Hello, everyone! I'm on a well deserved week's holiday from work this week - my first extended period of time off for the last five months! So naturally, I'm catching up on my writing and hoping to update each of my stories at least twice before I have to go back! So far, having a raging cold hasn't helped, but I'm feeling much better now and the ideas are flowing!
Speaking of ideas, I am currently working on a one-shot M rated Rogan, so if anyone is interested, click on Author Alert at the bottom of the page and you will receive a message when I upload it!
Logan's Wolverettes: That little button at the bottom of the page has been very busy again and it's time to thank my dedicated band of reviewers! blyrtha, nileena, FrozenVoices, Sarra Ambrai, Kyryn1, Sniktchick and Laudine!
And now - the story continues ........!
ooXoo
6. Secrets and Lies
"What you're doing is unnecessary and cruel, Linda." Gordon Marsters put down his carving knife and looked across the kitchen to his wife, who was busily loading vegetables into tureens. "Can't you see she's unhappy?"
"It's not cruel and it is necessary, Gordon," Mrs Marsters didn't look up from what she was doing, merely continuing with her meal preparations. "Kristi is young and silly. She has no idea what's good for her. I'm simply helping her to see that, before she makes a mistake she'll regret for the rest of her life."
"But bringing Max here will only make things worse, not better. Kristi doesn't love Max, she loves Logan." He sighed, running a tired hand across his eyes. "I'm a man, and even I can see that this isn't some foolish infatuation they have between them. She idolises him, Linda. And he …….. he's protective of her. They truly love each other, can't you see that?"
"Yes, I can, Gordon, and that's the problem." Mrs Marsters put down the lid she was holding and turned to her husband, pain evident in her eyes. "I'm not stupid. I can see the way they look at each other. But it's wrong, Gordon. He's too old for her. He has a hold over her that just isn't natural. And the sooner I can get her to see that, the better."
"I still don't think it's right for you to interfere. You're just asking for trouble. Have you any idea what Logan is capable of – what his mutant ability is? Because I've got no doubts whatsoever that he is a mutant. Is it wise to be upsetting such people, Linda? What if he takes exception to your efforts to split them up and rains death and destruction down on the family? Or worse, what if Kristi decides she no longer wants to associate with us and moves out permanently? Or …….."
"Do you know how old that man is, Gordon?" Mrs Marsters interrupted her husband's tirade and gestured angrily in the direction of the living room with her ladle. "Do you actually know? Because I do. He told me. He's over a hundred years old, Gordon!"
Mr Marsters' eyes widened in surprise. "He …….. he can't be! Are you sure he wasn't joking?"
His wife shook her head, vehemently. "He wasn't joking, Gordon. I don't think the man knows how to joke. So now do you see why this is wrong?"
"All the same, Linda, I think …….." He broke off as his youngest daughter skipped brightly into the kitchen.
"Hey, anything I can do to hurry things along? We're all starving to death out there! David's chewing on the cushions!"
Mrs Marsters forced a brave smile. "Here you are, dear, you can carry this through to the dining room." She stepped back to allow her daughter access to the tureens. "And when you've done that you can help me with the plates."
"Okay, mom!"
Mrs Marsters waited until Nikki had left the kitchen, before picking up a tureen and making to follow her. "It will all turn out for the best," she said, as she passed her husband. "You mark my words."
oooOOOooo
Logan grunted as he felt Kristi's foot nudge his leg under the table, deliberately not raising his head to look at her, but knowing she was watching for his reaction over the rim of her wine glass. The little minx had been playing footsie with him throughout the meal, making him glad for the tablecloth which hid the tell-tale bulge in his pants from the impressionable fourteen year old sitting to his left. It had all started off innocently enough, with Kristi accidentally kicking his leg as she had settled into the seat opposite him, but it had soon progressed into a battle of wills when she had kicked off her sneaker to wiggle her bare toes against his leg. Logan, for his part, was allowing his arousal to transmit through the bond, resulting in the healthy pink glow tingeing his mate's cheeks. But now, with the meal over and polite conversation being made over freshly brewed coffee, Logan had decided it was time to play the girl at her own game.
Conjuring a technicolour image of his mate being bent naked and sweaty over that very table as he took her from behind, he pushed it down the bond and grinned as she spluttered into her wine and began to choke.
"Down the wrong hole, darlin'?" he asked, innocently, as Max, seated to her right, pounded her helpfully on the back.
Freed from the distraction of her foot for the time being, he allowed his attention to rove around the table, his gaze lingering for a moment on Max, as he poured a glass of water for the breathless Kristi. He actually felt sorry for the boy – he had obviously been invited for the evening by Mrs Marsters, with no idea of the volatile situation he had been entering. He had greeted Logan politely enough when introduced, but his eyes constantly sought out his former girlfriend and it didn't take a genius to figure out that he was still attracted to her. Quiet and dark, with smoky brown eyes that missed nothing, it was easy to see why any girl would be drawn to his brooding good looks – even Jubilee had sighed dreamily when introduced. A quick dig in the ribs from an adamantium elbow had forestalled any idea she entertained of sitting next to him at dinner. Logan doubted Max would make a move on Kristi now he knew she was spoken for, but he wasn't prepared to take chances with either Max's integrity of Mrs Marsters' ingenuity, and he had watched the young man like a hawk throughout the meal.
Where Max was dark and brooding, Kristi's brother, David, seated to the boy's right, was a marked contrast. Two years older than Kristi, he shared the family's typical fair colouring, and had an open, dry wit that Logan found refreshing after the closed minded attitude of his mother. He had dominated the evening's conversation, but not in an over-bearing way, skilfully including the three mutants in all topics and putting them at ease without ever once trying to pry or inquire about possible mutant abilities. He was easily likable and friendly, and Logan had to admire his carefree attitude.
As the evening wore down, and Mrs Marsters began to clear away the table with Nikki's help, Logan excused himself and ventured outside for a smoke. At the rear of the property was an area of covered decking complete with an assortment of chairs for sitting out in and Logan leaned against the railing there as he patted his pockets in search of his elusive matches and looked out over the immaculately kept gardens, lost now in the gloom of encroaching night but perfectly visible to his enhanced sight. A small fountain trickled musically into a pond somewhere to his left and rustlings in the undergrowth told him that the night's small predators were already on the hunt.
A soft footstep on the decking behind him alerted him to the presence of company just as he finally managed to light his cigar, but he didn't turn around, figuring that the only reason Gordon Marsters had followed him outside was because he had something to say and leaving him to do so in his own time. So, as Kristi's father stepped up to the railing beside him, he puffed vigorously on the cigar a couple of times to make sure it was well lit, before waving his hand in the air to put the match out and then flicking it away into the darkness.
Mr Marsters waited until the feral had exhaled a thick cloud of blue-grey smoke before handing him a bottle. "Thought you might like a beer."
"Thanks." Logan took the obvious peace offering and downed a full third of the bottle in one before resting it on the railing beside him. He took another calming pull from his cigar and waited for his companion to speak.
He didn't have to wait long.
"Logan, I …….. I'd like to apologise for my wife's behaviour today. She seems to be operating under some misguided comprehension that you …….. ah …….. that you're ………"
"Too old for Kristi?" Logan finished, helpfully. He flicked ash off the end of his cigar. "No need to apologise. T'ain't your fault."
"But she's wrong, Logan …….."
No, bub, she isn't." He shifted against the railing. "Did she tell you how old I am?"
Mr Marsters frowned. "Yes, but …….. but I assumed you were joking."
"I wasn't jokin'." The feral turned, favouring his companion with a level glance. "I was born somewhere in the late 1800's. Near as I can tell, I'm just over one hundred an' thirty years old."
"Jesus!" Kristi's father reeled back in shock. "But you …….. you don't look …….."
"A day over thirty five?" Logan snorted. "Yeah. A healing factor'll do that for ya."
"Christ, I'm in way over my head here." Mr Marsters groaned and rested his elbow on the railing, putting his head in his palm and scruffing his fingers through his hair, distractedly. "You know, when Kristi manifested these strange powers and then Xavier showed up offering her a place at a school for mutants, we figured our lives would change, but this …….." He shook his head and breathed out, slowly, calming himself. Logan watched him carefully, monitoring his scent for any sign of fear. So far, there was none – just confused acceptance. Kristi's father didn't seem the kind of man to go off half-cocked, but Logan knew what he had to do and with any sign of panic from the other man, he would put a stop to it immediately.
Mr Marsters eventually straightened and turned to study the feral with appraising eyes. The light flooding through the patio doors behind them threw the lines of his face into deep angles and dark shadows, making him suddenly seem something more than simply human.
He swallowed, nervously. "This is all very enlightening, Logan, but why are you telling me now?"
Logan took a drag of his cigar, exhaling the smoke slowly, cautiously. "Because there are things you should know about me an' Kristi. About our relationship. About my kind."
"Your kind? Mutants?"
"Ferals."
"Ferals? What …….. Christ, do I even want to know?"
"Kristi's too scared to tell ya all this herself. Her mother's reaction has shaken her badly. But I figure it's all gonna come out sooner or later, an' I'd rather ya hear it from me than from some outside source that'll make it all worse."
Mr Marsters frowned, suspiciously. "Go on."
Logan turned to put his back against the railing, hitching his foot up and propping it on the wood. "As I said, I'm a feral. I ain't gonna go into the details o' that right now – it's too involved an' not important anyway. What is important is that when ferals mate, they mate for life. In my case, a very long time."
"Why do I get the feeling I'm not going to like what you're trying to tell me ……..?"
Logan shrugged. "Some ferals live their entire lives an' never find their mates. The lucky ones are rare – barely more than a handful – but the attraction, when it comes, can't be denied. An unconscious connection forms between them and they become one – they become bondmates."
"Bondmates?" Mr Marsters stumbled over the unfamiliar word. "So you're telling me that you and Kristi …….?" He hesitated, suddenly realising what Logan had said. "Wait a minute. You said 'unconscious connection'? Are you telling me that you've …….. you've bonded with my daughter against her will?"
"Hell, no!" Logan straightened and turned to face the other man, willing him to believe him. "There has to be an attraction between the two before the bond will manifest. Kristi knew she loved me even before I accepted it myself."
Mr Marsters nodded, grudgingly. "Kristi always did know her own mind – has always reached right out and taken exactly what she wanted."
"Yeah, well, she got me." Logan stubbed out the remainder of his cigar on the railing and pocketed what was left for later. "What I'm tryin' to make ya understand, bub, is that no matter how much yer wife disapproves o' this match, there's nothin' you, me, yer wife, or Kristi can do about it. The bond is for life, like I said. It can only be broken by death. Fer good or bad, yer stuck with me."
Mr Marsters huffed a heavy breath, weighing up his choices, which were few, he had to admit. It was either accept the feral, or not. And, for the sake of his daughter, he knew which option he preferred. "You've given me a lot to think about, Logan," he began, slowly. "I can't say I understand most of it. But all I can say right now is that there could be worse people for a son-in-law out there ……."
Logan backed off a step, raising his hands. "Hey, now, wait a minute …….."
Gordon laughed, recognising the traditional sign of panic in the other man's eyes. "Relax, son! I was only joking!"
"Keep it that way," growled Logan in return, picking up his beer and taking a calming swallow of the dark liquid.
They stood in silence for a moment, listening to the soft fall of the fountain from the darkness. Mr Marsters' mind was a whirl of thoughts and jumbled emotions, not the least of which was why the feral had chosen to tell him all this after resolutely refusing to admit he was a mutant? Yes, he'd said he needed to know in case he found out from another source, but he had the distinct feeling that the feral was holding something back and eventually he plucked up the courage to ask.
Logan studied him for a long time before answering. "For Kristi," he grunted simply, and would say no more.
A companionable silence fell between them as Logan finished off his beer while lounging on the railing, but they both turned as the patio doors swooshed open behind them and Kristi stepped out onto the decking. Her gaze flicked back and forth between her mate and her father as she walked towards them, but she moved easily into Logan's one-armed embrace, feeling him press a kiss to the top of her head and inhale her scent.
She twisted in her mate's arms to meet her father's gaze. "Hey, dad," she breathed, softly. "He's told you."
It wasn't a question. She'd felt her mate's intent the moment her father had stepped out onto the decking with him. An initial surge of panic had almost sent her flying to his side to stop him, but common sense prevailed. Her father was a sensible man, she had told herself. He would understand. And while she didn't have the courage to tell him herself, she knew that Logan was the best choice for this. The bond was feral in nature – it was only fitting that he be the one to break the news.
Mr Marsters nodded now, wordlessly, and Logan released Kristi, stepping back. "I'll leave you two to talk," he grunted, and disappeared into the house.
Kristi took her mate's place at the railing, waiting for her father's acceptance or denial. Either way, it didn't matter. She and Logan were a bonded pair – there was nothing anyone could do about it – but she hadn't realised until that moment just how much she craved her father's approval.
Mr Marsters finally sighed deeply, reaching out to take his daughter's hand in his. "I can't honestly say I'm pleased with this situation, Kristi," he began slowly, painfully aware of his daughter's sharp intake of breath. "Your mother and I hoped to have far more input in your choice of future husband than this. But I guess I should have realised that everything would change the moment you manifested. We're on uncharted territory, Kristi, and every step brings us something new and challenging."
"You're not angry?" she asked, her eyes searching his, anxiously.
"I'm not angry, Kristi," he confirmed, with a shake of his head. "Anxious, maybe, and a little scared. This is all terribly new to me."
"I was scared too, when the bond first manifested," Kristi admitted, softly. "But I can feel how much Logan loves me through the bond, and he keeps me safe."
"You both talk in riddles to me, did you know that? Bondmates, ferals, this …….. this 'feeling' him through the bond you speak of. My mind is whirling with it all." He pulled his daughter into a gentle hug, which she returned, eagerly. "I don't claim to understand any of it, honey, but you'll help me, won't you? You and Logan, I mean?"
"Yes, dad, we will." She hugged him tightly for a moment or two and then stepped back, her face clouded. "Should we tell mom?"
Her father considered this. "No, I think we should leave it for a while," he declared, shortly. "I think the shock of Logan being older than you has been enough for one day. Maybe when she's seen you two together and got to know him a bit better, she'll snap out of it? Then we'll tell her."
Kristi smiled. "Okay, dad."
"And don't tell Nikki or David either. Nikki can't keep a secret to save her life, and I'd like David to form his own opinions based on what he sees."
Kristi nodded. This was exactly what she'd hoped concerning her brother, but there was one more thing she needed to say. "We never meant for all this to happen, dad. Logan and I came here to tell you everything and not hold anything back. We were going to sit down with you all and discuss it like one big family. I thought you and mom would be happy for us …….."
"Oh, sweetheart, we are happy for you, but it's just come as a bit of a shock to your mom, that's all." He pulled his daughter back into the hug and kissed the top of her head. "You've got to understand that we're simple folk, not used to dealing with mutants, and strange powers and bonds. It's like stepping into a whole new world for us. Your mom is just a bit overwhelmed, that all. But she'll come around, when she gets used to the idea. You'll see."
"Thanks, dad." Kristi stood on tiptoe and kissed his cheek. "I'd better get back to the others now, before Jubilee and Nikki come up with some wicked ruse or other."
She made to move away, but her father caught her hand. She looked back at him, inquiringly.
"Kristi, before you go, will you make me a promise?"
"If I can, dad."
"You say you've not …….. that you've not had sex with Logan yet? Will you promise me that you will refrain from doing so until he puts a wedding ring on your finger?"
"Dad, I …….."
"Please, Kristi?" He clutched at her hand, desperately. "I know you're bonded to him and he probably ……… he probably thinks you're his now, but think of your mother, Kristi. Of our beliefs. Let me at least have something that will appease your mother and calm her mind. Please, Kristi. Don't let him into your bed until he's walked you down the aisle."
Kristi bit her lip, anxiously. How could she make such a promise? Didn't her father know what he was asking of her? Of Logan? He just didn't understand that things were different between ferals and their mates. They weren't tied by the same moral beliefs as embraced by normal humans. Their very existence depended on them not being.
But she would never be able to make her father understand that. Not until he had lived and worked alongside a feral and come to know and understand how they perceived the world around them. There was no time for that – and no opportunity. Her father needed the promise now – needed the assurance that his daughter wouldn't offer up her virginity on a whim.
And so she ducked her head as she replied, hoping he wouldn't see the sorrow in her eyes. "I promise, dad."
"Thank you, sweetheart." Her father pressed a kiss to her forehead and let her go. "You'd better get back. Tell your mother to break out that bottle of bubbly in the fridge. Give me a minute, and I'll be in."
"Okay."
Kristi's heart was heavy as she made her way back inside.
She'd made the promise.
Now she just had to live with it.
NEXT: Sexual tension causes trouble for Logan and Kristi!