Truth in Legends [Part Three of the Thicker than Blood Series] (3 page)

For a moment or two, I eased in and out of consciousness.  If Alex's weight wasn't holding me grounded to the bed, I knew I would have floated away.

Alex nibbled on my neck softly as our breathing and pulse came back down to normal.  Even with his weight on me and him still being inside, I felt myself start to drift to sleep... until I felt him expand and harden in my depths. 

“Forgive me.  I cannot get enough of you,” he groaned below the shell of my ear and sank his teeth into me.  We made love twice more before I was able to find sleep.

Much earlier than I would have preferred, the sun peeking through the heavy drapes in Alex's bedroom woke me.  I sighed and turned the other way, my hand seeking Alex.  He was not in bed but I could feel warmth in the sheets where he had been just moments before.  I propped myself up on my elbows, looking around the room.  I considered putting on Alex's shirt and nothing else, but I was positive it wouldn't fit me anyway.  The vision of Chris Farley doing his 'fat guy in a little coat' came to mind and I giggled at myself.  I dressed in my clothes from the day before and went down the hall to find Alex.

I spied him in the kitchen, his back turned to me.  He was wearing jeans and nothing else.  Alex was sexy as hell.  His back muscles flexed with every twist of his body.  I leaned against the doorway, watching him for a moment until I saw what he was doing.  The mighty fallen angel was making waffles.  I busted out in laughter.

He turned and smiled, looking at me quizzically.  “What is it?”

“Vlad Dracula making waffles.”  I giggled more. 
I'd like to see that on the History channel.

Alex laughed.  “Did you sleep okay?”

I pulled myself up to sit on the granite counter-top next to where he was working.  “Yeah, what sleep I
did
get,” I said coyly.

“I told you that we'd be up until dawn.  You're lucky I let you have any sleep at all,” he said with an evil smile.  “Would you like some coffee or tea?”

I nodded.  “Please.  Coffee.”

Alex picked up a mug from the other side of his work station and handed it to me.  It was already filled – whipped cream on top.  “Splash of cream and two sugars?”

It was exactly how I liked my coffee at home.  “Thank you.”  I took the mug from him and smiled.  “That's creepy, stalker.”

He chuckled.  “Go have a seat at the dining table and I'll bring you breakfast.”

“Okay,” I said, hopping off of the counter.  When I found the dining table, I was shocked to see that he had already set it and had included a bunch of white and pink roses in a crystal vase.  I seated myself at the head of the table farthest away from the window.  Alex soon joined me.

“This is so beautiful,” I remarked as he placed two waffles in my plate.  “Thank you.”

“I thought it would only be proper for me to feed you since you fed me so much last night.”

“Yeah,” I said as my cheeks reddened lightly.  “About that, do you take a lot of blood when you bite?  It didn't seem like it.”

Alex seated himself adjacent to me.  “No, usually only a mouth full.”  He placed a napkin in his lap and looked up at me.  “Why, did I hurt you?”

I shook my head.  “Oh, no.  I was just curious.”  I finished putting butter and syrup on my breakfast and waited for him to finish as well.

He noticed I wasn't eating and smiled.  “My dear, you don't have to wait for me.  Please eat.  You must be starving.”

I smiled.  I sorta was... no, scratch that.  I was starving, no sorta about it.  I cut into my first bite and noticed the clock in the living room.  It was 9:30 a.m.  I would have to get home and a nap soon for my shift later.  I felt somewhat like Cinderella.  In a few hours, the spell would be broken and I'd return to my boring old life.

“When you first kissed me... you told me to forget that it happened,” I said as the event came to my head.  “What was that about?”

Alex sipped from his coffee and sat the mug down.  “I was trying to compel you.”

“Compel?”

“Yes.  Archangels, fallen archangels and demons can... convince humans of things.  Make them forget... make them remember something that didn't happen.  Although, I'm unclear as to why it didn't work on you.”

I stared.  “There was a cop that came into the ER after we had a man come in that had been bitten.  He tried to tell me that the patient wasn't bitten and that he was never there.”

Alex nodded.  “I know.  I was talking with some others about that incident when you called me, demanding me for answers.”  He chuckled.

“Who was that cop?”

“I'm not sure.  He must have known the one that bit the victim and was trying to protect his or her identity.

I swirled a bit of waffle around the remaining syrup on my plate.  “Dammit, Alex.  You're supposed to have answers for me,” I teased.

He smiled, warmth radiating from his eyes.

I returned the smile and looked back down to my plate.  I could feel myself falling for him.  I knew I shouldn't... he was possessive, powerful and capable of such terrible things... but I couldn't help it.  I took another bite of waffle.

The heavy, oak, front door suddenly exploded into a thousand splinters, my head throbbed from the shock wave.  I screamed and ducked down below the table, covering my head as tiny wooden missiles whizzed by us.

“Azariah!” A big male voice boomed almost as loud as the exploding door.

Terrified, I peeked over the table through the thick dust to see a massive angel standing at the entrance to Alex's home.  He was magnificent, even in his rage.  His wings were impossibly white which was in sharp contrast to the red cloak around his neck.  He was wearing some type of roman-looking armor and held a long sword.  Any time earlier, I would have thought the guy was wearing an elaborate costume but I knew better.  This guy had just kicked the English Oak door into a million pieces as if it was a potato chip.

“Jeremiel,” Alex said calmly, brushing bits from his chest.

I stared.  This was another archangel, one of the angels that Alex had mentioned earlier.  I looked at Alex and then back to the angel. 

“Where is she, Azariah?” Jeremiel roared in anger. 
Did he mean me?
  As the dust settled around us, I was able to see him much better. Standing there, radiating an almost gold light..., “Matt?”  My jaw hit the floor.

Both angels looked at me.  Confusion and then anger rose to Alex's face.  He looked back to Matt, his eyes going black almost instantaneously.  “
You
are Matt? 
YOU
... were the one warning her against me?”

I rose, still staring at the man I thought I knew.  His eyes were a cerulean maelstrom of emotion focused on me, but his demeanor softened under my gaze.

“That explains why I couldn't compel her,” Alex concluded, shaking his head.  “You already beat me to it.”

I gasped.  “M... Matt... what is he talking about?”

The anger in Matt's eyes switched to fear for a brief moment and then back to anger as he turned his attention to Alex. 

“Matt, did you compel me?”

He ignored my questions as his eyes scanned over the fallen angel and he did the same to me.  “Did you sleep with...,” he started but didn't finish. 

“My
once
good friend, that is none of your concern,” Alex said smugly.

“It is my concern!  Michael sent me to protect her.”  When Matt looked at me, color rose to my cheeks, giving him the confirmation he didn't want.  Anger raged once more.  “You should be burning in the pits of Hades with Lucifer,” Matt hissed.

“Michael...,” I heard myself say.  Why did the archangels want me protected?  My hand gripped the mahogany table for support as my head began to swim from overload.

“Kenna, what are you doing!  Do you know what a monster he is?”  Matt shouted at me, pointing at Alex.  “He's a blood thirsty monster!”

“I've told her everything, Jeremiel,” Alex said calmly.

Matt blinked at me.  “You... know?”

What could I say?  I stared back, my mouth opening slightly.

“You know and you still...,” Matt trailed off.  His body began trembling with anger; his expression bordering on disgust.  “I should have compelled you to avoid him!”

Where did he get off saying such a thing?  I wasn't some pawn to be pushed around the board.  “What
have
you compelled me to do, Matt?”  It was my turn to get angry.

“It doesn't matter.”  His wings faded, leaving him to look like a hot extra from the set of Troy.

“Like hell.  Tell me now!”

Matt's shocking blue eyes stared into mine and I saw despair replace anger.  He sighed.  “I won't tell you but I will undo it.”  He strode forward hesitantly, stared at me for a moment and then placed his hand on my cheek.  Suddenly, I saw it all.  Visions of Matt and I having sex where held me tenderly and told me that he loved me afterwards.  The times he told me he loved me before he left my house.  The first night we had sex... he told me he was falling in love with me.  The last night we were together, he told me he loved me and that he had to leave because he could no longer stand just being friends.  I gasped.

“What did you do, Jeremiel,” Alex demanded, crossing his arms over his chest.

“That's between Kenna and I.” Matt stared down at me.  “I'm so sorry,” he whispered as a tear rolled down his cheek that Alex couldn't see.

My heart was thundering in my chest.  “Matt... you should have let me remember that.  Why didn't you?”

“Because I couldn't.  I was to be just an ordinary man to you.”

I wanted to laugh.  The thought of Matt ever being ordinary was humorous... but instead, I stared.  “Why?” 

Alex came to stand next to me.  The expression on his face said, 'this should be good'.

Matt sighed.  He turned, placing the huge sword against a wooden beam near to the shattered front door and approached Alex and I.  “Michael sent me to protect you and in order to do that, I had to gain your trust.  I needed to be your friend.”

“Micheael?” Alex asked.

Matt glared at Alex, malice seething from his eyes.  “Yes.  Our Father put Michael in charge of the archangels.”

“Why did... Michael want me protected?” 
Was I really having this conversation?

“Because of what your blood contains.  Michael told me to watch over you, gain your trust and become your friend.”

“My blood...,”  this was so overwhelming.  I went back into the living room and the angels followed.  I rounded the sofa and sat down.  Matt sat in the chair across from me and stared.  He spoke when I looked at him.

“I'm sorry.  I wanted to tell you, but I was under strict orders.”

“What does my blood contain, Matt?”

Matt glanced at Alex and then back to me.  “There was a reason I told you to stay away from him.  I should have explained then but I was too angry with myself that he found you.”

I looked at Alex and he shrugged.  “What's the reason?”

“The blood that runs in your veins is that of...,” Matt started then paused to look at Alex.  “Ilona.”

Alex sat down on the end of the sofa, his eyes as large as saucers.  “That's not... possible.”

“Ilona's son, Peter.”  Matt responded.

“He lived?”