The Awakening: A Witch-Vampire Romance: Feel the Heat. (11 page)

I h
old up my hand and stop him there.

“Were?”

“Yes, sorry, I just assumed you knew. Our father was killed in an accident before we were born. At least they called it an accident. His family hated him for not conforming to their ways. So I have always doubted the accident story. Anyway, I was raised knowing nothing different. I started to help them steal from Norms at a young age. It wasn’t until I came into my maturity and my powers manifested that they started hounding me to do horrid things. Things that make me want to retch just thinking about it. When I refused, they kicked me out. All I had was a few items that were special to me. My bike, a picture of our mother and father, and my talisman,” he says as he lifts the talisman from underneath his shirt. It is a long, roped, silver chain with a huge jade chunk wrapped in an opal braid at the end.

Beautiful
,
I think, and then focus on what he’d just said.

“You have a photo of our parents?”
Hope doesn’t even describe the feeling floating inside my head and heart.

“Yes. Would you like to
see? Stupid. Of course you do.” He pulls it from his wallet and hands it to me.

I
see where my life sprang from for the first time. Our mother was a blonde with jade green eyes, a willowy figure, and a smile so sweet it made you want to weep. Our father was as dark as our mother was light. With raven black hair and eyes, at least six foot two inches tall, and a bulky build. They looked very much in love in the photo, wrapped in each other’s arms as if they couldn’t be separated by anything. Gavin and I are a perfect mix of them both. I look up at him with tears in my eyes as I hand the photo to Jaxx. “Thank you for that. You have no idea what it means to finally see them. When did you find our mother’s letter?”

“Not long before I left the hell I grew up in behind. Have you always had yours?”

“No, I got mine from my adopted uncle after my parentals kicked me out for being a dark and satanic soul, so just a couple of days ago.”

He looks
bewildered at my statement, but I leave the explanations for another time. Jaxx hands the photo back to Gavin and he promises to have a copy made for me.

“So now that the mushy mush
is done,” Seb begins.

I actually almost forgot he was here. He blend
s in. It is kind of creepy, to tell you the truth.

“I hear Ella has some questions for me. As
I expected since she was raised by Norms and she just found herself to be a True blood last night. I must say, dear, you are taking everything remarkably well,” he raises a dark eyebrow at me.

“Yes, well, y
ou either adapt or you drown.” That is the only answer I have for him.

“So get to it. What are your questions? After the explanations we can talk about your training.”
He waves a hand at me as if he is a King addressing his court.

“I’
ve gotten the basics from Jaxx. I know that our people are hunted. I know that we have always been around. Sometimes we are more open with ourselves than others of our kind, but what I want to know is why I feel drained when I’m separated from Jaxx.  Also why did I start seeing my powers develop at the age of five when I’m told that they don’t come until you are eighteen at the least? And I want to know the history of our people. I want to know
everything
.”

“Now that’s a tall order
, but first things first. What do you mean that you started experiencing your powers at five,” Sebastian looks astonished by this.

“My adoptive parents tried to have me
exorcised of demons when I was five because I threw a tantrum. When I lost my temper because I didn’t get my way, my eyes glowed and the tables shook all over the house. The Priest they took me to laughed at them and told them that I was a normal little girl, but I have always known that I am different. So I hid myself, and pretended to be docile and calm at all times. I didn’t want to end up in a lab somewhere.”

“Hmmm well that
is different,” Seb replies, as he mulls over everything that I said.

I t
ake the momentary lack in conversation to snuggle into Jaxx and lay my head on his shoulder. I really am wiped from everything that had occurred earlier in the day.

“I don’t have the slightest
idea why your powers came on so early child, but it may be because of how you were treated by the people who were supposed to love and protect you. Perhaps it was a defensive result to the trauma.”

What he sa
ys makes sense to me. I shrug and snuggle deeper into the couch with a yawn.

Jaxx st
ands and pulls me off the couch with him. He looks around the room.

“I think she needs food to refuel.”

“I think we could all use a nip,” Seb chuckles at his own joke.

I laugh
too. It is wonderful that he is so comfortable with himself. I turn to him and ask what other kinds of sups there are in the world.

“Vampires, werewolves, and witches! Oh my
,” Seb jokes.

I
shake my head, getting the point. If I exist, why not?

“What are you going to have for dinner
, Seb? I’m sorry if that was rude,” I ask him almost meekly.

“I am
going to dine on a lovely blood bag, unless there are any of you that are offering something warm?” He winks at me.

Jaxx pulls
me closer at his words.

“No n
ibbling on my girl,” he laughs halfheartedly.

“Why not?
I’m using him to answer my questions and to help me play catch up. It is the least I can do,” I reply.

Gavin and Jaxx look
mildly revolted at my volunteering to donate blood to Seb.

“Ella
, I don’t think you know what you are asking for. It is not like the many vamp romance novels floating around out there. Unless they are feeding off of their chosen mate, it is a very painful experience,” his voice is full of warning.

“I figured sharp teeth sinking in wouldn’t feel
all that good, Jaxx.” I lift my chin stubbornly.

Seb might be a pain in my ass thinking
I was a new toy to figure out, but he had helped. I always repaid my favors.

Always.

I shrug Jaxx off and
walk over to where Seb was watching us, leaning against the kitchen counter. I pull up the loose sleeve of my tunic and offer him the bend of my elbow. He looks at me like he hasn’t ever seen anything quite like me before, but in a lightening quick movement, he grabs my arm and sinks his teeth into my tender skin at the bend of my elbow.

I stifle a scream of surprise. The pain
is horrid, but bearable. I stiffen as he starts to suckle. Jaxx comes up behind me and wraps his arms around my waist. I lean my head back on his shoulder, never taking my eyes off of Seb. It is over within minutes.

As he releases
my arm, he licks the lacerations and I watch as they close instantly.

“My thanks, Ella, i
t’s very rare to have someone offer me what you just have,” he tells me with reverence in his voice

I shrug
once again. Not blowing off his thanks, just not playing that much into it.

“It’s fair. You helped me by answering some of my questions. You brought me my brother. And I’m assuming you are offering to become my teacher in the near future.”

“All true.”

With that, Seb bows at the waist towards me and leaves the kitchen. Jaxx and I turn to our sandwiches that Gavin had been making for us while I assisted Seb with his dinner.

“Thank you for that, Ella
. No one has shown Seb much kindness in our world in a very long time.”

“Except for you,
” I say with a smile as Jaxx brushes my lips lightly with his. I glance over and notice that Gavin is already devouring his third ham and cheese sandwich.

“How are you related
to Seb? I know he’s your uncle, but he is a Vampire.”

“He
is very old, little raven. I’m talking over a thousand years old. He took me in after my parents were taken from me,” he tells me with sadness in his voice.

“So
was he turned or born into Vampirism? Was it voluntary?”

“That
is his story to tell. Now let’s eat before your new-found brother devours our food as well as his.”

I watch
as Gavin freezes mid reach for another sandwich.

.
“Sorry,” he says around the food in his mouth.

“I
t’s all good,” Jaxx laughs.

“There is plenty of food man. Eat what you want. You’re family.”

Gavin looks
startled at that, but I just smile and grab a sandwich and another soda from the counter.

“So I think I know why we were drained when we were away
from each other,” Jaxx declares.

“It’s the mating bond.”

I look at him quizzically as I chew my own sandwich.

So he explains.

“When we meet our other half we start to go through the mating bond. We are drawn to the other, as we already know. Until the union is consummated it will continue to drain us when we are separated.”

I blush scarlet when he
says the word consummated. I’m not a prude by any means. He makes me flush when he kisses or holds me, but my brother is in the room.
Sheesh!

Gavin busts
up laughing at the look on my face and Jaxx gives me an apologetic shrug.

“So let me get this straight. If I want to go shopping with Jessa anytime soon
, I’m going to be a walking zombie the whole trip unless we…ummm…Make love soon?”

“There are ways around that. I know you want to wait. I can feel it coming off of you in vibes. We just sleep in the same bed, hold each other, and hope that it’s an able substitute
,” he rushes to explain.

Jaxx pull
s me into him once again.

I know he is ready. But I am just not there yet.
Ugh.

“I need to call my uncle and explain to him that I am staying with Jessa again. He isn’t going to be happy with everything that went down today at the school.” I scrunch up my face at the thought of that conversation.

“But Gavin is staying here with us, right?” I ask Jaxx to change the subject. I assume that wherever we stay it will be together. I want Gavin with me too, I have just found him. I am determined to keep him close.

“You don’t have to
do that. I can get a room in town,” Gavin intercedes.

“Bullshit
.You are staying with me. And that is that,” I tell Gavin in a surly tone.

He smiles
at that. I can tell that he has felt alone for far too long.

“I can’t wait for you to meet Jessa and Devon
,” I say out of the blue.

Jaxx groans
out a laugh at that and Gavin looks confused.

So I explain
who they are.

“Jessa and Devon are my besties. We have been close since we were in middle school. Devon’s gay, but everyone totally supports his choices. Jessa is blunt and brash and looks like a mini Marilyn Monroe. She’s just going to LOVE you.” I catch the look on his face at being so readily accepted into my rad tag family. It makes me sad that he has had it far worse than even I have.

Jaxx
is pretty much rolling at the thought of Jessa getting her hooks into Gavin. He seems a little shy. She is going to have a field day with him.

“They are
Norms,” he asks.

“Yes, I grew up in a norm household. They are the only family I have ever had up until now
. Besides my adopted mom’s brother, but my wilted childhood is a story for another day. I don’t like to talk about them. They are dead to me now and that’s where they can stay.”

Gavin just nod
s. I know he understands where I am coming from with the freaks he was raised with.

I g
et up from the table and take everyone’s plates to the sink. I step into the front room and fetch my phone while Jaxx and Gavin are gabbing about lord knows what. I dig my phone out and notice that I have about a million missed calls and texts from Jessa and Devon. I shoot both of them a text telling them that I am fine, staying with Jaxx for the night and I would catch them on the morrow.

I
walk back into the kitchen with my phone still out and catch Jaxx and Gavin washing dishes together. I just can’t let this one go. I hold up my phone and start snapping pics. Jaxx looks over his shoulder and smiles at me at the same time Gavin scowls.

“Don’t worry
, boys. There is nothing sexier than men being all domesticated,” I chuckle as they get back to it.

Seb
walks into the kitchen about the time that the guys finish with the cleanup.

“Well ladies and g
ents, I’m thinking it’s time we talk about something that Ella is NOT going to be happy about,” he says, taking my hand and kissing my wrist while looking into my widened eyes.