Forbidden (Book One)

Finally Home

    It's been a long weekend after seeing the victim, they burred here yesterday so I can't relive that smell. "Still thinking about that Nun?" I peer up at Kayla, Bruce's youngest child. My sister now and forever. She hands me a cup of coffee, and takes a seat on the couch next to me, peering out into the woods with me, as she sips her morning brew. "I just can't seem to shake it. I mean I know it's not Lio, but still, I don't trust those on the council to keep my location a secrete, that's why I cut ties with them, that's why I mask myself with you guys, they know better then to go near a wolf." Kayla chuckles a bit as I take a sip of coffee, not too bitter, and not too sweet, perfect. "Yeah, but Reya, you're safe here, and dad said it himself, he hasn't picked up the smell you brought home, nor have Auntie Crystal and Uncle Takan. So maybe they moved on." I nod, taking another gulp. "Yeah, maybe. I just hope he's not adding other Purebloods to that cult of his, that just spells trouble." "I don't think this girl is part of that. I mean those vampires practically worships your brother. Why would she have to throw off the humans herself? It seems to me she was trying to put the blame on your brother, not thinking the Hunter's would have another pureblood analyze the body." I shrug, "she wanted Jason to do it, but he's MIA." Kayla sighs, I'm sure she misses her brother, especially when it came to keeping Jakob in line. 

    "Could you two be any louder in the morning?" Speaking of Jakob. "It's ten." "So?" I roll my eyes as he stretches, wearing nothing but a pair of shorts. His body was perfect, but he isn't my type. "Could you at least put on a shirt?" He scoffs, "why? Not like we have a guest over or something." He climbs into the LazyBoy and leans back, letting the sun hit his chest.  Jakob is what we like to call the "bad boy" type. A total heart breaker when it comes to the local High School. However, he's been banned from bringing girls home, the last time he did I had ran out of my pills, and I was starving. It almost didn't end well. Still, he has a pretty large set of notches in his belt. We all wait for the day he finds a mate so it stops. Kayla thinks he acts out because he wont be alpha, and will have to follow Jason everywhere. "Jake?" He looks at me with one eye, it's dark blue color shining in the sunlight. "You haven't heard anything from Jason, have you?" He smirks, his white teeth peaking out of his lips. "No, Mr. perfect hasn't given so much as a call, to me, Kayla, or Dad." I sink back, sighing. "I thought so." "He'll come around. Just give him time to think. Besides, take it in. I haven't been smacked upside the head since he left." I go to speak but then the front door opens, and my body gets hit with a very warm smell. Jason. Kayla and Jakob smell him too, both of them up now. "Anyone home?" Echo's from downstairs, his voice honey in my ears. "Upstairs!" Kayla calls back, returning to her seat as Jason climbs up the steps. He looked different somehow, more muscle maybe? 

    Kayla is the first to hug her older brother. "Sup Kay, Jake, Rey." Rey? He hasn't called me that since we were kids. "Where's dad?" "Work, Alison is at a study session, Crystal is at work too, and Takan is hunting." Alison is our cousin, Crystal is Bruce's sister, and Takan is her husband, they make the pack complete. Jason looks at me and then smiles, oh how I missed that smile. "Cool." He takes a seat on the couch, glancing at me from time to time. "So, Rey, how's the college course going?" I shrug, "most of the time I get to listen to Rachele Anders give some sort of presentation on the creatures of Alfia, this week she did Vampires, and I ended up getting a small dismissal for scaring her and the rest of the class. So I'm stuck at home for a while." "Damn, I bet you scaring Rachele was pretty cool though." I chuckle, "she deserved it for singling me out the whole time." He laughs, and stares into my eyes. It felt nice, different even. Is he accepting my feelings for him? He suddenly stands faster than he sat. "Rey? Can we talk?" I nod, setting my cup down on the coffee table. Taking his lead down the stairs and out into the woods. The cool morning air feels nice against my ice skin. Fall is coming, the trees already tease us with their changing colors. "I took the time away to think about what you told me. About how you feel for me." Here we go, rejection. 

    "I want you to know that since the day you walked into this house, I have felt protective of you. At first I couldn't explain it. I placed it under alpha instincts, the an urge to protect family. As I feel protective of Kayla, however I realized it wasn't the same. It was a different urge, a different kind of protection." "And what made you notice the difference Jason?" He chuckles. "Remember your junior year of Highschool?" I nod, "yeah, you were a senior." He nods, "well, I saw Toby Caliber trying to ask you out to prom. And, I don't know, I felt this anger towards him, but I couldn't understand why." I chuckle softly. "You were jealous of Toby?" He laughs, "yeah, it sounds better in your head. But, I have realized now that, I feel a connection to you Rey, and I share your feelings." I feel my heart pound softly in my chest.  "Really?" He smiles, pulling me in softly. "Yes, I feel a bond with you I've never felt before Rey, and I promise to keep you safe, even when it feels like you're alone I will be there." All I could do was smile. Suddenly a black Cadillac pulls into the driveway. And the familiar mixture of human and witch hits my nose. Amanda Jack, and John. The team of hunters who placed me here. 

    Jason gently lets me go, greeting them. "Amanda, Jack, John, nice to see you." "Welcome back Jason, wasn't sure when we would be seeing you again." Amanda looks at me. "Rey, I need you again." I growl softly. "I thought we agreed Friday was it." She sighs, "I know, but the council is being a pain in my ass. They want a venom sample from you." I step back slightly. "What? Are they saying I did this?" Jason looks at me confused, stepping between me and the hunters, should things get ugly. "What is she talking about Rey?" I scoff, "A nun was murdered at the old cathedral down on Maple. She had me identify the fang marks, it's a Pureblood female." "Reya would nev-" Amanda cuts him off. "I am aware that she has never killed before Jason, and I am not saying it is her. But, the hunter council wants a sample from all Purebloods in the area, and that includes her." I sigh softly. "Fine." We go inside where the boys place down a case full of tubes. They strap a balloon to the top of one, instructing me to bite into it with my fangs. They do the same to snakes for venom.  Jason watches as silver liquid drips from my fangs, filling the tube halfway before they stop. "I'm sorry about this Reya, but the Vampire Council has no idea about this, so you're still safe. I know it wasn't you, but we have to be sure." 

    "It's fine Amanda." They leave without another word, Alison walks in not long after. "Hunters were here again I see." I groan, trying to rinse the taste of venom out of my mouth. "My mom or dad home yet?" I shake my head. "No Al, your mom's still at the solon and your dad hasn't come back from hunting. I don't know why." She shrugs and heads upstairs, her light purple hair bouncing with her body. Nothing like having three teenagers in a house. They keep to themselves.  Crystal's scent hits me as the door opens, the smell of hair dye and burnt hair coating her skin. "Oh lord, I thought I would never get out of there." She hangs her coat, smoothing out her dark brown hair. "Jason! You're home!" She gives him a huge hug, and all he can do is laugh. "Hey Auntie." "Oh lord, I gotta tell Takan, we just have to make something special for you. Is he here? I don't smell him, Bruce either." I shake my head. "No, they haven't come home yet." She sighs. "Is Alice home?" I nod, "yeah, she got home like five minutes ago, she went up to her room." Crystal runs up the stairs, taking her scent with her. 

    Jason takes a seat next to me, taking my hand. "Are you sure you're alright? I mean, I can't imagine how embarrassing that must have been for you." I nod, swallowing hard. "I'm fine. What worries me the most is someone else picking up my scent from that tube. The Pureblood council may say they are on the side of humans, but I don't trust them to not inform my brother of my presence." I sigh, and stand from my seat almost a little too fast, beginning to pace around the room. "Plus it's this new scent. What if Lio has another Pureblood on his side? What if he's using her as a diversion? Someone to lead the hunters away from the cult. While she feeds and lurers them to her, Lio and his crew can do something much worse. Plus, if this gets worse, they'll have to ask the wolves for help." He takes me by the shoulders stopping me in my tracks, I look up at him taking a deep breath. "What if this other Pureblood is his mate. That would make this so much worse." He peers at me, confused. "Wouldn't that be a good thing? Him having a mate?" I shake my head. "It's bad enough the cult sees my brother as a king, but adding a queen to the mix, they could attack so many more humans in days. Hours even. That's why he wanted me for so long, with a female Pureblood they could basically build an army. Sure a male Pureblood is powerful, but a female, they are faster, smarter, and their sense of smell is unimaginable.  Hell if I wasn't on these pills I could take out the entire town in a night, and the hunters wouldn't be able to catch me." He nods, "well if needed I will fight to help lower the risk. If the wolves must get involved, as a future leader that's my duty." "No son." Bruce shuts the door, how long has he been there? What did he hear? 

    "Should the situation escalate and the wolves are called in, I would need you here, to protect Jakob, Kayla, Alice, and keep Reya's scent masked." "He's right Jason. Lio's cult keeps growing, and if this female is his mate then she will guard him with her life. Like a game of chess, the queen will do anything to protect her king." Suddenly my body begins to feel heavy, my vision blurs as I fall to the floor. The last thing I hear is Jason calling my name. Everything is white now. My clothes, the room, the floor, everything. My hair falls in front of my eyes, and it shines like gold, my natural color. "Hello, sister."