Blood Mates

Defied Orders and Delusions

Alaia was sitting on her bed with Rayne listening to music. As she finished up homework, Rayne looked at her for a moment before poking her calf. Alaia’s eyes snapped up and she pulled a headphone out. “What’s up?” Rayne shrugged as she asked, “Do you think it bothers Jasper how far apart in age you two are?”

Alaia jerked back, “Whoa wasn’t expecting that.” Rayne blushed scarlet, “Inappropriate, I’m sorry. It was just a random thought.” Alaia could tell Rayne was lying and smirked as she sat back. “Not inappropriate, just shocking. I hadn’t expected it.”

Alaia thought of the age difference between her and her mate, “Um, no. I mean I’d hope not, he’s never said anything.” Rayne nodded a little bummed and Alaia sat up, “When I was turned, I was just seventeen, but I ended up in a deep comatose like sleep for fifty years. Not to mention the next hundred and seven years to follow, but I didn’t feel like I had grown as a person much before him. I still felt stuck someway.”

Rayne perked up interested, “How so?” Alaia shrugged, “I don’t know, I always felt apart from everyone, it was hard to forge connections.” Alaia grinned, “Making friends with you and Haven was easy, and even my feelings for Juliette were miniscule. It never felt like I was fully experiencing everything I could.”

Shaking her head bemused, Alaia admitted, “It felt like I was on a standstill from everyone and he was the only person who made that all go away. I’ve found out more about myself in the last few months with him than I have in the decades I’ve lived alone.”

Rayne aww’d and Alaia giggled, “Why so curious Ray?” Rayne shook her head, “No reason.” Alaia gasped at the obvious lie paired with a blushing face, “Liar!” Rayne tried to deny it, but Alaia grabbed her hand eagerly, “Rayne Harbinger are you smitten?”

Of course, that observation was met with protest. But Alaia could tell her friend liked someone.  But she didn’t want to pry if her friend was so determined to keep her lips sealed for now.

“Fine, keep me in suspense.” Alaia said holding her hands up in surrender, “But when you and your boy become official, I want all details!” Rayne grinned bashfully, “Sure.”

Alaia went back to her homework as Rayne stood to get another book. When she glanced over at the calendar beside the bookshelf, she giggled breathless, “Whoa, I actually forgot tomorrow was my birthday.” Alaia grinned, “I didn’t.” Rayne looked over her shoulder to catch her best friend shooting her a wink.

Rayne smiled facing the bookshelf again, but as Alaia flipped a page in her math book she heard a distinct sound. A gun filling the chamber and as she jumped up quick, she pushed Rayne to the floor hard as a shot rang out through the house.

Rayne screamed as Alaia’s window was shot out and suddenly Paulette materialized, “Mistress, how would you like for us to assist?” Alaia looked up at the maid annoyed, “You, find out who’s shooting! Tell the others to protect the house!”

Paulette nodded accepting her orders, “Yes miss.” And then she vanished again. Alaia looked down at Rayne already forming a bruise on her forehead, “You okay? Sorry I didn’t mean to hurt you.” Rayne shivered as she whispered, “I’m fine. Let’s go.”

Getting up, Rayne and Alaia both army crawled to the hall and took off down the stairs. Meeting in the living room, Alaia checked to see her family was fine as her dad dug a bullet out his arm.

Throwing the slug down, Eric looked up as Gregory walked in, “Your son is getting desperate if he’s shooting at us from a distance.” Gregory looked them over and then shook his head in denial, “No Wraith hates guns. Can’t ever get the trajectory right. He wouldn’t have come and if he had he wouldn’t have been toting a gun.”

Eric c****d an eyebrow as Rayne’s adrenaline wore off, “No, he’s right. He would have sent my mom…which means she just tried to kill me.” Shaking all over, Rayne’s lips moved numb as she whispered, “But I don’t understand.”

Desmond slowly edged forward and placed a hand on Rayne’s shoulder, “She’s gone through a lot at the hands of Wraith. No one in here can imagine the life of Josette Harbinger.”

Rayne nodded slowly, “I know, but I saw it firsthand, and if my father told her to kill me so I could turn, then she just defied him intentionally.” Alaia looked at her friend concerned, “What do you mean Ray?” 

Gregory met Eric’s eyes as he seriously said, “Josette is a perfect shot, she’s never missed.”

And as the Knights all stood waiting for the other shoe to fall, the players began to get in position.

The old chemistry plant in Devil’s Horns had long been forgotten. Abandoned in the late forties, it had been boarded up and only visited when the local sheriff thought homeless people or runaways were stowing away.

But right now, it was the operation center for a deranged mind.

Renaldo’s mouth was bloody as he stood standing over ten dead mortal girls. All no older than sixteen, Renaldo ignored their ringing phones and bodies going into rigor mortis.

Stepping over them as if they were trash, he looked at the table filled with his tools. Several shots of a yellow aconite, a spell from a witch he’d practiced a thousand and ten times, and three coils of heavy rope braided with aconite flowers.

Everything he needed to kidnap his beloved, punish her, and then make her his.

Renaldo was busy plotting when his father walked in, “Did it work?” It had been his dad’s brilliant plan to go ahead and kill his sister. Renaldo hadn’t thought the little freak would be of much help either way. But Wraith had been sure with his mom taking out Eric, it’d be easy to slip in and grab her body while Knights grieve.

But seeing Wraith so agitated had Renaldo guessing it hadn’t been easy at all.

“What happened? Where’s mom?” Wraith growled as he shook all over in disgust, “I don’t know but Eric’s still alive. And so is Rayne.” Renaldo rolled his eyes, “She wouldn’t have done s**t but slow us down anyway. It’s fine, we don’t need her.”

Wraith began to foam at the mouth as he growled out, “But I gave your mother an order and she ignored it! I swear when that witch hunts her down, that f*****g w***e is going to beg!”

Renaldo let his father bumble and bluster before swearing Alaia would be his by Friday. Renaldo knew then at least his dad was still loyal to him, and as long as that didn’t change until Friday, his plan was still in effect.

And soon Alaia would beg.