Hey everyone - sorry for the long delay, but here's the next chapter! Enjoy!
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Michael gazed out the large picture window that formed one wall of his large office while he waited for Elijah to arrive. Currently his Made was settling Keisha's and Smythson's people into his guest quarters, and he could sense Elijah was very unsettled. Michael was extremely curious to know the cause. After all, if there were danger, Elijah would have already reported that, so whatever had disturbed his usually unflappable Made had to be both unique and interesting.
Hopefully whatever has Elijah upset won't cause much difficulty. There are already many balls in the air, I would prefer not to add more, Michael thought with a small frown, his thoughts drifting to Lucienne who was currently catching up with her friend Maria.
His lips lifted slightly as he remembered his brief meeting with the small woman and the way she'd forced herself to meet the full weight of his gaze without flinching and then proceeded to question him and take his measure. It was clear to him that she wanted to ensure he would treat Lucienne properly, and he admired the strength it had taken for her to do that in spite of her fear.
Once he'd let Jason know he had no reservations becoming Maria's Alpha when the time came, he'd turned his attention to his and Lucienne's future. Eogan's revelation that he would be capable of siring children had shaken him to his core, but even in his state of shock his mind had not been idle. He was more than aware of the many dangers they would face and already he had a number of long range plans. He'd then spent the rest of his day laying groundwork so if the time came, structures would already be in place to protect his potential family.
He'd also contacted Victor, one of his Made who'd been laying low after an incident where he'd been presumed dead. The man was a brilliant researcher and historian with a unique talent for seeing the truth written between the lines. Unfortunately that very talent was also the reason his Made was in hiding. Victor had wanted a vacation from the people that were threatened by his wealth of knowledge and extreme focus on the truth.
Michael had quickly learned his Made was bored out of his skull and more than ready to end his break from the world. He'd jumped at the opportunity for a new research project, and by the time their conversation ended, Michael knew Victor was utterly hooked. After all, he'd never really investigated the Unsleir or their history with vampires before, and though Michael had been as tight lipped as possible, Victor was no fool. His Made was like a bloodhound on a scent, now, and would let nothing stand in his way of his search for the truth.
Michael turned away from the window, sensing the shift of energy that signaled Elijah's imminent arrival, and poured a second glass of scotch for his eldest Made. Moments later Elijah appeared showing subtle signs of stress in his eyes. He wasted no time grabbing the glass from Michael and downed it in one go before sitting on one of the chairs in front of the desk, his body rigid with tension. Michael simply raised an eyebrow and waited for Elijah to gather himself enough to speak.
"I met my Ruachs," Elijah finally spoke, rubbing a hand across his face.
"Ruachs?" Michael questioned. "As in more than one?"
Elijah nodded sharply, meeting Michael's gaze with an intensity and fire that he rarely displayed. "I'm not mistaken," he said defensively. "I have two Ruachs and only one is a vampire. The other is a shifter."
"I see," Michael replied calmly, now understanding Elijah's reaction. Bonding between shifters and vampires was extremely uncommon and rarely accepted. Additionally, clearly the vampire had to be one of Keisha's people and the shifter one of Alpha Smythson's which would mean split loyalties.
"Do they acknowledge the bond?" Michael asked.
"We haven't really discussed it yet, but I know they felt it. You aren't shocked that I have two or bothered that one's a shifter? I didn't think it was possible for there to be more than one."
"I see no reason to be bothered by a shifter Ruach, not to mention it would be rather hypocritical of me to complain given that I am a shifter Alpha, would it not? Besides, it's not for me to determine the manner in which you are to be happy," Michael replied with a slight twitch of his lips, making Elijah chuckle.
"As for multiple Ruachs, it is quite possible and has happened before, though it's quite rare," Michael answered with smile for his oldest Made. "I suspect the reason is that few beings are truly able to properly balance such a relationship, but I admit to having considered it as a possibility in your case more than once."
"Why?" Elijah asked, genuinely confused. True he enjoyed both men and women equally, and had enjoyed multiple partners before, but he wasn't all that unusual in that regard. Most vampires at the very least, experimented.
"Am I not always telling you to know yourself?" Michael gently teased, letting Elijah wonder for a moment if he would answer. "Simply put, a single partner would have great difficulty holding your full attention, as you are both an exceptional multi-tasker and very talented manipulator. Two partners, however, will not only provide you with more excitement, but will prevent you from always getting your way, which is not healthy for anyone."
Elijah leaned back in the chair and laughed. Michael had him nailed down to a T, and his sire's calm reaction was helping him relax. Elijah took a deep breath and moved on to what was really worrying him. "So you've probably already figured out how to handle the whole divided loyalties thing? I think the whole cross species thing isn't much of an issue for them since I'm pretty sure Harriet and Misha already bonded to each other."
Michael tilted his head at the new information, finding himself rather fascinated. "I do have a number of ideas, my least favorite thought being you leaving my service." Michael held up a hand at Elijah's immediate denial, making his Made pause. "I do not believe it will come to that, but I wish you to know that I won't stop you if that is what you must do for your Ruachs."
Elijah nodded his acknowledgement, though his blue eyes burned with his loyalty. Michael silently vowed to do everything in his power to help Elijah and his Ruachs. "I believe our next order of business is to request Harriet and Misha to join us since the information they have will affect the course of action we take."
Elijah fully stretched out in his chair and leaned his head back, the tension finally draining from him. "Thank you," was all he said, but Michael heard and understood the full depth in Elijah's voice. The fact was, this bonding was going to cause some level of trouble and Michael had just given his blessing and pledged his protection.
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"Wow, Luce," Maria exclaimed in amazement after hearing about everything that had happened in the last twenty four hours. "You're amazingly calm about all this. I mean you could be hiding it, but I know you, and you're definitely more relaxed than most people would be about all of this."
Lucienne nodded her agreement of Maria's assessment. "Yeah, I'm honestly not sure if this is the calm before the storm, or if I've just adjusted fast. I mean, I do tend to get over things quickly..." she trailed off with a slight frown.
"What's the prob?" Maria asked when Lucienne went silent, trying to prod her friend. "C'mon, I've seen you through thick and thin, same as you've done with me. What're you thinking?"
Lucienne looked off to the side, trying to put her thoughts together into something more coherent. "It's just... I seem to not feel things like I should. I feel like I should be freaking out a lot more about all of this, but I'm not. I feel like I shouldn't have wanted to bond with Michael so fast, but I don't regret it even though I didn't know that I did it till today. I mean, we've only had one actual date after me glimpsing him once during karaoke, and him breaking into my apartment twice. What sane person is okay with all of this?"
Maria tilted her head at her friend, while considering her words. "Luce, you keep trying to measure yourself by human standards, but not only is Michael not human, it turns out you aren't entirely human either. I've watched you since we were in college, and no, you don't react the same way most people would, but you're not the least bit detached or unemotional, either. That is what you were trying to get at, wasn't it? That you're some sort of closet psychopath?" Maria half teased, though her words were serious.
Lucienne flushed and nodded her head slightly. "Well let me tell you something missy," Maria continued waggling her finger at her friend. "You're not a psychopath and you're not unemotional. I know you love your brother despite what happened between you, and I know you love me, too. I haven't forgotten what you did for me with the whole Kyle thing. You not only kept me alive through all of it, you helped put me back together. You care deeply, but you also make hard decisions and live with the consequences without letting guilt overwhelm you. You're a protector, Luce. It's what you do, and I for one, don't think you should let what you think is normal affect the decisions you make for your life."
Lucienne teared up a bit and grabbed Maria up in a tight hug and they stayed like that for several minutes. "Thanks Maria," Lucienne finally choked out. "I needed to hear that."
Maria pulled back with a grin. "Been questioning yourself to bits, haven't you?" she asked with a knowing look in her eye.
Lucienne gave her a nod and held her hands in the air, saying, "Guilty as charged."
Maria giggled and put her hands on her hips before giving a stern look. "Well don't let it happen again, missy! Or else I'll have to start spilling your secrets to Michael!"
Lucienne frowned slightly and Maria's expression became more serious. "What?" she asked.
"Well apparently part of the bonding was a memory exchange. I have all of his and he has all of mine so there aren't going to be any secrets. I mean they're locked away at the moment, but we'll be recovering them soon. Also, Michael thinks that when we do recover them, we'll actually re-live each other's memories."
Maria gasped, her eyes going round in shock. "Shit. I'm guessing you're about to get first hand experience with a hell of a lot of dark stuff. I mean it's clear Michael's been through some pain, and well... vampire stories aren't exactly unicorns and roses."
Lucienne nodded. "I'm willing to face it, but I'm also afraid. I don't know how I'm going to react with it all first hand like that."
Maria went silent for several minutes, still processing this new revelation. "I think what I said before is even more important now, Luce. Whatever you do, don't judge yourself or Michael by human standards, they don't apply," Maria said, pausing briefly before she suddenly narrowed her eyes and drew her brows together in irritation.
"And don't you dare feel guilty for not feeling what you think you should," she continued in a stern voice. "In fact, eliminate 'should' from your vocabulary. You feel what you feel and you don't feel what you don't feel, and there's nothing wrong with that. Trust that at the end of the day you're a good person and someone I'm proud to call friend. Trust in your love for Michael and his for you. Hell, in the five minutes I saw you guys together that was freaking obvious. The man would do anything for you, Luce, and I think you would do anything for him too. Use that to carry you through. You are strong enough and you can do this."
"Thank you," Lucienne half whispered, looking away for several minutes to compose herself. Finally she turned back and smiled at her friend. "Now, how about you fill me on Jason?"
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Michael sat behind his desk in silence, waiting for Elijah and his Ruachs to finish their discussion in the neighboring room. His Made wanted to have an opportunity to speak with Harriet and Misha alone first, since he didn't know their opinions on the situation yet. Michael's lips twitched in a slight smile, assuming the conversation had gone well when he felt Elijah's extreme relief and excitement through the Maker bond. A moment later the door opened and Elijah stepped through, followed by a large framed, muscular woman and a slender man who moved silently and with tremendous grace.
Michael was about to speak when Harriet's dark eyes turned almost black and she suddenly shifted into a large cinnamon colored black bear. Elijah moved to place himself between Michael and his Ruach, but the bear simply bowed its head.
"Alpha," the bear said, mind to mind, just before Michael felt an Alpha bond snap into place. A moment later, the bear shifted back, and Harriet knelt on the floor, panting, her clothes in tatters. Elijah left the room and was back in moments, wrapping a blanket around her while Misha helped her up.
"Shit," Harriet gasped out, not entirely certain what to do about her beast suddenly changing Alphas on her. "Shit," she repeated, "I need to call my... I mean I need to call Alpha Smythson," she corrected herself, and though she was hiding it well, Michael knew she was upset over the loss of her previous Alpha.
"I believe that might be him now," Michael commented calmly as Harriet's phone, still on the floor, began to buzz. He showed only a calm, unruffled exterior, both for the benefit of the ever silent Misha, as well as to help Harriet and her beast settle. "You may step into the other room to speak with him if you like, the room is sound proofed, and we shall not overhear you," he told her, knowing she would feel the respect he was according her by giving her privacy.
"Thank you, Lord R... Alpha," Harriet replied, scooping up her phone and shutting the door behind her as she left.
Michael focused his attention on the curiously silent vampire and gestured to one of the chairs. "Please have a seat," he said. "Clearly there is much to discuss."
"Yes, Lord Reece," the vampire acknowledged respectfully, though Michael had no doubt the man had sized him up within seconds of walking into his office.
"Lord Reece, would it be too presumptuous of me to ask a question?"
Michael's lips twitched in amusement, though he chose not to comment on the fact that Misha already asked him a question. "You may ask as you wish," he replied, though his tone also conveyed that he may or may not actually answer.
"My question's probably pretty obvious. I just would like to know how you feel about shifters?"
Michael raised an eyebrow and folded his hands in front of him. "I assume you are already familiar with my reputation, so I believe what you are asking is whether I will properly care for and protect yours and Elijah's Ruach as a proper Alpha should?" Michael responded, deliberately reminding the man of Elijah's claim.
Something flashed briefly in man's pale blue eyes, but he simply nodded in confirmation. "I take the Alpha bond quite seriously," Michael replied, "and consider Harriet to be one of mine, now, and subject to all the protection, loyalty and responsibility that entails."
"Thank you, Lord Reece, for your honesty. I would like to ask you one more thing," Misha paused before receiving a nod from Michael. "If Elder Bowen is willing to release me, would you accept me as your Pledged?"
"Misha Stovall," Michael replied, raising an eyebrow at the man. "Your reputation is quite well established. I would imagine there are few Lords who would not be interested to claim you as their Pledged under the correct circumstances."
A brief smile twitched across the man's face. "True," he acknowledged, "but there are very few Lords who I would be willing to Pledge to, and fewer who I could trust not to attempt to use me against Elder Bowen."
Michael kept his face impassive, but was very pleased to hear both the warning and finality in Misha's tone. The only reason the man was willing to switch his loyalties was for his Ruachs, but even so, he was making it clear that he would not be disloyal to Keisha, nor would he break the vows he'd made to her. Michael was happy to hear it though he knew it would cause some level of complexity. Of course, he would have had serious reservations about anyone easily changing their loyalty without concern for their vows.
"I would be pleased to accept you as my Pledged should Elder Bowen be willing to release you," Michael replied, knowing he would soon be entering into some rather tricky negotiations with Keisha, though he had no doubt as to the eventual outcome.
The slender vampire nodded once and finally met Elijah's gaze, his eyes filling with warmth. "Harriet's beast rising was a surprise, but as usual, her bear provided a very direct solution. Neither of us wanted to put you in conflict with your Maker, solnyshko," Michael accidentally overheard before shielding Misha out and leaving him to his private conversation with Elijah.
Misha turned back to Michael and produced a small glass bottle and a memory stick. "Lord Reece, Elder Bowen sends this gift to you with her thanks for hosting this meeting," Misha said formally while setting the sealed bottle on his desk. Even without the intricate gold designs on the exterior, there was no mistaking the energy signature from the draconic blood that resided within. Keisha and Smythson certainly had his complete attention now, as had no doubt been their intent.
"This contains a detailed proposal and data files from Elder Bowen and Alpha Smythson," Misha continued, placing the memory stick next to the bottle. "They wished me to inform you there are certain quarters that are vehemently opposed to what is contained in these files, but they have both concluded the benefits to be worth risking further irritating those who are already enemies. They hope your assessment will mirror theirs."
Michael nodded his acceptance, and was saved from having to make any speech in response when Harriet re-entered the room. He quickly looked her over, noting her eyes slightly red rimmed, and he quickly made plans to help her adjust to her change of leadership.
She briskly walked to his desk, her body language showing no other sign of her emotional state, and handed her phone to Michael. "Alpha Smythson would like to speak with you, Alpha," she told him, her voice remarkably steady.
Michael took the phone from her hand and gave her a small smile. "Welcome to the pack, Harriet. I am most pleased to have you with us, and I will do my best to for you and for Misha as well," he said, letting warmth enter his gaze before bringing the phone to his ear.
"Alpha Smythson," he acknowledged.
"Reece, I don't know what the fuck is going on over there, but Harriet had damn well better be happy with you, or there'll be hell to pay!" the Alpha's growl was so loud everyone heard him clearly.
"Alpha Smythson," Michael's ice cold tone interrupted the wolf's rant, unable to allow the Alpha wolf's direct challenge to his authority. "I understand and admire your loyalty to your people, and I realize this unexpected transfer of a pack member must have been shocking. As such I take no offense. However, might I suggest that a calm approach would be more productive?"
The implied threat was clear in Michael's tone and he knew the Alpha was struggling to rein in his beast. "Alpha Smythson," Michael said again, this time his tone slightly warmer, though still calm. "If your schedule permits, I would like to invite you and your mate to stay with me during the upcoming gathering. There are several things I believe would be of benefit for us to discuss in person rather than over the phone," Michael finished, the implication being that phone lines were not the most secure methods of communication.
"I appreciate and accept your invitation, Lord Reece," the Alpha's voice came over the phone, still with an underlying growl, but significantly more calm. "We will arrive on Thursday. I will have the details sent to you, along with the number of staff we will have with us."
"Until Thursday, then," Michael replied.
"Till Thursday," Smythson finished and hung up.
Michael handed the phone back to Harriet and allowed a touch of amusement to show in his expression so she would know he held no ill will to her previous Alpha. "Elijah," Michael said, shifting his gaze to his Made. "Why don't you show your Ruachs around the grounds? I'm certain they would enjoy time to... decompress after so many hours on a plane." Michael said, underlying teasing tone hidden in his voice that Elijah had no trouble detecting, though neither Harriet or Misha caught it.
"I would very much enjoy that," Elijah replied, his eyes flashing with desire as he flicked his gaze to his Ruachs. "If you both would follow me?" he said with a grin before escorting them out.
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Hey everyone,
Sorry for the late author's note, but I wanted to let folks know that the intimate details between Elijah, Misha and Harriet won't be written in Scarred. I've received a couple questions on that, and I figure for every person asking, there's probably more that didn't.
Anyway, for those who are interested, I will probably write their story as a separate book at some point after this one is finished. Those who are not interested don't need to worry about an unexpected menage or m/m intimate scene happening while reading Scarred.
Thanks everyone!