~Miranda’s Point of View~
I’d flown to Sidney a dozen times over the years, but never had it taken so damn long. I had no clue why but Dough showed up as the car arrived to get me, and he absolutely insisted on coming along. I wanted to ask why Jesse didn’t come, but I couldn’t bring myself to do it. He had his own life, classes. He was probably already behind a bit from helping me.
I had to guess Dough just felt someone needed to look out for me. Someone needed to help me. The more I thought about it, the more I didn’t care. I didn’t want to be alone. I gave him my mom’s letter to read on the plane and he kissed my forehead. It was sweet, almost like a brother would do.
“What are you even going to say to him,” he asked, as our descent finally began.
What did Luca do!
~Jesse’s Point of View~If scared shitless was in the dictionary, I was right there next to it. Of course I’d seen my grandfather a ton of times, but he wasn’t exactly the type to give you a piece of candy and bounce you on his knee. I didn’t have a single memory of him that was endearing. We never got ice cream or played in the park together. Oh no, not in Black Myst.I’d never even called him grandfather before to his face, only by his first name and he never said anything if it bothered him. This side of my family wasn’t exactly lovey dovey. I knew what a real grandfather was supposed to be from TV but I’d never experienced it from him.He was more apt to trap you in some sort of invisible box to see if you could get yourself out. Or turn someone next
~Miranda’s Point of View~ "You ... you know them…” My words hung in the air, but I asked a question I didn’t actually want the answer to. Impossible. Luca has always used so few words on purpose, to say so little. Now, he’s saying so few words to say too much. Too much for me to handle. To process all at once. I was sure he didn’t want to have this conversation, he didn’t want to tell me what he had. It was all supposed to stay secret. I was supposed to just be the happy little oblivious daughter who didn’t question anything. My heart felt so heavy, almost like it was ready to burst. It couldn’t take much more. I have a mom then I don’t. I have a father, then he’s dead but then he’s not. He’s s
~Jesse’s Point of View~ I laid in my bed at school, staring at the wall for about the fifth hour straight. My parents had both been calling constantly and I finally had to turn my phone off. If it was serious they’d just show up. KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK I inhaled deeply. Ryan and Troy both. Ryan wasn’t here when I got in, weird for the middle of the day but then again he disappeared a lot, and for hours sometimes. Could he secretly teleport too? I didn’t think that was in his power but I guess nothing made sense anymore. My eyes darted around the room, wondering if I should shift and jump out the window. Teleport to a remote island. “Knock it off,” Ryan said, opening the door.
~Miranda’s Point of View~ When we landed in the states I insisted that Dough take me home, to Luca’s home. But again, as if he could read my damn mind he refused. Took me to school instead. He knew I would do something bad, too bad to likely recover from. What did I care at this point? I had nothing. No parents, no mate. No one waiting for me to wonder if I was okay or help guide me into the future. What future? *Yeah I’d like a say in this,* my wolf said, annoyed. I sighed. Who was I kidding? I wasn’t suicidal, I certainly wasn’t stupid enough to get myself locked up. I had such a rage inside me though, and nothing to do with it. Maybe I should learn how to shoot a gun. That could be interesting. Wh
~Jesse’s Point of View~ “Baby, you smell like me…” That can only mean one thing. Only one thing… Blow me down! *Yeeeeah, that’s right. I knew it,* my tiger said, beside himself. I held Miranda’s face, she stared at me trying to put together what I said. She was just as lost for words as I was, and it seemed like we both might faint. This changes everything. Everything. Absolutely everything. Fuck I have to tell the guys. My mum is going to lose it! Miranda’s eyes sparkled a bit and I continued to hold her face, my body moved on its own, going toward her desperate to kiss her perfect lips. I licked mine in anticipa
~Miranda’s Point of View~ Homeless. Basically an orphan. No boyfriend, no guarantee of even having a father for my baby. I don’t know who was at the door that night, and I didn’t want to know. What I did know was that the entire Bailey house had disappeared and no one had heard from them for two days. Alice was losing her mind, and I wasn't sure I had a mind left to lose. Nothing made sense anymore. A month ago I was under a crazy delusion that I had a good life, a decent life. Family who loved me. Stability. Now it’s all gone. I sighed as Alice pulled me into a large office, the kind that was made from probably charging $500 an hour.
~Jesse’s Point of View~ “You wanna take out the High Priest of Black Myst? Yet I’m the crazy one out smoking in the bush,” Gwen said, in shock. I stood with my roommates around her campfire, my dad was somewhere behind us, pacing. He hadn’t said much once I told him I couldn’t keep my promise, I wouldn’t give up Miranda. He had to know I’d change my mind but he wasn’t a shifter. I had to imagine it was vastly different for us, having an animal in your head controlling you. Telling you what they want. I didn’t only live for myself. My tiger had chosen, and Miranda would be his mate come hell or high water. Now that I had her and the baby, so much more was at stake. But that also meant an entirely different level of danger. Pissing off a dark magic coven and killing their leader.
~Miranda’s Point of View~ “I’m moving forward with my life, a life without Jesse. It’s just what I have to do for my sanity. I can’t sit and wait around and wonder. It’s not good for me. I’ll be due with the baby about a month after school lets out so I’ll finish this year. Maybe I can get them to finish me with what I’ve got and just have a two year program under my belt instead of three,” I said, as I helped Alice unpack from shopping. She’d bought ten times what I did of course. It was too early and too depressing to think about maternity clothes so I didn’t go that route. “Don’t go there, not yet,” she said, sliding on a nightie that was barely a scrap of fabric. I watched with complete jealousy as she eyed herself in the mirror, clearly very happy wi
~Two Months Later, Ryan’s Point of View~ Recovering from my shift was almost like re-growing my human body. It was painful as hell, it was lengthy. Now this was the second time doing it in a year so it was worse. My demon didn’t want to let go, but he also understood he couldn’t continue in this way. I was finally in the last stages of my shift, my skin still rough and discolored. I was able to tolerate people food again, not requiring blood and raw meat to survive. My voice had returned, and I was confident I could face Sadie now. My Sadie. I wanted to swear this would be the last time I’d have to abandon her for a long while. But that was just something too unknown. The only thing I could contr
~Sadie’s Point of View~ Since nobody wanted to bother the witches to bring this female to Greece, Dough flew her in his private jet. I may have to ask another time if that’s available, I’d always wanted to be able to say I joined the mile high club. *What’s that,* my wolf asked. I smiled in the mirror as I tried to tame my hair while I explained it to her. She didn’t see the big deal, sex was sex regardless of where it happened. I had to roll my eyes. I explained to her about the thrill of it all, the possibility of being caught. She still didn’t care. A wolf in the throws of sex would not care about an audience. Tunnel vision. I heard voices downstairs and my heart practically thumped out of my chest.
~Sadie’s Point of View~ I couldn’t go in the house. I constantly paced in the backyard of the Greco mansion and I was certain that I was making the guards insane. For some reason I felt like Ryan could find me more easily out here. Which really made no sense. “You’re going to walk a hole in my yard,” Luca laughed. He handed me a glass of wine and I accepted it. “I can’t thank you enough for how generous you’ve been with your home and your time,” I said, as we both sat down in front of the pool. “I haven’t always been there for Miranda how I should have. I wasn’t the best husband. Maybe I feel the need to help now with what I can. I understan
~Ryan’s Point of View~ “This is it, whatever the fuck it takes. This shit ends now. Tully will come,” I said, as Jesse helped me up. “Whatever I can do mate. We’re all ready. Dough is staying with the girls,” he said, as I stood. “Let’s get outside,” I added, then he teleported us to the street. Maybe it was the adrenaline, but I had a sudden rush and I began to thrust my demon forward. This was the worst place to do it, a residential area, lots of people around. It had to be done. I knew when this was over, if I made it … I would be so drained I’d be dead to the world for a month. Sadie might hate me. I had to risk it. The night air was sti
~Sadie’s Point of View~ With all the weeks, all the time I had to build up my anger, my rage at Ryan… My desire to strangle him, my desire to tell him off every which way … I thought it would just burst out of me. But it all completely died and left my mind the moment I saw him. My whole body shook and my wolf lost her mind. My Ryan. My whole world. “Ohh!! Oh,” I shouted, running into his room. I covered my sobs as tears fell down my cheeks. He laid in bed and smiled at me, but didn’t get up. I knew he still couldn’t walk too much, or too far. But seeing him like this, it just hit me all at once. I knew why they hadn’t let me visit him, but my imagination was far worse. My Ryan had always been so damn
~Ryan’s Point of View~ I could barely keep my eyes open and if those fuckers gave me one more protein shake I was going to puke. It was like they went to the store and bought one thing and that was all they were giving me. I smelled Tully, but I could hardly see. A big part of me wanted to beg him to end me, I would have welcomed it. But I had to stay alive for her. I just couldn’t give up. Just keep breathing Ryan. Keep your heart beating. The rest will heal, sometime. “Maybe you were really serious,” he said, pissed off. “I generally am. Demons aren’t known for their comedy,” I mumbled, having no clue what he was talking about. “Where the fuck i
~Sadie’s Point of View~ “Talk to me Jesse,” I squealed, as his parents both rushed into the room with wet towels. “He’s being held hostage, I don’t know where exactly. Once I get my strength back I can try teleporting outside maybe. We need help, serious help. I’ll need to gather the coven,” he mumbled as his parents cleaned him up. “What can I do,” I blurted out, to no one in particular. A flurry of activity erupted around me and I was pushed away and into a corner. It was for the best anyhow, there was nothing I could do and I knew it. “Have you got internal injuries,” his mom shouted.
~Ryan’s Point of View~ In all my years, in three lives … one thing I always knew for certain, was that I didn’t control shit. In my first life, I had no parents or no guidance, no sanity. Then once I got mixed up with vamps I truly lost any semblance of what it meant to be me. Be an individual. In my third life I thought that would finally change. Born into money, status… I could finally call the shots. But all that went away when I lost Sadie. When my father brutally let me know he controlled my life, not me. That he controlled who I loved, and stole the very air from my lungs. The reason my black heart beat. When I first lost Sadie I went on a complete bender, ready to just fuck up anyone and everything. I didn’t care who I hurt or what happened to me. I was miserabl
~Sadie’s Point of View~ I could have easily lived the rest of my life and been very happy not to set eyes on this female again. I watched Mrs. Whitmarsh as she laughed with Troy. He had been apparently posing as a tourist male who was interested in her, and since she was also a telepath she wouldn’t be able to read his thoughts. There was no point in me trying to control my mind around her, I wouldn’t be able to. She was likely the only person who could tell me the truth. Tell me what the hell really happened between her husband and my parents. I was prepared to torture this bitch to death if she didn’t give me some damn answers! I looked at my hand gripping the glass on the table to the point where it was ready to break. I quickly let it go and felt a warm hand