Monday, May 26, 2014

Cursed Awakening: A Slice of Life

“Lahni what’s with you and Red Cloud?”

Ivy watched as her new sister-in-law scowled at her younger sister Ari before throwing some laundry at her. Nyx had told her there was some bad blood between Lahni and Shiloh, the big clan chieftain of his people. Last night after the first night of the wedding ceremony, Shiloh had offered a small wooden box to Lahni and well if looks could have killed; Ivy knew of one clan that would be looking for a new chieftain. Lahni had refused the gift and grabbed the hands of her sisters and walked away with her chin held high. Tonight was night two.

“Seriously Lahni, the dude is blue balled for you.”  Karma teased.

Lahni groaned, “He comes near me and he’s not going to have any balls at all. Do you two have anything better to do than make me miserable?”

Ari and Karma looked at each other and grinned, “No” they sang together.

Ivy leaned towards Khloe, “I don’t think I have ever seen her this agitated before and I am not sure how to handle castration at my wedding party.”

Khloe, the eldest girl of the Wahpeton family laughed as she folded Cinjin’s Misfits t-shirt. Cinjin was Khloe’s mate and the man was literally the size of a grizzly. Ivy was still a little skittish around him even though Khloe had assured her that he didn’t like being in the dog house so he no longer lifted his leg in public. Ivy had laughed about that until Nyx had come into the house  and shook his head at her.

“Ah Ivy, stick around sister and you’ll learn all sorts of secrets.  Bodhi, for instance, is so desperate for “The One” that he has a secret stash of ‘Men Are From Mars and Women Are From Venus’ self- help books under his bed under a false board that he thinks none of us know about. Bodhi is a great guy and I love him but the woman who gets him will have to have a P.H.D in tolerance. Our brother Caleb, has a beautiful voice but seldom sings. A wolf has a different sound for different things. Wolves sing, you know, and Caleb’s vocal talent is beyond anything besides my mother, that I have ever heard. Nauru, he seems so quiet and very reserved goes every other weekend to the college and plays football and even does some boxing with some of the boys. Xander has been in love with Jaycee forever but there was a time when he wanted to become a minister. He went so far as to even put in for the priesthood. We were all shocked and our father and grandfather even got up money to send him all the way to Italy so he could make up his mind.”

Ivy was a bit stunned at this, “What happened?”

Khloe smiled as she finished a stack of t-shirts and Looney Toon boxers, “He saw Jaycee and that was all it took. They had known each other most of their lives but it wasn’t until that very moment when he was sixteen, that he recognized his mate and vice versa.” Khloe lifted her chin towards Nyx’s other sisters, “The twins catch glimpses of things and sometimes they can hear things on the wind but they will seldom tell you the strait of things and no one knows why. Lahni on the other hand is a tough nut to crack. She’s always been the wild child that will never change but there was a time when she truly loved Shiloh. I am not sure what happened and sad as it is, I didn’t push. Just one day when she was old enough to leave home she did and the next time I saw her she’d gotten tattoos, an electric guitar, and her hair was blue and purple with bright green streaks.”

Ivy watched Lahni who was lacing up her Demonica boots. She was dressed in perfect Cyber Goth attire. Lahni was probably going to go out before she had to be back for the second night of her wedding ceremony. Tomorrow night would be a full moon and they would officially be wed. There were two nights of feasting, dancing, and rituals and then the final would be tomorrow. Ivy wished it was already done and over with. Not that she didn’t love learning her mate’s culture, but the past two nights Lahni had looked miserable and Xander was still not at a hundred percent. He was still pale and slowly regaining strength. Jaycee never left his side.

***

Lahni sauntered out to her Jeep. She reached for the door when a large hand prevented the door from opening. Her eyes flashed gold for a brief second before she whirled around.

“I’m going to give you three seconds to get the hell away from my Jeep and leave me the hell alone or,” her eyes dropped momentarily, “you’re going to be in for a lot of pain and blood is a give in.”

Shiloh’s expression never changed. He lowered his head so that their faces nearly touched, “Do your worst but you will have your ass back here before nightfall. You don’t want to push me Lahni. I will only go so far.”

“Would hell be far enough because if you need a ride, I can help with that.”

Shiloh straightened up and removed his hand from her door frame with the same intense serious look on his face, “Just be back Lahni. Just be back.”

Lahni smirked as she hopped in and slammed the door and flipped him the bird. Shiloh narrowed his eyes and folded his massive arms across his broad sculpted chest. Lahni turned the key and made sure she kicked up enough dust and rocks to make her point clear-she wanted nothing whatsoever to do with him. As she turned and made her way to the road, Shiloh finally let the ends of his mouth form into that of a smile. This game played both ways but in the end she was going to be his.

Ivy stood on the porch with Khloe as Lahni had peeled out the drive. One thing that went unsaid between the two women was that Lahni’s days of being foot loose and fancy free were about to come to an end because she was Claimed and she didn’t even know it.  Nyx came out and wrapped his arms around his girl and reverently let one hand drift to the small little bump where his child was now growing.

“Night two is almost here baby and then we are almost done.” He whispered into her ear.

Ivy smiled and laid her back against his shoulder. Khloe spotted Cinjin coming out from the tree line and went running to meet him, shifting in mid run.

“She’s so beautiful when she shifts. It’s flawless.” Ivy sighed with longing and admiration of her new sister in law.

Nyx nuzzled her neck, “True but so are you. We’ve been over this baby, you’ll be able to soon enough. It will become like second nature to you in time.” He assured her.

Ivy found her smile again, “It’s early and you still have yet to take me to below the falls. I can make it worth your while.” She teased seductively.

“Well then I guess I will have to take you now, this very minute since you’re offering such an incentive to go.” He pulled her in close and covered her mouth with his.

Ivy didn’t need the falls or anything because the safest place in the world and her happiness was right here in Nyx’s arms. She’d never known love, passion, or desire like this and soon they’d be having a baby that would complete their lives.

Want to read how it all began? Cursed Awakening is available here:


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