched tightly at their thighs. Their heated silver eyes were latched onto Quinton, the air around them positively electric.
"You do not get to touch her unless she asks you to," Trenton growled at Quinton.
Quinton stiffened in front of me and I placed my hand on the small of his back, rubbing up and down soothingly. I watched the brothers over Quinton's broad shoulder, hoping they stayed where they were and didn't start a fight here in the middle of the store.
"I don't know who you are," Quinton rumbled in a dangerous voice, "but I want to advise you against concerning yourself with her well-being. She's a member of my coven, and I take care of what's mine."
See what I was saying earlier about Quinton's possessiveness? Right there it was in all its glory. And I think only a small part of it had to do with him being one of my boyfriends, and mostly to do with the fact I was a member of his coven and I think he might have been just that possessive of us all.
"She's ours to protect," Simon, very unwisely in my opinion, stated.
"Excuse me?" Damien sneered in all his haughty glory. "She's nothing to you and will remain that way."
Julian and Damien closed ranks, getting closer to Quinton's sides. They were a formidable wall standing before me and what they thought was a threat to me.
My heart warmed in appreciation at the same time I wanted to tell them to stand down, because I really thought there was nothing to worry about when it came to the brothers. Except for maybe some type of strange worship on their parts.
I put my free hand on the small of Damien's back, along his spine. He shifted to the side, moving into Quinton until their arms brushed up against each other. The move made me invisible from my head down to the people who were facing us.
Quickly, so as to stop this from escalating into a fight, I told them about what had happened before they got here, explaining what the brothers had told me about their magical tattoos and wanting to protect me. I left out Adrian's glee and how happy he seemed by these new developments.
Both Quinton and Damien's bodies tensed tighter and tighter with each word out of my mouth until I feared they might snap apart and break.
"I thought that practice died out over the years when females stopped being born to us with magic," Quinton whispered in a shocked voice. "Why does no one know about them?"
Adrian crossed his arms over his chest as he arrogantly cocked an eyebrow at Quinton. "You just said it yourself, the practice died out over the years when females stopped being born to us with magic. There are all but two left who've devoted their lives to protecting the female race, and they're standing in front of you now. Their magic recognized her, it flared to life before leaving them for good. They are tied to her now in a way that will hurt them if you make them stay away from her. They'll be without a coven and will wither away with no purpose in life. You don't want to be responsible for that being someone's life, do you, young Alexander? You're a great deal softer than your father who wouldn't have hesitated to send them away if it served his purpose."
My stomach dropped at the mention of Quinton's father, and it had already been sinking close to rock bottom as I listened to Adrian talk about what Trenton and Simon's lives would be like without me in it.
"It used to be considered quite the honor to have a guard devote their lives to you," Adrian sneered at Quinton. "What makes you think you're so good, your coven so much better than the rest of us, that you can turn your nose up at not one guard, but two of them?"
The thing was, I was incredibly uncomfortable with the thought of having two bodyguards or anyone be so focused on me. It felt like a lot of responsibility and a burden I didn't want placed on my shoulders. Then I felt bad for thinking of them as a burden when they clearly didn't see me that way at all.
"How long have they been with the Council?" Julian asked what I thought was a very good question.
I didn't want them hanging around me, but I really didn't want it if they were spies for the Council or had been brainwashed by them.
"They showed up a few months ago," Adrian shared readily. "They claimed to be dreaming about a girl and their father had told them that meant they needed to start looking for her. Apparently, their father died a long time ago and they've been alone in the world since."
Adrian shook his head in what appeared to be genuine sadness. "I don't know when everyone decided the Council was their enemy, but I'll be damned if I'm not going to right that wrong in my lifetime."
I shivered, hoping he was wrong but having a really, really bad feeling that something was coming due to the vow that threaded his tone.
I didn't want him to try and fix anything while I was around, because his version of pretty much everything seemed so very wrong to me.
Adrian locked eyes with me and I felt a shiver for an entirely different reason. The way he looked at me, the heat and lust in his eyes, filled me to the brim with revulsion. He didn't care who I was, what I looked like, or whether or not I was a good person. No, the only thing Adrian really gave a shit about was the fact I had magic and a vagina instead of a dick between my legs. And he wanted me because of it.
Tearing my eyes away from the horrible look in his, I took in Trenton and his younger brother, Simon. Both were older than me and both were strangers to me. There was a naked vulnerability there, and yet a need so strong, it took my breath away. They had no one in this world outside of each other, and they needed me.
I was a sucker for that vulnerability and need. It reminded me a lot of how I had first looked when I had met Tyson for the first time. Man, I'd come a long way since then.
If, as crazy as it sounded, I accepted what they were offering me, by no means did that mean it would have to be anything more than what they had promised. They wanted to guard me, to protect me.
I touched my cheek. My fingertips trailing against my scar. I thought about the cigarettes that one of Vivian's boyfriends put out on my skin like I had been their personal ashtray. The broken bones I'd suffered at Vivian's hands.
All the horrors of my life were suddenly flashing before my eyes in a vibrant display of violence and abuse no one should have been forced to suffer through.
Finding my place in my coven had changed my entire world, for the better, without a doubt.
Could we afford to do the same thing for someone else? We were, after all, a band of abused, messed-up misfits. We fit, we worked, and we loved our family.
Would we, could we, still work if we added to that? I didn't know.
But, in that moment, I really wanted to find out.
Out of the corner of my eye, I caught Quinton's attention. Su
btly, he nodded to me.
Quinton Alexander, my unwavering hero and the very first love of my life, had not only just placed his trust in me, but the trust of our entire coven, because my response affected them all.
I couldn't love him more in that moment if I tried.
I steeled myself against what I knew was to come and, in a voice full of confidence I didn't really feel, boldly stated, "Simon and Trenton can stay with our coven. They can stay with me."
I could feel both Damien and Julian's eyes burning into me, letting me feel just how displeased the two of them were by my words.
"Excellent." Adrian clapped his hands together excitedly before turning to the two brothers. "Now you may retrieve your luggage from the car and bring it back in here with you."
The finality of that stung through the air like a third degree burn.
"Ariel," Julian hissed under his breath. "I hope like hell you know what you're doing."
That made two of us, because I'd just voluntarily tossed us into the deep end and the chance these were shark infested waters was yet to be determined.
Simon's fists unclenched and he visibly relaxed before my very eyes. Trenton remained stiff and on edge. They both left the shop, to gather their luggage, presumably.
The bell over the door jingled behind them, signaling their departure.
At least they knew how to follow orders.
I moved to the front window. Not so I could spy on them, but instead to flip the open, come on in sign over to closed.
I had a feeling I wouldn't be getting much more work done today.
"Now that that's settled," Adrian chirped happily, "I must explain some things about them so you know just what you're getting yourself into."
I groaned as I rubbed my eyes. Of course he would have left some important parts out. I should have expected such behavior out of him.
"You might have thought to do that before," Damien muttered irately under his breath.
"Shut it," Quinton hissed at him.
"You see," Adrian drawled as he crossed the room and pulled out a seat at the velvet covered round table. He sat down heavily in a chair as if suddenly exhausted. "Those boys now belong to you. They're your responsibility. Now, I can see you getting angry and unreasonable again so please, let me explain without interruption. I have other things I need to be doing today and have already wasted enough time on this."