Daughter of Anat Read online

  He lovingly scrutinized me from his leaning position on the doorframe folding his arms as if amused. Gods, he was so sexy.

  Not helping me leaving you with your friend, but it’s good to have you back.

  I pulled my lips in trying to hide my inner thoughts that might be showcased to my friend.

  He gave first. Liam is by your side at all times until further notice. Hugo will keep an eye on me for your sanity’s sake.

  I smiled loving this man. Thank you, I beamed. He nodded and left us alone.

  Oops. Forgot she was there already. Bet she wondered what just went down.

  “So, you two have a really happy little love connection going on. I can see it definitely doesn’t lack any lustful looks or sexy eye—

  “Stop. Whatever you were about to say was probably not clean. I know your mind and he has really good hearing.”

  I heard a soft laugh in the back of my mind. He’d heard her.

  I shrieked through the hallway, “You better turn your Vampire butt hearing off till she’s gone mister if you know what’s good for you.”

  Never, rang though my ears.

  Cas. I dragged out his name in my mind.

  I want to hear every single word of what you might say about my sexiness.

  You might not.

  Oh, but I do.

  Grr! “He will hear everything you say, so you better be good.”

  Maze held up three fingers and saluted me with the other hand, then pretended to tie a bow on her lips. Yeah. Like that’s gonna keep her quiet. I was so in for it.

  Maze and I stayed up all night in the Sun room watching movie after movie and eating popcorn and takeout pizza.

  We woke in the morning light both crooked from sleeping upright on the sofa. I knew Cas checked on me several times and once kissed me in my sleep. I woke sleepily and kissed him back for the brief few seconds seeing he was there all dressed and leaving the room again.

  The day lagged on in much the same way but with bathing suits and tanning oil on the back lawn. I’d not been in the sun just for the fun of it in over a year. It felt so good.

  We both showered in the late afternoon and hunkered down in my room on the bed with a bag of gummy worms and potato chips. We laughed, cried, and swooned at the list of what Cas had done in the romance department. I made her whisper the entire conversation. Since we’d watched our favorite humanized Vampire movie twice already, Maze felt the need to compare the main character “hottie” as she called him to my real live Vampire who was, I might say, nothing like him.

  Cas was powerful, not meek. And Cas would never leave me because it was good for me. I wouldn’t survive without him. I knew that now.

  I let Maze go on and on because it made her happy. She equated every single scene from movie one, two, and three to mine.

  At dusk, we sat happily on my bed chatting.

  I felt the pull as he came closer. Maze stopped midsentence forcing me to turn to the balcony. Maze slipped out quietly saying she was going to get some cold pizza. Not seeing him for over twenty-four hours was doing things to me. He took a step closer to the bed making me freeze in the position I held. Cross-legged with a gummy worm half in-half out I just stared at his still figure.

  Suddenly, I swallowed the bit of candy left and broke the tension in the air with the loudest gulp ever.

  Then...an explosion.

  Lips. Hands.

  “I’m sorry I interrupted,” he said into my mouth.

  “No talking,” I pulled him down to me. Before long it was too much. We had to stop.

  Cas yanked back breathing hard. “Maybe I can make another day now.”

  I didn’t try to talk.

  We stayed still just like that when the door jiggled.

  “Incoming friend in fifteen seconds.” The door closed.

  "I'm coming in."

  “I will see you,” he whispered in my ear.

  “No, I will come see you later. When Maze falls asleep.”

  His smile was priceless. And somewhat...filled with something else.

  “Just sleep,” I assured him.

  Oh, Kissa. The places your mind goes.

  Cas kissed me again, deep and fast. The door opened and the whistles began.

  Ah, heck.

  He lingered for a second too long. I knew he was making a show of it based on the musings of Maze and her Vampire craze. She was relentless in the way she always steered the conversation back to Cas.

  Maze started to back out of the room, but Cas stopped her. “I’m leaving.” Very reluctantly.

  See you soon.

  Cas pecked my cheek and went through the door rather than the balcony.

  I heard him say something to Liam and they both laughed all manly like. Then Liam told him, “Her friend is sweet and sugary scented, but nothing compared to Anastacia.”

  And then effectively, Cas growled at his friend. I couldn’t see what happened next, but I could guess a few scenarios that weren’t good for their friendship.

  I ignored the thought of greeting anymore of them in the way they might “sniff” me as Liam does. I’d swear I saw Granite do it once, but I’d been looking for it and might have created the idea in my brain. Either way, Vampire’s have a super sensory to smell. Noted.

  12. super sensitive sense of smell

  I did go see him for a long while in the night enjoying a long kissing session that got way too heated and had to stop to keep ourselves from going too far. Sometimes I wondered about that. I mean, he’s a Vampire lord. How many strong-willed able men abstained like that for one woman? Certainly not Calum and certainly not Cord. I didn’t want to think about my brother in that way, but something told me he was way too full of secrets I didn’t ever, ever want to know.

  I made myself wonder down paths I shouldn’t and had to ask. “Why did you wait for me? I mean wait for me physically?”

  Cas read me well. “I almost didn’t several times.”

  What? My heart panged. He felt the emotional pull.

  “I’m being honest with you, Stace. I told you I wasn’t innocent and for you to not think me worthy in any way of you.”

  Ignoring the raging thump of my heart I told him to go on.

  “I wanted to erase your memory more than once. I’d convince myself that you’d hate me anyway or that you’d chose someone else and I’d have to watch it.”

  “So you frolicked to forget about me?”

  “Frolicked isn’t what I’d have called it. Proving to myself I wasn’t pinning away for a girl I would never have was sometimes mind numbing.”

  It did sound ridiculous. He wasn’t to blame or unlike any normal teenager.

  “I don’t blame you. You couldn’t know the for sure future. What’s important is now.”

  “And you don’t hate me for it?”

  “Why would I?” I thought of Calum.

  “Thinking of him doesn’t make me calmer.”

  “Sorry.” Guess I’m the horrid one.

  He curled a finger around my chin. “No Kissa. Never. That could never be. You are perfect.”

  Hardly.

  Chapter Ten

  Love looks not with the eyes, but with the mind...

  The day after next we met everyone at the warehouse and Maze joined us. I was happy for so many days straight I decided it was about time some mastermind popped the bubble.

  Still no one acknowledged the intelligent Elf dude’s appearance and just as quick exit. His words were sketched in my mind waiting for the answers of what he meant by his message. I had some pretty good guesses. And I knew the guys were quick enough on the uptake to get what I got out of it.

  Granite was considered dead to us. My father had the severest of detailed security. Lee was silent on the information trail and never verified his link to my privied knowledge.

  A few sharp words and several fists to the face, Cord and Cas were duking it out after out meeting. I did hear Cord taunt Cas with some comment about the way my body curled like a
...I didn’t hear the rest.

  “Are you two done? Are you crazy? Been drinking the Pine Sol?” I told them both opting for humor to help diffuse them.

  Maze and I had hardly sparred much today, but they kept it up. Rolling, kicking, bloody messes. After a long bout of manly testosterone fits, they came up to a standing position and dusted off their pants like they’d just had a gunslinger fight from a western movie. Then they man-hugged like it was all better. Men!

  Nurse Stace had to step in now and clean them up, again. My to-do list should learn to get a broader perspective in life. My job list was growing.

  Maze and Calum both headed toward Cord with weapons ready like they were double teaming him. “We’re next!” I intervened the second I read their emotional railroading. “All you Hunters want to do is attack.attack.attack. Can’t you solve some things in a peaceful way?”

  Maze and Calum looked at me dumbfounded like I suggested they eat dog food. I wished after I'd kept my mouth shut.

  “Later dog,” Maze whined a promise. Cord didn’t make friends easy.

  Instead of continuing on the UFC takedown like I’d just announced. Calum sidestepped over to me and squeezed my hand. It was a facade. His face didn't show desire, just the opposite. His hand slowly rose up and touched the ring hanging around my neck.

  Ahhh! We still hadn't talked about how our rings lit up like a spark plug when he forced me away from imminent danger at the shack. At least, that is how I reasoned it.

  I nodded to the bows target and for him to follow.

  We both took a long bow and several quivers at a slow pace to make more time.

  I whispered, “I think we both should research. Ask my father or the mothers.”

  “Maybe try it again. It means something, Stace.”

  I knew Cas could hear this. I had to stop it now. It was better to ignore him and shoot!

  “We all have them for a reason Stace.”

  “Have what?” Cas was swift in appearing near me presently.

  Shoot! So much for waiting. I released the arrow first before telling Cas what happened.

  A pang of something flashed across Cas' eyes probably based off the secret I’d kept. He gritted his teeth, “Maybe Calum’s right. We should test it.”

  I opened my mouth to protest but it was just causing a fly trap. The whole room was now gathered and circled around Calum and me as if we were a lab experiment. Just great!

  “Tell me exactly how it happened before and show us step by step,” Cas insisted.

  I raised an eye. Calum raised two. “You sure you wanna do that, man?”

  Now Cas reacted to that tone from Calum.

  “Maybe not...”

  “Oh for goddess sake, let’s just do this.” I grabbed his arms and wrapped him around me, reenacted the scene and talked them through till the throw back of arms and even added in the jumping into Cas arms for effect.

  Everyone starting talking at once. The uncomfortable Cas moved right into leader mode.

  “What were you thinking or feeling right before?”

  My “oh my god” look set him straight. “You were tied to a freaking chair Cas and growling at me. How do you think I felt?”

  He ignored me and went to Calum. “I can assume you felt her in danger and grabbed Stace as you did to keep her from nearing me?”

  “You would be correct.”

  “Then we recreate what we can.”

  All of the sudden, Cord jumps out of his freaking clothes and sprawls me out across the floor, and bearing his teeth.

  I had no doubt that the scene look very scary, but Cord would never hurt me. Cas immediately grabbed Calum and held him back. Szar grabbed Maze and slammed her hard against the floor banging her head too hard. She screamed out in real pain, and boy did that do it.

  Calum screamed like a freaking lion, walloped Szar over the back of the head, and ripped Szar’s shirt half open to get Maze away.

  I think I was in bigger shock from the action taken by Calum than the dog standing on my chest.

  Cord snapped up and trotted off. I prayed he returned clothed.

  Cas grabbed my chest and left me in total confusion until he yanked the necklace and ring right off. That brought me back to earth. I jumped the two steps to get to Calum and see his ring.

  Sure enough, it was dying from the glow. Mine was silent and still held it’s cold, colorful hue. But I wasn’t the one in danger or the one he was saving.

  ℓℓℓℓℓ

  I had something I had to do. I found him on our bench sitting alone right where he said he would be when I texted him.

  “I want you to be okay,” I asked.

  “I am. Will be. You’re always going to be at the top, Stace.”

  “That is good now, but not when life changes and the winds bring a shift in your universe.”

  “Yeah, cuz’ others will talk like that and know very well that the universe is totally in control and we have none.”

  “True, but you could be happy.”

  “Drop it.”

  “At the warehouse...you didn’t hesitate to help Maze. But not me.”

  “The dog wouldn’t touch a hair on your pretty head. Maze was scared.”

  Ding! Dong! Fear.

  His back went up as a female voice said, “Hey Cal.”

  I glanced sideways at Calum who stared a little too long. Cal?

  I stared at the dark, long haired Amazon beauty before me.

  Oh, Calum. There is hope. My heart panged a little with jealousy but his happiness is so much more important to me.

  The girl said her name was Marley. I smiled and introduced myself, her eyes going wide with the knowledge of who I was.

  Guessing from her awed expression, my feats had been spread around to the new kids on the block.

  Marley shyly said her goodbyes and that she’d see Calum later. I guessed also from Calum’s silence he wasn’t unhappy about seeing her later.

  “She seems...nice.”

  He guffawed. “Don’t.”

  “I like her Calum. She could be good for you.”

  “She can never know anything though.”

  What was he saying? “She doesn’t know what you can do?”

  “Most of the Hunters know nothing. I’m not telling her or anyone else.”

  Okay! “Then I will keep it for you. Just know that if your heart stays the way it is, you’ll get harder and be a total grump to be around. Lighten up and let someone in.”

  “Maybe later. A lot later.”

  “So she’s a toy?”

  “Maybe,” he didn’t look at me but at the back of the gym wall.

  “Well, toying with someone’s emotions can be dangerous.”

  He snorted in the direction of the interesting gym wall.

  It was dig at me.

  “You know I never meant to hurt you,” I confessed probably for the tenth time.

  “Been there. Done that too. Stace, just leave it.”

  I wouldn’t give up on him. But for now I knew he could focus on the school. He felt comfortable there.

  Chapter Eleven

  ...and therefore is winged Cupid painted blind.

  “Welcome to the house of all flavors. We aim to please.”

  I could smell the movie flavored popcorn before I entered the room. Never having been to a theater, I’d spent my entire life watching movies in this room with either, Kassie, Dyer, or my brother. And now with Cas and a small group I could call “friends”. Cas and I spent one other date lengthy night here that was permanently edged in my memory. Like all the memories held knots on my brain.

  I invited Kassie. She brought a friend, Lee. Great friend. I wondered how he weaseled that one, but I was so glad to see Kassie and let her meet everyone. Her life was so different from mine, pampered and living at court where she lingered all day reading and partying at night. She still sparred I found out, but I doubted anything like what all I’d seen since leaving home.

  Szar, who let in a girl I knew ve
ry little from growing up, teased me about losing my room that housed oh so many memories. He then reminded me of his leniency in the court that I never had. Come to find out, he’d dated girls for several years now where I was housed and treated as a trophy. Arg!

  This was a night for unwanted observances.

  Calum threw a dirty look to Cas for reasons unknown to me and made sure to sneer a little before turning back to his date, Liz. Not Marley, the girl I’d met. Maze had to visit with her family. I suspected Calum wanted casual and calm. Someone he was comfortable with and wouldn’t throw herself at him. He was after all, absolutely gorgeous.

  Liz was happy to just be here though she was oblivious to what and who we were. I hated that Calum brought her knowing she’d keep us from being able to talk freely but we were here to relax and not think about the world’s doom and gloom.

  He really doesn’t like me.

  Who? I played dumb.

  You know who very well, Kissa.

  He’ll come around.

  Don’t count on it.

  How would you know? I eyed him making our faces an inch apart and giving the others the quick assessment that we were either chatting on the inside or about to lock lips.

  I’m a guy. I just know.

  I made a loud sound to let the others confirm our goings-ons. Oh, well.

  Making sexy little kitten noises doesn’t help your cause.

  I rolled my eyes and ignored him.

  After the movie, Szar grabbed a stack of crackers and the small pieces of meat, stacked then on the tray, and walked over to the sofa where I sat. He plopped down beside me and leaned in close. I checked his date and saw that she was missing from the room. Cas didn’t seem to even glance our way when I surveyed his direction.

  “Calum really doesn’t like your boyfriend, does he?” he popped a meat and cracker pile into his mouth.

  “What are you, a broken record?” I didn’t look at him, but stared only at my knees folded neatly under me. He guessed my thoughts before I could think twice about what I’d said.

  “Ah, ha! I thought that might be the topic of discussion by the silent death threats that were flying through the air during the movie. Well, sis. You may resent me for years of dating and you left out of the loop, but you sure are making up for it now.”