AN: Thank you for the reviews, guys. All of you guys were wondering about Jared, so without further ado...
Previously on OneofAKind:
It was a lie, I knew that without a shadow of a doubt. There just wasn't any way that Phillip could ever harm anyone, least of all my mother.
Chapter Ten
"Who is this Jared guy again?" Phillip asked as we neared the turn off for our destination.
"I've told you a hundred times since we left my sister's house." I said, giggling like a school girl. Phillip did that to me. Though I was technically thirty-two, I was forever stuck in my twenties so I chose to live like that. Phillip made me feel my physical age-free, careless, and in love.
"I know, babe." Phillip said, his blue eyes capturing mine like usual. I had to remember to turn off the dirt road near the tree shaped like a walrus. "Just explain it to me one more time."
"Okay, like I said," I began, rolling my eyes at my fiance, "Jared is one of Nahuel's brothers. Well, half-brothers. Actually, he's not related to him at all."
"You lost me again, babe." Phillip said, rolling his eyes lightly to tease me. "Who is this guy and why should I care?"
"Jared was one of the few half-vampires that was spared when my mother was almost kidnapped. I told you all about that story and the crazy vampire, Joham, that was bent on tearing my family apart and making my mother his mate, remember?" I asked, though I didn't let him answer since I continued to talk. "Well, anyways, Jared lives with Kumda, Nahuel's actual half-sister, and another one of the half-vampires, Rondu. They're who we're going to see."
"I thought you said that your family killed anyone who took part in Joham's Army?" Phillip asked, his cute little face squincing up in confusion.
"There were fifteen females but only Kumda, Rika, and Shina survived." I explained, trying to remember all of the boys' names. Most of those who were able to get out from under Joham's manipulating control had only been on the earth for two or three years when the attack occured. "There were fourteen half-vampire boys but Jared, twins Tonto and Tyson, Gumpta, and Rondu were the only ones who surrendered."
"I still don't get it." Phillip said as I turned on yet another dirt road. "Why do we want to visit them?"
"Because," I said with emphasis, "I can't turn you myself."
Sidenote: A lot of you guys guessed that this would happen, so kudos to you :)
"I think you do a pretty good job of that." Phillip said, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively. I swear, sometimes he was more of a perv than my great Uncle Emmett. Daddy would kill me if he found out that I was sleeping with Phillip, but he was my fiance and I loved him. Just because he and Mom waited, didn't mean that I had to.
"I meant," I said, trying to stop the blush rushing to my cheeks at his comment, "that I cannot turn you into a vampire by myself. No venom, see?" I said, turning my head to the side so I could expose my perfectly normal teeth.
"Eyes on the road!" Phillip shouted, though there was no need.
"Pfft." I replied, deliberately closing my eyes and relying only on my vampire senses to guide me. I could sense a truck coming up on the right, so I moved my rental car over further to the left lane so that he could pass me. I could hear Phillip's wonder as he quietly gasped.
"I really don't think I'll ever get used to that." He muttered and I simply smirked, opening my eyes to look at his.
"Well, that's too bad." I teased. "Because soon you'll be more powerful than my skills."
Before Phillip could say anything, I pulled the car onto the side of what looked like a forest trail and followed it down until I saw the final turnoff to Kumda's house. It was quaint, or as quaint as a house in the middle of the South American jungle could be.
Three figures stepped out of the house before the engine shut off. I recognized Kumda easily, since she had been fully grown when we first met and she still looked exactly the same even after all these years. I kissed her cheeks, first the right then the left, while she did the same to me.
I hugged Jared briefly, taking in his red eyes with sadness. His tall frame fit against my small one and I breathed his familiar scent. Though I knew that the Cullens and the Denali's were the only vampire covens to not participate in drinking human blood, it still made me sad to see my friends like this. Especially since Jared had once been my lover for a short time. That was long ago, though I guess for an immortal ten years is hardly a drop in the bucket, and the memories were blurry now that I had Phillip. All I could see was my fiance now.
Rondu, who had been just two years old technically when we first met, was now well past fully grown. I hadn't seen him since he was the redheaded nine year old lunging for my sister's neck during the attack. It was strange to see a man in his place.
"Dinner?" Rondu asked, his red eyes landing on Phillip's frozen form.
"No, no, Ron." Jared teased lightly, as if he were talking to a small child. The boys had both been created for Joham's Army, but neither was kin to the vampire. "This man is not for eating."
Jared looked at me to confirm.
"No," I said, a smile breaking across my face, "this man is my mate...or will be, as soon as you guys turn him."