Mother of Sentinels: The Parker Triptych III
By Indygodusk
Chapter 2: No More Pretending
After a tense evening arguing plans and Sydney giving her disappointed looks for not telling Jarod about her Sentinel status, they agreed to take off for Dover first thing in the morning. Jarod slept on the couch downstairs while the rest of them found their beds. Of course it was too much to hope for that she'd have a dreamless night's sleep.
Opening her eyes to the dojo again made Parker sigh with disgust, "Why am I here again?"
"Because I'm trying to help you and you haven't told your Guide the truth," answered Kamiya-Sensei. "Let's go for a walk." Turning, she slid open the shoji doors, revealing a pristine beach bordering a blue-gray ocean glittering with scattered stars of unearthly colored light. At first she thought it merely a reflection of the sky, but it was daytime and the sky was clear. She could smell the ocean spray and hear the crashing of the waves against the cliffs in the distance.
"We're going to rescue those kids," Miss Parker said firmly as they walked barefoot down the beach, stopping when waves lapped across their calves.
Kamiya-Sensei shaded her eyes and waved at Hattie, who frolicked in the water with a dolphin of all things. "I know you'll try, but your current plan probably won't work."
"I'm all ears," Miss Parker sneered, folding her arms.
"Not only is Director Taylor a problem, but someone will just try to suppress us again unless you destroy the altar on SL-27. However, only magic can do that," Kamiya explained.
"Magic," Parker repeated, deadpan.
"Look at where we are and tell me again you don't believe in magic?" she said pointedly. "I've got your cousin coming to take care of that, but your plan probably won't get even that far because Director Taylor's so unhappy with all of the recent changes that he's going to dig his heels in and refuse to go anywhere. He's made some choices lately that contradict his instincts, so his Guide powers are waning too."
"Wait, what cousin?"
Smiling slyly, the Sensei responded, "Hermione, of course."
Shocked, Miss Parker blinked. "You mean the girl I met in London all those years ago? That Hermione?"
"Mmm hmm," the Japanese woman nodded. "She's not just a girl though. Meeting you brought her Online as a Guide. She's also a witch. If you can get her and her friends to the altar, they'll destroy it for us."
Shaking her head, Miss Parker deflected her complicated emotions with humor. "Of course I can't have any normal relatives."
"At least she's not evil or psychotic," Kamiya offered cheerfully.
"Alright, I'll keep an eye out for her to show up, but what do you propose I do about Director Taylor?" asked Parker.
"You're going to have to come out to the Pride as a Sentinel," she said flatly.
"Why will that make a difference?" Parker argued.
Kamiya-Sensei gave her a complicated look. "If Jarod's plan doesn't work, Taylor will convince everyone not to trust you. A mundane woman, no matter how gorgeous and commanding, won't be able to recruit a large enough force in the time we have. Jarod's an amazing man and a very powerful Guide whom a lot of people will believe, but he can't convince everyone by himself either and it'll take time. Those kids won't last more than a week if that before Raines starts experimenting on them. Only an Alpha Sentinel Prime, one who is the Mother of Sentinels, can grab them by their hindbrains and get everyone facing in the right direction to take war to our enemies."
"If I decide to use it, and that's a big if," Miss Parker growled, "I first want to know what this Mother of Sentinels crap is."
Tilting her towards the water, Kamiya asked, "Do you see those colored sparks? Those are baby spirit animals, waiting for a nascent Sentinel or Guide worth leaving the ocean for. However, most of them will awaken Guides because the ones meant for Sentinels didn't have the patience to wait out the long siege without fighting back. They were mostly shattered by decades of struggle. Their remains lie along the ocean floor like seeds, but soon they'll disperse completely. New animals aren't being born anymore. The cycle needs a push."
"And just how am I supposed to create this push?" Parker asked cautiously.
Kamiya smiled toothily. "Did you know that one of the best mothers in nature is an octopus, who can lay tens of thousands of eggs?"
Flicking her eyes between Hatshepsut and Kamiya-Sensei, Miss Parker replied, "I also heard that the octopus can't hunt while protecting her eggs, starts consuming her own tentacles for food, and then dies soon after the eggs hatch." Flat eyed, Parker finished, "Sounds like a barrel of laughs, but no thanks."
The smile dropped off Kamiya's face. "Only you can do it and it must be done soon. Otherwise it will take ten generations if not more to increase our Sentinel numbers. Be the Sentinel you were always meant to be. Trust in yourself."
Then Parker woke up.
Almost a full day of driving brought them to the lobby of the Dover SG Center. It felt very modern, all glass and steel. Despite that, it still somehow managed to feel warm and welcoming. Their interior decorator was a genius. The large lobby had multiple seating areas with glass-walled recreation and meeting rooms. Only one room by the reception desk and assumedly the hallway leading to the rooms behind it were opaque and equipped with active white-noise generators to provide privacy from Sentinel senses. Otherwise, the glass seemed an honest reminder that a building full of Sentinels would be slim on privacy.
While Jarod went up to the desk to get a meeting with Director Taylor, the rest of them hung back and took stock of the local Pride as planned. Miss Parker had carefully dressed to command attention for today's meetings. She'd chosen blood red for her lipstick, designer heels, and silk blouse. A plum jacket and skirt completed her look. The anxious four year old clinging to her hand compromised her untouchable image, but she didn't have the heart to push him off.
Just that morning Jarod had gotten confirmation from Angelo that the three missing kids were being held in the depths of the Centre. She was determined to make this plan work. Even if she had to come out as a Sentinel, she'd make sure she rescued them from Lyle and Raines.
Despite it being just after dinnertime, the place was packed. Her lips curved in a pleased smile as she noticed the number of men with buzz cuts and bulging muscles. She wouldn't have a problem finding enough fighters to attack the Centre with her.
One particularly nice specimen whose look just screamed cop noticed her appreciation. He was a Sentinel from the way he cocked his head to the side and flared his nostrils as he met her stare. At first he looked suspicious, but when she just gave him an up and down and then quirked her lips, he huffed a laugh and gave her a flattered smile before turning back to his quick-talking, curly-haired companion. A second later a serious-looking black man in glasses came up and clapped the stud on the back. A teenaged boy followed.
"Do you know them, Miss Parker? Please introduce me, please," begged Debbie, staring longingly at the boy across the room.
Looking between Debbie and the other group, she saw the teenage boy sneaking looks back at Debbie around his father's shoulder. As soon as she focused on him, she could tell he was a Guide. Interesting.
"Broots," she called from where he was reacquainting himself with someone. He excused himself and hurried over. "Have you given Debbie rules for dating and interacting with Guides?"
"Miss Parker," Debbie squawked.
Broots frowned and looked at his daughter. "Yes, I have. Right, Debbie?"
Sighing, the teenager recited, "Dates have to meet you first, no staying out after ten, no being alone in my room or theirs, and no bonding to a Guide, platonic or sexual, before I turn 18 unless my control gets fragile AND you okay it. If I have sex questions, talk to Miss Parker and she'll give me condoms and advice."
"Wait, what?!" Broots flailed, looking between his daughter and his boss.
"Alright, let's go and meet the cute Guide catching your eye." Gesturing everyone forward, Miss Parker ignored Broots's dismay and Sydney's amusement.
The group in question had walked into a rec room designed for children. On one side, "The Lion King" played on a big screen TV above a colorful carpet littered with blocks and puzzles. On the other, several teens played table soccer and pool. A seating area was positioned in the middle.
When they came inside, the curly haired man leaned away from the stud, who was recounting their conversation in his ear, to wave them over with a friendly smile. "Hi, I'm Guide Blair Sandburg and this is my Sentinel, Jim Ellison." Pointing to the black man, he added, "Simon Banks and his son, Guide Daryl. Won't you lovely ladies and your friends join us?" He beamed at Parker with open appreciation that lacked any pressure before meeting the gazes of the rest of their group.
"Thank you," Miss Parker smiled, charmed despite herself.
Gabe tugged at her hand. "Can I go watch the movie?" he begged.
"I'll watch him," Sydney offered.
Canvasing the room, she didn't notice anything too worrisome. "Go," she nodded.
"Wow, he's a little Sentinel isn't he?" Blair said with quiet wonder. Then he turned to look at Debbie. "And you're a female Sentinel. Man, both of you are amazingly rare!"
"Is that a problem?" Miss Parker asked levelly, extending her passive empathy as far as she could to get a reading off of him. If she sensed greed or threat, she'd put him and his friends down with extreme prejudice.
"No, not at all," Blair assured her, dropping his shoulders and sinking back into the couch to look more harmless. He also used thinned his shields to leak friendly curiosity and respect, though Jim tensed by his side and watched Parker's hands carefully until she forced herself to relax. The emotions seemed honest and not manufactured, at least.
Blair somehow amped up his smile and friendliness. She wanted to like him despite her usual suspicion of humanity. "It's awesome to meet you guys! I'm an anthropologist and shaman by training. I study Sentinels and Guides when I'm not helping out Jim with cases. I'd love to get interviews from your young Sentinels about coming Online for my research if you have time while you're here. The community needs to know more about how and why kids and females come Online. There's not much information out there, and what is out there is full of prejudice and bias."
"We'll have to see," she answered vaguely.
"Oh look, a pool table is free. Do you want to play, Daryl?" Debbie blurted into the awkward silence that followed.
"Yes!" he said with a nervous break in his voice. He blushed. "I mean, I'd love to." The two teens scrambled to their feet and left, casting shy little glances at each other the whole way.
Broots turned to Simon with a wry look. "I'm Debbie's father. Call me Broots. I'm sure we'll be seeing a lot of each other."
Simon chuckled. "We flew out here from Washington for a conference and so Daryl could meet some Online kids his age. He looks star-struck by your daughter, so I guess my plan worked." He and Broots struck up a parenting conversation that Parker found completely boring.
"You didn't say your name. Are you here to get your kids some training?" Jim asked privately as he turned to face her.
"Miss Parker. And they're not my kids," Miss Parker replied as she sat down and crossed her bare legs.
Distracted with appreciation, Jim blinked for a second before he looked up at her and smirked, "You may look gorgeous enough to belong in a magazine, but I can still sense a lie, Miss Parker." Obviously he wasn't distracted enough.
"When he's right, he's right," Blair nodded, "about both parts."
Miss Parker rolled her eyes and sighed. "They're mine to protect, boys, but I'm nobody's mother." Not yet, at least, she thought to herself. "Are you police officers?" she asked, changing the subject.
"Yep, even the Chief here when he isn't distracted with his research," Jim said, tugging on one of Blair's curls teasingly, causing the man to drop the tin of mints he'd been about to open and send him a glare.
Catching the mints with the tip of her shoe, Miss Parker kicked them back up into her hand.
"Good catch. What about you?" Blair said admiringly.
"I'm between jobs at the moment," she answered smoothly, passing the mints back to Blair. Her fingers brushed against his in the process. She felt something flutter against her mental shields and slip through her first layer.
Blair turned white and dropped the mints again onto the floor with a clatter. Mouth gaping open, he stared at her in shock and awe, as if seeing the Loch Ness Monster pop out of a swimming pool in Farmville, Indiana. "You- you're- how are you hiding that? All six and aquatic? How are you even possible?" he whispered.
Jim looked at her warily and pressed his fingertips against his Guide's wrist. "Blair?"
Then Jarod walked in, cutting short her spurt of panic at being discovered. Dressed all in black, he exuded power and danger as placed one hand protectively on the back of Parker's chair and gave the tense men an aloof stare. "The Director will be ready to see us in ten minutes," he told her.
Uncrossing her legs, Miss Parker stood up sleekly. "It was nice meeting you, gentlemen," she said dismissively over her shoulder.
"Wait," Blair blurted out. "Do you have a hotel room yet?"
"I don't see how that's your business," she answered coolly, "as I'm not inviting you up for any euphemistic drinks."
Blair stood up desperately. "Wait, no, I meant that in a totally respectful and not at all skeevy way. Look, it's impossible to get a hotel room in this town right now. We booked a four-room suite, but half our party cancelled. You can have the other two rooms and we can even help babysit, well Simon and Daryl can. Admittedly, Jim and I don't really know what to do with children, but anyways, please say yes."
At her hesitation, Jim looked back and forth them before adding his support. "I'm not just a Sentinel with a strong protective instinct, I'm a good cop, as are Blair and Simon. You're trying to protect two rare Sentinel children at a time when kids are going missing. We can help you protect them, plus our hotel has 24/7 security with Sentinels on staff and a pool with free soft-serve ice cream." Jim raised his brows and met Parker's eyes steadily.
"Free ice-cream?" Jarod asked devilishly into the quiet, for some reason undermining her refusal. "Very tempting."
"That's right. Besides, you probably don't want kids at your meeting anyway," Blair argued persuasively. "Director Taylor totally doesn't have patience with kids. Why don't the rest of us go back to the hotel while you have your meeting in peace?"
Jim suddenly looked apologetic. "Uh, Blair? We do have that meeting tonight for Sentinels in law enforcement. We can't go over until after that."
"That shouldn't last more than an hour. Simon can take the kids over and we'll follow later," Blair waved away his objections. "Miss Parker, I'm getting a very strong Guide vibe ordering me to help you. My vibe is saying the kids should get out of here and go play at the hotel before it gets late. Please. We can even chauffer you over to the hotel after your meeting with the Director."
Offering his hand, Blair begged, "Please trust us. Let us help you."
Miss Parker never trusted easily, yet something about this Guide made her want to. Her instincts all pushed at her insistently. She liked him. Brushing against him mentally felt comfortable. Nothing in him even hinted at evil.
She teetered on the edge of agreeing. They really did need to find the children a place to sleep tonight besides the backseat of the car. They'd ditched Jarod's car yesterday and she'd so far refused Jarod's offer to find a warehouse to break into.
Glancing over at Jarod, she saw him appraising the newcomers. Then he met her eyes and gave her a slight nod before turning to Blair with a friendly smile. "Guide Blair Sandburg, right? I've read your books. They're very good. I recently recommended them to a friend in Britain to read."
Jarod seemingly trusted them, but should she?
"Thanks, man. Let me know if you ever want to talk theory," Blair offered with a flattered smile, though he didn't lower the hand stretched out towards Parker.
Reaching out, she glided her fingers across Blair's. The touch felt electric. As their eyes locked, Miss Parker poured through his shields like butter soaking through bread. Blair sucked in air hard, but otherwise didn't resist at all.
Sliding back out despite her desire to lean against the cushion of the Guide's mind, she released Blair's skin and the connection. Both of them blinked tears from their eyes at the loss. She felt both Jarod's confusion and Jim's instinctive hostility at someone coveting their psychic bond, but she avoided their eyes. If they hadn't seen through her spirit animal's camouflage to her Sentinel nature yet, she wasn't about to give it away now. Respecting her privacy, Blair smoothed back his curls and kept quiet. Jim put a hand on Blair's back and shook off his irritation.
Clearing her throat, Miss Parker gestured to Sydney and Broots to gather up the children. "Very well, we'll join you at the hotel later. It's close to Gabriel's bedtime anyway and he shouldn't hear what's going to be said at the meeting."
"I'll keep them all safe until you get there," Simon promised intently, casting his protective gaze over all three children.
"Thank you. Sam will make sure too," Miss Parker added simply.
"Sam who?" Simon asked, looking around.
"Are you talking about the big guy in the lobby whose been secretly watching us through the glass?" Jim asked pointedly.
Raising her fingers, she crooked them without looking away from Jim. Seconds later, the glass door swung open and Sam strode inside. Miss Parker raised her chin regally. "He's mine too. They're all mine."
"You're claiming me, Miss Parker? I'm touched," Jarod teased, trying to break the tension.
Miss Parker swallowed back a possessive affirmative growl and forced herself to not look at Jarod, the Guide she wanted to claim in the most primitive and permanent way possible. For a moment Jim felt like a potential rival for her Guide and she almost stepped between them. Then sanity returned. Jim had Blair. He didn't need or want anyone else. She had to calm down.
"You're like the flu, Jarod. Just because I have you doesn't mean I don't want to get rid of you," she forced herself to mock lightly. Jarod laughed, undaunted, and she couldn't help the way her lips turned up just slightly at the sound.
"That just means you find being healthy boring," he teased back.
After giving Sam strict instructions and receiving a tight hug from Gabe, she sent off everyone but Jarod to the hotel with the Banks family. Jim and Blair passed over cards with their phone numbers and took off for their own meeting with a group comprised of Sentinels and Guides in law enforcement.
"That group will probably form the bulk of our assault force," Jarod murmured into her ear as they watched their new friends go into the meeting room with the white noise generator. His unexpected closeness sent a tingle zipping down her spine.
"Guide Jarod?" a female voice called from above, interrupting them a second before Parker gave in and swayed into the heat of his body.
Turning, she saw a female Guide waiting at the top of the glass walled staircase. They walked up to join her on the balcony overlooking the lobby. "I'm the Deputy Director, Guide Lupe Gonzales. This way please."
Using a keycard, she took them through locked door and down a hallway into a private meeting room with noise-cancelling electronics that activated when the door shut. A narrow-featured Guide in his forties sat at the head of a table. When he saw Miss Parker, he barely spared Jarod a glance as his eyes widened appreciatively. He stood up as they joined him at the table. "I'm Director Taylor. I don't believe I've had the pleasure," he said, actively pushing feelings of charm and appreciation onto her instead of just thinning his shields to reveal honesty like Blair had earlier.
Hiding her disgust at his mental and borderline illegal manipulations, she called on decades of training to give him a pleased smile. "Nor have I," she flirted, ignoring Jarod's annoyance and Guide Gonzales' stiff reserve. "I'm Miss Parker. Thank you for agreeing to meet with us."
Sitting down into the chair he pulled out for her, she watched his eyes trace the hem of her skirt as she crossed her legs. There was appreciation and then there was blatant and disrespectful ogling. How had this man become head of the largest SG Center in the world? Focusing back on her task, she began with the strategy she and Jarod had hashed out back at the cabin. "We know where your three missing children are being held, but we need your help to get them back, Director Taylor."
Looking up from her legs, he frowned. "That's a very serious claim. How sure are you?"
"We have an eyewitness who saw them as recently as this morning," Jarod interjected smoothly.
"Are they alright?" Guide Gonzales demanded anxiously.
"So far, they haven't been hurt, but that's likely to change soon," Jarod said grimly.
Director Taylor frowned at their interruptions before turning back to Miss Parker. "Just where are they and who took them?"
"Have you heard of The Centre in Blue Cove?" Miss Parker asked.
Squirming in his seat, Taylor shook his head and tried to downplay her words. "You can't possibly think they had anything to do with this. They're one of the most respectable private research institutions in the state. Besides, many of our Sentinels come from Blue Cove. It's a good town."
"I hope your disbelief doesn't have anything to do with how much The Centre has given you in personal donations over the years," Jarod said softly. "Like your transatlantic cruise last winter."
"You're out of line," Director Taylor snapped, though a bead of sweat and thread of anxiety rolled down his face.
Eyes widening, Guide Gonzales looked at Director Taylor with betrayal and no small amount of loathing. "You haven't reported any gifts to the council."
"They weren't gifts to our institution from The Centre, they were merely gifts to me from my friend Mr. Lyle," he defended. "And none of this proves that the Centre has any involvement with our missing children. I am familiar with the Centre, but I am not familiar with either of you."
Miss Parker wondered again how she'd agreed to play the good cop here. It was definitely not natural. Leaning forward, she said, "Get a Sentinel in here and you'll know we aren't lying. Help us save those children, Director Taylor."
Giving her a condescending smile, he said, "You're mundane, so you don't understand how this works. Just because you believe your eyewitness is telling the truth doesn't mean he is. For all I know he's just trying to get back at his employer for some perceived slight. My Sentinels can only read your honesty, not his. I need more evidence than that before I do something that could cause such a huge scandal as accusing The Centre of wrongdoing."
Miss Parker's patience snapped. "Your caution could mean those children's sanity if not their deaths. Now is not the time to be overly cautious. You have a responsibility to defend the Tribe and to rescue them. They're just kids."
Director Taylor sent her an ugly frown. "Since no one in this room is a Sentinel, especially not you, don't try manipulating me with defending the Tribe."
Everyone but Jarod jumped when she slammed her fist on the table and then snapped, "I'm not manipulating you, I'm telling you plainly to get your lips off Lyle's ass and do your job as Director to find your people."
The conversation deteriorated after that despite their best attempts. Even with Guide Gonzales' support, Taylor refused to be swayed. "I'm the Director because I'm the most powerful Guide qualified to take the post," Taylor snarled at them.
"And because no one more powerful has ever wanted the job and the council still thinks fondly of your parents. That could change very quickly," Jarod pointed out threateningly.
Taylor sent him a poisonous glare. "I refuse to embroil my SG Center in a scandal. If you can give me better proof, do it. Otherwise, I order all of you to remain silent and not spread slanderous gossip." The Director pushed his command at them with the Guide voice, something only the most powerful of Guides had. It sank into your hindbrain and made you want to obey. At least, it would unless you were powerful enough to fight it off.
"Now get out," he demanded through gritted teeth. Rising to their feet as one, Miss Parker and Jarod left, followed by the ashamed and mentally beaten-down Guide Gonzales. Director Taylor stomped after them to make sure they left.
As they came out onto the balcony with its wall of clear glass, Miss Parker looked out over the still busy lobby. She abruptly stumbled to a stop when she saw a familiar profile down below in between two Sentinels, one an aristocratically-handsome blond and the other green eyed and dark haired. Jarod made it all the way to the steps before he realized she'd stopped. He turned impatiently.
The curly-haired young woman down below somehow felt her gaze and looked up with warm, whiskey-colored eyes. A delighted smile crinkled her freckled face. It really was Hermione, just like Kamiya-Sensei had told her. Not only that, but her supposed cousin was a very strong Guide. Maybe even a witch?
Everything clicked into place as she finally accepted that her dreams had been real. Hermione wouldn't be here otherwise. That meant the advice in them was real too. Jarod had a plan B, but it would take several days to implement, days those missing children might not have. They needed her to protect them. They needed a Sentinel.
Standing on the edge of a metaphorical cliff, Miss Parker grasped tight to the strength and integrity in Hermione's face. Her cousin's eyes widened as if in understanding and then narrowed with determination. Hermione sent her a firm nod of support. Buoyed, Miss Parker took a deep breath.
Then she stopped running, stopped chasing, and stepped off the cliff into the watery abyss long ignored inside her soul, gathering power on her descent. Unbuttoning her plum jacket, she slipped it down her arms and draped it carefully over a nearby chair so it wouldn't wrinkle. Then she turned to face Director Taylor. "I challenge you for leadership of the Dover Sentinel-Guide Center," she proclaimed in a clear, ringing voice.
Everything ground to a halt as all eyes turned to look up at the tableau on the balcony. Remembering the books Sydney had forced her to read the last few weeks, she turned to the crowd to add, "Stay and witness or leave now. As tradition dictates, the doors will lock in two minutes."
Face turning red, Director Taylor sputtered, "Don't be ridiculous! You're a mundane! You can't challenge for the directorship. I'm appointed by the council."
"The council makes appointments when there are no challenges, but challenges were never banned," Jarod pointed out, following her lead. Probably no one else noticed his confusion and irritation at her going off-script.
"He's right," Gonzales pointed out with a bitter look at Director Taylor and an expectant one at Jarod, like she expected him to jump forward as the real challenger at any minute. Jarod was a stronger Guide, but that's not how this would go. "Two minutes to lock-down. Spread the word, Sentinels. Everyone underage or mundane except the challenger is required to leave immediately."
A few people scrambled out of the door, but most of the crowd swarmed out from the surrounding rooms and hallways to gather in the lobby below. Jim and Blair stood near the front. Blair's eyes danced with excitement, though he had his hand clasped over his mouth as if restraining himself from betraying her secret. Despite Director Taylor's continued protests, the Sentinels below closed and locked the doors when the clock struck nine.
"Fine," Taylor seethed, throwing off his jacket and rolling up his sleeves. "If we're going to go through this farce, let's do it. Show me what you've got, show me who you are, mundane. Then I'll put you on your back. You're probably used to that," he gave her a dirty sneer. As insults went, it was pretty weak. She appreciated Jarod's bristling, but she'd soon take care of Taylor.
Dropping his outer shields, she felt Taylor's power pushing at her mentally. "On your knees, mundane!" he ordered. Guide Gonzales reeled from the backlash and dropped into a nearby chair. He obviously expected Parker to be affected, but it only felt like an easily ignored suggestion. Jarod frowned with disapproval, but otherwise didn't budge either.
Touching down at the bottom of her ocean abyss, Miss Parker dug her toes into the sand, crouched, and then flung herself back up into the sky like a reverse shooting star. "My name isn't mundane, my name is Miss Parker," she declared haughtily, dropping all pretenses, including her outermost shields, "I'm not only your superior; I'm an Alpha Sentinel Prime."
Bedlam reigned in the lobby as a giant red octopus appeared in mid-air. "Hatshepsut," Parker called. The octopus swam a loop around the ceiling before swarming down to curl itself above and around Miss Parker's shoulders. The red tentacles blended perfectly with her scarlet blouse and draped to the floor like a stole. Cocking one hand on her hip, Miss Parker looked around regally. "I'm claiming this place and this Pride as mine, mine to lead and mine to protect. I will stand watchman, I will be your Sentinel."
Then she replicated the push from his Guide Voice. "Get down on the floor like the dog you are, Taylor."
"Impossible!" Director Taylor choked, though from the agitated murmuring below he wasn't the only one shocked. "But- but," he gasped out as he fell to the floor on his hands and knees and dropped his head, unable to help himself. A transparent stoat appeared by his side. It took one look at Hattie and flung itself to the ground at their feet in surrender. It looked sickly and thin.
Parker deliberately wasn't looking over at Jarod, though she could see his staggered face from the corner of her eye and one white-knuckled hand clutching the railing. She had to finish this first. "Yield," she demanded, stalking forward to stand in front of Taylor with her scarlet high heels clicking on each step.
"I- I yield," Taylor gasped begrudgingly from the floor. She let up on her mental push. Immediately he sat back on his heels and looked up into her face. "You have Guide-like empathy on top of your five enhanced senses," he whispered, blinking in shock. "I've never felt anyone as powerful as you, never." Then he blinked and got a calculating look in his eyes, "But you'll need a Guide to balance you, to help you control your Sentinel senses, to explain how everything here works. I can be that Guide, Sentinel. You need me."
Miss Parker looked him up and down like something found on the bottom of her shoe. "Perhaps once you might have interested me for all of a second, but not now. A corrupt Guide like you? Someone who values himself above protecting the Tribe? There's nothing you have that I need. Soon your Guide gifts will fail you completely. Leave," she ordered. "If you change your heart and make amends, your gifts will return, but your spirit animal will know the truth. He won't come to you again unless you deserve it."
Hattie picked up the stoat in one tentacle and cuddled it close. Then the two of them disappeared. Taylor flinched and suddenly his mental presence seemed much weaker. Scrambling to his feet, he turned and stumbled down the steps to the nearest door, held open by a stone-faced Jim. As soon as Taylor left the building, Jim locked the door again.
Flushed with success, Parker turned back to the waiting faces below. "Tomorrow morning, we're going to get our kidnapped kids back." The crowd stirred with excitement. "Director Taylor disagreed, so he's gone. No information leaks!" She pushed the command to enforce it. "I want everyone here at five AM. Come rested and ready to kick down the doors to Hell. I need all of you. We're going to hit them so hard, the entire planet is going to flinch before even joking about taking one of my kids again. Clear?"
"Yes, Alpha!" responded the crowd below, almost in unison. It knocked her off balance for a second. She'd led teams before, but nothing like this.
Guide Gonzales stood up hesitantly, drawing her attention. "Alpha Sentinel Parker, you are now Director of the Dover SG Center. I respectfully need to ask, do you require the services of a Guide?"
Now that she'd accepted her status, a lot of instincts were clamoring for her attention. Jarod being a Guide definitely set off most of them. Turning her head to look at him, she carefully answered, "I have someone in mind, but we can discuss that later."
Jarod's lips pressed thin. "Or we can do it now," he said, stalking forward aggressively, forcing her to shift to meet his gaze. Guide Gonzales drifted away, disappointed.
"If we bond, you won't be able to pretend with me." Jarod stopped in front of her to murmur.
"You always call me on it anyways," she said wryly, heart thumping madly in her chest, a combination of anxiety, fear, and desperate hope, "and I'm the only woman in the world who truly understands and knows you. Pretending to be someone else won't work with me either. Besides, you know I only take the best. That's you, unless you plan on running?" She'd prefer not to do this in public, but events had forced her hand.
"If I run, you'll chase, but can you really tell me why?" Jarod demanded darkly. "Is it only habit?"
Fisting her fingers, she tried to push down on the sarcastic retorts rising from her gut. Nevertheless, talking about feelings never came easily. "Habits don't rule me, Jarod. I quit smoking, and that was always a lot more enjoyable than chasing you, even with the ulcer." Jarod blinked, which on anyone else would have been a flinch.
Parker sighed and rubbed her forehead. "Ever since I came Online, my Sentinel has been clamoring to claim you. Even before I came Online, you have to know that I lived for your infuriating phone calls. Your voice has always Guided me, even when neither of us realized why."
Dropping her hand, she met his piercing eyes. "I need you, Jarod. Is that what you want me to say? You'll probably leave me one day, everyone does, but you are the Guide meant for me, my perfect match. You have to feel it like I do. Come on, bond with me." She finished impatiently, pushing down hard on her emotions.
Jarod gave her a pained smile. It made her breath stutter. "I do feel it, Miss Parker. I've always felt the connection between us, ever since the first time we met."
Then his face became intent and very stubborn. She had a feeling she wasn't going to like what he said next. "But if I stop running from you, it's going to be because I love you and intend to stay by your side forever, not because my Guide instincts know that your Sentinel is mine. If we bond, I have a feeling that you'll try to blame it on instincts outside of your control. You'll fight it. You're too stubborn to do otherwise. I love you too much to make us both miserable. I won't trap you against your will. "
"Like I've been trained to do to you?" Parker spat, panicking and reeling from his declaration of love and commitment. She didn't know if she could believe it. She'd never gotten a happily ever after in her life. They weren't meant for people like her.
Furrowing his brow, Jarod gestured pleadingly, "What does your heart say, Miss Parker?"
Dragging in a suddenly soggy breath, she looked away and blinked back tears. "What do you want from me, Jarod?"
"You," he said simply.
Usually at this point she'd say something cynical and leave, shut herself off emotionally and physically. That had always been their story. But Parker hated that life, had in fact hated herself most days.
On the other hand, things were different now. Like the fairytales once read by her mother, the peasant had become a princess, the Parker had become a Sentinel. Could she really make her own story? Could she change the ending this time? She wasn't a Princess, that wasn't her role, but maybe, in this story, she could be the dragon slayer.
Dashing the wetness out of her eyes, she made up her mind. Miss Parker turned to Jarod with a fierce scowl. "Fine! I want you, Jarod. Not the Guide, YOU! The most aggravating, sugar-obsessed, vengeful, crazy, compassionate man I've ever met. I love you."
A joyous smile broke out over Jarod's exultant face. "Marry me, then. Marry me as Jarod and then bond with me as your Guide."
"What?" she asked faintly, eyes widening in shock.
"Marry me first," Jarod repeated. "I know our bonding will be explosive, but I want you to make that choice freely and I want you to see that I'm making that choice for you. Please, Miss Parker. Marry me."
Parker swallowed hard. Of course Jarod knew about her abandonment issues. He had them himself. His accusations about the bonding weren't off either. She had been trying to pretend it was all instinct. Could she choose Jarod, separate from her physical attraction or desperate need for a Guide? Should she risk it?
Looking into his eyes, she felt peace flood her soul along with a curl of excitement. Miss Parker stopped fighting. "Yes."
"Yes?" he breathed.
"Yes," she confirmed with a grin, unable to help herself.
"Yes!" Jarod cheered. "Now?"
Parker shot him an incredulous look. "How?"
"I can do it," called out Blair as he jogged up the staircase trailed by Jim, reminding them of the rapt audience below. "I'm a shaman and totally licensed to marry people. We just need four official witnesses."
Beaming, Jarod leaned over the balcony, "Hermione! Bring Draco up here and come witness your cousin getting married. To me!" Laughter and cheering rocked the lobby as the curly-haired Hermione and her Sentinel made her way upstairs to join them. Jarod continued, "Jim can be three and the pretty Japanese Guide with the bear in the front makes four, if she's willing?"
"Yes!" the Japanese woman cried, scrambling up the stairs with her spirit animal in tow. She looked familiar, but then so did a good chunk of the people in here.
"Thank you," he beamed. "I'm Jarod, nice to meet you."
Bowing, she came up grinning. "Kaoru Wakuda. I'm the first with Guide gifts in my family since my great-grandmother Kamiya." Miss Parker felt herself go pale as she noticed the resemblance to Kamiya-Sensei from the astral plane. Luckily no one noticed her reaction. She wanted to demand answers, but her impending wedding forestalled the impulse.
Blair bounced on his toes. "This is, like, totally amazing guys. Okay, what're everyone's full names for the ceremony?"
Jarod and Miss Parker exchanged a speaking glance. "Our full names?" Miss Parker asked hesitantly, not sure why she felt surprised.
Jarod turned and gave her a sardonic smile. "We never use full names, do we? One more way the Centre keeps us from being whole. Isn't it time we reclaimed ourselves?"
She'd been only Miss Parker for decades, since childhood at the insistence of her father. Suddenly she felt vulnerable. She hated that feeling. "I am Miss Parker and I always will be," she said firmly.
Jarod sighed but gave her an understanding look. "We could get married as just Miss Parker and Jarod. I'm sure Blair doesn't mind. We don't even need to file legal documents if you don't want to, or I can make something up later. I just want you to want to marry me. I want us to share this ceremony together."
Despite his words, she could tell that Jarod cared about this. "I'll marry you, Jarod, but I can tell you're secretly moping. You probably had dreams of fluffy white princess gowns and flower bouquets, accompanied by singing cartoon forest animals."
Jarod grinned. "Don't forget the cake, at least three tiers with lots and lots of sugary frosting."
"You'd make yourself sick," she said indulgently. "I'm not wearing a froufrou princess gown. Ever. To the world, I'll always be Miss Parker, but," she looked deep into Jarod's eyes and let herself be vulnerable, let him see everything, "for my husband, in this moment, I'll be Andrea."
Gasping with emotion, Jarod surged forward and reached for her, about to sweep her up in a kiss. Dodging his touch, she held up her hand, "Wait, Jarod."
Jarod pulled back in confusion and hurt. "Why?"
Shaking slightly, Miss Parker laughed self-deprecatingly. "We never touch, Jarod. I've memorized your scent and the curve of your spine. My dreams are drenched with the sound of your voice. But the touch and taste of your skin is suddenly just beyond my fingertips like low-hanging fruit. Once I touch you, I don't think I'll be able to stop devouring all of you. I'm going to make a meal out of you," jerking her ravenous thoughts to a stand-still, she growled and forced herself to clench her fists down by her side to avoid temptation. "I'm all for marathon sex-bonding, but you said you wanted to get married first and I'm trying really hard to respect that."
Dropping his head, a red-faced Jarod gave a breathy laugh. "I feel like I must be dreaming. First you say you love me and now you say you want my body and you respect me. Watch out, Miss Parker. All these compliments are really swelling my head."
"That's okay, Jarod. I have plans for your swelled head. Naked plans," Miss Parker purred, flicking a glance down his body and licking her lips. Although his cheeks blazed even a brighter red, Jarod took a heavy breath and sent her a look that smoldered. She could feel his rising want and it matched her own.
"I'm starting to have some naked plans of my own with all of this sexual tension you're projecting," Blair interrupted candidly. "Let's do the wedding ceremony now so we can all go find a private room. I just need the name you want to use, Jarod."
Swallowing hard, Jarod ripped his eyes away to look at Blair. "Jarod Weiss. Please."
"Excellent," Blair clapped of his hands. "Shall we start?"
"Wait, you need rings," Hermione insisted, stepping forward and pressing two simple gold bands into Jarod's palm. Placing a kiss on his cheek, she stepped back with a grin and curled against her Sentinel's side.
Stepping up next to each other in front of Blair, Miss Parker barely resisted the urge to curl her fingers into Jarod's hand. However, she wasn't kidding about her control. One touch of his skin, especially with her Sentinel senses active, and her fragile control would snap. She wanted to give him this and, she admitted privately, she wanted this ceremony for herself.
Hattie appeared up on the reception desk in the back with a raven perched on her head. Both spirit animals looked excited by the proceedings. A menagerie of other spirit animals, including Hermione's dolphin and Kaoru Wakuda's black bear, crouched nearby watching happily.
Grinning, Blair pushed a curl behind his ear and began. "All life is interconnected. Sometimes, those connections are blessed with love. Choosing to publically recognize and nurture that love with a permanent bond is a sacred and serious action. Together we are more vulnerable, but in that vulnerable state we open ourselves to the greatest happiness. There is nothing more glorious in this life than to love and be loved. We are here to celebrate that choice by binding Miss Parker and Jarod in most holy marriage. This double bond of Sentinel and Guide, woman and man, will sustain you through good times and bad. Trust in your hearts and be true to each other, never stop talking, keep your partner at the center of your life, and keep your well of patience and forgiveness always overflowing. Hold onto the truth of your love and your lives will be blessed."
Blinking back tears, Miss Parker looked over and saw that Jarod's eyes were also wet as he gazed at her with open love. She gave him a wobbly smile as Blair said a few more words and then asked, "Andrea Parker, do you freely bind yourself in marriage to this man, to this Guide?"
"Yes," she declared fiercely, grateful and unashamed by the depths of her love and wanting Jarod to know it.
"Jarod Weiss, do you freely bind yourself in marriage to this woman, to this Sentinel?"
Swallowing hard, two tears trickled down Jarod's cheeks as he nodded. "Yes. No more running away. We've caught each other. From now on, we'll chase happiness together."
"Well, happiness and truth and retribution, because let's be honest with ourselves here," she added, wiping away her tears as they both chuckled, "but yes, together from now on."
Jarod's grin felt blinding. She barely kept herself from zoning on the beloved planes of his face and the ecstatic beat of his heart. If she could bottle the jubilant scent wafting from his skin, she'd make a fortune. Basking in their happiness, Blair directed, "Place the rings on each other's fingers as a reminder of your love and connection."
"I love you," Jarod vowed as he carefully slid the ring onto her finger without brushing against her skin.
Then he placed his ring in her palm. It felt warm from his body heat. Picking it up, she kissed the ring, imbuing it with her promise, and then slid it just as carefully onto his finger. Meeting his wet eyes, she projected her feelings and said, "I love you." Jarod's answering swell of devotion almost knocked her off her feet.
Voice wavering, Blair finished, "I now pronounce you wife and husband and witness the truth and rightness of your pairing. May all your days be blessed, as those who are privileged to be gathered here as witnesses are blessed."
The room reverberated with clapping and shouts of joy as Jarod reached out and finally pulled Parker into his arms. Their lips met in a long-anticipated kiss. It felt sweet. It felt like home, like love should.
Then the taste and feel of Jarod's lips exploded across her senses, knocking her sideways. If felt like going from black and white fuzz to the inside of a kaleidoscope of rainbow shards. Her senses zoomed in and out, all focused on the man, the Guide in her arms. She trembled, feeling wildly out of control and afraid.
Then Jarod was there. He slipped inside her shields. He guided her back to safety, locking the new colors into shapes that she could process, stabilizing her in ways she hadn't realized were in danger of collapse.
But as deep as he was, she could feel Jarod's own need for shelter, for protection from the mental press of the world. He had a painful, empty place in his mind begging for his Sentinel to fill it, aching for her. Licking into Jarod's mouth, she slid her hands into his hair and encircled him with layer upon layer of protective mental shielding. No one would ever hurt him again. Not if she could help it.
Almost whimpering in response, Jarod pulled her leg up around his waist and ground against her as he sucked down her neck, leaving a mark. Distantly she heard someone shout, "They're projecting all over the place!" But she no longer cared about anything but the man in her arms.
Fisting her hands into his hair, Parker lost herself to instinct, ripping his head back until his black-dilated eyes met hers. "Mine!" she snarled. "My Guide!"
"Yours, Sentinel. Your husband, your Guide," Jarod gasped out as he leaned into her body despite her painful grip on his hair.
"Mine," she purred, dropping her hands to rip his shirt down the middle, sending buttons flying. The black cloth delectably framed his golden skin. Gripping his wrists hard to keep them down by his sides, she leaned over and licked him from the silky patch of hair trailing just below his belly button, up across his muscled chest, along the column of his throat, and over to his chin, ending with a hint of teeth. Jarod shuddered and whimpered with want, twisting against her grip. Her Guide tasted delicious.
She needed to taste all of him, had to know every single inch with no time to waste. The bond wouldn't be complete otherwise, not until she immersed her senses in his body and mind. Nothing else mattered but claiming her Guide.
From the corner of her eye she saw other figures intertwining together and dropping to the floor, but it paled in importance to getting her Guide naked and completing their bond. Sliding her hands across his shoulders, she stripped his shirt and jacket off his hands and then rode him to the floor. Rational thought was gone as she devoured his mouth, unlatched his belt, and ripped his pants off.
Time jumped unevenly as she touched and tasted him everywhere, running her fingers across every freckle and scar, tasting every shadowed hollow and curve, watching and inhaling and listening to the sounds dripping from his lips, memorizing her Guide with every sense she could. At some point she lost her own clothes. The feel of their naked skin pressing together in similitude of the press of their minds almost broke her. Settling astride his lap, she shuddered as Jarod completely intertwined their mental shields and simultaneously pushed himself inside her core both physically and mentally to complete their bond. Drenched with sweat and decades of desire finally fulfilled, they quickly rocked to a shattering climax.
When Miss Parker finally came back to herself, she found herself lying on Jarod's chest. The beat of his heart not only sounded in her ears but vibrated through her body. It felt so good she didn't want to open her eyes, even with the hard floor and potential for rug burn. Running his fingers through her hair with pleased possessiveness, she felt Jarod's chuckle start a second before air puffed across her face.
"What are you laughing at?" she griped, not wanting to move from her comfy position.
"You projected so strongly you set off an orgy," Jarod whispered gleefully.
Eyes popping open, she leaned up and looked around at the other naked Sentinels and Guides intertwined on every flat surface. There were a lot of very attractive people in here. Even Kamiya-Sensei's great-granddaughter had ended up wrapped around Hermione's dark-haired Sentinel friend.
Miss Parker couldn't help but giggle. Jarod's smile widened. "It wasn't just me projecting," she purred, dropping a kiss on his lips. "OUR bonding set off an orgy."
Jarod wagged his eyebrows and asked, "Wanna do it again? If you're not too tired, of course."
"Too tired? I think that's a challenge," she said with her tongue tucked into the corner of her mouth teasingly. "Time to test your stamina, lab rat. You are getting old. Do your best, as I'll be taking copious notes."
Taking her by surprise, Jarod flipped her onto her back. "Yes, ma'am. I intend to ace this test, though if I don't, I trust you'll give me lots and lots of private tutoring." Laughing delightedly into his mouth, she lost herself in rounds two and then a pleasantly surprising three. Finally the late hour, the rug burn in every sensitive place, and the movement of others got them up and dressed. A blissed out Blair and Jim drove the newly bonded pair back to the hotel, where they snatched a few hours of sleep.
TO BE CONTINUED