I try to step away from her when I hear movement upstairs, my eyes snap to the roof. “What do you mean? Do what?” I ask, worried.
Her eyes glow hypnotically as a smile lights up her face. “I’m kidnapping you,” she says, her eyes sparkling as her grip on me tightens.
I’m about to scream when she bursts out laughing. I blink as a strange sensation rolls over me, like a ripple in the water. Opening my eyes, I am no longer at home, my surroundings no longer familiar, and I have no idea where I am.
E
velyn
Based on my observations, we are in what appears to be a small studio. The smell of incense hangs strong in the air. Beaded curtains cover a door leading somewhere with a tie-dyed bedspread and rugs; it is a very artsy-looking room.
“What did you do?” I ask, wondering how we appeared out of thin air, from one place to another.
“We misted, or as you humans like to say, teleported,” Amara says, like it is no big deal. She walks over to a dresser, pulls some clothes out, and hands them to me. After removing my shirt, I quickly put on the sweatpants and clean shirt. Amara watches me the entire time I’m changing, making me feel self-conscious.
“You have lovely breasts,” she comments, making me feel awkward.
“Thanks,” I say, looking away from her and her awkward remark. “Where are we?”
“My parent’s house. They turned the back room of the shed into a studio for me,” she answers, as she sits on her bed. I sit on the chair at the desk. “On the plus side, they won’t leave you long, especially now they have marked you,” Amara tells me.
“What do you mean?” I ask, curious.
“Now that they have marked you, you will go into heat, and to answer your next question, I brought you here hoping to lure my brother home,” she tells me the answer to my next question.
“So, you can see the future?” I ask, and she nods as she starts chewing her nails. “Can you see mine?” I ask, and I watch her eyes glow brightly. It looks like she is looking straight through me and then, she looks away.
“The future isn’t so clear. Things change. Decisions change. I get glimpses or memories of things, like the burn on your back and how you got it. I don’t like looking into the future because it can change its path; not something to be meddled with,” she says, not adding anything further on the subject.
“So, your parents know I am here?” I ask, and she shakes her head.
“No, but they will in 3… 2… 1…”
The door suddenly opens, and a blonde woman walks in; one I haven’t seen before.
“Hey, Aunty B.”
“Amara?” she asks. Her eyes dart to me, widen, and she starts sniffing the air. “You didn’t?” she says, not even hiding her shock at me being kidnapped.
“I did, and I regret nothing. It will work. I have seen it,” Amara tells her.
“And ends with whose funeral?” the woman asks.
“No one. Evelyn, this is my aunty, Bianca. She also stays here. Well, until she can’t handle the noise inside the house.”
I watch as Bianca sniffs the air. “She is marked, Amara. He is going to go ballistic.”
Amara shrugs. “He won’t hurt me, and I will kick his ass if he tries.”
Bianca watches me carefully, cocking her head to the side. “Your scent smells familiar for some reason; I just can’t put my finger on it,” she says, walking over to me. She dips her face in the crook of my neck and sniffs me. “Hmm. Odd,” she says, pulling back while I eye her like she is crazy. Who walks up sniffing people?
“So why are you here in my studio?” Amara asks her.
“You really need to ask? They have been going at it like rabbits, and there are some things I don’t want to hear my sister do,” Bianca says, as a visible shudder runs through her body.
Amara snorts and breaks out in laughter. “Exactly why I live out here,” she says, a silly grin on her face.
“Oops, sounds like they stopped. Let’s go say hi,” Bianca says, tugging my arm, pulling me out the door leading to a garage with some luxury cars.
Walking out, I see an enormous house with stone walls and a massive veranda, fields, and gardens surround the entire property. Bianca pulls me up some stairs, opens the door, and sings out.
“Hope you are decent; we have a guest,” she says as she pulls me into a living room with a fireplace and couches. I look around; it is very homey, with many pictures on the walls.
Walking over to one, I see Amara and Thaddeus when they were younger, playing in a puddle of water, drenched, and wearing yellow raincoats and rain boots. They look to be about 8 to 10 years old. Hearing movement upstairs, I look up while Amara walks in the front door.
“Coffee?” she asks.
I nod and follow her and Bianca into a kitchen much like the one back home. In fact, a lot is similar on the inside to what is at his home, making me wonder if Thaddeus designed it because he misses being home.
Amara sits on a stool at the island and makes coffee, setting 6 mugs out. Grabbing mine, I take a sip just as Imogen and two men walk in, both with a startling resemblance to Thaddeus. The men freeze, but Imogen walks over and hugs me.
“Mom, gross. You were doing God knows what with my fathers, and now you come over and hug her, leaving your sex scent all over her? I have to share a room with her,” Amara scolds her mother, making Imogen chuckle.
“Your brother will love knowing you’re sharing a room with his mate,” Imogen tells her, making me confused. Doesn’t Thaddeus like his sister?
“Evelyn, these two are my mates and Thaddeus’ fathers: Tobias and Theo. Or you can call them dad, whichever you prefer.”
“Hi,” I say, giving them a brief wave.
They are both handsome and look the same age as their son. I don’t know how I will get used to people looking the same age as Thaddeus yet refer to them as his parents.