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Galveston, Texas – Avira POV
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I hated to admit it, but I was scared, nervous, I was downright ready to jump out of my own skin at any minute. The AC was on low and I could smell the scent of fresh pine, dirt and …. Peter. I knew his scent anywhere and it made me tense and ready to burst into a fit of fire, lightening or hell, even the earth would be going haywire before I anyone could rein me in.
There was no way I could explain to Jasper how I felt about Peter, but I knew he could feel my fear and anxiety building. He was gripping my knee and the wheel tightly and he was trying to drown me in calm and it really wasn't doing much. Even as I grabbed onto his wrist and breathed deep, focusing my nose onto Jasper's scent, I could not bring my fear down.
Jasper parked the car into the long drive, when the car engine stopped I didn't jump out of it, instead I looked at him. He was lookin' at me serious, but no words were exchanged as we climbed out of the car.
My fingers were twitching and I could smell the moisture in the air moving closer to me, it became another layer of skin on the inside of my hand. I breathed deeply as I followed Jasper towards the house; it was beautiful, even though I personally preferred a cottage style home for myself.
I focused my vision on the levels; there were at least three and maybe a basement, but that seemed unlikely. The grounds around the home had no trees, a few stumps and a fence around the back. It looked nicely kept despite the fact that the vampires didn't need a fence, since we didn't keep pets.
When I re-focused on what was happening around me, Jasper was opening the front door and was greeted by a very happy and bouncy Charlotte.
"Oh honey!" Her arms wrapped tight around his waist, it sounded like a rib cracked when she finally let go. I stood back a bit, closing the door. She gave him a kiss on the cheek and then hugged me. I hesitantly returned the gesture, getting a view of all her curly blonde hair.
Her eyes were a rich red when she pulled away and she was just as stunning as when I last saw her.
"Hi Avira. You look so pretty! I just love your hair." She then hollered for Peter to come in. I didn't know if she knew what had happened, and even if she did, it might not even matter. I had realized the last time I was around Peter and Charlotte that I was too emotionally attached to what happened.
Peter hadn't said a word about the rape whatsoever and in a sense that made me feel at ease, but it was obvious by the way he looked at me, that he knew it bothered me. Charlotte on the other hand was his mate, they were practically the definition of a mated pair, yet he raped me.
And after turning over these thoughts for hours, I realized I was just too emotionally invested. I had decided in the truck that I wasn't goin' to let Peter have such a control over my life anymore.
I was lost in my thoughts, the only thing that pulled me from them was Peter's scent hitting me full force. When I blinked to clear my mind, he was standing beside Char in a pair of low cut jeans with a leather belt holding it on his hips with a pair of boots. No shirt and was covered in dirt and smelled of the forest and his natural self. His hair was a bright blonde bemused mess and personally I wanted to burn that smug smile off his lips as he greeted Jasper and coiled his arm around her waist.
"Hey, there sugar dumplin'." He offered me his hand, which I took. I knew my posture was stiff, but it was difficult to relax when his odor was everywhere. He and Char were here long before Jasper dragged me down here.
"Hello." My hand fell back into place, and I watched as he wiped the water off his hand onto his jeans.
"I see yah got a good handle on them elements then." His eyes weren't as bright as Charlotte's, his in fact were more orange which told me he had been feeding off both humans and animals.
"Yeah, I do." Jasper was quietly watching the exchange and I could feel the air tense as Jasper cleared his throat.
"Colonel, I'd like to speak to you in private."
Peter had his gift of "knowing shit", which personally bugged the hell out of me because he often knew things he shouldn't.
"Well, then Major, I think we should head up to my office. Char, why don't you take Dumplin' to get something to eat? Her eyes are gettin' dark."
Charlotte just nodded, her features were tense because we both knew that the two men having a private conversation was somethin' serious.
I looked to Jasper; he was still my Major and I wouldn't take a damn order from Peter.
"Major?" I could sense Peter's eyes on me, and even hear the littlest scoff escaping his mouth.
Jasper looked thoughtfully at me, his lips twitchin' at the corners as he recognized the thoughts I hadn't shared. He could sense the determination to move on with my life and I was glad I didn't have to explain it to him.
"Go huntin' with Char. Have some… Sisterly bondin'." I almost laughed, because Char and I had never been close, but hell, I was willin' to try.
Charlotte's gaze landed on me as mine fell on her. She smiled brightly as she hooked her arm into mine. "So, sweetie, you want animal or human?" And we were headin' for the door.
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I am on a roll tonight! Hoping to post another Chapter tonight or in the morning!
Reira
6/19/13