Blue

Part#15

Early Evening …

All day I fuss and fret. The babes are much better after this morning’s feed and even

allows me to have a little cuddle with them. But absurd as it is, I miss Declyn being around.

More precisely, I miss the security he brings with him.

I know we are safe, but my mind plays out all kinds of horror themes on account of

me being mortal and them not, and Declyn being away and the nearest town is an

exaggerated five years by foot. He said he’ll be back by late lunch; it is now nearly eight in

the evening. The sun isn’t set properly yet, but it will be dark soon enough.

I hear the truck’s engine a good distance off and hold my breath while it approaches

along the dusty road. The tension leaves as it nears and I recognise the colour and shape of

Declyn’s vehicle.

Using the children as an excuse, I take them to the front door and sit down on the

porch. The car stops and Declyn exits. Eros and Venus are excited to see him which makes

me grin at them. I know why. He’s the good cop that fed them wild life, and I’m the bad cop

who makes them be babies.

Declyn ignores us. I guess he isn’t pleased at being back where we invade his space.

Yet, I still eager to get the chores out of the way I stroll over to the truck. Maybe once he gets

used to us, and sees I can be helpful to him …

“How can I help?” I ask, ready to snatch up as many parcels as I can get my hands

on.

Oh, my word! There’s so many packages. Did Declyn buy an entire catalogue’s content,

because this is not the list I gave him!

“Take this, it’s for you,” he hands me a black box from the front seat. Taking the

package, I try again.

“I can take some of the other things,”

Declyn stops to look at me, and I notice the deep green in his eyes.

Ut-Oh. Not okay. I need to stay out of his way. What is that smell on him, though? It is so familiar ...

“Blue, please go figure that thing out. I’ll sort this,” he does not quite growl, but he

isn’t exactly not growling either. I turn away with a soft “Thank you,” and sit down on the

porch with the kids. They gurgle and get antsy, yelling their demands for attention at him.

I know the feeling kiddos. The monster-man is back and I think he’s hungry, so we should probably not

tempt him.

I distract them by making a big deal of the box. It turns out, the contents of the box

are worth a huge fuss! Inside is a mobile phone. The manual to operate the thing is a full

blown, hardcover book and by the looks of it, it is a mobile computer!

Declyn walks past us a few times and with each pass he appears to be less agitated

than the last. On the last turn, he shoves the packages through the doors and flops himself

down with Eros and Venus. I watch him from under my lashes. Two pairs of hands reach

for him and he grins wickedly at them.

“Anja ...” I identify the smell on him. Declyn stiffens and looks at me with dark anger

edged upon his face.

“Sorry,” I apologise quickly, “You uhm – it smells like Anja’s.”

“Because it is hers,” he answers, unstraps the kids and get up with one on each hip

“You’re welcome to unpack, we’re starving. If there are squirrels, we’ll have them, so wrap

your head around it now because I am not in any kind of space to deal with you tonight.”

Ouch and double ouch. I wasn’t aware you had to ‘deal’ with me Grumpy-vamp. You’ve not

even been here today!

My heart races and confusion riddles my mind.

I have no right to nor any claim to anything but surely I’ve not done too bad just yet?

Is he looking to replace me or just making back-up plans for when he, or they, kill me? And

how close were they for her perfume to be so prominently clinging to him. He says he

doesn’t take human blood, but there’s more than blood on offer by my coven sister and she’s

skilled in the many ways to be of service. My stomach knots at the thought.

Declyn can give me more than forty-eight hours, of which he was gone for a large chunk of it, to show

I’m not completely useless? Also, I shouldn’t have these feelings of being possessive, but I do. Who he spends his

time with, and how, is not my place to question – sigh –

Ambling inside, I take the most obvious packages marked with baby-brands, first. In

the children’s room, I unpack the items meticulously and organise the things needed to

clean up a late-night snack. My heart still pounds and aches a little while I try hard to put

things in perspective. I love my coven-sister – but I can’t help feeling slighted by the

knowledge that even now, even when I am far away from her, I still stand in her shadow.

– sigh –

Insecurity is an ugly colour on me.

Slowly I unpack the items, many of them marked with my name and a small note

attached to the packaging to identify the contents. A thought occurs to me, and I lift the

package to have a closer look at the notes. Anja’s handwriting. I sniff the parcel and grind

my teeth to an ache.

Anja’s perfume again.

Damn, did she spray every bloody package with it? At least that may account for why he smells so

strongly of her. Sure Blue, tell yourself what you must but we both know, and by that, I mean I know, better.

Pushing the unreasonable animosity aside, I stack the boxes with clothing on the

floor in my room.

If Mister Dad-Vampire wants to baby-sit, then he can clean them up too. I have a computer-phone-

thingy to get to grips with.

For the life of me, I do not understand why Declyn bought two laptops and a

desktop computer! The man clearly has more money than what he knows how to spend and

no sensibility to work it out.

Lying on the floor with my feet on the bed, I listen intently for movement from

outside or down below. The clock ticks over at the slowest pace I have ever known, and

when I look at it, only five minutes passed.

UGH! What is taking him so long to get back? Focus Blue, new toy, and everything!