Blood Mates

The Meeting

Jasper looked around at the family in front of him. The Knights, Wynters and the two Harbingers all stood in the Knight’s living room. Gregory, Alaia, and Eric had been invited to a meeting by Wraith and Renaldo.

But Jasper wasn’t going to let his girl anywhere near those psychos, not without him.

Alaia didn’t like him coming, but she couldn’t change his mind. “He killed you last time you two were in the vicinity of each other.” Jasper agreed remembering that, “True, but he also had an unfair advantage. And while he might be older and stronger, I won’t let him b***h me. I’m coming Alaia, I don’t trust either of those douche t***s when it comes to you. They’re not done plotting.” 

So, it was settled.

Jasper, Loren, and Daniel would stay a good distance away in case needed. So, Jasper had to get a crash course in concealing his presence and power. William would stay back even further with Sophia, Arden, and Haven to cover their backs.

Throwing Jasper his baton, William grinned when his son flung it out and showed the silver bar had been replaced with a thicker steel inscribed with Japanese writing. Daniel smiled as Jasper gave it a few test swings, “Cool.” He said grinning happily.

Daniel chuckled seeing his grandson’s eagerness, “Your dad and I thought to give it up a couple of updates. Especially when he told me how bad it was when you were human.” Jasper practically did a jig as he admitted, “Yeah, I’m having a feeling, it’s going to be a fun night for me.”

Gregory shook his head at Jasper dazed, “It’s like looking in the mirror. You’re almost just like him.” Jasper looked over at him confused, “Who?” Daniel smirked since he saw who Gregory meant, “Your great grandfather.” Gregory nodded slowly in agreement and Jasper hummed wondering if that was a good thing.

 But since he liked himself, he said yeah it was.

As the clock struck seven, they all left out of the house armed and ready this time. Jasper kissed Alaia on the head and then let her go to the warehouse that’d burned down a couple years back. Gregory and Eric walked with her promising to keep her safe. 

But Jasper wasn’t going to be too far. He got close enough to hear and see in. And as he watched Alaia, her dad, and Gregory strut in, Wraith and Renaldo joined them.

Alaia looked at Wraith standing in his battle leathers. A legendary piece of clothes he wore in fights. Bloody, ferocious fights, all started by him over pride and the distaste of the word no.

Wraith stood tall and proud, as his eyes went to his father, Wraith’s chin went up another notch. It was Renaldo that put them on edge, he was all but growling as his eyes stayed on Alaia. He kept looking at her like she was something to eat, and Alaia wanted to stab his eyes out.

She never wanted that creepy ass to look at her ever again.

“Father,” Wraith greeted Gregory, “I’m glad you’re here, now we can get everything straightened out between our families.” Eric scoffed, ““Straightened out”? You make it sound like all you did was hit my mailbox.”

Wraith frowned at Eric’s hostile tone, “And what did I really do that was so bad?” Eric looked at Wraith like he was an i***t, “You attacked my family in our home,” Alaia added in a no duh tone, “And killed my mate,” Eric scoffed in disgust “Not to mention you thought you could command my daughter to be with your son.”

Wraith held up his hands in surrender, “All aggressive mistakes on my part. I went about this the wrong way and I apologize. I just know our kids would be great together, and that our families can become something great.”

Alaia blew out a breath, “Yeah no thanks. I’m mated to the man I’m meant for and I have no desire to downgrade.”

Renaldo let out a feral sound that the hairs standing on Alaia’s neck. She shifted a little uncomfortable as Renaldo bit out, “I have money, jewels, castles, yachts, and a f*****g title above men. What the hell does that mongrel born in the backwaters of this shitty little town really give you that I can’t?”

Alaia stared at Renaldo with a blank face before coming up with one word, “Respect.”

Renaldo jerked back as the look of disgust conquered his face, “Respect? I was nothing but a gentleman, I-.” Alaia interrupted coldly, “You, Renaldo, thought you could buy my affection. You charmed, you schmoozed, and you tried to seduce me. But I bet after all this time you couldn’t tell me one thing about myself.”

Grinding his molars, Renaldo hissed, “You never gave me a chance to get to know you.” Alaia snorted, “Because that would require listening. You like to talk, and you only talk about what’s important to you. Yourself.”

Renaldo was red in the face and Wraith looked at his father seriously, “Father, you told me once, be careful who you trust. The Knight family, they trust humans left and right risking all of us!”

Wraith glared at Eric and tensely said, “We should handle them now, now before they ruin everything.”

Everything was silent and Alaia glanced at a thoughtful Gregory. He was looking between Renaldo and Wraith and then his deep voice played out on the wind, “I should have left you in the mud where I found you.”

Wraith’s spine went flagpole straight as Gregory’s presence turned lethal, “You think because I let you take my name, that I pitied you after you caught a disease that it made you something.”

Gregory scoffed, “You’re nothing but a fool that I’ve foolishly let live.” Shrugging bored, Gregory admitted, “I didn’t care what you did. You had wisely moved from the Greek Iles to keep me from seeing. But now I know you were never meant to be a vampire Wraith. Your nothing but a little boy still trying to earn his keep in my house. But all your doing is getting in my way.”

Wraith started to protest but Gregory boomed, “SHUT UP!” Wraith jerked back as Gregory snarled, “You attacked this family out of spite. Like the petty b***h you are, you targeted someone else’s happiness because your rotten self never knew of it.”

Scoffing in disgust Gregory demanded to know, “Where is your wife? Waiting somewhere to take another shot at her own daughter?” Wraith unclenched his jaw and bit out, “She’s missing. I don’t know where she is, she’s most likely hiding.”

Gregory rolled his eyes, “No doubt she’s hiding from you.” Wraith’s eyes widened at the nerve of his father, “You let me purchase her, you watched me marry her, everything I did, you were a part of!”

Gregory laughed mockingly, “A part of? You sniveling halfwit, I never wanted ANY part of you.” Wraith tried to stand tall, but Gregory broke him down as he confessed, “I’d hope she’d tire of you taking your hatred out on her. In hindsight I thought she’d kill you, but alas, she couldn’t see the weak, pitiful, ingrate that you are.”

The warehouse was silent as a wind blew in.

Half the building had fallen from the fire, the rest was nothing but burned brick. As the breeze blew up dust and ash, the five vampires stood on fallen debris watching each other.

Wraith breathed out hard and then drew himself to height again, as if getting his second wind from his father’s knock out. “I have this place surrounded. I have people in the woods, hired killers who will kill everyone you all love.”

Fixing his hard-brown eyes on Alaia, Wraith growled, “She’s coming with us, she’s perfect for him.” Gregory rolled his eyes, “You’re still desperate to save that walking time bomb?” Wraith threw his father a look of disdain, “Unlike you, I’d never turn my back on my son.”

Gregory rolled his eyes, “Unlike us, he’s actually your seed. You see yourself in him, care for him.” Gregory seemed to peer through Wraith as he hissed, “Never would my blood run through a man who’s too weak to see the fire he’s letting destroy everything.”

Wraith suddenly pulled out his sword and held it up proudly, “Yeah I don’t care what you say old man, I’m taking her. My son needs his mate.”

Before another word could be said, they heard men screaming in pain. Renaldo stiffened as his dad growled confused, “What the hell was that?” Gregory laughed as Alaia put a hand over her heart knowingly, “Jasper.”