Blood Mates

The Harbinger Family

Alaia and Jasper were making out in her bed after school when a maid appeared. A pale white, model rail woman, with a black stereotypical teacher’s bun stood with perfect posture. She was an eerie sight, the room warped around her presence as she silently came into the room. “Miss?” Alaia raised her head from kissing Jasper, “Yes Paulette?”

Paulette’s head c****d to the side like a robot as she said, “The Harbinger’s are approaching soon.” Alaia pouted but nodded, “Very well. Thank you, Paulette.” Paulette nodded and then seemingly vanished in thin air.

Jasper blinked rapidly in confusion but when Alaia looked down she saw it as something else. “Paulette. She’s incredibly gorgeous.” Jasper looked up at his girlfriend confused and then slowly nodded, “Ugh…sure?” Alaia’s eyes snapped up quickly, “So you think she’s gorgeous?”

Jasper wasn’t sure how to answer that question or if he should. Luckily, Loren popped his head in and said, “Heads up! Harbingers are here.” And so they climbed out of bed and the talk of the ghost maid was left alone for the time being.

Alaia held Jasper’s hand as they walked into the living room, she was instantly hugged by a smaller young girl. She was beautiful with dark brown eyes, inky black hair, and a bronze skin tone.

Rayne Harbinger grinned as she looked at Alaia happily, “I’m so happy to see you!” Alaia grinned, “Same beautiful. This is my boyfriend, Jasper.” Rayne’s eyes widened as she looked at Jasper shocked for a moment, “O-oh hi.” Jasper held out his hand, “Nice to meet you.”

Rayne shook his hand and then stepped to the side as her father honed in on the smaller mortal boy. Wraith Harbinger was used to intimidating people with his size and structure, but Jasper just met his fiery gaze with a cool front.

“Pleasure to make your acquaintance sir, I’m Jasper. Jasper Wynter.” Wraith accepted Jasper’s offered hand and then his deep baritone filled the room as he said, “I’m Wraith Harbinger. And this is my wife, Josette.”

Jasper tried not to show it, but Wraith and Josette Harbinger were menacing looking people. If Jasper had thought Eric was scary, Wraith was just downright horrifying towering at seven feet tall.

With a body that seemed to be chiseled by the god of war himself, Wraith had a scar on his face. Diagonal down his jaw and almost down his neck, it made him appear even more frightening. In all leather and obviously made for battle, this man was no doubt a warrior in his blood.

But it was Josette Harbinger that Jasper on edge the most. With her flaming red hair, pale skin, and bright green eyes she was a beautiful woman.

But her perfect porcelain skin didn’t hide the fact she was stiff as a board and had just about as much emotional capacity. Warily eyeing Jasper like he was nothing but a spec of dirt, she ignored his hand like it was filthy.

Waving her son over proudly, the tall Latin lover Jr. looking guy smirked as he too towered over Jasper. “I’m Renaldo Harbinger.” Jasper nodded pleasantly, “Nice to meet you.” Renaldo looked Jasper over and then asked, “So…you leave here in…Devil’s Snout is it?”

Jasper scoffed as Renaldo’s parents smirked amused, “No it’s Devil’s Horns. And yes I do, I was born and raised here.” Renaldo nodded as he glanced at his father snidely, “How unfortunate.” Wraith started to laugh until Jasper said in defense of his town, “Not really.”

Renaldo looked at Jasper as he shrugged, “Low crime rate, no racists, and we have a pretty decent basketball team. Compared to everywhere else, I wouldn’t change it for anything. But then again, I’m a small-town type of guy, a lot of rich sn-I mean people come through all the time saying the same thing.”

Renaldo jerked back surprised at the balls on the shorter mortal. But Jasper simply turned around and kissed Alaia on the head and told her, “I should go. I’ll call you tonight.” Alaia nodded grinning and whispered, “I’ll wait by the phone.” When he left, Alaia giggled when Rayne teased, “Ohhh he’s cute!”

Alaia blushed and then she was sucked into conversation as Desmond ran defense to keep Renaldo off her.

As they mingled inside the Fallen House, Jasper left still feeling the churning need to rip someone apart. And that someone would probably be the vampire prat in his girlfriend’s house eye f*****g her.

Jasper drove to AJ’s house and found his mom leaving out for her shift at the hospital, and his little sister Megan asleep on the couch. Walking into his room, Jasper smiled seeing AJ at his desk working on something with Stella asleep in his bed.

AJ of course checked to make sure his girl was still snuggled under the covers, her body hidden from sight, before waving his friend in. “What’s up man?” Jasper fell back into the huge plush seat AJ had and asked bluntly, “Do you ever get jealous with Stella around other guys?”

AJ c****d an eyebrow, “My girl is in my bed naked. The f**k I need to be jealous for?” Jasper nodded forgotten his confident best friend had no reason to second guess his girlfriend. She was his age, his species, and had only lived one life. AJ watched Jasper stew for a moment before glancing at a sleeping Stella and feeling his heartbeat skip.

“Yeah I used to get jealous.” He admitted after a minute. Jasper watched as AJ sat back and mused, “I was in love, and when in love, brand new, fresh out the box love…having any threat to it feels like a declaration of war.”

Jasper nodded in agreement, “Hell yeah.” AJ looked at his friend amused, “And who exactly is challenging you for Alaia?” Jasper sighed, “Some asshole who’s a friend of the family. I don’t know, I don’t like how he was looking at her. I swear I was imagining taking a cheese grater to his face.”

AJ felt the rage and deep desire of the violence in every syllable making him mumble, “Jeez man.” Jasper shrugged as he awkwardly admitted, “He’s handsome, rich, and he’s like her I guess. He comes from her world, a world I don’t fit into.”

AJ nodded, “Yeah but one she’s never once made you feel excluded from. I think she was trying to protect you at first, you know wanting to throw you into the lion’s den. But you’re ready man.”

Jasper looked at AJ unsure, “How do you know that?” Shrugging, AJ tossed his friend a grin, “You’re cultured, smart, handsome, and you look good in a suit, no way is she giving that up. Not when you blend so well.” Jasper grinned and AJ punched his shoulder, “High class is a b***h, but Alaia loves you man. I know it.”

Not correcting AJ on the thought that this was about status, he instead just asked, “So how do I react? I played it cool in front of them, tried to appear unbothered. But if that asshole lays a finger on my girl, I’ll go berserk and I’m going to jail.”

AJ c****d an eyebrow believing it, “I’m going to pretend you didn’t say that so I won’t be an accessory.” Jasper laughed as AJ told him seriously, “Dude handling jealousy is like handling a bomb. You gotta know when to set it down gently and walk away. And sometimes you can’t walk away. And it’s the can’t times where some s**t can pop off.”

Blowing a breath of frustration, Jasper fell back in his chair dramatically, “I know. I just don’t want Alaia to think I don’t trust her. I just…I don’t trust that asshole smirking and trying to charm her every time she comes out of her room.”

AJ laughed a little, “Dude if all it took was a smile and charm to get Alaia’s attention, she’d have dated practically every guy in school.” Jasper listened as AJ told him knowingly, “Alaia isn’t going to be swayed that easily, and I can assure you, she’d never hurt you.”