Blood Mates

The Harbinger's Grand Return

Jasper, AJ, Stella, and Alaia were studying for the SATs. They had another week before testing began and were all focused. Well, three out of four were all focused. Alaia was pretty much only pretending to study for the sake of being with Jasper and their friends.

As she curled into his side on his couch, they all looked up when William came in. Holding Arden’s hand, he was laughing as she told him something funny.

Jasper looked at his dad happily who greeted them. And then pulled her over to the teenagers, Stella, this is my girlfriend Arden. Arden, this is AJ and Stella, Jasper’s best friends.” Both waved at her as Arden smiled, “Hi, nice to meet you.”

After a small conversation, they headed upstairs and left the teenagers to their studying. AJ c****d an eyebrow as he asked his friend smiling, “Yo when did that start happening?”

Jasper chuckled knowing his friend was just as elated for his dad, “Since Christmas. My baby played match maker with my daddy and now he’s skirting around town like a teenager again.” Stella aww’d as Jasper kissed Alaia’s head, “So cute. And if anyone deserves it, it’s your dad Jas. He’s the greatest.”

Jasper agreed wholeheartedly.

After three hours of intense studying, AJ and Stella peeled out to go home and Jasper put on his coat. Arden came down with William and told them, “I’ll go with. I was supposed to have dinner with your parents ages ago.”

So, the four of them went to the Knight’s residence, with William and Jasper’s only intentions being on dropping them off. But when Eric saw them, he eagerly waved them in, and Sophia hugged Arden as she agreed.

Whispering something in her ear, Arden blushed as Sophia got her answer from her face.

After sitting down in the living room to wait for dinner, Desmond asked William, “So how have you been handling this so far Will? Got any stakes on ya?” William pretended to frantically check his pockets, “Oh no I forget them in the truck.”

Everyone laughed and William sincerely said, “No of course not, I liked and respected you all before and that hasn’t changed. Now I just know more about all of you and understand a lot more.”

Eric looked at William curiously, “Understand what?” William shrugged playfully, “The gothic eerie presence you all have, the intimidation, the beauty. All of it makes sense now.”

Laughing William admitted shyly, “I mean it’s weird because when I thought you were human, I thought you all were simply weird. Now you all seem normal now.”

Haven appeared with Loren who chuckled as he pulled her into his lap. “Well that’s a first, but I’ll take it.”

Desmond agreed as he looked at Arden. An old friend, he c****d an eyebrow at her as she held William’s hand. He had never seen her giddy like this. A giggly relaxed young woman had never been Arden Sammuel’s look.

It was always either cool and detached socialite or uptight family friend. But right now, attached to her mortal lover she was bubbly and blushing. Two things he’d never seen her late husband bring out in her.

When their maid, Paulette appeared they were all expecting a dinner announcement. But instead got an arrival notification.

“The Harbinger family is here.” Eric stiffened as Alaia paled. She immediately wanted to take Jasper and run, she didn’t want him or his father anywhere near the Harbingers. Not when they were possibly still vindictive from her rejecting Renaldo.

Eric didn’t want to let them in for that reason. But knew making tracks wasn’t an option either. So, he told Paulette to let them in and as they waited William checked the now tense atmosphere of the room.

“Who are the Harbingers, and should we go?” He whispered to Jasper. Jasper was unsure as he whispered back to his dad, “Another family of vampires. Just…be polite and keep the conversations with them brief.”

William agreed and then he was suddenly looking at a family in serious need of help. All of them looked like they’d walked right out of an anime in his eyes. From the body builder father, strict mother, player son, and beautiful daughter.

All of them reeked of money and power, and while unnerved, William played it cool like his son.

Wraith observed the room and then looked at Arden surprised. “Arden, I’m surprised to find you here. In this company.” Arden held up her linked hands with William, “I’ve actually found a second chance in Jasper’s father. This is William Wynter.” William stood and held out a hand to Wraith who barely wanted to shake his hand.

“Nice to meet you.” Wraith grunted looking the plaid wearing mortal over like he was an insect. William then could tell the difference between Arden and the Knights compared to these people. Because while they were all vampires, Arden and the Knights looked at William and saw him.

Saw him as a person, a human being, with feelings and emotions. While the Harbingers seemed to look at him and see through him. As if he was nothing. Well besides the young girl, she’d bounced forward and greeted him kindly.

But other than that, no emotion passed on the other three’s faces as they stood stoic and deadly.

Sophia looked at the Harbinger family on guard as she forced herself to pleasantly ask, “And what brings you all back to our area so soon?” Wraith smiled but it was just as vicious as his scowl as he told her, “We never went too far. Seattle, I think, and then we came back this way.”

Eric c****d an eyebrow curiously, “Well since we left things so heated, we assumed it’d be awhile before we saw you all again.” Wraith shrugged casually as he told him, “Which is why we came back to apologize.”

But then no one apologized. Instead they all stood in a weird silence until Paulette rematerialized and announced dinner this time. Everyone waited for the Harbingers to politely duck out, but instead had to endure.

Because when Rayne made a move to the door, none of her family did. Sophia watched Josette stare her down daring her to be rude. To give them a reason to say they started anything. 

“…Would you all like to stay for dinner?” Sophia gritted out. Smiling widely, Josette beamed, “We’d love to.”

Jasper kept his dad and Alaia close to him, as Renaldo and Wraith kept looking at them both and it was making him tense. Sitting at the Knights large dinner table, the three families all ate in moderate silence.

The small talk forced as the unwelcomed party all watched them with cat seeing a rat like eyes.

After ten minutes of sips of wine, slurps of pasta noodles, and mumbles about the weather, Wraith spoke. “So, Mr. Wynter, tell me, what is it you do?” William met the intimidating gaze, “Please, call me William. And I am an architect. I also own a construction company.”

Wraith made a noise and then sat back, “Oh, well out of curiosity do you know? Was he told?” He asked looking at Arden. “Or should I just assume yes since you all let him in the house?” This question he directed at Eric.

Eric nodded slowly, “Yes, he knows.” Wraith grinned, “Well then William tell me, how do you think being an architect would suit Arden’s lifestyle?” Arden started to speak, but William placed a hand on her knee.

“I don’t believe I understand what you’re applying Mr. Harbinger.” Wraith’s smile resembled a shark as he explained, “Well she’s immortal. And her wealth, was a gift from her deceased mate. So, she’d be taking care of you if she were to continue this mating. What could you, a mortal from this little town, possibly provide for her?”

Arden was about to claw Wraith’s smile from his face. Jasper was shaking he was so pissed at the asshat’s smug attitude. But William just chuckled lightly since he found the question more amusing than offensive.

Smiling down at her playfully, William simply said, “Well Arden is more than capable of deciding the man she wishes to be with. Being immortal and all I’m sure she’s had a few years to decide what kind of man she wants.”

William’s grey eyes seemed to sparkle with mischief as he lightly joked, “Besides, don’t count us small town men out just yet. What we lack in some departments, we make up for 200% in other ways.”

Arden was a blushing girl as Wraith’s teeth clenched at the innuendo. Jasper snorted into his wine at his dad being a perv and as Alaia giggled into his neck, Renaldo finally pulled the cork out of his mouth. He looked them over disgusted as Alaia fed Jasper some pasta off her fork. 

“So you two are still going strong huh?” He taunted angry, “I guess teenage love is always the most resilient.”

Jasper looked at Renaldo annoyed, and the vampire’s fangs flashed at him. “Problem mortal?” Jasper looked him over not even remotely intimidated, “Oh you’ll know when I see one, how I solve it? You’ll find out.”

Renaldo’s teeth gnashed in anger at Jasper’s audacity, but Jasper still showed no fear. Which impressed Eric who warned Renaldo when he gripped his knife. Eric knew Renaldo’s problem with Jasper alone was the fact his name, species, and power had no effect on him.

Unlike others, Jasper wasn’t letting him bully him into getting what he wanted. Instead he was fighting for what he wanted.

And that was Alaia. All he wanted was with her, and he wasn’t backing down.  Which had Eric rising to his defense as Desmond tried to keep Wraith from interrogating William. But by desert, Wraith was done being nice about it.

“So Arden, what you’ve shown is you’d rather mate a plaid wearing mortal than my brother?” Alaia immediately came to Arden’s defense, “No what she’s shown is she’s a grown ass woman who knows what she wants and doesn’t want.”

Arden grinned at Alaia who shot her a wink, “Besides these Wynter men are a rare comity, we had to jump on them now before they were taken.” Arden teased making both Jasper and William blush.

The Knights all laughed including Rayne, but the rest of the Harbingers looked like representations of death, destruction, and mayhem.

Wraith growled low in his throat as he hissed, “My family is of the highest pedigree, and yet you all laugh as yours go to waste.”

 Alaia was confused as she grumbled, “Because we’re not narcissistic asshats who fashion ourselves kings and queens? We’re a family, we want each other to be happy, not miserable stuck with someone for a title important to who exactly? Other vampires?”

The response to that bland truth was Wraith slamming his fist down on the table so hard it sounded like thunder. It made both his wife and daughter jump in fear and his son right himself like a solider.

Practically foaming at the mouth, Wraith sneered in disgust, “The name of a family can leads to a power you’ll never understand. Our name isn’t just a family but it’s also power, fear, wealth, freedom. We have everything and we sacrificed nothing but-.”

Alaia whispered under breath, “Happiness, love, humanity, being socially liked by others.”

Jasper laughed and then the next thing he knew, Renaldo had him by the throat. Gasping Jasper fought to get the asshole off him as Wraith and Josette stopped anyone from attacking their son.

Rayne pleaded with her parents to stop, but Josette told her daughter to shut up. Throwing Sophia across the room, Josette did as her husband said and kept everyone away.

But Alaia kept running at them both to get to Jasper, but Wraith grabbed her and threw her into the wall. “This mortal and his scum father are not worthy of this life! And if you won’t get rid of him. We will.”

But then Renaldo was crying out as Jasper stabbed him repeatedly in the arm. Renaldo dropped him hold his arm. Jasper had dug deep with a switch blade, it’s weird design having shredded Renaldo’s arm deep.

Jasper stumbled away as he tried to breathe. Josette came at him, but Haven head butted her so hard it sent and her crashing to the floor. William ran in front of Wraith when he tried to go after his son, “Back off my son.” He warned holding up a gun.

But Wraith had it from him in a blink of an eye. Arden took the first shot to the chest. But when she was down and no one could get to him in time, William took the second one in the stomach.

Jasper tried to run to his dad, but he couldn’t move. “Dad.” He choked out trying to get to him. “William?” Arden pleaded as she tried to go to help him. But Wraith wouldn’t let her turn him and kicked her across the room.

Arden went under the table and broke two chairs as blood poured from her wounds. Holding up his sword to finish up the job, he was knocked back an inch by a smaller man.

Wraith laughed as Desmond tried to defend the human, but with easy slice of his sword, Desmond was on the floor holding his bleeding chest. With Alaia still unconscious and Desmond down, both Eric and Loren ran around trying to keep Wraith from hurting Jasper too.

But even as skilled as they were, Wraith was older and had the upper hand. Easily knocking the wind from Loren, Eric was a lot more difficult, but he had them unable to fight in moments.

Even Haven’s sneak attack was ineffective as Wraith simply just tossed her like a rag doll.

Walking to an unafraid Jasper, Wraith shook his head as he admitted impressed, “You are either brave as hell kid or dumber than a box of nails. Either way, you weren’t so bad.”

And then Wraith had him by the throat. He began to apply pressure and squeezing the life out of Jasper. Alaia woke up slowly and screamed as she watched Jasper slowly began to die. Running she tried to get Wraith to let him go, pleaded with him to stop. But Josette was up again and holding her back.

“It needs to happen!” She kept yelling in her ear. But as Jasper’s heartbeat stopped, Alaia broke. “NO!”

And their front doors were swung open.