CHAPTER THIRTEEN

Our Monday morning started out as usual. I overslept. The chattering of voices and smell of coffee drew me to the kitchen. Daniel was downstairs with Jason and Heather eating breakfast and drinking coffee. I walked through the kitchen, and Daniel‟s eyes lifted to me as I made my way to the coffee.

Jason glanced up, giving me a smile as he continued with his breakfast. I looked around the kitchen to see what Daniel had prepared. It seemed he went a little overboard with breakfast again. I grabbed my coffee and seated myself beside him at the table. Leaning over to me, he pressed a kiss to the side of my face.

“Good morning.” His smile was radiant.

He was always such a morning person. It took me a few moments to wake up, even after a shower. I forced out a smile and grumbled my good mornings, trying to focus on waking up. Heather read the paper while sipping on her coffee, and Jason steadily enjoyed his breakfast. I reached over to Daniel‟s plate and picked up one of the sausage links.

“So what‟s on the agenda for today?” I asked as I bit into the sausage.

“Well, Jason is going with me to meet with the group the Council has rounded up to take out the Dark Wolves. Mom called this morning and wants to make the final arrangements for the wedding this weekend. The caterers are all in order. The flowers, etc. Oh, and she said to tell you not to forget to go by Nancy‟s to pick up your dress. She has a family dinner party planned for Saturday night.” He made his announcements.

Saturday. Sunday was the big day. For some odd reason I had more on my mind than the wedding. Daniel made it sound like everything was normal and going as planned. We had not even discussed a honeymoon. Most of the wedding plans were already taken care of my soon to be mother-in-law Charlotte. I felt a little bad for almost forgetting Sunday was the day Daniel and I were getting married. There was so much else I needed to do.

“I‟ll go by and see Nancy this morning. Heather, did you want to go with me?” I turned the coffee cup to my lips.

“Sorry Jewels, I need to run into town with Charlotte. She has some errands to do.

Something about the cakes.” Heather smiled gently looking up from the newspaper.

Great, leave me to my own demise.

A precarious look crossed Daniel„s face. “And what would that be?”

“What?” I almost choked on my coffee. Darn it, I needed to watch my thoughts.

“What kind of demise are you planning?” he persisted.

I gave him a blank stare for a moment. “I was going to check on the wedding gown.

And do a little research.” It was the truth. I just didn‟t tell him what else I had planned.

Daniel eyed me carefully and his eyes narrowed slightly as if he didn‟t believe me.

He slowly let his eyes drop back to his plate. Picking up his fork, he laid it across the plate then let out a sigh. In a quick motion, Daniel pushed himself back from the table.

He picked up his plate and went into the kitchen. I glanced up at Jason. Jason‟s eyes followed Daniel, and then looked to me.

“Jason, love, are you finished?” Heather broke in.

Jason nodded. Heather pushed away from the table and took their plates. An uncomfortable feeling that ran through me. Daniel was upset. Jason and Heather noticed it. I had to deal with it. The door to the patio slammed behind him. I jumped, spilling my coffee. Daniel was far more upset than I had imagined.

I sat motionless in my chair as fear crept inside my heart. I took a deep breath and pushed my way from the table. Jason eyed me carefully. I could tell he saw the hurt in my eyes. Maybe it was a bewildering look. I wasn‟t sure which one it was. I walked back through the kitchen. Opening the door, I saw Daniel standing on the patio. His back was turned to me. He stood motionless staring out beyond the trees.

The chill of the morning air swept over me. It sent a shiver down my spine. Daniel was staring out into the woods. He turned his head slightly to the side as I touched his back. Raising his arm, he slid it around me. I looked deep into his eyes and the heart inside of me shattered. Daniel‟s teary eyes met mine. He was in pain, a very deep, emotional pain.

“Julie,” he began softly. “When are you going to learn to trust me? I couldn‟t bear it if anything happened to you.”

“Daniel…”

“Listen to me.” He cut me off abruptly. “You are going to have to learn to trust me with your very life.” His voice was firm and forceful.

Daniel let me go and turned his attention back toward the woods. “You don‟t know how much you are hurting me. Julie, I am not the same gangly young boy you once knew.”

“Daniel, I know this. You have grown into a wonderful strong man, who I love. The man I want to marry.”

“Do you? Do you really love me? Do you really want to marry me?” he sneered.

Again, the pressure pierced around my heart. “What exactly is that supposed to mean? Of course, I want to marry you! I love you!”

“Then you are going to have to trust me.” His black eyes peered deeply into mine.

“Richard will be here in a few minutes. There is no way of putting this off. I have to leave and go with the Council for about three days. Mom and Dad will be going with me, as well as Heather and Jason. Unfortunately, as bad as it sounds, the only ones I can trust at this point are the vampires to keep you safe.”

“You‟re kidding me …right?” I couldn‟t believe what I was hearing.

Daniel‟s face shows no signs of humor, nor did he show any signs other than grief.

“No, I am not kidding you Julie. I discussed this with Richard earlier this morning. We have an agreement.”

“Agreement?” I snorted. “What kind of agreement?”

“The type of agreement that will keep you safe and alive until I return home.”

„What about you? Who is going to keep you safe while you are out chasing these Dark Wolves?”

“I have Jason and Heather. They need to come with me. You, on the other hand, need to stay here. AND I mean stay here in this house. Lance and Richard are going to keep an eye on you.”

“Daniel, I can„t bear the thought of being away from you. Isn„t there any other way around this?”

“No, Julie. This is the only way. I hate the thought of leaving you as well. Believe me when I tell you how much it torments me to have Richard around you while I‟m away. But I know if he has any love in his cold body for you, he will be the best one to protect you while I‟m gone. I see the way he looks at you. Believe me, if he loves you half as much as I do, you will be safe.”

“Daniel, I really don„t agree with this.” I stated firmly with my arms crossed over my chest.

Daniel didn‟t speak. He turned and walked away from me. “It really does not matter at this point Julie. I am doing the best for you and my child. Conversation closed,” he said as he walked back through the patio door.

What in the hell was he thinking? Were we living in a time that called for drastic measures as these? Did he really trust Richard? Or was it me he was trusting. What kind of agreement did the two of them come to? I turned and followed him back through the house and froze.

Daniel wasn‟t joking. Richard and Lance stood before me. My heart started fluttering when I saw Nathaniel. And then a tall blond stepped from behind him…Dear Fate it was Casey. She was breathtaking. The first thing I noticed about her was the once gold sun kissed skin was now pale. Her features were definitely hers, except she blended in more with Nathaniel. If there had ever been two people who looked as though they belonged together, it was Casey and Nathaniel.

“Casey?”

“Jewels?” She spoke softly, the tones in her voice tingled in my ears. She moved slowly around Nathaniel as he let her hand go.

We met in the middle of the living room, embracing one another in a tight hug. A little too tight for my taste, she was stronger than what I had imagined.

“Casey! Oh it is so good to see you! I can‟t tell you how much I‟ve missed you!” I streamed out.

“I‟ve missed you too! By the way, Jewels, you smell funny.” She stepped back and wrinkled her nose.

My eyes widened as I backed away from her. What on earth? My smell?

“Casey, Julie is pregnant,” Richard spoke softly.

Casey turned towards Richard then back to me. “Pregnant? When? Why am I always the last to know anything around here?” She pursed her lips together, with hands firmly on her hips.

“Because you decided to go off somewhere and go vamp on all of us!” I teased.

Casey laughed and turned her attention back to me. “Well, I see I have missed quite a bit. We need to catch up. Dear brother here says you need a baby sitter. Now I know why.”

“Yes, and I hope you are in control of yourself.” Daniel said giving his sister a stern look.

“Daniel, really.” She huffed and rolled her eyes. “So what do we do? How about a trip to the mall? Shopping and…”

“Um, Casey, I do need to remind you that you are not supposed to be around humans at least for a little while longer.” Nathaniel spoke softly.

Casey‟s bright expression changed to one of sadness. “Oh, yeah.” Everyone could hear the disappointment in her voice.

“Hey, I know something we could do?” My eyes widened with excitement. “Let‟s go for a walk and catch up.”

“Um, Jewels, I need to remind you,” Daniel began. “You are not to go out of this house unsupervised. You may consider the fact there might be werewolves lurking in those woods.”

At that point, Casey and I both let out a long sigh as we looked toward Daniel. It appeared we both were in a precarious situation. I was pregnant, and she was a new vampire. Interestingly enough, we both needed to be supervised.

Daniel turned to Richard. “So I trust we have an agreement?”

“You have my word,” Richard stated firmly. “And you?”

“Of course, if it ever comes to that.” Daniel stated flatly. A certain amount of remorse lingered in his voice. What type of agreement did they make? This was killing me.

Casey glanced toward Daniel. “I‟ll make sure he behaves himself.”

“I am counting on it.” Daniel said as he walked over to his sister. “By the way, you smell funny too.” He wrinkled his nose. “You smell like a funeral home or something.”

Casey stared at her brother a moment then let out a soft laugh. “You do realize, I haven‟t changed that much,” She said as she reached for her brother.

Daniel held his arms opened as Casey went to him. Her arms wrapped around her brother as he embraced her tightly. Suddenly, her body stiffened and she jerked back.

Daniel studied her face for a moment with a look of curiosity then a cloud of horror covered him. With a flash, Nathaniel rushed over to her side, clasping his pale hands around her arms. I heard Heather and Jason take gasp as Richard moved toward Daniel.

“Apparently, my dear, we need to do a little hunting.” Nathaniel spoke softly as he led Casey away from her brother.

Her eyes lifted to mine as Nathaniel lead her out to the patio; even her brown contacts couldn‟t hide the hunger. The linings of her eyes were blood red, and the whites of her eyes had become bloodshot.

“Sorry,” she strained out as they left through the patio door.

“She is still adjusting.” Richard spoke softly.

Daniel couldn‟t speak. He nodded toward Richard then looked to me.

Overwhelming sadness filled his heart from seeing his sister struggle with this new venture.

“Nothing has really changed,” he mocked Casey as he watched them leave through the woods.

“Well, some things have. But she‟s still your sister, Daniel.” Heather‟s words appeared to be encouraging.

“Yes, my sister,” he forced out sarcastically then looked down at his watch. “We must be leaving.” He turned to me. “Please be careful and at least stay with them.”

“We will protect her Daniel. You have no need to worry.” Lance offered.

“I hope not,” Daniel stated flatly.

“I‟m going to miss you. I just don‟t know what I‟m going to do without you for three days.” I spoke softly as I moved closer to Daniel.

“Not as much as I will miss you. Do you realize we have not been apart since the first time we…?” He lost his thought as I leaned forward to kiss him.

Our kiss was soft and lingering. I couldn‟t believe I was going to have to endure three whole days without the man I loved. It seemed almost an impossible task.

Heather and Jason were standing at the front door ready to leave. I hugged the both of them tightly. They walked out of the door to the car, and I followed Daniel to the front door, where he stopped. He turned around to face me and the pain in my heart welled tightly. His eyes were soft and filled with pain as he leaned down and gently placed a kiss on my lips.

“I promise I will return.” He spoke softly.

“I will hold you to your promise.” I replied.

Daniel kissed me on the forehead, and then he glanced toward Richard and Lance.

He gave them both a nod and turned. And left. I stood at the door and watched Daniel drive off with Heather and Jason. Tears poured down my face. I dropped to my knees and placed my face in my hands. It was worse than I had imagined it could be. The torment of love was miserable. In my mind, I knew it was only going to be three days, but I suddenly realized I couldn‟t live without Daniel for one moment. As I watched the car leaving, my heart tore into several pieces. I wanted to be with him.

Richard knelt down beside me and pulled me to his cold body. My hands fought fiercely with his while I tried to push him away as the sobs came louder. He refused my protest and only pulled me closer to his chest with his strong arms. The mournful cries now erupted loudly as the pain wailed out of me.

The storm of emotions found me once again in the open seas, whipping at me and tearing at my soul in a depth I never imagined possible. I cried out loudly as the waves crashed against my heart tearing it away piece by piece. I shook and trembled as the wind blew against my body, slamming it against the rocks of the mountain from which I had fallen. The once blissful moment of love I endured had now turned into a torment of undeniable pain.

Another burst of air erupted from my lungs as the uncontrollable cries continued.

Richard held me closer and softly whispered to me, his body, a cold hard mass was no match for the storm that tormented my soul. He rocked me slowly in his arms as the wails continued. Deeper and deeper I sank into the depths of the ocean. I wished for death to claim me, only so that my heart would stop beating. If my heart stopped beating, then it would stop hurting.

Desperately, I needed my father at that moment. My body trembled against Richard‟s chest as my tears poured out. My father was not here to protect me and to talk to me. He was not here to give me words of wisdom and to tell me what to do. I was alone once again.

Richard rested his head on mine as he held me tightly in his arms. My body shook violently again against his chest as he continued whispering.

A fragrance I remembered all too clearly was like a cool breeze on my face. My crying soon slowed to a sniffle as my body and senses went numb. I rested my head on the cold hard chest as my eyes closed and my body relaxed. I drifted, unable to move.

The pain had numbed me, but the storm was not over. I was just in its eye waiting for the aftermath of the fierce winds to approach and finish what had already begun. I was prepared for my fate, prepared for the storm to take me to my death. Death would be better than this torment.

The seconds turned into minutes and the minutes turned into hours. The sun set, and darkness filled the inside of my home. I was still in the arms of the vampire who held me too tightly. The tears had ceased as he quietly held me and no more words were spoken. I remained a piece of flesh that he held on to so tightly. I couldn‟t move. My body was now cold, but I didn‟t care. Maybe, I thought, the cold would freeze my heart and end this pain.

It was only when I realized I heard a soft thumping, that I slowly came to my senses. I listened closely as I heard the sound of Richard‟s heart beating faintly in his chest. Nathaniel was right, vampires do have hearts and they beat as ours do. They are a type of living creature. Interesting.

There was no way I could move. My thoughts were just now coming back to me.

My body hadn‟t caught up with my mind or my ability to speak.

I listened as I heard the patio door open and two sets of footsteps entering.

“Oh my God!” I heard Casey‟s voice as it tingled my ears with a chime. “Richard?

What happened? You didn‟t…OH GOD PLEASE TELL ME YOU DIDN‟T!” Her voice went into a higher pitch.

“Brother?” I heard the caution in Nathaniel‟s voice.

“No, I didn‟t. She‟s well…I‟ll let her explain.” He gently moved me.

Casey came to the front of me where I was curled into a fetal position in Richard„s lap. I noticed she had removed her contacts. Her once beautiful brown eyes were now a clear crystal blue. They reminded me of a blue diamond, like Richard„s. My eyes went to hers.

“Julie?” Her voice was soft as she reached for me. Her cold hands slid under my arms and lifted me up like a baby away from Richard.

“Casey?” I strained out as I felt the pain in my throat from the excessive crying. My body was stiff from staying in one position too long.

“Come on; let‟s get you on the sofa.” She paused. “Nathaniel, could you go upstairs and find a blanket? She is freezing. Richard I think you over did it a little.” She scolded him.

“She was in pain,” he whispered softly.

My legs buckled under me as Casey‟s arm went around my waist and lifted my body away from Richard. She guided me to the sofa and set me down. Nathaniel covered me with a blanket.

“I‟m going to get you some hot tea, okay? I‟ll be right back.” I watched her dash off toward the kitchen.

“Richard?” Nathaniel began in a stern voice. “Where‟s Lance?”

“He went off hunting after you two.” Richard stated flatly.

“Did you hurt her?” A frown crossed his face showing his discontent.

Slowly my eyes traveled up to see the muscles in Richard‟s jaws flex. His eyes shifted to mine as I could see for the first time the reflection of my own pain in his eyes.

Finally, his attention returned to Nathaniel as he shook his head and slowly turning he walked away towards the front door.

Casey returned with a cup of hot tea and placed it in my hands. I took a sip as the warmth of the liquid burned the back of my throat.

“What happened?” She asked peering into my face.

I shook my head. My senses were still a little numb.

“Oh, Jewels. I‟m so sorry. I forgot how strong the bond between Lycans can be,” she said softly.

“Casey, this hurts worse than when I lost my father. Casey?” I whined. “I don„t know how to deal with this.”

“Julie, I„m sure he„s feeling the same pain right now. It„s going to be all right. I„m here for you,” she spoke softly.

“There is so much I need to tell you. The werewolves. The Dark Wolves. Honestly, I fear for my life, but I fear for Daniel„s more.” I spoke softly.

“If any of those things come near you, I will kill them.” Richard shot out harshly.

“Richard?” Casey called out in a warning tone. “You need to go hunt.” She pointed toward her eyes.

The room fell silent as everyone‟s eyes were on him. His eyes looked very much like Casey‟s did a few hours ago. I turned my head slowly to see the anger and hunger on Richard‟s face. I believed that Richard would protect me. But who would protect me from Richard? We all realized at that moment, even Richard knew, that he let more than his anger slip out. I shivered as Casey‟s arm reached around me. Her long blond hair fell over her shoulder as she leaned closer to me. Her lips touched my ears as a tingle ran through my body.

“I think I need to talk to you in private.” She whispered so low I could barely hear her. I nodded. “Nathaniel, I am going to stay here with Julie for a little while,” she said as she stood up.

Nathaniel‟s eyes dropped to the floor. Slowly his gaze lifted as he looked back to her. He nodded. I knew he understood the severity of the situation.

“I‟ll bring you some clothes and your contacts.” He motioned to her eyes.

She grabbed his arm and Richard‟s then headed toward the front door.

“You boys behave yourself. I‟ll be home as soon as I take care of this.”

“She could stay with us.” Richard began. “They wouldn‟t dare cross a house full of vampires.”

“Richard.” Casey warned softly, “I can handle this. She will be safe. I love her, and I will not let anything happen to her. Do what you are supposed to do.” She smiled as she opened the door and pushed the both of them out. “Call Lance and let him know.

Maybe you can pick him up on the way back.”

Nathaniel lingered behind, only to get a lasting kiss from his new bride. Her hand went gingerly to his face as their noses touched slightly. They showed so much love toward one another. She gave him a warm smile as the door closed behind them.

Turning to me her lips pursed as she paused to look at the broken glass on the floor.

“Well, I guess we need to talk, huh?” she said clasping her hands together. “Now tell me exactly what the dream was about.”

Casey walked back to the sofa and sat down beside me again. I knew she was a vampire, but she was still Casey, my best friend. I sat the cup of tea down, reached my arms around her neck, and hugged her tightly.

“I love you, Casey.” I began as the tears welled in my eyes.

“Oh Jewels. I love you too.” She wrapped her cold arms around me and held me close to her. “I‟m so sorry about the separation with Daniel. I know it‟s very painful for you. Mates often feel the harshness from separation anxiety.”

My hand went to my eye to wipe the tear away as I released her and sat back on the sofa. There was no way I could to tell her how much I was hurting at this point. In some small way, I knew deep down inside, she understood.

“Casey, it all started with the werewolves and then the Dark Wolves.” I began.

“The Council wanted him to become their leader. I just never thought we would be separated like this.”

“Jewels, listen to me, you are going to get through this. Daniel is doing what he feels is necessary. He is his father„s son.” Casey‟s gaze shifted. “I hate to ask this question, but what‟s the deal with you and Richard?”

“We talked, had coffee, and…”

Her eyes squinted letting me know there was a difficult question on the way. “You haven‟t…I mean well…” I knew what she was implying.

“No!” I replied. “Casey, no, I haven‟t had sex with Richard. Yes, he gets me all flustered, but I have not, nor has he ever crossed that line. Did he put some spell on me?”

Casey laughed lightly and shook her head. “I warned you about Richard. “ She laughed. “I think you have had firsthand experience of how seductive Richard can be.”

“So he seduced me?”

“Julie, Richard is a vampire. I think part of it, honestly, is that you are attracted to Richard. He is a gentleman. I don‟t think he would do anything to you that you didn‟t want,” she said looking into my eyes.

“He told me the same thing.” I paused looking down at my hands. “It is difficult for me to be around Richard at times.”

She nodded. “I can only imagine.”

Casey stayed with me the rest of the night while I slept. I felt some type of security knowing she was there. Sleep didn‟t come easy for me as I tossed and turned all night.

Casey lay beside me motionless, as I slept. There were times I would open my eyes and look at her only to fall back asleep. Her soft fragrance reminded me of Richard.

The pain of separation still burned in my heart. No one knew the torment I was enduring. Could this be a part of this Rite the Council spoke of? I wondered. The only hope and prayer I had was the next two days would come and go quickly. My heart and soul were truly in torture.

So I would endure this pain. Deal with it, until my loving man returned home. And I made my mind up; he would never leave me again.