I woke up the next morning after the skit, my husband’s arm snug around my waist. It was unusual for him not to be up before me. The man seemed to run on very little sleep. I could almost hate him for it at times.
But this morning, there he was. My lips curled into a smile. It was rare for me to catch him when he was completely unguarded. I slowly rotated so I could face him. I traced a finger gently over his jaw, careful not to wake him. It hit me again, the emotion that grabbed me by the throat at the oddest moments. He was always there for me. Even when I didn’t want him to be. Especially then. And it was when I needed him the most.
“You’re thinking too loud,” he grumbled sleepily, his eyes still closed. I had to giggle a little at the way his voice sounded when he was all cross and sleepy.
“I’m not thinking anything,” I told him, tongue-in-cheek.
“I can hear you. Go back to sleep. Aren’t you the night owl?”
“And aren’t you the one that’s normally downstairs by now, hitting the weight machine?”
“I’m sleeping right now, or I would be if someone would go back to sleep.” One eye slitted open to glare at me, though I could see the way one corner of his mouth was creeping up into a grin.
“What if I don’t want to go to sleep, hm?” I murmured, leaning on one elbow as I gazed at him.
“You awake at this hour? Just what are you gonna do, hm?” he asked.
I leaned over him and pressed my lips to his. It was soft at first, then I took it deeper. I could hear the groan in his throat. He turned over onto his back, pulling me on top of him. I broke the kiss and grinned wickedly down at him. “Do you have an idea now?”
“Yes, I think I do.”
We emerged after noon, hand in hand. I was feeling much better, my head and heart felt… lighter than they had since my little “chat” with Natalya. Roark went immediate to go check on Ryu. Standing there, I saw my brother sitting at the dining room table, leaning back as Calysta played with his face.
I had to grin. I loved watching them together. Watching my little brother’s eyes light up the way they did whenever Cali was near made me one happy big sister. They may have been opposites, but they were perfect for each other. My brother needed someone to get him out of himself every now and again. Left up to his own devices, he’d barricade himself in his room, reading or writing or maybe escape to the garage to tinker on his workbench. All of which were fine hobbies and he was pretty damn good at them. But Cali brought out another side to him entirely. And it warmed my heart.
“Awesome. I’ll be back right after I knock some sense into my brother.” Calysta was saying. Then she leaned down to place a soft kiss on his forehead. “Love you, babe.”
“I love you too, Cali.”
I slid into one of the chairs, giggling even as Calysta wheedled the keys to his motorcycle out of my brother. Little sister certainly knew what she was doing when it came to Alduin. I watched her skip out of the house and then I turned to my brother, grinning wickedly. “She’s sure got your number, pal,” I told him, nudging him with my elbow.
“Yeah, guess she does,” he replied, no shame in it whatsoever.
I laughed. “Oh yeah, you are so totally gone over her.” I put my hand on his. “Good, I’m glad. You two practically give off hearts at all times, ya know.”
He winked at me. “That’s the idea.”
Mom and Dad joined us at the table a few moments later, drawn by the sound of us picking on one another, I’m sure. Alduin smiled at them. “Glad you guys can join us. There’s been something I’ve been meaning to talk to you about since I got back home. Just haven’t been able to do it before now.”
Our parents shared a look between them and then waited for him to speak. “I’ve already said this to Luna, but I wanted you to know before going through with it,” he swallowed a moment, “I’m planning to ask Calysta to marry me.”
They looked at one another again, then Mom told him, “You both are young yet, Alduin, but your father and I are so happy for you. She’s a terrific girl. You belong together.”
Dad nodded in agreement. I could see the pride in his eyes. “You’re a lucky man, son. And she’s a lucky girl. You hold onto her, ok?”
My brother nodded solemnly. “You can count on that, Dad. I’m not letting her go. We belong together.”
It made my throat close up a little to hear him say that. Knowing what they’d gone through together and knowing what that bitch Natalya had planned for them… it made my blood boil all over again. I could see the way Mom looked at me, her eyes narrowing. The only one I’d told so far had been Roark. I hadn’t been able to bring myself to even tell Mom and Dad. I may have been the impulsive one in the family, but let me tell you, I inherited my temper from my Mom. She was just a heck of a lot better at keeping hers at bay. But it was there. And nothing would bring it out faster than someone messing with her baby boy.
I should have known. Even as I thought it, my brother turned to me, his expression utterly serious. “Ok, Luna. Spill it. What happened between you and Natalya?”
I hesitated. He had a right to know, I knew that. But I didn’t want to tell him. My brother was normally very calm and collected. But I knew that where he and Cali were concerned… something like this would set him off. He stood up, leaning over the table, getting into my face a little. “Luna, c’mon, tell me!” There was a bite to his voice now, enough that my eyes narrowed as I considered him.
I tried to dredge up some anger, or at least something other than the dread that was curling around my spine and creating a shiver that ran through me. I stared into his red eyes, eyes like my own and knew I had to tell him. I shut my eyes and let out a breath. As I did, Roark came out of the nursery and sat down next to me, taking my hand.
Grateful for his presence, I opened them again and looked at my brother. Haltingly, I told him what I had learned about what the sorceress’s intentions had been for him. How her ‘help’ would consist of her replacing the missing pieces of his soul with nothing but hate and revilement for the woman he loved. For a moment, after I finished, my voice trailing off, he just… froze.
I could see the way the fury lit his eyes, and the tremor that ran through his arms as they held him up. I’d never seen my brother this way. He’d always been… gentle with a romantic side that he covered with a lot of charm and smarm. But this… I never cowered and I didn’t now, but something about him, something about seeing him this furious broke my heart.
“Alduin,” I murmured, reaching for him. My touch on his arm seemed to snap him out of it enough that he stumbled back, basically just falling back into the chair.
His gaze looked down at the floor. I shoved my chair back and got down in front of him. “Hey, hey,” I soothed. As I touched his arm with my hand, my eyes widened. He was ice cold. “Alduin!” There was no response…
I heard my mother release a whimper. I whipped my head around and all the color had drained from her face. “Watcher, no. Please, no! Not my baby!” Her hands clutched at the table as she watched my brother, tears swimming in her eyes. I watched her dissolve into tears.
I shook Alduin’s shoulders, even slapped him across the face, trying to get some kind of response. But his eyes were… vacant.
“Alduin!” My voice was sharp, made more so by fear. Something was terribly wrong… I couldn’t read him. At all. There was just… nothing there. “Damn you, Alduin! Snap out of it!” I shouted.
Roark pulled me away, gently. “Let me try, babe,” he murmured. I could only nod, trying to hold in the sobs that were threatening to burst forth. He took my place in front of Alduin and touched a hand to either side of my brother’s temple. He closed his eyes and I could feel him extend his own senses. But a moment later, he staggered back, shock written all over his face. That scared me more than anything. Roark was always certain, always… steady. For only the second time, I saw him unsteady, even afraid. “I-I… there’s nothing there. It-it’s like he’s just… gone.”
I paced around the entrance to the house, wanting to hit something or rend something apart. But all I could do was hang my head. It had been an hour or more since I’d told Alduin what I’d learned from Natalya. An hour that he’d gone completely unresponsive.
Dad had checked all his vitals, tried a couple tricks he’d learned. But Alduin still hadn’t snapped out of it. Everyone had tried. I had, Mom had, even Roark had tried again. But none of us had any luck. Even Nan and Pop had tried. We were all at a loss. I couldn’t sit still. And I couldn’t do anything else. I walked back inside. Nan and Pop were leaning in the doorway, their faces unreadable, even for me.
None of us said it aloud… we didn’t have to. We all knew this had something to do with the Netherworld. I knew about the pain. Mom did too. She could feel it. But there wasn’t anything we could about it.
Cyn had come out, and she stood there, looking a little lost as she stood next to her brother. I looked at my husband. He’d been silent since the last time he’d tried to reach my brother. I knew that look. He was thinking about Alaric. He’d gotten close to Alduin in a short amount of time and being unable to reach Alduin, as he’d been unable to reach Alaric… He couldn’t even look me in the eye.
Mom hadn’t been able to stop crying. She was curled up in Dad’s lap as he held her. None of us knew what to do. We were at a loss.
“Call Cali again,” Nan finally said softly as I stood next to her and Pop in the archway. “Call her, get her back here.”
I swallowed and nodded. I prayed for all I was worth as the phone rang. It went to her voicemail. But I kept calling. Pick up, Cali, pick up! I ordered in my mind. Watcher, pick up!
“Luna? What’s going on?” I could hear the worry in her voice.
“Cali, we need you here. We’ve tried everything. Alduin…” I couldn’t stop my voice from cracking, no matter how hard I tried. I couldn’t hide the tears that were threatening to erupt at any moment. “-he’s just… gone… We can’t get him to respond to anything… Please… just come here.”
I hung up and sat at the table, willing Cali to hurry.
As I looked at her now, she was still too pale for my liking, but I knew I’d have a fight on my hands if I tried to take her to the hospital and the crux of it was, there was little they could do for her anyway. She needed rest, that’s what would help her. My wife had the frustrating habit of not thinking of herself. She was larger than life and had confidence in spades. That was what drew me to her from day one. That welcoming and downright intriguing light in her eyes had drawn me to her like a moth to a flame. And while she was aware of her own beauty, her own self-worth, she was infuriatingly ignorant of the impact that she had on others. My wife was one that affected whoever she came in contact with… for good or ill. She often took center stage, often without realizing it.
I leaned forward to kiss her forehead. She snuggled closer, letting out a soft sigh. There was something about seeing a strong woman- and that’s certainly what my wife is- let their guard down. It didn’t happen often, not even with me. One of the most infuriating things about her was her propensity to try to handle everything on her own. Her pride hated it when she appeared weak, though that was never a word that came to mind when I thought of her, nor would you see anyone associate that word with my wife.
Games were something that we’d always enjoyed together. And even as we all grew, it was something that remained as a favorite pastime. It was before everything had gone so horribly wrong, when we’d had hope, when we’d been a family.
I shrugged. “Well, they’d definitely enjoy a day at your family’s spa. We can use that time to… do something, right?”
My brother in law was really getting into it. “Yeah, a skit! Think about it, costumes, performing.” His eyes widened and his smirk turned into a wicked grin. “Oh Watcher… Cali in a SimTrek costume…”
I sighed in bemusement. Cyn would be easy. Aurora would enjoy it, I was fairly sure. Sophia… I had to admit, of all the Wyverns, Sophia was the most intimidating, even to me. I wasn’t afraid of her, necessarily. She reminded me of my first commanding officer after I enlisted. Unassuming and even congenial, but when there was trouble, she hadn’t batted an eye. I’d seen grown men, hardened men, cower before her without her raising her voice. Erin Kennedy had been a transplant from Sunset Valley, risen in the ranks there, then transferred to whip the base in Bridgeport into shape. Sophia was a lot like her. Rubbing the back of my neck, I prepared to go and try to pull this together before Luna or Cali woke up.
His wife sighed. “Roark, I know-“
I’d wanted nothing to do with the city, not after everything that had happened. Alaric had already left us. Cyn missed him terribly. I couldn’t handle another trip to the hospital, so I’d taken her to the festival, hoping it would cheer her up. She’d had a good time, just exploring the grounds and she even got her face painted.
She looked gorgeous in her chosen outfit for the skit.
“Go on outside. I hear them now.” I hugged her and she seemed to glide out the front door just as Luna and Cali pulled up. I had to grin as I watched them from the window. It seemed like forever before Cyn led them to the garage.
As Cyn gave her lines, I had to admire her. She was doing really well. She played her Pixiepire role very well. “Once upon a time, in a desert beside a vast ocean, the pharaoh of Egypt woke up next to the king of pirates.”
Alduin had written the skit revolving around the Pharaoh and the Pirate King who had yet to find love. It was a good idea, and the way Alduin had written it, the girls would love it. Except… I’m no actor. Not by a long shot. I couldn’t help but stare at my wife, watch the play of emotions over her face. Turns out, I’m not the only one who couldn’t concentrate on the skit. My father-in-law couldn’t stop staring at his wife the entire time he was supposed to be speaking.
I did have to hand it to Cyn, though. She really shined in her part. Of course, I think she might be spending a bit too much time with my wife. That smack upside the head was definitely an improvisation. As was our wild west proprietor and his saloon girl making out in the corner.
By this point, poor Draco was the only one that seemed to be taking his role seriously at all. He gave his speech rather eloquently. But his granddaughter was busy flirting with me and I was busy flirting back.
Cyn was still having a ton of fun. After the last “scene”, Cyn got to bring in the rest of the packages Alduin and I had picked up. Cali and Luna tore into the packages and then ran up to Cyn’s room to change. We waited downstairs.
Alduin was being impatient. “What is taking them so long?” he groused.
It was like a punch right in the gut. Luna was beautiful, inside and out. But watching her descend those steps in the garb of a Pirate Queen… It fit her right down to the ground.
When she stood at the bottom of the stairs, I couldn’t take my eyes off of her. She took my breath away on a regular basis. But there was something in the way she looked at me then, something that had me closing my eyes for a moment.
She sauntered over to me, her hips swaying. I’m pretty sure she was trying to kill me. “Hello my King,” she whispered, her voice low and sultry.
All I could do was tell her the best way I knew how. Through my actions. There was activity going on around us, I knew that. Alduin had been laughing when his sister came down. But I could hear his breath catch as Calysta came down.
Luna looped her arms around my neck. We didn’t need words at that moment. It worked for us.
Truth be told, I wanted to carry my wife off to bed immediately and I was pretty sure I wasn’t alone in that thought either. But Cyn insisted that we all take some photos to commemorate the night. So that’s what we did. I’ll be putting a couple of these in my wallet, I think.
As I lay here, holding my wife close while we get ready to sleep after we had taken care of our son, I can’t help but look back on tonight with a smile. I’m certainly no actor. I’ll leave that to Calysta. But it was the most fun I remember having… ever, really. I snuggled closer to my wife.
“Good night my Pirate King,” she murmured, her voice already half-asleep.
I nodded wearily. “Yes, it’s true. She’s the one responsible for planting doubts in your mind. Don’t trust her, Cali. She wants to separate you and Alduin in the worst way.”
I nodded, having to grip the wheel harder to keep my hands from shaking. My head felt like it was being ripped open. “Good. Good. Cali… you feel up to driving?” I finally asked her, knowing I could very well get us both killed if I didn’t pull over.
It really felt like my head was going to explode. Leaning against the cool stone wall alleviated the worst of it for a few moments. But I didn’t move quite yet. I remained there for a little bit longer.
I figured it had been enough time for Calysta to distract my brother. I didn’t even have the energy- or the ability- at that moment to try to pinpoint where my husband or the rest of my family was. So I stole into the house like a thief.
I somehow managed to make it into my room without meeting anyone. I figured Mom and Dad were in their room or out and about. Nan and Pop were probably upstairs in their room. I wasn’t sure where Roark was; probably with our son for which I was grateful. Some of the pain had subsided. I decided that I’d take a page out of my husband and brother’s books and try to work it off.
“Baby,” he murmured. That was all he had to do to have me squeezing my eyes shut to block the tears that threatened to spill over.
I let out a choked sob, even as I took a stumbling step forward. “It hurts, Roark. It hurts.” He steadied me, his hands warm. I felt so cold.
He enfolded me in his arms. I was shaking badly. “C’mon, we’ll go to our room and you can tell me about it. You’ll feel better.” I nodded numbly. As I went to take a step, I could feel my eyes roll up into the back of my head and I fell back. I wasn’t unconscious, not really. I could actually hear the vicious curse my husband let out as he caught me in his arms.
“Luna? Luna?” I could hear the strain and worry in his voice.
“Luna, you need to go to the hospital. You’re freezing,” he whispered.
Finally, he nodded. “Alright. But you’re going to lay down, Luna.” I might have bristled at that commanding tone if I had had the energy. But when all I did was bob my head in acquiescence, he must have known I wasn’t as fine as I pretended to be. So he led me to our room, his arm securely around my waist.
I lay there for a long moment, just listening to us both breathing. I let out a shuddering breath and began to talk, not even bothering to open my eyes.
In a voice I barely recognized as my own, I told him what happened in town. About my meeting with Natalya and what I had done. He just held me, and let me get it out. I didn’t realize it for a while, but tears had been falling silently down my cheeks since I had begun the story. I could feel it as he pressed his lips to my hair in a quiet gesture of comfort.
He held me like that for a long time until the sobs finally died down.
But as I stopped crying, nausea slammed into me and I had to jolt away from him, my heart beating a staccato rhythm against my rib cage even as I fought the bile that was threatening to rise into my throat.
Roark had gotten up and come to my side of the bed. I tried batting at his hands as he grabbed for me, but it was a half-hearted attempt at best. He still grabbed me in his arms and just picked me up as if I were a feather. He set me on his lap as he sat on the corner of the bed and he crushed his mouth to mine.
I may have tried to deny it, but this was what I needed. I needed him. I could forget as I sank into the kiss. I could forget what I had done, the pain, the blood, all of it as I drowned in my husband, felt his strong arms around me, supporting me, as he always did. Roark was my rock; I could always count on him to know, to care, and to not take my crap when I was being impossible.
The kiss ended and I just sat there on his lap for a long time, my ear pressed to his chest so I could listen to the steady beat of his heart. He pressed gentle kisses to my forehead and to my cheek. After a while, he said, “Why don’t you change into some P.J.’s and then crawl into bed?”
“Sleep now, baby,” he murmured soothingly. Even as I closed my eyes, his beautiful voice began to sing. He didn’t do it often; he wasn’t a fan of his own voice, but I loved it. With the sound of his voice singing softly in my ear, tears slid down my cheeks.
He sang the entire song to me. As his voice faded at the end of the song, I let myself go, finally allowing sleep to take me. Just as the darkness closed over me, I heard him whisper, “I love you, my Moonlight. Don’t be afraid, your Knight is here.” Yes, he was my Knight, my Dark Knight. I was safe with him, always.
Lost in his thoughts, he didn’t hear the quiet tread of feet on the stairs. It wasn’t until the figure got down to the bottom that Alduin noticed he was no longer alone. He nodded to Roark. “Morning. Isn’t it a bit early for you to be up? I figured you’d only emerge around evening time.”
Roark began to lift himself up. “Saw your girl upstairs before I came down. Your Nan is letting her cook in the kitchen, ya know. That should tell ya somethin’ right there.”
Roark nodded absently. The two continued their workout in a companionable silence. Though they hadn’t talked much, they seemed to have come to an understanding. Alduin had a lot of respect for the vampire. When he’d first heard who his parents were, he had to admit, his initial reaction had been one of horror. But it hadn’t lasted long. Especially not after Luna had told him the full story. But Alduin had still found himself curious about the man. He was the one that his sister had chosen to spend the rest of her life with. A life that would seem like a drop in the hat to a vampire’s long life. Alduin didn’t really want to think about that, but it was certainly a factor.
“I know she’s fully capable of taking care of herself,” Alduin murmured. “I do. Who knows better, right? I’ve looked up to her since before I can remember. But that unflinching courage of hers scares me sometimes.”
I joined the rest of my family at the dining room table. I smiled at Cali. “Morning.”
“Morning for me,” I told him, grinning. “Besides, we know how I am in the morning, so this is as much for your guys’ benefit as my own.”
Breakfast passed with a lot more ribbing, mostly my family having fun at my expense. Everything was right in the Wyvern household. If we aren’t picking on one another, then something is surely wrong. Nan left to go change into her martial arts gear. Apparently, she’d offered to train Cali and Cali had agreed. I winced. “Watch her roundhouse, Cali. I don’t recommend sparring with her anytime soon.”
My brother had a good poker face. But I knew him. I could see the look of trepidation in his eyes when I opened the door. I was on the phone, listening to a voice on the other end. I’d called a contact as I was walking upstairs. “Uh huh,” I murmured into the phone, my eyes on my brother.
“Ok, thanks for the info, Craig,” I murmured, hanging up. Alduin just kept looking at me. His body language was tense. “Let’s not pretend that you don’t know what I’m doing up here,” I murmured. “You know what I want. Start talking.” My hand rested on my hip as I stared him down.
Finally, he sighed and rested his elbows on his thighs. “Luna…” He laughed, though it wasn’t a mirthful sound. “Why do I bother trying to keep secrets? Or to protect you? You never let me before.”
He shut his eyes, letting out a growl as he rubbed his hand vigorously through his hair. “Ok, look. Yes, it was the Treskers that shot me. I knew who they were when they showed up.”
“Alright!” he snapped, fire leaping into his eyes. His hands had balled into fists. “I… I work for something called the Agency. They’re-
Alduin looked down. “Sis…”
I sniffled. He stood up and placed himself in front of me, putting his hands on my shoulders. “You have always been one of the strongest people I know,” he murmured, looking into my eyes. “I… I wanted to be like you, like Pop. I wanted to help people, Luna. I thought I could do that through the Agency.” He smiled. “I know now why you said no to them. I don’t agree with their methods most of the time. But ya know what? They’re the reason I met Cali. And for that? I’d do it all again, even knowing what would happen, I’d do it a hundred times over, as long as it meant I could have her.”
“They killed him! They killed my brother!” I snarled. “They killed Alaric! They deserve to pay!”
“We have to, we-“
It was a comfort, somehow. We all have darkness in us. At that moment, I was glad I wasn’t alone in that. I rested my head on my husband’s shoulder. For now, the darkness would be illuminated with light. Roark’s hand cupped the back of my head and he held me against him. “My Moonlight on a dark night,” he whispered. “We won’t let them hurt anyone else. I swear it to you.”
It’s good to see. I’d love any woman my brother brought home because he loves her. But I always hoped I could love the woman herself. And I can already see that I will. But something’s been bothering me. Cali is what I call a “broadcaster”. Most regular humans have some form of shielding on their minds. But just like there are some with natural shields, there are some that tend to broadcast their thoughts. I’d been able to pick up things from Cali since she arrived. The poor thing was nervous, but it was much more than that. I had my suspicions, but I’ll look into a little later.
I’ve never been one to beat around the bush, especially not where my family was concerned. I wanted the story, the full story from him. “So Alduin,” I began, watching him carefully. “You died.”
Alduin told his story and as I listened, images flashed in my mind. Normally, I had a strict code about not intruding. I picked up enough surface thoughts that I didn’t need to pry. But I was making an exception in this case. I didn’t need my telepathy to know that my brother was hiding something. I knew him too well. Even the way he met my gaze, then dropped his for a split second had warning bells going off. The story that he told was bad enough to make my blood run cold. But then I got a shock. A picture of two men I knew too well flashed in my brain. My eyes narrowed dangerously at my brother, but he was looking at Cali, his hand rubbing her back in small circles, reassuring her.
The Treskers… I had to bring my hand to my lap to hide the fact that it was clenched into a fist hard enough that my nails dug into my palm. They’d gone after my brother… The realization that he knew their name hit me and it took all my control to keep the growl from escaping my throat. Me and little brother were going to have a talk. Yes we would…
Pop and I handled the questions. He and I had shared a look. Of everyone aside from Roark, he and I had the most contacts within Monte Vista as well as abroad. Every little bit would help us dig into this more. And you can bet that we’d be doing a lot of digging. After everything that’s happened to this family, we weren’t going to let something else happen to Alduin or Cali.
Unless you counted me boxing his ears… which he’d be getting later, that much I promised myself. But the cries of my son saved him… for the moment. Thought it was the perfect time to introduce Ryu to his Uncle and his Aunt. I’d fed him already and placed him in the crib, letting them get a good look at him.
If it were up to my brother, that’s all he would do, I knew. I could see the pride in his eyes, but there was also trepidation there. Alduin had never been exposed to kids, really. Well, it was time for a crash course. If the look in Cali’s eyes was any indication, my brother wouldn’t have much of a choice in that exposure. The best way to deal with Alduin was just to go through it, make it quick, like pulling off a bandaid fast.
Of course, I had to howl at the look on his face after Cali whispered something into his ear. I’m sure it was along the lines of how many kids she wanted someday. After rescuing my son and laying him down for his nap, we wandered back out into the hall.
Roark nodded to my brother. “Luna’s been looking forward to this visit for a while.” He grinned. “She was up before dawn this morning.”
I could feel Alduin look at me sideways and I didn’t need to see his face to see that smirk of his. “It’s good to be home. I’ve missed this place. And it’s good to see Luna’s home. How are you finding our dear Monte Vista?”
Alduin grinned. “That’s good to hear. You won’t have to go anywhere else will you? Any other deployments?”
My brother nodded. I had to swallow at that. I knew Alduin was a grown up now. And that means he would go his own way, but it seemed so far. We’d just gotten him back… and I realized that I was thinking just like my mother had before I went to Bridgeport. Sucks when things come back, huh?
“So,” Roark began nonchalantly. “How long have you been working for the Agency, Alduin?”
Alduin thought furiously, thinking of denying it all. Then he just let out a laugh. “Great… you and my sister are meant for each other. Never could keep a secret from her… Does she know?”
Alduin winced. “I’m doomed, aren’t I?”
The two men lapsed into silence, both with their own thoughts, but running along very similar veins.
I lay my son back into his crib and stretched a little. It had been a good day. Seeing my brother and Cali had been much needed. It had also raised questions. Questions that kept running through my mind. I wandered into my room, letting it all stew in my brain. There was my husband, freshly showered and dressed. “Hey handsome.”
“So, did you and my brother have a nice workout?” I asked casually.
I stamped my foot. “Argh, I hate it when you do that. Not gonna tell me anything, are ya?”
Cali’s smile was beautiful. “I am in love with your family,” she murmured.
Alduin and his girlfriend were due in a bit later that morning. I wanted to see my brother. I’d missed him something fierce. I’d been having dreams lately. They weren’t visions this time. Just the aftermath of that last vision and knowing I could have… no, I did lose my brother, even if only for a little while. Knowing he made it back didn’t lesson the fear nor the pain that had settled in my chest. I sat back and closed my eyes, letting my shields down. It had become a habit to keep them up at all times. But every now and again, I just liked to take stock. I knew Roark was in the nursery, cooing at his son. I could tell what he was thinking. Since we’d gotten married, we’d begun to work with each other on establishing links. It could be difficult at times because a vampire’s shields were naturally strong. Where I had had to work to establish a shield, he had to work to bring it down.
I stretched my senses further. Dad and Pop were at their normal place at the chess table. That wasn’t anything new. Pop was about to lose his queen to Dad’s knight. I grinned. Pop lured him in every time with that move and Dad still couldn’t resist. Nan was just about to cook up a big batch of her famous pancakes. And Mom was grabbing the trash to take it out. Mom was ecstatic. We’d had an early thaw, though winter wasn’t quite done yet, I don’t think. Mom was happy though that the weather would be nice for Alduin and Cali’s visit. That and she hated bundling up for the cold.
My eyes widened and I had to swallow. I jolted upright in the chair. They were here… Alduin and Calysta were finally here! They were standing outside our door!
I was mortified to find tears welling up. I’d love to blame it on those residual pregnancy hormones, but the truth was, I was so happy that he was here. But I couldn’t go out there with tears in my eyes. Alduin would take one look and run away. The poor boy couldn’t stand to see a woman cry. They undid him like nothing else. So I wiped my eyes and tried to compose myself. Still, couldn’t help but keep my senses attuned.
Before the bag hit the bottom of the trashcan, Mom was throwing her arms around my brother’s neck. “Oh my boy,” she murmured, sniffling. “It’s so good to see you.”
They separated and Mom stood there, looking at the lovely young woman Alduin had brought with him. “Mom,” Alduin said, the pride and love unmistakable in his voice. “This is Cali. Cali, this is my mom, Aurora Wyvern.”
“We ate on the plane, Mom. Part of the first class package you and Dad paid for. We’ll be right in, though.” Alduin looked at Calysta, smiling at her. “Ready for the madness?” he murmured softly. Seeing that look in my brother’s eyes made me sigh sappily as I wandered out to the kitchen.
I had to giggle when I heard her reply, “Don’t be scared, Alduin. I’ll hold your hand.” Her voice was amused, though it didn’t take a telepath to notice that there was a slight undercurrent to her tone. She was nervous. Poor thing. Hoped she was ready for us. Though something told me that she’d do just fine.
Calysta and Alduin made their way inside. I restrained myself… though just barely, from leaping at my brother. Didn’t want to scare the poor girl. My brother on the other hand, I had no problem doing that to him, of course. But I’d let her get accustomed to us a little first. Nan had just gotten up from the table and was wandering into the kitchen when she saw Alduin. I heard her sniffle and saw her have to reach up to wipe at her eyes. “My boy’s home!” she murmured.
Ah, Nan, don’t do that! You’ll get me started again!
He stepped back and Cali stepped forward, a pretty smile on her face. “Hi, I’m Calysta Clarke. I’m Alduin’s girlfriend.”
Alduin laughed. “Don’t worry, Nan. I’ve given her plenty of warning about this crew here.”
Had to hand it to him, he managed to keep his feet. I heard Calysta let out a tinkling, musical laugh even as Alduin kept me from falling off of his back. Nan was rolling her eyes. “My goodness, Luna,” she scolded, though I could see the smile on her face. I could hear the chuckle rumbling up from his chest. I leapt off and he turned around to face me. We just stared at one another for a long moment.
<”Hey, little brother,”> I murmured in his mind. I had missed this connection. Distance did affect my abilities. There was something about being able to talk mind to mind that just accentuated the closeness.
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