AHHHHH!! Those three little pesky words! We didn't really think Mal would stay away, did we? With the 'selection' coming, I foresee a little drama about to unfold. Stay Tuned! Thanks for following along and allowing me to tell this story. You all are the absolute BEST!
Birds chirped outside her window as a stream of sunlight hit Claire’s eyes. What the hell? She glanced at her alarm clock: 5AM. “Fuck. Damn birds. Go back to sleep.” Claire mumbled as she rolled to her other side, stretching her arm out. And immediately sat up. She was alone in her bed. “Mal?” She got up to check the bathroom.Nothing. She walked back to her bed to sleep some more when she noticed a note on the pillow.“Claire-Last night was incredible. You are incredible. I wish we had more time to finish what we started, but I didn’t think it was a good idea to stay until the morning in case Jack came back. I loved having you in my arms and falling asleep listening to your heartbeat and your adorable snoring. It was amazing to hold you all night. I love you, Little One. Now go back to sleep and I will see you later tonight.-Mal”She grabbed the other pillow and buried her face in it; it still smelled like him. She had about two hours until she had to be up to prepare for the c
More guests arrived and more glasses piled up on their table. The Taylors and Millers were throwing back tequila shots and bottles of wine like it was their job. Laughter was abundant as they mingled with each other and the other guests. Claire nervously drummed her French-tipped nails on her glass as she bit her bottom lip and tapped her feet. She enjoyed the banter that was coming from their table, but she needed to step away to work away some of the uneasiness that was settling in the pit of her stomach. Walking around the edge of the crowd, a middle-aged woman smiled sweetly at Claire. “Hello, child. Glorious evening, isn’t it?” Claire smiled back and walked to her side. “Yes, it is. Hi, I’m Claire Taylor.” She held out her hand to the woman as she introduced herself as well.“Hello Claire. I’m Priestess Ramona. Council leader of the witches and warlocks. And I am very excited to meet you in person. Your reputation precedes you, young Claire.” Her gaze trickled down to Claire’s
“Now that we have introduced all the ladies, it is my pleasure to announce that the Vampire King is ready to make his bridal selection. Ladies, I wish you all the best.” The short werewolf announced into the microphone. He motioned to stage left for the Vampire King to appear and when he did, Claire’s breathing stopped.Mal stepped onto the stage, looking just as intimidating and sexy as ever, as his stoic face never once glanced at Claire.She felt her chest collapse in on itself.This is why he’s been so despondent these last few days. He’s the FUCKING VAMPIRE KING.Claire closed her eyes as he walked past her to shake hands with the werewolf. “Thank you. And thank you to every one of these ladies on this stage and their families. I know this isn’t the best of circumstances, but I appreciate it, nonetheless.” Mal stepped away from the microphone as the werewolf took back control.“Now, Malachy. Please choose your bride.”Claire kept her eyes shut, refusing to believe this was happeni
Mal turned his back to her as his new fiance glided up to him, slipping her arms around his waist. Claire didn't want to see this, and Steph ran up to her, bringing her out of her sulking mood.“Hey hun. What do you say we go for a walk? Some clean air will do you a lot of good.”Claire nodded her head as they walked along the path leading to the dormitories.The silence between them didn't feel awkward or forced. Neither of them needed to say a word. After a few minutes, they sat on a bench facing a small pond that Claire didn’t know was there. They were far enough away that they could hear the music playing, but couldn’t make out the words to the songs.“So...how long have you been sleeping with Malachy?” Steph has always been straight and to the point.Claire closed her eyes to compose herself. “We haven’t slept together...at least we haven’t had sex…” She leaned her head on her big sister’s shoulder. “I’m still just trying to wrap my head around what exactly happened. Things were l
Xavier motioned for Jack to stand. A father stood up, looked at his daughter, beaming with pride. “Sweetheart. The Council is giving you an amazing opportunity. You can stay with us. Me, your brother, and sister.” Jack’s hand found hers and squeezed. “To help train future Guardians.. Given that you are human, we will have to take extra precautions to keep you safe and out of harm’s way. You’ll never be out in the field. Or...” Jack’s eyes welled with tears. Priestess Ramona stood up, “Or sweet child. You can continue to live as a human, among other humans. But you will no longer be a part of the Mythical community. You’ll give up all that you have known, everything you love. To be a normal human. Without fear of rogues. Without anyone here, including your family.” She gingerly lifted Claire’s face as the tears fell.“So, if I choose to be a normal human, whatever that means, I won’t be able to be with or see my family again?” Her eyes met the leader of the lone dragon, who had a gr
Don’t be a damsel in distress. *PUNCH* Don’t let them see you cry. *PUNCH* Stick to your guns. *KICK* Fuck Malachy and that bitch, Mirabella. * PUNCH *PUNCH *PUNCH Fuck everyone! *KICK *KICK *KICK *KICK *KICK* Claire’s thrusted her knee into the punching bag over and over and over, holding on to it as she made contact. Her mind still racing since her conversation with Mal. She thought the tears would never end, but here she was beating the shit out of a punching bag, stalling until she had to deliver her decision to The Council. Assholes. A few people stepped into the gym to workout, but one look from Claire sent them running. No one dared to enter the room while she was there. A few of the omega wolves were staring through a window when a tall shadow enveloped them. “Ahem. You boys should probably run away now.” They scurried off down the hall without looking back at the vampire, who scared them. Zach stepped into the gym in awe of his baby sister. “You know, it helps to have
Mal couldn’t believe it. She was going to leave them, leave him.“I will no longer train to be a Guardian. I choose to have a normal human life, away from the Mythical community.” Her words replayed in his head as his mouth fell open. The small crowd of Mythicals were whispering about themselves, as confusion spanned the room. Claire looked confident in her decision as she glanced at each of her family and friends. Her eyes beaming with love.“We, the Council, accept…” Council Nathanial spoke, as Jack stood up, effectively interrupting the acceptance.“Wait one minute, Council. If Claire is choosing to leave our community, then I will leave with her. As her father, it is my duty to protect her and I will not let her go out into the world without me.” He beamed with pride as he looked down at his daughter. “And I will go with them as well.” Marian walked behind the father-daughter duo, placing her arms around their chairs. Jack smiled as he grabbed her hand, kissing the back of it,
“Quinn, huh?” Claire threw her pillow at Sean since they hid in her room. She needed to be away from all the judging eyes and everyone needing to give their two cents about her decision. She’d had enough of The Council and their ultimatums.“Yeah. I felt it hit the other night while we were all hanging out. I never thought it would happen, but it did. She’s it for me. She’s my mate.” A huge smile spread across his lips and it was contagious, causing Claire to smile as she looked at this massive wolf turn into a lovesick puppy while talking about Quinn. “You are both incredibly lucky to have found one another...so when are you going to ask her out?” Claire asked.“That’s a bit complicated.” A knock at the door brought their conversation to a halt. They both looked at each other, then the door before Sean stepped up to answer the door. His shoulders squared as he opened it to a deep breathing Malachy.A growl escaped through clenched teeth as he addressed their guest. “You have some ba
The rain continued its downpour, pinging as it hit the metal roof. Claire stretched in the bed, feeling the aftermath of the “strenuous activities” over the last few hours. She rolled to the side to find the bed empty, and she glanced around the room. Her eyes found the halo of light from behind the bathroom door. She slowly hung her legs over the edge of the bed, trying to get her bearings straight.Gingerly, she stood and looked at the clock on the nightstand. “Shit. It’s already 2 A.M. That went a lot longer than I thought…”A few tentative steps, and she was at the door to the bathroom. She could hear the shower running, but before she could even touch the door, it swung open and a very naked Mal stood in all his glory.She didn’t know why she was nervous suddenly. Her boldness from earlier seemed to dissipate after her little nap. “Hey. Are you finished in here?” She couldn’t meet his gaze until his fingers lifted her chin. “I was actually going to wake you to come join me, but
Claire had quickly changed into her cotton shorts and black tank top, then started her nightly routine. She stepped out onto the balcony, joining Mal to get some fresh air, and listened as the rain pinged off the metal roof. She wrapped her arms around him from behind, resting her face against his shoulder blades. He placed a hand on top of hers.“Your father and Marian headed out and are checking the perimeters as we speak. Marian texted and said they were staying out all night.” He slowly turned, embracing Claire, and he noticed she was biting her bottom lip. “You ok, Little One?”She didn’t know what she was doing, yet she knew exactly what she wanted to do. With a shaky breath, she leaned closer and whispered, “I’m perfect…” She craned her neck to look into his eyes, seeing the crimson color slowly swirling into the chocolate brown. And she licked her bottom lip.Mal closed his eyes to control himself. “What are you doing, Claire?” Her hands explored his chest, one grabbing the la
Everyone gathered next to the fireplace, watching the orange embers glow, enjoying their jovial conversation. Mal and Marian were sitting on opposite ends of the couch, with Jack and Claire sitting at their feet.“So, kiddo, what are your plans now that you’ve graduated? Trips around the world, working right away, nothing?” Jack leaned back against Marian’s legs, swirling his whiskey in its glass, intently watching his daughter as she quickly took a sip of her water.She shifted a bit to better focus her attention on Jack. “I’m not really sure what I’m going to do. Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely love working at the foundation. My coworkers are amazing and the kids are wonderful and so talented. I just feel like maybe there is something more I could do…”Mal turned in his seat to better look at Claire. “What do you mean? You love working with kids, you always have.” “Well, my actual plan kinda went to shit the second I left you all…”Piquing his interest, Mal leaned forward and tilt
“I’m going to go upstairs to prepare for my meeting. Will you all be ok for a few hours?” Malachy and Jack placed all twelve shopping bags on the kitchen counter. He looked back at the girls as they followed behind with bottles of wine, whisky, and beer that Marian insisted they needed for the remaining few days in the cabin. “We should be good to go! I don’t think I’ve ever brought so much alcohol in one trip. And that’s even counting my twenty-first birthday!!” Claire collapsed onto the nearest bar stool dramatically and threw her head back. “I’m exhausted. What’s for dinner?” Mal kissed her forehead. “Always food with you. There is plenty for you to whip something up in the pantry and fridge. I won’t be long.” He glanced at his watch before heading up the stairs. Claire watched his backside as he disappeared into the stairwell, biting her bottom lip.“I’ve got this chickie. Head on up there, put your shit up and jump that man in his office. I’ll keep your dad busy with the grill o
Gray clouds rolled in; a storm was brewing. The overcast skies and slight breeze caused a slight chill in the air. The steam from her coffee mug billowed into the air as she held it in her hands.“Storm’s coming. Should be a good one. It’s beautiful watching the clouds roll over the mountains, listening to the rain hitting the leaves, smelling the fresh rain. It’s a sight to see…” Jack stared off into the distance.“Cut the crap, Pops. I can’t believe you guys were just beating the shit out of each other. Do you have any idea how awful it was to witness that? To see my father, the man I look up to the most, pummeling his fists into the face of the man that I lo…” She stopped herself just in time. Jack rubbed a hand over his face. “You still love him. Even after all this time. After everything he’s done to you...to us. Claire, I can’t make you feel anything different for him. Just be careful. Malachy is a great man. I’ll admit that, but he has a past that may come back to haunt him. He
She woke the next morning to the sun slowly rising along the mountains, shining its beautiful light through the windows of the bedroom. Looking to her left, she found the other side of the bed still made, untouched.She stood and opened the door to the balcony, letting in the cool early morning breeze. There were a couple of wooden chairs set up and she happily made herself comfortable as the sun painted its brilliance among the skies. Closing her eyes to let the atmosphere envelope her, she didn’t realize the door opened further as Mal walked out. “How are you feeling?” He handed her a cup of steaming coffee, which she greedily accepted. She brought the mug close to her face, inhaling the sweet aroma. “Thanks. I’m fine. Embarrassed but fine. I’m sorry for last night.” She tucked her legs under her, making herself as small as possible. “Obviously I wasn’t in the right state of mind and you got a front-row seat to the shit show.”Mal held a hand out to her, pulled her from her seat
She flung herself into Jack’s embrace, sobbing uncontrollably. “What...is...going...on? How are you guys here?” She asked Jack and Marian between cries.Jack kept her held tight to him as tears fell silently down his face. He had his baby girl back for a little while. Claire moved away slightly and looked to Marian, extending an arm, and the three of them shared a group hug.After a few moments, everyone calmed down and wiped the tears from their smiling faces. Mal stepped up, placing a hand on Claire’s lower back, and addressed Jack and Marian. “Thank you both for coming and securing the area. I know that you all have lots of catching up to do, but we should get settled in and I can give you all the breakdown of the last few days.” He motioned toward the door as they all walked through.The ladies entered first when Jack placed an unmoving hand on Mal’s chest, stopping him in his tracks.Jack’s eyes bore daggers into Mal. “I don’t want to know the details... But you should know that p
His cool fingers felt amazing on her sun kissed legs. The sun’s rays were beating down on her thighs, making it a perfect contrast to Mal’s fingers. Slowly, his fingers brushed her skirt further up her legs, his eyes never leaving the road. Claire rested her head backwards, enjoying her body’s reaction to Mal’s touch. Her breathing became heavy, her chest began to rise and fall rapidly. His fingers sought her heat. When finding their target, Claire gasped out as he pressed his fingers against her panties. He could feel her wetness through the thin material and he wanted-no, needed to feel her. He let out a low growl as Claire moved her hips against his hand. “Mal…”He yanked his hand away and instantly steered the truck to the nearest exit. “Little One...you need to calm down. This is a small space, and the smell of your arousal is going to be the death of me.” He knew a little of this area and found what he was looking for after a few minutes.Claire had to squeeze her thighs toget
“Are you really not going to tell me where you are taking me? What if I didn’t pack the right clothes or shoes?” The secrecy was driving her mad and gave her a sense of déjà vu. She didn’t like not knowing what exactly was happening. “You’re kidnapping me again, Mal.”Mal shut her car door, effectively ending their conversation for a few seconds. His eyes scoured their surroundings as cars raced by on the street. Nothing seemed out of place. However, the silver sedan that was parked out front hadn’t moved since Mal dropped Claire off from their coffee date. He hopped into the black SUV and drove further into the city. “It’s not kidnapping because you are willing in the car. But I need to make a small stop at my place before we start our road trip. So you might as well relax and just let me handle this.” Mal grabbed her hand and kissed her knuckles. Claire bit her bottom lip, a habit that Mal had learned she had when she was deep in thought or feeling extremely turned on. He really h