13
The sun touched our skin perfectly through my window. I awoke early and just stared at Kandomere's sleeping form. He would be up soon, I was sure. He would have to work soon I was sure of it. Strands of blue hair covered his pale face. Even asleep he had a tough appearance. I took this time to think to myself. Not even with Kyle did I ever hear a song that brought me to life. I would never admit it then, because I was young, but he wasn't my mate. But how could an elf be my mate? It wasn't possible was it? I guess today was a good day to see my family. I looked down some staring at his chest and sighing some. We were both naked and warm. He got up in the middle of the night and checked my neck. I didn't stir when he did, because he was trying so hard not to wake me. I heard Nick come in and he didn't come to my room. But I knew he knew I was home.
Slowly, Kandomere's eyes began to open and he blinked some inhaling some. He didn't even look really tired. He looked around for a second and then looked down at me. He winced some.
"How long have you been awake?" he asked. I shook my head.
"Not long." I lied and slowly looked up at my ceiling. "I am sure you are not used to waking up in such a non lavished home." He shrugged.
"It could use some serious decorating." he joked and I smiled and nodded.
"Want me to find your clothes? I'm sure you have to be home to get ready for work." I said gently, my hair falling over my shoulder. He shook his head.
"I could skip work today." he said and I smiled some.
"You don't seem like the elf who skips work." I said.
"I would for my mate." he said and I was inwardly stunned. He was so willing to acknowledge me as his mate. I wanted to ask if he was curious of an elf and siren being together, but apparently, he didn't seem to mind. I smirked and sat up and stretched some.
"You don't have to go home, but you do have to leave. I have to go see my family today." I said. 'And go see an orc who I have explaining to do'. He leaned up some resting his arms over his knees.
"Can I come with you?" he asked with such innocence it made me chuckle.
"I don't think my family is ready for a Homeland Security agent to waltz into their neighborhood." I said moving to slide a black t-shirt over my body.
"You mean they are not ready for an elf." he corrected flatly. I paused for a moment and looked at him as I lied on my stomach.
"I don't want you to think I am embarrassed to be seen with you… but it's too soon. I have to talk to them first about us. If they just see you, I don't know what my father will do." I said and now he nodded rubbing my knee some.
"I understand." he said and tilted his head some. "Tell me about them, your family?" I grinned.
"You have time?" I asked and he leaned back and pulled me with him.
"Yes I do." he replied. I smiled more and rubbed my face some before resting my chin on his right peck.
"Well my father is the oldest siren of his five siblings so of course he leads the family now that our grandfather finally passed. He met my mother through their singing. She owns a strip club downtown." I explained. His eyes flexed.
"Okay I was not expecting that." he said and I nodded.
"My father didn't think she could do it, so she proved him wrong. She lets my cousin run it, it's just a reminder to my father to never tell her she couldn't do something, anyways, her side of the family comes from priests and priestesses and so she practices healing and is the wisdom of our family. I have four older brothers and one younger sister. They all work for my father." I replied.
"And what does your father do?" he asked and I shrugged.
"Construction." I lied and he nodded slowly.
"Okay… tell me about your lost love?" he asked and I sighed planting my face in his skin.
"I'd rather not." I replied looking up at him. "I just don't want to explain it again and remind myself how real it is." He nodded slowly.
"Okay." he said and I nodded and now we both began to leave the bed. He slid on his suit from the other night. I led him to the door and I moved to open it, but he stopped me.
"I'm taking a half day today. I'll get off at 3, maybe you and I can… walk the city." he said and I tilted my head.
"Elf town doesn't seem much of a place to roam. You want go to lunch?" I asked and he shook his head.
"No we can both walk in this city." he said with hesitance and I wasn't sure if he would really like that, but maybe it would give him a chance to see my world.
"Okay. Text me I'll try to be home from my family." I said and he shook his head.
"No rush." he said before leaning down and kissing me deeply and I returned it pulling him into me and he moaned then chuckled some. "I must go." I nodded.
"Of course." I replied and leaned back and he lifted his hand and gently grazed my wound. It should have healed by now.
"Sorry again, about that." he replied and I nodded.
"It's fine." I replied and I watched him leave. Once he drove away I just smiled and turned and was met with Nick standing in the hallway, glaring, arms crossed in a white tank and black boxers.
"Sick huh?" he asked. I moved up to him with a pout.
"I am sorry I abandoned you last night. To make up for it, I will bring back chocolate chip cookies from my mom's kitchen." I replied. His ears immediately flickered and he was immediately happy, eyes wide like a puppy dog.
"Okay you're forgiven!" he said. If there was anything Nick Jackoby liked more than anything, it was my mom's chocolate chip cookies. I leaned in and hugged him and he laughed.
"Just next time be straight with me?" he asked and I nodded leaned back stroking his cheek some.
"Okay." I replied. Now I knew I had to do one thing before I went to my family. I threw on a red dress and sandals, put some bracelets on and drove into town. I texted Dorghu to let him know I would be at his club. I drove into the usual parking garage and drove up to the second floor. I was caught off guard by the mustang in the middle of the empty floor. Standing beside it was Dorghu in his usual black get up. I parked my car a few rows beside and got out of my car.
"You about to do drop or something?" I asked and he chuckled lowly shaking his head some.
"Oh no. And if I was you'd never know it." he said moving up to me and I met him in the middle of the garage floor. "My boys said you were hurt last night. You okay?" I nodded.
"I am good." I replied and he nodded running his claws across his chin, scratching it.
"So who are you, O?" he asked and I lifted my head up at him.
"I am a sire who does odd jobs for people." I replied and he nodded.
"Even the cops?" he asked and I was quiet for a moment and he just scoffed and shook his head.
"I work under the table for them yes. Is that a problem?" I asked.
"It is when it involves my son!" he snapped and I tensed now. "What did you do to get the cops to believe he was innocent to let him go?"
"You really want to know?" I asked.
"I wouldn't have asked if I didn't." he said and I nodded.
"I sang to him." I replied and he frowned more.
"You used your voice on him?" he asked. I nodded.
"Yes. To save his life. I knew the second I saw him, that the feds were going to lock him up. The only thing standing between that was me!" I explained.
"And that elf my boys saw you with last night?" he asked.
"He was at the federal ball I was invited to! None of your business!" I said and he just shook his head some.
"He's a fed… what is it the feds were looking for? Why were they interrogating him? What did they want to know?" he asked looming over me.
"I- I don't think I can tell you!" I snapped back. If I did, who knows what he could do with that information. It could hurt Kandomere's entire investigation and maybe put him and Monte in danger.
"You're not a real fed. Under the table, right?" he asked. I shook my head.
"Your son is safe!"
"HE WILL NEVER BE SAFE! HE'S AN ORC. WE WILL ALWAYS HAVE A TARGET ON OUR BACKS! AND HERE YOU GO WORKING FOR ELVES AND FUCKING THEM!" he yelled, his voice booming in the entire garage. My body was shaking furiously, my eyes swelling with tears.
"Oh fuck you." I whispered and turned and stormed back to my car.
"O-"
"Fuck you and your respect!" I screamed and got in my car and immediately sped off. I huffed and sniffled and rubbed my eyes driving through the town. Once I was away from the city, on the other side, I began to drive into very familiar territory. It was a gated neighborhood and I saw rows upon rows of houses. The largest was a three-story home with a large driveway and a few cars. I parked on the curb and cut off my car sniffling some. The second I got out and closed my door, I turned and saw a row of five standing there. All of them dressed in black with masks that covered their mouths that transitioned into chains that formed around their neck. One of them stepped forward. He had coco skin and long black dread locks. He had on black leather gloves that matched his tie, suit and shoes. His name is Marco, and he's my oldest brother. He walked over to me his mask down.
I scoffed shaking my head.
"Yeah, been years since any of ya'll have seen me cry." I replied.
"Give me a name and I will bring you his head." he replied lowly removing his long crescent shaped knife. I smiled and shook my head.
"I am fine. I came to see the family." I replied. He nodded.
"Mother's in the garden with some of our cousins, Dad's in his study, Percival's making the drops, Arliss is at archery class, Paz is teaching a singing class and Venus is attending that class." he reported. "Take your pick." I only nodded and locked my car.
"It's always good to see the woman who gave birth to us all first." I replied and moved on the stone path that led around the house. I looked at the roof to see some sirens standing there dressed in black as well, fully masked and waiting. We had many warriors who watched over the neighborhood. Just because you didn't see them doesn't mean they weren't there. I heard giggling and chit chatting.
"Yes ladies. When you find your mate, never let him go. Let him chase you of course, and then when you let him think you have given in, lock down on him." I heard my mother teach as I reached the back to see she was standing in the middle of the small field my cousins sitting on stone ledges listening. Mother was in a ruby red dress and matching heals. Her lips were painted red and her hair was pulled back in some 1940's hair style, her face covered flawlessly with makeup. Very different from her stripper outfits. But then again she loved the 40's fashion.
"And what happens when that mate is someone you least expect and you feel like you're doubting everything you have been taught?" I asked and now everyone looked at me gasping and jumping. Mother turned to me with shock not expecting me.
"What if all you feel is loneliness and then someone comes and wants to like you- share feelings, you feel you can't return them?" I asked now all the girls looked at my mother and she could see it in my eyes everything I was feeling. She could always see it.
"When life is empty with no tomorrow and loneliness starts to call." she sang. I could feel a vibration in my body a sign she was using her siren's voice. It will never harm me, but my body did have a reaction to it all of our bodies did. It made us feel safe. She came up to me and gently touched the bottom of my cheeks. Then, she gently skipped over toward one of the stone hedges and jumped on top, landing perfectly her heals not even fumbling on the concrete, she was so poised. "Baby don't worry, forget your sorrow, cause love's gonna conquer it all…All!" She let her body fall back and immediately my cousins were there, arms out catching her as if knowing she would do such a thing. "When you want it the most there's no easy way out! When you're ready to go and your hearts left in doubt! Don't give up on your faith love comes to those who believe it!" I stood there and just listened to my mother teach me through song and my cousins even joined singing the back up chorus for the song. They let her down and she moved back up to me taking my hands in her own.
"Don't give up on your faith love comes to those who believe… and that's the way it is." she spoke normally and I gave a gentle nod. She could tell I was still not consoled and she nodded turning to my cousins and nodded for them to go. They nodded and left through the back porch. She looked at me now.
"So what bothers you? Usually it takes only a small lyric to get my point across and yet still you pout." she said and I nodded knowing she was right.
"Because it goes against everything we are." I said and now her face dropped into a more serious face.
"What has happened?" she asked and I looked away some and she tilted my chin back to her.
"I heard the music of my mate." I said and she nodded, eye stunned.
"That's great darling, who is he or she?" she asked. I felt my lips quiver as if I was about to cry again and shame my entire family.
"He's an elf." I replied and her eyes just widened.