Figured I'd put another chapter out, it is close to Yule after all. Let me know what you think.
Chapter Two
I woke up slowly, my head wasn't pounding, thankfully, I opened my eyes to see that Christian had fallen asleep in my bed, yet again. It happened so often that I joked that we should move his stuff in. The problem was that with just the two of us, for the majority of the time, we spent all our time together, we'd work out, train, cook, shop, we'd watch films, read and listen to music together. Hell over the year and bit that we had been together we'd even had to resort to a shower together once, no I won't tell you that story yet, it's embarrassing.
I felt a weight on my feet and knew Odin and Nyx would be on the bed with us. I yawned and stretched before I got out of the bed, morning stretches were the best. I opened my curtains to see the grounds covered in a white blanket and the lake had frozen, easily 3 feet of snow had fallen over night, thankfully the snow had stopped for now, the skies blue but I knew it would change again soon. From my window I could see a few of baba's Guardians trying to dig a way to the out buildings but it was slow going. I left Christian and the dogs and walked down to the kitchen where the smell of food guided me. Mmmmmm the way to my heart.
Baba was stood in front of the stove flipping pancakes and whisking eggs, I grabbed a juice and sat at the counter.
"Not telling them about the passage then?" I asked nodding to the few newer guardians that he had, baba, who turned to me with a smirk on my face shook his head.
"Where's the fun in that?" I chuckled at him while baba placed a plate in front of me. I was halfway through my plate when something occurred to me.
"How are your feeders going to get here?" Baba didn't make eye contact with me.
"Its fine, I fed on the plane and I'll be fine for a few more days."
"Liar, you never feed while traveling and there's no way feeders will get through this." Indicating to the marshmallow land outside, "-it's one of the reasons we've been stocking food for weeks. I can see that you're hungry and not for food. It just so happens that we have an alternative."
I went into the pantry and returned with a packaged needle and tube. Baba looked on in amazement when I used a strap to help me find my vein in my arm where I placed the needle, which was connected to a tube which ended over a glass, into my arm like a pro and released the strap. The blood started flowing easily into the glass which started to fill, in ten minutes there was a pint on the table in two glasses.
Abe didn't want to drink it, but I was insistent. "Look if you don't it'll go to waste, Christian can't drink both. We don't know when feeders will become available, this is the alternative, I don't get high but you get fed. Seriously dad, drink up, you'll feel better." I turned back to my food trying not to pay attention to him, I could see that he wanted the blood but didn't like that it was from me.
At just the right moment Christian walked in. "Roads blocked?" He asked looking at the glasses on the side then to me. I nodded to him, he then took his glass and began drinking from it. "Thanks sunshine, I don't think I could've gone another day." Abe gave in and grabbed his glass and started to drink just as my mom walked in. She eyed Abe's glass in his hand and Christian's glass which was set on the surface in front of him.
"What's going on?"
"The roads are blocked, we'll have no feeders until they're open. So I improvised." I shrugged as I shovelled more egg in my mouth.
"Very attractive Rose." Christian smirked before he raised his glass to his lips. Mom moved next to baba and took note of the needle I'd placed on a napkin.
"That was good thinking Rose. How many more have you got of those?"
"I have about a hundred of those." I said indicating to the needle and tube. "They're cheap enough. I carry a few in our bags and car in case it's needed. In an emergency I don't want to be high, so we thought of this." It's true, we had been in Alaska last Christmas when Christian had used so much fire power that he collapsed, I gave him a bit of my blood like this so he could function and we could get out of there. Yes he could have bitten me, but I needed a clear head.
"I'll speak to the guys to see if they mind alternating days with me." I looked at baba, who was about to protest. I knew he was embarrassed about this but it needed to be done. "No, I'd do it every day for you but it's not possible, not with both of you." I indicated between baba and Christian. "I'll speak to them, sometimes this is the job, baba. No we aren't your feeders but sometimes it has to be done. To me it's no different than the fact you paid for all this food." I said indicating to the kitchen. Baba smiled at me while mom stayed quiet.
I finished eating and ran to change, once done I ran to the passage that led to the out buildings. When Jones opened the door to the old stables and horse training fields, which was now our inside running track, gym, studios and training rooms, they were shocked to see me there with Odin and Nyx, who were running wild in the open space after the balls I had just thrown.
"So, bad time to tell you there's a passage from the basement to here?" I smiled over at them, they were sweaty and red before I threw a ball for the dogs to run after once more. Jones gasped at me as he got his breath.
"You wait until now to tell me?" He gasped in between breaths.
"I didn't want to break your rhythm." I smiled, "-actually I do have something important to discuss with you guys." I said turning serious. "As you can see, the roads are blocked off right now and there's no way we can get feeders here, so I was wondering if anyone would be willing to donate? I did todays, mom said she'll do tomorrow but I need a few more to switch between, so no one gets weak. Only a pint or so." They looked shell shocked.
"Look Rose, I like working for Mr Mazur, but I don't feel comfortable with him biting me." Jones told me honestly.
"I agree but he won't be biting you, with a needle the blood can be drained into a glass. No bite, no endorphins, no high or uncomfortable morning after. It's just food. No one is obliged to do it, but baba will never forget it and nor will I in fact."
Jones and a couple others agreed so at least we could alternate every 4/5 days. Which means no one will get weak or anaemic, sorted. I showed the guys where the passage was, who all took it good naturedly. I spoke to Pavel and mom about the security measures we'd put into place, they were very impressed when I handed them each a fire ring, Abe had one already, they took time to charm and Pavels hadn't been finished when he had been here last time.
"Abe went through the plans for the panic rooms he had installed with me before, so I'd like to go over those with you now Rose." I showed Pavel the five panic rooms again. I had a feeling baba was a secret prepper. In five differing locations were panic rooms, that were able to sleep four comfortably but could hold more when necessary, they were all fully stocked with two weeks' worth of supplies and they all had beds, a small kitchen and bathroom, a small sofa area with a TV and separate phone lines and the spare Walkie-talkies. Also inside them were the screens for the cameras throughout the property, each one could be used as a base of operations in case of an attack on the property.
All were able to withstand a nuclear attack and more importantly a strigoi attack. Not only were the walls, ceiling, floors and doors all super thick but was also encased in infused with enchanted silver, if a strigoi touched it then they would burn themselves.
The first one was up a ladder in the library, hidden behind a bookshelf, the second was in the kitchen through a fake cupboard, the third behind a bookshelf next to my bedroom door, the fourth in the guardian's quarters and the fifth was in the outhouse in the gym.
I knew baba was worried about Christian and I being out here in the middle of nowhere, but honestly we loved it and with the extra precautions we'd put into place we felt relaxed. Yes I still walked the perimeter daily but knowing we could sleep safely meant the world of difference.
I met Christian in the main kitchen, we decided on a roast today, so as he prepped the veg I sorted the meat and potatoes out. We didn't need to speak to communicate; we were so used to cooking together that we were completely in sync.
We'd put the radio on as we worked, it was soothing, doing tasks like this with Christian, it was when baby its cold outside came on that we began singing to each other, each of us giggling at the other as we sang.
I was about to pull some potatoes out of their tub when Christian grabbed me around the waist and spun me around where we began dancing together, he led me around the kitchen, in a mockery of a waltz all the while we sang, when the song began to close Christian dipped me low, he was bringing me back up, our faces were only centimetres apart, his blue eyes gazed into mine and I gazed straight back. Our faces were just millimetres from each other. I could feel his breathe on my chin. My heart doubled its pace all the while we stared at each other.
I heard clapping from behind and suddenly the moment was broken. We pulled apart to see baba smiling at us.
"What a lovely show that was kiz, Christian. I didn't know you could sing."
"I can't, we were messing around." I went back to my spuds.
"Actually Rose, I've heard you belt out songs most wouldn't even try." Christian added, going back to his carrots.
"When have you heard me sing?" I queried.
"You sing all the time. In the shower, for example, when your cooking, most of the time when you listen to music you sing." He smiled over at me.
"Okay, changing the subject. You ok baba? You need anything?" I asked him, my full attention on my father whose whole body was smiling, how did someone smile with their whole body?
"Actually I was looking for Odin. I can't find him."
"It's ok baba, he wonders sometimes, he'll come back soon." Odin had a tendency to wonder the perimeter. I sometimes wondered if he had been a Guardian in a past life.
Within a couple hours the snow had started falling once more it came on thick and hard just as it had the night before and as it fell we all sat at the table enjoying the roast. We'd finished eating when I realised Odin wasn't bugging me for food. I checked the gym, my room, all the usual places Odin would be but I couldn't find him. I ventured onto the porch calling for Odin. I hoped he was ok, bears wouldn't be about but there were other animals out there and Odin could get hurt.
I sat on the porch swing for what seemed like hours, the sun had long gone down, I had a bad feeling and my mood had put the house on edge, I wanted to go looking for Odin, but even I knew it was too dangerous to venture out, the snow was 6 feet in places.
Stupid git, why would he leave the house?
"Rose, you need to come inside, you're freezing." Christian came out wrapping a blanket around my shoulders and handing me a hot chocolate. I rested my head on his shoulder using the mug to warm my hands up. I didn't give him an answer, he knew what I was thinking. There was no way I was moving until Odin was back. I loved that loopy dog.
We stayed like that for a while, my toes were beginning to numb when I heard a feint barking. I sat straight up looking into the distance. It was dark and the snow was too thick to see very far but as I listened the barking grew louder and I could see a light in the distance. In a flash I was in position in front of the door. Christian running inside to tell the others what was happening had Jones join me, weapons at the ready. I didn't feel nauseas so I knew it weren't strigoi, but they weren't the only dangers in the world, we waited as figures emerged with my Odin leading them. They were close to the cabin before I realised it was a large group, maybe a dozen all wrapped for the cold. I stopped them before they reached the porch, Odin walking proudly to my side and rubbing himself against my legs.
I looked to the group who had stayed still taking in Jones and I, we held our positions, our weapons out, with Pavel bringing up the rear.
"Identify yourselves." Jones requested. A second later I wished that Odin wasn't such a good retriever. I should have found myself a lazy dog because from the middle of the group I heard a voice I hadn't heard in a while.
"Queen Tatiana and her guests." The voice removed her scarf and hat revealing the Queen, around her hats and scarves were removed to show the others, in that group were Adrian, Eddie, Dimitri and Lissa, six guardians surrounded them and 2 humans, obviously feeders.
I bowed slightly to the Queen but ignored the rest before I opened the front door showing her inside, Odin staying close to me, I noticed that he was shivering.
I called out to mom and baba, they showed our guests the proper welcome but I took Odin straight through the kitchen and into the mud room. I turned the heater on low, grabbed some towels and blankets before I lay food and water out. I sat down checking him over, he just seemed cold. I dried him off making sure I rubbed him all over, I cuddled him close, Odin laid his head on my shoulder. We stayed like that for goodness knows how long until Nyx wondered in using her nose to get in between us. I started to move but Odin moaned at me. We couldn't stay on the floor all night.
"I'm taking you upstairs boy, come on bed." Odin slowly got up and padded out of the mud room and through the kitchen, I ignored our guests again while we walked past them and to the stairs where Odin couldn't even manage the strength to climb the first step. I heard a couple chairs scrap against the floor as they were pushed back. I didn't want to see who it was so I leaned down and picked him up, he was heavy but nothing I hadn't lifted before.
"Come on baby, let's get you comfy." I cooed into his ear and I walked up the stairs, Nyx by my side whining at me. I walked into my room to find Christian sat on my bed, surrounded in his clothes and stuff. I lay Odin on the bottom of the bed and placed a blanket over him before Nyx curled up with him keeping him warm.
"What's going on?" I asked eyeing his stuff.
"Well there isn't enough beds are there? Tatiana, Lissa and Adrian all need their own rooms apparently, so I gave mine up, it's not like I don't end up sleeping in here anyway." I shrugged at him, he was right after all it was no bother to me.
"What happened anyway?" I asked my head angling towards the door.
"Apparently they thought the storms had cleared and tried to make it to the Queens cabin, which is still miles away. The cars broke down at the end of the driveway, Odin found them and led them here."
"Typical, of all the people it could've been, it was them." I changed for bed grabbing one of Christians Montana shirts to wear with my tartan bottoms. He laughed when he looked at me. I looked up and laughed too, we'd both opted for tartan bottoms and Montana shirts. Haha, his and hers pjs.
For the rest of the evening we cuddled up in bed watching films, which was fun. We chose some comedies which had us in stitches. I checked on Odin throughout the night, but he seemed fine. I finally dropped off into a deep sleep in the early hours.