Control

Blue Hydrangeas

    You never realize how much detail goes into planning a funeral service. How mourners just want the opportunity but then you have to pick out a casket and flowers and songs, etc. The tricky thing is that nothing seems to  be good enough either. After being on the phone for hours and getting the details straightened out, her memorial service would be the next day. Our pack cremates the body of our members, a tradition that dates back to our indigenous roots.

I emerged from my office to see Dante leaned up against the wall. He was in more casual wear from the last time I saw him. He was wearing black chinos and a black button up.  He smiled his half smile at me and I couldn’t help but to return the favor.

“Hello, Dante. Accommodations are adequate?”

“Yes, Alpha Grey, thank you so much for your hospitality.”

“Of course, any news?”

“Nothing to brief you on yet. Your kitchen staff did ask for me to let you know that dinner would be ready in about 30 minutes.”

He walked down the hall, just a half step behind me. There were many pack members weaving in and out of the house. Not only were there visitors from Scotland, but somewhere through the grounds was our vampire security detail. Many of our people preferred to stay close or inside. I made my pleasantries as I walked through them. When I finally got to the dining hall, it was prepared for dinner. Mirrored vases of white hydrangeas and baby’s breath were placed down the table covered in a white tablecloth. Really the flowers were in preparation for tomorrow, but our staff is incredible and knows how to put something incredible together very quickly. I walked over to the table, my hand gliding on the edge as I walked along it until I could easily reach over to smell the floral arrangements in the vases.

“Hydrangeas were my mothers favorite. She’d have them littered throughout the house.” I said back to Dante who was cautiously eyeing me from the door way. “She said that they symbolized emotion and appreciation.” I ran my fingers over the tiny petals.

“They also symbolize bad luck”, Dante said. I snapped my head around and narrowed my eyes at him.

“Well what a petulant thing to say.” My heart began to race, and my blood began to boil. His stoic face meeting my gaze. He bowed his head slightly, as a gesture of apology. I turned back to the flowers. He was so rude. Are all vampires this way? In a flash he was right behind me, his mouth next to my ear and his ice-cold hand on mine. My stomach jumped up in my chest. I attempted to move but his hand gripped mine and the other ran up and down my left arm.

“Flowers are just flowers, Alpha Grey. The white ones you have picked out can represent vanity but can also mean purity and grace. Legend says that the emperor of Japan gifted some blue hydrangeas to a woman he loved”, I don’t know why but that made me shudder and gasp for a breath I didn’t even realize I was holding in. “They are said to be a sign of apology.”

I turned my body around, ready to give him a piece of my mind, but he never moved. So now here I am, face to face with a vampire. His stone face softened as he eyed me, he ran a hand across my cheek that I found myself leaning into. Chills ran through my whole body, that I’d like to blame on just his body temperature. He lowered his head, was he going to kiss me?  My face began burning a flushed but I titled my head up and closed my eyes.

“Aye, lass.” I opened my eyes and took a step back. Brodie was standing in the door way, a few red roses in hand. He looked so handsome with his hair brushed back.

“Brodie, sorry, I was just…” I turned around to see Dante standing on the opposite side of the room. “Just looking at the flowers.”

“Aye.” He said warily as he walked towards me, but never taking his eyes off of Dante. “Y’er alright then?” I nodded as he approached and handed the flowers to me. “ ‘Appy Birthday, Jade.” He flashed me a big smile and pulled me in tight to a hug. He kissed me on the cheek and held on a little longer than expected and I could feel Dante’s eyes on my back.

“Thank you so much, they’re beautiful.” I pulled away from the hug and inspected the flowers. My cheeks were swelling red, what was happening to me? Brodie smiled down at me, then his gaze shifted to something more quizzical.

“Kin we hae a moment?” He asked more to Dante than to me.

“Let’s go out on the patio.” I set the flowers down in the chair and we walked out the French doors on the other side of the table. It was a beautiful evening. The sky was clear, you could see almost all of the stars. I leaned on the bannister facing the mountains. With the exception of a few lights from close houses, everything was lit by the light of the half moon. I closed my eyes and breathed it in, this was home. I smiled at the landscape and turned to Brodie, who was watching me with the most content look on his face.

“What?” I said, brushing a piece of hair out of my face. Really I was checking to see if there was something on me.

“Did ye ken that ah was mated?”

“No! Brodie! Why didn’t you bring her?” I playfully smacked his arm. He looked out on the mountain scape and looked up to the moon, the light of it enhancing his features and his eyes glimmering. I could tell by his look that something was wrong, “Brodie?”

“Ah fund her a few years ago. Her name wis Ginny. She wis bonny, lang red locks, perfect features. She was th' packs cook. 'n' aye, a guid cook she was.” Was. He kept repeating what she was.

“What happened?” He looked down at his feet.

“Ah hud ta’ go wi' Alpha Mckenzie tae England. We hud heard rumors that thare wur some fangers causing trauchle, th' Mckenzie juist wanted tae see fur his-self 'n' talk tae th' local alpha. Have a go tae contain th' situation. She wasnt suppose tae come, bit she begged me. So ah did.” He took a deep breath and ran his hand through his hair, his eyes were filling with water. “Ah foun’ her first. In an alley. That's where th’ son of a b***h left her.” He turned and cut his eyes towards the house, towards where Dante was and let a growl escape him. I put a hand on his arm, trying to calm him. Letting his anger get the best of him and shifting would not be ideal right now. When he turned back toward me I could see the tears lingering in his eyes.

“Brodie, we are at war. We will avenge Ginny, my mother, and all the others who died in vain. This is not the end.” I said in a promissory way. I would not let this slide. I had anger for Brodie and anger for my mother. Brodie held my hand in his and brought it up to his lips.

“Beannaich a ’bhan-dia seo.” He whispered in Gaelic before he kissed the top of my hand. I furrowed my brows and looked at him. We heard a commotion from the dining room the was now being filled with my father, aunt, Jason and Isbell, Victor and his mate. I reached up with both hands and wiped the stray tears from Brodie’s face. I let my hand linger on his cheek. The warmth of his face melted into my hand, we maintained eye contact for what felt like an eternity. I felt like Brodie could see me, the real me. He leaned forward to kiss me and I felt the world slow around us. His hand tilted my chin up but I turned my head and let his lips land in my hair.

Suddenly the doors opened, and Dante was gesturing for us to come inside. Had he been listening this whole time? I led the way back into the house and Dante’s eyes were glued to mine. I heard a snarl from Brodie as we walked by in and everyone sat when I did.

We were about halfway through the dinner when my eyes focused on the hydrangeas that lined the table. My heart was racing as I was thinking about the close proximity Dante had been. I reached up and touched my lips, was he going to kiss me or did I imagine that? I don’t do kissing, I don’t do the intimate stuff, or anything that lets someone get too close. I proved that when I turned away from Brodie... but I was going to let Dante kiss me. I looked down to the end of the table where Dante was sitting next to my father. He was staring back at me and gave me a half smile and lifted his glass.

“Aye, Dante,” Brodie interrupted. He must’ve been watching our interaction. “Whit's yer story?”

“Oh yes!” My aunt Ruby clasped her hands together in excitement. “Please Dante, tell us where you’re from!”

Dante placed his glass down gently, “I’m afraid it is not a very interesting story.”

“Indulge us.” My father chimed in.

“The short version is that I’m from here, the United States, that is. My parents and I immigrated from Sicily in 1875. We lived in New York City for and my father worked as a coal miner. My mother stayed home, but did laundry for the neighbors for some extra cash. I worked in the city at a small restaurant in the Bronx as a bus boy at 17. That was when I met Giuseppe, he frequented the restaurant and we got to know each other well. He would have me run some errands across town for him. It was nice to have so many Sicilians around, it really felt like home. We were a community. I would do a few jobs for Giuseppe. A few years later, in 1890, I was in New Orleans and there was… an altercation.”

“I had met a French woman in the Quarter that I had spent a few days with.” He flashed his eyes to me, like he was almost ashamed to admit that. “She was charming and cunning. She was both my saving grace and my curse. A police chief was murdered, and many Sicilians were rounded up. Celeste kept us hidden. When the lynch mob came for my brothers, I couldn’t save them. That was the night Celeste changed me.

“About 40 years ago, Celeste was killed by others of our kind and our whole way of living was almost exposed. In an effort to keep minimize vampire crime, I set up the Vampire Authority. We all need a little guidelines, right?”

Everyone was quiet for a minute and I had a feeling that he had left out some details. I wanted to be the first to say something but my father interjected.

“You were a hitman?” We all turned back to Dante.

“Yes sir. That was a long time ago though”

“Aye, now yer jus a fanger merc”

“Brodie!” I growled and all the members of my pack lowered their head in submission, with the exception of my father. “I think that is enough for tonight. I have some business to attend to in my office and I would recommend that you all turn in early.” I rose from the table and everyone stood with me.  Jason kissed Isbell on the forehead and backed up to come with me, I held my hand on and shook my head. I just needed some space. I started walking through the house and paused at our family portrait in the hall. It was painted before Luke died and I hardly recognized myself. I touched the painting and ran my fingers over my mother’s face. Our family was dwindling. My eyes zeroed in on a necklace my mother was wearing in the portrait. It was a silver chain with an opal charm at the end. She wore that necklace every day. Weirdly, I didn’t remember seeing it on her body. Maybe my father had it somewhere.

I continued down the hallway and walked into my office. Grateful for the silence and moment of peace. The fireplace had been started and the warmth was relaxing. The scent of smoky pine and crackling of the embers brought back memories of winters here in the mountains. Placed in the center of my desk was a bouquet of blue hydrangeas. I picked the bouquet up and held it to my chest. My only question now was what exactly Dante was apologizing for.