Blood Mates

Yasmine Meets Daniel

Yasmine looked at the old man sitting on William’s porch. He looked like an older version of him and as he drank coffee and waved kindly to passing neighbors. In a long black sleeve shirt unbuttoned to his chest, this man looked like William at a distance.

Until you saw the tattoos decorating his bodies and the grey hair.

But like Roxie had said, he smelled at his core like William. Which meant this was William’s father. Looking at Davon and Stephan uneasy, the three of them walked across the street to the house and Daniel glanced up.

 As the wind blew their scents his way, he turned and looked at the three wolves. And only recognized one, “Ah, so you’re my son’s ex-wife. Yasmine yes?”

Yasmine slowly nodded caught off guard he knew her, “Is he around?” Daniel smiled a little, “Afraid not. He is off on vacation for the next couple weeks.” Yasmine didn’t believe that, but played along, “Okay…and Jasper?” Grinning, Daniel pretended to think, “He and Alaia are on a college tour with her parents from my knowledge.”

Stephan, done playing nice, looked the old man over, “You’re lying.” Daniel looked at Stephan closely, “Ignus…Ignus Black?” Stephan jerked back at the name of his grandfather, “How…how do you know my grandfather?”

Daniel laughed, “I raised my son here, did you think your grandfather was unaware?” Stephan looked Daniel over and then he pieced it together, “You’re a vampire.”

Daniel stopped masking his presence and the three wolves stiffened on instinct. But Daniel calmed them with a raised hand of peace and waved them inside.

Stephan watched Daniel like a predator and Daniel let him without a sign of aggression back to him. “Where is my son?” Yasmine said seriously, “And don’t lie to me this time.”

Daniel looked at Yasmine and then told her, “There was an accident at the Knight residence. He was killed as well as William by an unhinged vampire, so I turned them both into vampires.”

Stephan stiffened as Yasmine breathed out in shock. Both William and Jasper were vampires now.

Both of them? She couldn’t even imagine it.

Davon shook his head thinking of Jasper as he hissed, “They had no business being there! And you had no right doing that to that kid, not without his permission.”

Daniel smiled a little, “I know it might seem that way, but that’s because you don’t know the full story.” Davon looked at Daniel challenging, “And what is the full story?”

Daniel waved to his body, “I was born a human, but I carried a rare gene passed to me by my father. I died and became a vampire, and I had a son who had son. And both carried the same gene.”

In disbelief the three wolves listened as Daniel explained, “When we die, our bodies go into stasis until a member of our line gives us their blood. It’ll activate our genes, and after healing us, turns us.”

Yasmine froze in shock as this sunk in and Stephan looked William over, “And my father knew of this?” Daniel stood and went into the room where his things were. Coming back in a blink he sat something down in front of Stephan, “I hold all my documents of peace on me.”

He told them showing them various old documents, “I’ve made peace with basically every pack standing. For me and my family. And I made peace with yours a long time ago alpha.”

Stephan read over the document and told Yasmine and Davon, “It’s a signed treaty between him and my grandfather. It’s basically saying we won’t chase them out or harm them if they don’t kill innocent people. And if they turn someone we have to make sure it was what the person wanted. Not because it was forced on them.”

Stephan looked up at Daniel, “Well they were killed, dead, and you forced your blood down their throats. I’m pretty sure that’s forced on them.”

Daniel smirked, “But they were already well on their way to becoming vampires anyway.”

Yasmine stiffened as Daniel glanced over at her, “Did you not ever wonder how it is you came to be mated to a wolf?” Yasmine slowly shook her head and Daniel grinned, “Something in your genetics clicked right with my son.”

Daniel shrugged, “But it was never going to last. Because while it clicked right well enough, he could pass on his genetics to his son. But it clicked just right with a wolf, and now I believe you have a daughter with him who will have his gifts. That’s no coincidence.”

Davon looked at Yasmine who looked deep in thought and then faced the old man, “What are you saying old timer?” Daniel sat back smiling, “My son was always going to die and become a vampire. But Yasmine wasn’t his true mate, and that’s why she was able to mate you. Now he is with his true mate, as is Jasper.”

Stephan watched Yasmine’s spine stiffen and put a hand on her shoulder to calm her.  Meeting Daniel’s eyes, Stephan demanded, “We want to hear this from them. If they are happy with this, we’ll drop it. If not, there is going to be problems.” Daniel wasn’t even remotely threatened by it.

He instead gave them the addresses he had gotten from Eric for his son and grandson. “Jasper is with Alaia in her loft in Seattle and William is with Arden in her cabin a little further into Devil’s Horns backwoods.”

Stephan accepted the paper with the address but seemed hesitant on leaving the older vampire alone. But Daniel casually picked his k****e as he said, “Oh don’t you worry son. I’m just getting back into my son’s life and meeting my grandson finally. I’m not going anywhere.”

None of them commented on what Daniel said. Yasmine pulled them out of the house and once they got to the car Yasmine looked at the two address, “Okay so I should go see Jasper and you two go see-.” Both shook their heads and Yasmine looked at them confused, “What?”

Davon awkwardly coughed, “Me showing up asking him how his new mating is going?” Stephan agreed with that train of thought, “And he’s just turned, not to mention probably in the middle of mating heat. Jasper might not take us as a threat, but William would.”

Yasmine looked at Stephan annoyed but he held up his hands, “And he doesn’t even know me.” Yasmine blew an aggravated breath, “So I go see William and you two-.” Roxie suddenly appeared at her elbow, “Three.”

All three adults scowled at the hardheaded teenager. “We told you to stay home Roxie.” Davon growled. Roxie frowned at the audacity of that order, “Yeah well I was the one who was here risking my life. Remember? When I was trying to find out if they were safe or not? You’re not going to stop me from seeing it through just because you want to step in now.”

Before Stephan could order her to go home, Roxie’s gold eyes met theirs confidently, “I’m going.”

And seeing her determination, they knew Roxie would run behind them on the freeway in wolf form. So, instead of fighting her, the three of them got in Stephan’s car and headed to Seattle, and Yasmine headed deep into the back trails of Devil’s Horns to find William.

And what the wolves found, surprised all of them.