Dark Beauty
Nathaniel and Thomas
It was just before sunset when the jet landed in the small airport in Great Falls, MT. Andreas pulled Layla closer to him as he woke from the Carpathian sleep. "Evening," Layla said sleepily. Andreas nuzzled Layla's neck and she smacked him. "No," she growled. "You promised."
Andreas sighed. He had given his vow. He could not go back on it. He would not. His lifemate's happiness was more important than his own needs. The thought nearly killed him to finish. Andreas stood up slowly and stretched as hunger made some of his senses more acute. He could hear the blood pounding in her veins. Her scent was uniquely her. Old book pages, flowers, and…feminine grace.
"Are you going to come hunting or do you plan on going to meet your future in-laws hungry?" Julian asked with an evil twinkle in his eyes.
Andreas growled and he pulled away from Layla and stood up. "You will wait here for us," Andreas ordered Layla sternly. "I will be back shortly."
Even tired Layla looked at him skeptically. "Who said that I was going to stay here?" She asked. "What if I feel like wandering around?"
"Then I shall know and I shall be very displeased," Andreas growled.
Layla smiled lazily and laughed softly. "Has that stopped me yet?"
"No, but it should," he said sternly before sighing. "Please Layla, stay here so that I know you are safe."
It was her turn to sigh. "Since you put it that way, I'll listen to you. But don't get used to it buddy. You won't always get your way."
Andreas smiled to himself as he left the jet. His little lifemate, so much life in her, even when she was only half-awake. Andreas reached out to her and made sure that their minds were connected.
Now it was time to hunt in this new place.
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"You are shaking honey," Andreas whispered in Layla's ear.
"I'm a little nervous," she confessed in a breathy whisper.
"You have no reason to be afraid. It is your family."
"Honey…I kind of failed to mention the fact that we're engaged…"
Andreas was surprised both by the information and by the fact that he hadn't seen it in her mind until this moment. This complicated his plans…yet it made things a little easier as well. He would have to lie of course. He did not favor that course of action. He did not like to lie, but he had little choice. He could not reveal the truth to his lifemate's family. They had to continue their lives in ignorance, yet also be convinced that he and Layla should wed immediately.
The house was neat and cozy. Andreas could gather from Layla's memories that her family had no lived there long. But her family was proud of it. They desired this house. That made Andreas look at it differently and appreciate when he would have otherwise felt nothing at all. Andreas and Julian were both alert as they reached out and scanned the area for any hints of danger to their lifemates. There was none though and that was reassuring.
"Layla?" His eyes shot up and saw a young, wiry, tan skinned, dark haired boy on the roof. There was no doubt in my mind that this was one of Layla's younger brothers.
"Thomas!" Layla called out to the boy with childish joy. The boy jumped off the roof. Andreas felt a pull to rush forward and catch the child, but the boy landed with a roll and bounced up unharmed.
"What kind of stunt was that?!" Layla demanded angrily, worry laced through her voice.
"Oh come on sis, it's not like I hurt myself." The boy said with a nonchalant shrug.
Layla cuffed the boy on the side of the head and glared at him. "Don't do that again baka! You worried me with that little stunt of yours. Where are mom and Nathaniel? I have some people for you guys to meet."
The glanced suspiciously at Andreas, Julian, and Desari. "They'll be out in a sec," Thomas assured his sister absently.
Andreas admired the young boy's protectiveness of his family. The boy could be no more than fourteen, but he already had the makings of a fine warrior and guardian. The boy was also right. Not a minute later, a woman in her mid-thirties and a teenage boy of about fourteen or fifteen came out of the house with bright grins. They ran straight to his lifemate and engulfed her in a hug. Andreas had to bite back a snarl. It was hard, but he somehow managed it.
"Guys, come on, I have some people I want you to meet." Layla took the woman by her hand and led he small group over to the Carpathians. "Guys, this is Julian Savage and his wife Desari and this is Desari's cousin and my boyfriend Andreas Dalca. Andreas, Julian, Desari, this is my family. That's my mom Rachelle and my two younger brothers: Nathaniel and Thomas."
"We are pleased to meet you all. Layla has told us much about you. She cares about you very deeply," Andreas said. He took Rachelle's hand and bowed over it with every ounce of Old World elegance that he possessed.
"It's nice to finally meet you Andreas, Layla speaks very highly of you," Rachelle said with a smile. It reminded Andreas of Layla. He could see where she had gotten her beauty. Her mother still had an air of majesty about her.
The two boys stood side by side with their arms crossed. They were glaring at Andreas with hints of mistrust in their eyes. "So you're the big shot trying to sweep our sister off her feet," Nathaniel said in a hard voice.
"May I speak to Nathaniel and Thomas alone for a moment?" Andreas asked looking to Rachelle for approval. Andreas caught Layla's frown from the corner of his eye. Do not worry little mate. I will not harm your brothers. I merely wish to speak with them, Andreas assured Layla with a mental caress. Rachelle gave her approval and moved inside with Layla, Desari, and Julian.
The boys stood united against Andreas with their chins held high and their gazes unwavering though he could feel the fear that was inside of them. "You are both very brave young men. I respect your desire to protect your sister, but I promise that I would never harm Layla. She is my life. She is my the other half of my soul. Without her, my life would not be worth living except to perhaps gain vengeance for her death. I will never leave her for I cannot. If it is your desire, I will even teach you how to protect your family. You and your mother are now under my keeping for I have claimed your sister as my own."
"You can't just claim her like she's a possession," Thomas growled stepping forward.
Andreas chuckled. "I could never imagine Layla as my possession. Your sister is very willful. She would never allow another person to control her. I would not want to change that. So I ask of you two young men, will you give me the keeping and protection of your sister and allow me the instruction of yourselves for the protection of your mother and your own mates when you find them."
The brothers looked at each other and moved away so they could whisper together. Andreas heard every word, but gave no indication of it. Finally, the two boys came back and faced Andreas proudly. He knew exaclty what they were going to say, but he knew it still would never be that easy.
"You've got a deal."
Andreas sighed. He had given his vow. He could not go back on it. He would not. His lifemate's happiness was more important than his own needs. The thought nearly killed him to finish. Andreas stood up slowly and stretched as hunger made some of his senses more acute. He could hear the blood pounding in her veins. Her scent was uniquely her. Old book pages, flowers, and…feminine grace.
"Are you going to come hunting or do you plan on going to meet your future in-laws hungry?" Julian asked with an evil twinkle in his eyes.
Andreas growled and he pulled away from Layla and stood up. "You will wait here for us," Andreas ordered Layla sternly. "I will be back shortly."
Even tired Layla looked at him skeptically. "Who said that I was going to stay here?" She asked. "What if I feel like wandering around?"
"Then I shall know and I shall be very displeased," Andreas growled.
Layla smiled lazily and laughed softly. "Has that stopped me yet?"
"No, but it should," he said sternly before sighing. "Please Layla, stay here so that I know you are safe."
It was her turn to sigh. "Since you put it that way, I'll listen to you. But don't get used to it buddy. You won't always get your way."
Andreas smiled to himself as he left the jet. His little lifemate, so much life in her, even when she was only half-awake. Andreas reached out to her and made sure that their minds were connected.
Now it was time to hunt in this new place.
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"You are shaking honey," Andreas whispered in Layla's ear.
"I'm a little nervous," she confessed in a breathy whisper.
"You have no reason to be afraid. It is your family."
"Honey…I kind of failed to mention the fact that we're engaged…"
Andreas was surprised both by the information and by the fact that he hadn't seen it in her mind until this moment. This complicated his plans…yet it made things a little easier as well. He would have to lie of course. He did not favor that course of action. He did not like to lie, but he had little choice. He could not reveal the truth to his lifemate's family. They had to continue their lives in ignorance, yet also be convinced that he and Layla should wed immediately.
The house was neat and cozy. Andreas could gather from Layla's memories that her family had no lived there long. But her family was proud of it. They desired this house. That made Andreas look at it differently and appreciate when he would have otherwise felt nothing at all. Andreas and Julian were both alert as they reached out and scanned the area for any hints of danger to their lifemates. There was none though and that was reassuring.
"Layla?" His eyes shot up and saw a young, wiry, tan skinned, dark haired boy on the roof. There was no doubt in my mind that this was one of Layla's younger brothers.
"Thomas!" Layla called out to the boy with childish joy. The boy jumped off the roof. Andreas felt a pull to rush forward and catch the child, but the boy landed with a roll and bounced up unharmed.
"What kind of stunt was that?!" Layla demanded angrily, worry laced through her voice.
"Oh come on sis, it's not like I hurt myself." The boy said with a nonchalant shrug.
Layla cuffed the boy on the side of the head and glared at him. "Don't do that again baka! You worried me with that little stunt of yours. Where are mom and Nathaniel? I have some people for you guys to meet."
The glanced suspiciously at Andreas, Julian, and Desari. "They'll be out in a sec," Thomas assured his sister absently.
Andreas admired the young boy's protectiveness of his family. The boy could be no more than fourteen, but he already had the makings of a fine warrior and guardian. The boy was also right. Not a minute later, a woman in her mid-thirties and a teenage boy of about fourteen or fifteen came out of the house with bright grins. They ran straight to his lifemate and engulfed her in a hug. Andreas had to bite back a snarl. It was hard, but he somehow managed it.
"Guys, come on, I have some people I want you to meet." Layla took the woman by her hand and led he small group over to the Carpathians. "Guys, this is Julian Savage and his wife Desari and this is Desari's cousin and my boyfriend Andreas Dalca. Andreas, Julian, Desari, this is my family. That's my mom Rachelle and my two younger brothers: Nathaniel and Thomas."
"We are pleased to meet you all. Layla has told us much about you. She cares about you very deeply," Andreas said. He took Rachelle's hand and bowed over it with every ounce of Old World elegance that he possessed.
"It's nice to finally meet you Andreas, Layla speaks very highly of you," Rachelle said with a smile. It reminded Andreas of Layla. He could see where she had gotten her beauty. Her mother still had an air of majesty about her.
The two boys stood side by side with their arms crossed. They were glaring at Andreas with hints of mistrust in their eyes. "So you're the big shot trying to sweep our sister off her feet," Nathaniel said in a hard voice.
"May I speak to Nathaniel and Thomas alone for a moment?" Andreas asked looking to Rachelle for approval. Andreas caught Layla's frown from the corner of his eye. Do not worry little mate. I will not harm your brothers. I merely wish to speak with them, Andreas assured Layla with a mental caress. Rachelle gave her approval and moved inside with Layla, Desari, and Julian.
The boys stood united against Andreas with their chins held high and their gazes unwavering though he could feel the fear that was inside of them. "You are both very brave young men. I respect your desire to protect your sister, but I promise that I would never harm Layla. She is my life. She is my the other half of my soul. Without her, my life would not be worth living except to perhaps gain vengeance for her death. I will never leave her for I cannot. If it is your desire, I will even teach you how to protect your family. You and your mother are now under my keeping for I have claimed your sister as my own."
"You can't just claim her like she's a possession," Thomas growled stepping forward.
Andreas chuckled. "I could never imagine Layla as my possession. Your sister is very willful. She would never allow another person to control her. I would not want to change that. So I ask of you two young men, will you give me the keeping and protection of your sister and allow me the instruction of yourselves for the protection of your mother and your own mates when you find them."
The brothers looked at each other and moved away so they could whisper together. Andreas heard every word, but gave no indication of it. Finally, the two boys came back and faced Andreas proudly. He knew exaclty what they were going to say, but he knew it still would never be that easy.
"You've got a deal."