So here I sit, in my office chair, not wanting to go home. I look up at the clock, it's been four hours since he left. It's well passed two o'clock in the morning. Yet here I still sit...
"Come on Red, there's no way...he couldn't be. Brothers....well, I guess in truth they do look alike. All except for those eye's, and what about their accents? Conall's is Irish and Ven...Mikhail's is Russian. Though, if he left long before Conall's birth maybe he just adopted the accent from all the years he spent in Russia. I mean I know the Wolven have prolonged life and a single normal human lifetime is nothing to them, so in all actuality he may be telling the truth. But that doesn't explain why or even how Conall would believe HE is the True King...unless....."
Everything was becoming clear to me now. All the pieces were slowly falling into place. I knew when I finally made the decision to go home I'd have to explain things to Conall, come up with some excuse as to why I had stayed away so long. My phone vibrated and snapped me back to reality. I looked down at the caller I.D but didn't recognize the number.
I slide my finger across the screen to unlock it and my new text notification popped up. I quickly put in my pass code (Always lock my texts and calls, in case I lose my phone during a fight.) and opened up the text messages app.
"Save this number under my real name. Show it to no one. It look's like I'll be in contact sooner than I originally thought. We may have found a safe place, but it need's fortified. Please Redalia, tell no one about what we spoke of tonight...I didn't think, I didn't know, it would hurt this much...finally meeting you then having to leave and stay away. I've always felt a sense of emptiness, until tonight, while we were together. But now that I'm gone again the emptiness has come back ten fold. If you ever need me, call out to me and I'll be there.
Your M."
I sat there just staring at my phone, a thousand thing's ran through my mind. Everything I wanted to ask him, everything I wanted to say to him...He'd let me go on thinking Conall was my other half. He let him use magic on me to alter my thoughts and feelings. I was torn between pure unadulterated rage and sorrowful longing for him to be with me again.
I twisted in my chair, ran my fingers through my curly hair, sighed then scoffed at myself, then finally finding my back bone I sat up straight grasped the electronic device in both hands firmly, strengthened my resolve and wrote him back.
"You have a lot of explaining to do. Next time we will not be so rushed and you will explain everything to me. I have questions and they need answer's...Also.....I miss you Mikhail.
Why do I wish you were here so badly? I feel like a damned fool. I want you to be near me. I need you to be. Until we meet again.
R."
"My dearest Red, I am always near you. I will never abandon you again. Soon moya lyubov', in the meantime I will send a man to watch over you at the bar during the day and one at night. I don't know what to do about Conall yet. We will discuss him soon. Do Svidaniya.
Your M."
That was the end of the conversation for the night. I made a mental note to look up some of the Russian he had used. I looked up at the clock again, five past three. I had to go home and get some sleep.
Tomorrow was Friday, I decided I'd open the bar at one instead of the usual three . Nobody even came in until around five truthfully but I figured I would need the time to clean and think. Now all I had to do was figure out what I was going to say to Conall.
I pushed up out of my chair and made my way to the door. I switched off the light's, locked door, double checked the others as well and headed for my truck. The drive home was a quiet one. I didn't bother turning on the radio, I needed the silence to figure out what I was going to do about Conall.
One thing was for damned sure, I wanted my house back, though he may not have meant to cause me harm or pain, he certainly did just that. Lying to me, using magic on me...I could forgive the lie, because to him it wasn't a lie. But to use magic against me like he had been doing.
Using it to bend my will and allow him inside my house. Inside my home. What else had he used that kind of magic on me for? Sex? Did he spell me so I'd have sex with him?! Ughh...all this crazy he said, he said shit is really getting to me. I rolled my window down, I needed to feel the earth and her elements tonight.
One thing was certain, when I got home I was going to ask Conall to leave then I was going to cleanse my whole house. By the time I actually made the short drive from the bar to the manor I had one hundred percent made up my mind about what I was going to do. I turned up my driveway, watching the gate seal itself shut behind me after I entered. Once I had made it inside the house I marched straight upstairs where I found Conall sitting in the chair by my window. He turned his head towards me as I entered the room.
He began to stand but I motioned for him to stay seated. What I had to say was important and if he touched me I may not be strong enough to get the words out. He looked at me quizzically for a moment. I moved to stand at the edge of the bed. I took a deep breath and began,
"Tonight I met with Veno Petrov. (I'd decided not to use his real name.) He enlightened me to a few thing's Conall."
"Oh really? Such as?" he asked suspiciously.
Now was the time I had to pick and choose my word's wisely. I'd promised Mikhail I wouldn't reveal him to his brother.
"Such as the fact that you have been using magic against me this whole time."
He started to rise again and protest my words but I clenched my fist in a sudden blaze of anger then watched a little bewildered as he was thrown back into the chair. My powers were growing stronger for some reason.
"Conall, I want you out of this house by morning. I think we need to be separate for a little while."
"Redalia! You can't mean that. If we are separated for too long we'll become depressed, the void within us will consume us and we'll fall to pieces. Mo Ghra why are you doing this?"
"Conall...if you love me, you'll give me time. After I've cooled off, I'll call you and give you a chance to explain. Just so you know when I say explain, I mean EVERYTHING. Now please leave. You can take one of the other room's for the night."
"Redalia...." he was quiet for a moment. Then his shoulders deflated.
"If this is what you want, I will oblige. I'll be gone by the morning."
"Do you need money?" I couldn't help it, this was the man I thought I loved....once.
"No, Mo chori. I have money."
He went to stand then hesitated for a moment as if waiting to see if I was going to throw him back down again. I let him stand then turned away as he walked by me. He stopped in my door way and gave me one last sorrowful look.
"I never meant to hurt you, I just thought...I wanted you to give me a chance. Without the magic I didn't think you would."
"You had no right to use magic to influence my decisions. Goodnight Conall."
He stepped outside my door and looked as if he were going to say something else but I snapped my finger's which in turn closed my door. I wrapped my arms around my waist and hugged myself as I slipped to the floor and began to cry. I knew with his heightened hearing Conall could hear me but I no longer cared.
He deserved to hear this. He had lied to me, knowingly. Some of the lies he believed making them truths in his eyes but the other lies....he knew he was doing it. That's what hurt the most. I sat up and leaned against my bed after a good fifteen minutes of self pity. It was time to get cleaned up.
I made my way to my shower, once there I took the longest hottest shower of my life then blow dried my hair and went to bed, naked as the day I was born. I didn't care anymore. No one was going to see me after all. Sleep came quickly but the dreams that engulfed me were full of terrors and hellish nightmares.
When I woke the next day I grabbed my phone from the pocket of my blue jeans I'd thrown in the floor last night and checked the time. Whoa, I'd seriously slept in. It was eleven thirty, After plugging my phone up on it's charger and setting it on the nightstand I hoisted myself up from my comfortable mattress and went to brush my teeth and wash my face.
Once all the primping was done and over with I slathered on some war paint (a.k.a make up) and flopped back down on my bed, grabbing my phone once again I slide the unlock screen over and put in my pass code to check my messages. I must say I was a bit shocked to see I had a multitude of them.
The first was from Jaxon, letting me know he was fully healed and feeling much better. He promised to drop by today or tomorrow to check on things here. The next was from Alexandria, she wanted to make sure Jaxon text me and told me he was Ok then she wanted to know if we were on for shopping tomorrow.
The next two were from Conall, he let me know he had left early this morning and purchased a house close by. He also wanted me to know he was going to give me my space and would talk to me when I was ready. Yeah, fat chance of that happening any time in the near future. There was one last text, this one sent my heart a flutter. I really needed to stop letting my hormones drive me.
It was from Mikhail, he wanted me to know the man guarding me was named Alexi and he would be waiting in the corner of the bar where we first met. He ended the text with the same Do Svidaniya that he had used in his previous text then, my now favorite part, Your M.
I closed the text messaging and opened my browser, I quickly typed in "meaning of Do Svidaniya" and hit search. Apparently it means "Until we meet again or Bye" well I like the former. It sounds beautiful. Maybe I'll learn a few Russian phrases sometime when assassins and Shade's and Shifter's aren't trying to kill me and rip out my heart for their sadistic boss. (Look at me, all perky pants!)
I got myself up, rummaged though my clothes and finally settled on my snug black V-neck t-shirt that said "The Dark Horse, Where Whiskey is always the Soup of the Day!" and my favorite dark jeans with a bit of a washed out look on the legs. I quickly sprayed my Frizz Control spray all over my noggin and gave my curls a bit of a scrunch before grabbing some conforming polo socks and heading downstairs.
When in the living room I flipped on the ol tube and found the weather channel, this whole weekend and up coming week was supposed to be in the mid 60's and possibly the 70's. I couldn't have asked for better weather. I smiled as I lay back against the soft fabric. Since Conall had already gone and I didn't technically have to open early I decided to call up Alexandria and go have a little lunch date.
We met up at a little cafe in Downtown Sanctuary aptly named Angel's Corner. They have the most delicious fruit in all Sanctuary. Alexandria and I laughed and talked most of the afternoon away. I knew she was curious and wanted to ask about Conall so I beat her to the punch.
"So I guess you noticed Conall isn't hanging on my coat tails today." More a statement really.
"As a matter of fact I did notice, I figured you'd tell me if'n you wanted to."
"Well, it look's like the dream romance was just that. I don't know what Jaxon told you but Conall was supposed to be...the one."
"Wait, the ONE. As in, (she lowered her voice and leaned in)..your mate?"
"Yup. Turns out though, it's a lot more complicated then all that. Alex what we say here is only for you and I right?"
"You know it Red! Girl code hun!"
"Good."
I proceeded to tell Alex everything. She was my one and only female friend. I needed her. I spilled my gut's like a strung up, stuck hog, and when I began to ball like a baby again she scooted close and hugged me tight.
I could always count on Alex to be there. She was also my outside opinion. I never made any huge life altering decisions without her input. Just another thing that reminded me of the spell Conall had cast over me, I didn't even think to ask my best friend what she thought I should do when the decision was made for Conall to come live with me.
"Feel better hun?" she asked smiling.
"Yea a bit. So now there's Mikhail and I felt....Goddess Alex I can't even put into word's what I felt. I thought when Conall kissed me, that was it. I saw fireworks and melted right into his arms. But when Mikhail kissed me...Alex I saw memories, not just his but mine as well. One's he had hidden from me so I could come to my own conclusion when it came to my love life. Shew, Alex I don't know what to do. What do you think?"
"Honest opinion?"
"Of course!"
"Ok, lets look at the pro's and cons and compare the two. Conall, used magic to influence your decision's so you'd let him live with you and possibly claim you as his mate, but when you first met he helped you fight off the Bear Shifter. Mikhail, now he stayed away for far too long, causing you to become vulnerable, but he hid memories of the two of you together so you wouldn't be influenced by them. The way I see it, Conall has convinced himself he loves you and you two are meant to be together and to insure that you end up together he used magic against you and deceived you. Where as Mikhail wanted you to decide for yourself who to love, so he stayed away until you were old enough to know what love was and then he came looking for you, he was going to introduce himself and "court you" his words I believe...then he was going to tell you about himself. That about sum it up?
"Well, when you put it that way..."
"yeah I'm sorry girl but I think I'ma have to side with team Mikhail on this one. He wanted what was best for YOU. While Conall was chasing after some deranged sense of duty. He may have convinced himself he loves you but that's all it is....an illusion he has made himself come to terms with. It sounds to me, based on what you've told me, Mikhail truly does love you, though he may be awkward at trying to show it. It also seems to me you need to distance yourself from both men for a while and see who you end up missing."
I thought about all Alex had said. She took a bite of her Apple Tart and smiled at me. I smiled back and laughed a little when I finally realized she was like the female version of Dr. Phil.
"Alex has anyone ever told you, you have an old soul?"
"Actually yes, you have many times."
We laughed, then finished our lunches and headed to our vehicles. We hugged then agreed to meet up at the Bar in a few. She had to go home and put away her new clothes she'd snagged while waiting on me to arrive today.
I went on to the bar and opened up. Alexi was waiting by the side of the building. I felt his aura as soon as I'd parked the truck. I held the door for him as he walked in I could see him using his wolf senses to check the place out. He was a nice looking young man, mid twenties I'd say. Blue eye's, short cut blonde hair, well defined muscles all over his body. He was a good six foot three inches tall.
After he did his little scan of the area he dropped his serious expression and smiled at me. I liked his smile, it was sweet. He came up and sat at the bar as I counted the till out for the morning. I glanced up and caught him watching me, amazement in his eye's. I smiled at him.
"Hey, Alexi right?"
"Oh, Yes ma'am. I'm sorry was I bothering you?"
"No, no your fine. Since your gonna be here anyway how would you like a job?"
"A job? Well, I'd like that a lot. If it's ok with Mikhail that is."
"I'll check. In the mean time I'll pay you to bounce for me tonight. Friday's are always rough people come in from neighboring towns and some of em are bad drunks. I usually have to break a few bones of some of the more unruly ones. You'd be doin me a huge favor."
"Well when you put it that way, of course I'll help."
"Good, and please call me Red. All my friends do." I winked at him. He smiled back.
"Over there in the back cabinet there are some T-Shirts go on and help yourself to one, grab some for your friends too. If you all are gonna be here ya might as well help out and make a few bucks on the side."
"Thank you very much, I'm sure they will be appreciative."
He left to retrieve the shirt's, I pulled out my cell and sent Mikhail a quick text explaining my proposition. He replied within a few minutes, giving me his blessing to use himself and his men however I needed them. He also informed me HE would be watching over me later on along side Alexi.
This could be my chance to ask about a few thing's. I switched off my screen and replaced the phone in my back pocket, then I went to light up the OPEN sign. It wasn't long before my other workers started filing in. Of course, the cook's were right on time per the norm, Blaine and Rook a couple of Norhu's or Normal Humans. Those two were the world's worst when you put em together, always cutting up and playing pranks on each other but ultimately they were the best of friends.
It's so funny because they are such an odd pairing, what with Blaine only being about five foot ten and skinny as a stick and Rook towering him at a massive six foot four and built like a brick house. By the looks of the two you'd think Rook would just snap Blaine in half when he get's to pranking him but under his gruff appearance he's just a big ol teddy bear.
Next to show were my hostess and two waitresses. Alexandria hostessed while Zendala and Laya waited tables. I immediately noticed Alexi's attention snap towards the bar when he caught Zendala's scent, not only was she a witch but she was also a gypsy child. She'd been traveling through Sanctuary with her family when she was a teen and she liked it so much here she decided to stay. I kept her up till she could afford her own place. Turn's out she's a very powerful witch with amazing abilities.
But I think the real reason she caught Alexi's eye had nothing to do with her supernatural side, I do believe it was her appearance. Standing at five foot seven she had tan skin, big hazel eye's, pouty lip's and a mass of thick ink black hair that spanned her back all the way to her waist, not to mention her crazy tiny waist and plump C-cup (if I were guessing) chest.
Poor Laya just couldn't measure up. Laya was also a Norhu. She was beautiful don't get me wrong but she just wasn't as beautiful as say Zendala. She was about five foot five with a small waist and I'd say about a high B-cup breast with long leg's and a nice pair of blue eye's accompanied by short cut blonde hair on a heart shaped face. Laya was also about thirty where as Zendala was only twenty three. Regardless I made yet another mental note to speak with Zendala after the worst of the crowd was taken care of later this evening.
I finished up the morning duties and called the official T.D.H crew into our regularly scheduled Friday meeting. People were just now starting to file in and find seats so I knew I had to hurry. I gathered everyone in the kitchen and called their attention's to order.
"Alright, it's everyone's fav day of the week." groans went up all around.
"Ok, ok I know. Listen up, We have a few new people I hred to come in and bounce for me for a bit. This here is Alexi. He is OFF LIMIT'S ladies. At least during work hours. Also, another new guy will be here later, Mikhail. Same goes for him that goes for Alexi. One last thing, there have been a series of animal attack's lately. I was attacked just a few night's ago by some kind of wild animal after I closed up one night. So tonight no one goes to their vehicle's alone. No one takes out trash or takes a break or smokes outside without someone accompanying them. Got it?"
Everyone agreed then we closed the meeting and started to file out of the kitchen to let Blaine and Rook do what they do best. I pulled Alexi and Zen to the side and out of ear shot of everyone else.
"You two will be my first line of defense. Zen this is Alexi, don't freak out but he's a Wolven."
"I know."
"Right...clairvoyant. Ok well you know why he's here then?"
"Not 100% on that one, the vision's are foggy but I feel that an evil is trying to seep into our town. I assume since he's here he's a good guy?"
"Well....yeah, Zen, I wouldn't knowingly allow a bad guy to work for me now would I?" We laughed for a second.
"Ok so is there anyone in particular I should be on the look out for tonight?" Alexi asked.
Before I had a chance to answer Laya came running towards us.
"Oh my God, you guy's have to come see who just rode up on a big black motorcycle! Come on!"
Zen and I gave each other a quizzical look before grabbing Alexi by the arm and pulling him along with us to see this mysterious stranger. We made it behind the bar right as the guy waltzed in my front door's.