"Would one of you please explain why neither of us is dead, what that was all about and why do I remember hearing a birds cry." Michael asked
They were about to answer his questions when him stating about hearing a bird's cry sunk in.
"You heard a birds cry?" Jane asked shocked.
"Of my questions that's the one you pick out and focus on?" Michael asked back confused.
The four girls all looked at each other before Alexia spoke again.
"That's because it has a special meaning to us, after last night we need to talk Mike."
"No argument here, You girls, two in particular owe me an explanation." Michael agreed.
"Do you want to talk here of move to the living room?" Sarah asked.
"My body feels stiff and needs moving so let's head to the living room." Michael replied before slowly getting out of bed.
"Are you ok Mike do you need help?" Gracie asked feeling guilty.
"I'm fine it's not my first time being shot after all."
"It's not?" The girls all asked surprised.
"Nope when you live on the streets you encounter all sorts of situations, maybe I will tell you about it sometime." Michael replied not wanting to explain right now.
As Michael followed the girls into the living room, he saw the four women that were there when he got shot.
"I guess introductions are in order, these for are our protectors that we call shadows, even though their job is to protect us all as a group when we are separated one shadow always follows a specific one of us." Sarah began to explain.
"The is Alex she specifically protects Alexia."
Michael looked at Alex and nodded with a smile however Alex just scowled back at him with her arms crossed making him wonder if he did something wrong.
"Don't mind Alex she just doesn't like men." Alexia said before Sarah continued.
"This is Gwen who protects Gracie."
"Hi thanks for not shooting me." Michael said with a smile to Gwen
"You're welcome, I don't mind if you shoot me with your weapon in the future." Gwen replied playfully with a flirtatious wink.
"Don't mind Gwen ether, she's a bigger pervert thank Jane after all.
"HEY!!" Both Gwen and Jane shouted making Michael chuckle.
"This is June who mainly protects Jane." And this time the girls all looked a bit nervous waiting for Michael's response especially June.
Michael looked at June for a moment before saying.
"Hello, I hope you don't expect me to thank you for shooting me."
"Not at all and I apologize for that, I just hope you will forgive me when you learn why I did it." June replied with a sad smile.
"Mmm" was all Michael said before looking at the last new face.
As Michael turned his head away from her, June's sad smile became a bit sadder, as Jane saw this, she felt sad for her shadow and sister, she hoped Michael would find a way to understand and forgive her.
"This is Sophie who is responsible for protecting me." Sarah informed Michael who smiled and nodded at Sophie or returned the same greeting.
As Michael sat down, he looked at the eight women any man would crave to get hold off, and he had to admit part of him craved them as well, however right now he just wanted answers.
"So, who's going to explain what last night was about?"
The girls all looked at each other before sitting back down in their Queen and shadow pairs and maid themselves comfy.
Alex immediately lay down on Alexia's lap as the latter played with her hair.
Gwen went to Gracie's lap again and closed her eyes.
Jane allowed June to lean her head on her should and they held each other's hand as a show of support for June.
Sophie stood behind the couch where Sarah was sitting making everyone else look at her.
"Sophie come sit down, you are making Mike uncomfortable, besides I know you want to cuddle up just as the other girls have." Sarah instructed
Sophie seemed to have an internal struggle before her need for physical contact won out and she also decided to use Sarah's lap as a pillow.
Michael looked at all this with a raised eyebrow but did not comment, he could tell that it wasn't just his four new friends who were in their special relationship but that was not his business.
"Very well allow me and June to explain to you since it was our doing." Gracie stated and then with June's help then went on to tell Michael exactly why he got shot last night, all about their two secret missions, but very little else since he did not have the right to know the rest yet.
After Gracie and June had explained everything there was silence as Michael went over what they had told him in his head while the girls all looked at him with varying degrees of nervousness.
"So." Michael started making the girls flinch slightly and causing him to chuckle before he continued.
"Calm down I am not going to bite you."
"What if I want you to bite me though?" Gwen suddenly asked looking excited.
"Gwen". Gracie sighed as the girls all rolled their eyes.
"What? It's a fair question, I have already said I plan to make him belong only to our group in the future." Gwen replied causing Michael's eyebrow to raise again.
"Excuse me?" Michael asked
"In the future if you accept 'The Choice' that my queens will give you soon, then you will be able to enter a relationship with them if both parties agree as Lady Gracie told you last night.
"Lady?" Michael asked turning to Gracie with a curious look.
"Are you really royalty? He asked.
"Mmm that's hard to answer because it depends on who you ask." Gracie said before continuing.
"Have you never wondered why the four of us." Here Gracie pointed to herself, Alexia, Jane and Sarah before continuing.
"The four of us are addressed as queens by most people of the world??"