Death eBook 9.8.16 (15 page)

She shrugged, ran a hand over her face and admitted, “It was like an acid trip gone very wrong.
The Lord of the Rings
extras were running around with freaking swords and daggers. Seriously, not one gun in sight.
Weird
. I tossed your lover boy the fire poker I’d knocked over in my graceful landing, and we proceeded with kicking ass and taking names. It’s a damn good thing Sister Elizabeth insisted on those monthly self-defense classes. I was in the middle of taking down an ogre-sized bad guy when Bruce Wayne and the Hulk finally decided to join us. That was when things got really weird.”

“Because they weren’t already?”

She ignored my sarcasm and sallied forth with an overexaggerated tale. “Dean went all Grim Reaper on their asses. There were these opaque silhouette forms that came up from the ground and circled him once, then they attacked the bad guys
after
your man ordered them to.”

“You could see them? You must be extremely sensitive. Very few have ever been able to see Dean’s gift as we can.” Falcone was staring again, only that time it was with a look of awe and contemplation.

“Yeah,
sensitive
is not an adjective used often, or at all, to describe me; and you’re staring again, weirdo.” With that pointed out, Fallon turned her attention back to me. “Unfortunately, that’s all I saw, um… seems that the, er… robed ogre took advantage of my distraction and knocked me out.”

And I was the Queen of France. Someone was a total liar, liar, pants on fire. I raised my own questioning eyebrow, but otherwise, let it go. I got it. She wanted to look big and bad in front of the legendary horseman who kept observing her like a scientific discovery.

Fallon shook off her discomfort and decided it was my turn in the hot seat. “All right, I told you what you wanted to know. Now spill it, skank. You said he’s your mate, so you what, hit Vegas and didn’t even tell me?” She tried hard to hide the hurt in her voice, but after being best friends for a decade, she wasn’t fooling me.

“No, not even close.” I shook my head. My cheeks heated. “It’s, ah, more the physical and undeniable need to be with one another.” I shifted in the seat and told her in a way she would understand, “Actually, it’s a lot like the mating pull we read about in shifter books, and before you ask… no, shifters, were-anything, vamps, and demons don’t exist.”

“That’s damn disappointing.”

“I know, but some of it is real. Apparently, some of the myths and folklore are true. Like the obvious elephant in the room.” I threw Falcone a wink and continued, “Alchemy and witches are real too, and will be used to seal the mate bond and make me immortal like Dean.”

Fallon shook her head. “I think out of everything you’ve told me today, the ‘my best friend is going to be immortal’ part has been the hardest to swallow.”

She had taken everything I had thrown at her so calmly, and it was a bit unlike her. I asked, “My mind was beyond blown when they told me all this. Why are you so oddly calm?”

She took a moment to think before answering, “I guess partly because we have been prepping for this for years in a way, by reading one paranormal romance after another. Honey, you’re actually living every book bitch’s wet dream! Lucky ho.” She smirked. We started laughing because it was totally true.

“And the other part?” I asked.

“Well, I kind of already had my mind blown apart downstairs. Pretty proud I didn’t piss myself when those things shot out of the floor.” She shrugged. “Anything you told me after the light show was going to pale in comparison. All you did, honey, was calm my ass down by assuring your safety and answering all the questions swirling around my head.”

“Also it could be because we are as new to you as the rest of the information. Whereas, Julie has always been this way, so the idea of her being something ‘other’ seems implausible,” Falcone added in an understanding tone.

“Yeah, I guess that could be why too,” Fallon agreed, and turned back to me to continue my inquisition, “So, the sex sealed the deal?”

Now beet red, I covered my face with my hands and mumbled into them, “How did you know?”

“I didn’t.” My head shot up and I glared at her as she continued, “At least not for sure. But lover boy reeked of soap and your perfume. He didn’t strike me as the cross-dressing type. So, it was an educated guess. Was it mind-blowing and orgasmic?” She winked and Falcone, who had been laughing his ass off at my embarrassment, was now groaning at the prospect of learning, in detail, his brother’s prowess in the bedroom.
Serves him right
.

“Fallon, have I ever given you the dirty deets before? Sorry, cupcake, you’re going to have to keep living vicariously through someone else.”

She let out a tortured groan, before responding, “Ugh! Fine, as long as you used protection and are happy, that’s all that matters.”

I stilled. My mind played over Dean’s and my time together, only in a different way. A worried way. Wow, I didn’t know I could actually feel the color drain out of my face. How in the heck did I not realize it sooner? “Fuuuck.” If there were ever a cuss moment, this was it. I stood abruptly and paced the room. “We never used a condom. How could we have never used a condom? I teach kids. I’m always preaching responsible actions. Oh, goodness grape juice. What if I’m pregnant? Can immortals have children?” I near screeched, already halfway to panic attack level.

Fallon added, “A billion years old and dumbass Dean doesn’t know to glove up?” She was asking a bewildered Falcone, who looked to be considering his likelihood of escape.

With a resigned sigh, he finally answered us, “As for gloving up, we are from an era before prevention, and we are immune to disease. The Navah did, however, build a safeguard into our DNA. We can only procreate with our fated mate, but I am sorry, Julie. I am not sure if the mating must be final first or if you only need to be a fated pair.” He didn’t give me time to respond before he continued, “Now, if you will both excuse me, I believe this is something for you to discuss together, and I have a book with answers to find for you.” With that, he left like hellhounds were on his heels.

We watched as the door closed behind him. Then Fallon said, “You know, other than the creepy staring thing, he isn’t a bad guy.”

“No, he’s actually become an amazing friend, and I guess brother through this whole ordeal. Fallon, what the hell am I going to do? I am sooooo not ready for a child.” I flopped down next to her on the couch and rested my head in her lap. She started to play with my hair as we talked. With Falcone out of the room, Fallon let her guard down. To this day I had only seen her like this around me. In a soft caring tone, she asked, “Would it be so bad? Do you love him? You’re twenty-eight, Julie. It’s not like you’re a kid straight out of high school who got knocked up by the quarterback after prom. You’re an adult. You own your home, apart from the mortgage you’re debt free, and you have your own business, which is almost in the black already. Not to mention, it looks like this kid, if you do have a bun in the oven, would have the family neither of us ever had. With an absolutely gorgeous Auntie Fallon who will spoil it rotten and a truckload of uncles with swords to protect it from any foe. Oh, and how adorable would a little Julean look running around, with Dean’s long waves and your amber eyes?”

I could see it, and became scared for a whole other reason. I wanted it, badly. Everything she listed, that kind of family, Dean as a father, it was all beautiful, and the kind of life I’d stopped dreaming for at a very young age. Doubt slipped from my mind as I began to see myself as Fallon saw me: a strong, capable, independent, and loved woman. A sense of pride filled me; it was an emotion I’d never known before. I smiled with unshed tears in my eyes. “God, I love you, Fallon. I’d have been lost without you all these years.” I turned my head slightly and kissed her leg before continuing, “But did you just Brangelina my relationship? Julean, really?”

“I pour my heart out to you and
that
’
s
what you latch on to?” She sighed. “You feel better?”

“Yeah, a little. Fal. What do I do next?” A little of that insecurity had crept back into my voice by the end.

We spent the next few hours coming up with a game plan just in case. Luckily, I had already made a follow-up appointment with the flirty doctor for the following morning. I could get a blood test and know for sure soon enough.

I was able to go to sleep with my mind more at ease. I wasn’t yet ready to say the L word, but I felt it in my core. Dean completed a part of me I never knew was missing. Too bad it was to an empty bed, without the distraction of Dean’s warm arms wrapped protectively around me. Instead, I was in for a rough lonely night of nightmares and regret for pushing him away.

Chapter Thirteen

DEAN

Even though I wanted to go with Julie to comfort her and be with her while she explained things to Fallon, I didn’t. I knew, with everything that had happened, my best bet was with the prisoner. Julie’s safety was the utmost important thing and, to get her safe, I had to know everything I could. Falcone hated the interrogation part. Out of all of us, he was the softest. Inflicting pain caused him harm. However, without a doubt, and since I was warming to the idea of my brother being around my mate, I knew even my kindhearted sibling would do anything, even kill, to protect Julie. The knowledge helped ease some of my worry at leaving her to talk with her best friend. What also helped was her declaration, claiming me as hers. A chuckle fell from my lips. Honestly, I wasn’t sure she even noticed she’d claimed me in front of everyone.

I could only hope she remembered those words that fell from her lips after the shock wore off and she spoke with Fallon. Though, what would she tell her friend? Would she talk about me?

Would she tell her best friend how important I was to her?

Was I? Even though she’d verbally claimed me, I wasn’t sure her heart was in for the long haul. The bond we had was still new and it wasn’t as if I had experience in it.

“Get your head in the game,” Warren clipped before shoving me hard, sending me crashing into the wall as we walked down the hall in the underground basement. Earlier, Warren had come up to see what the holdup was. Before I had the chance to tell him Julie was informing her friend Fallon about everything, which he didn’t balk at once I had told him, he sent Connor down to our victim, I meant prisoner, who was located in the true war room. Unlike our meeting room we used for strategizing, this was Warren’s own playroom, full of nice instruments that were used as torture devices. Though, I wasn’t sure we’d need them. Sometimes our own powers were enough to get information out of a person.

Stopping to lean against the wall, I snapped, “Not sure what you’re going on about, brother.”

His hands went to his waist as he glared at me. “She’s fine right now—”

“Yeah, besides the fact I can feel her apprehensive vibe, her stress and concern for her friend…. Her emotions are in turmoil, Warren.”

“And if she needs you, I’m sure you’d be able to sense it.”

“You’re right. Now, can you tell me why you’re so calm about Julie telling Fallon, a
human
, everything about us?”

He shrugged. “I can tell this Fallon bird is everything to Julie. I would never want to ask Julie to keep something so important from the only person she sees in her life as family.”

My eyes popped wide, my jaw slack in shock. “You like my mate.”

His eyes narrowed. “She’ll be good for you. Maybe you won’t be such an idiot with her around. So of course I like her.”

With my hand on his shoulder as we walked, I gave him an appreciative squeeze and said, “Thank you.”

My stone-faced brother cleared his throat before he started walking again and then asked, “Do you…. Does…. I…. Fuck!”

I hid my smirk at the obvious awkward question he wanted to ask. Still, my senses perked up at his sudden fumbling words, and I knew he hated himself for even thinking whatever he was. Which made me want to know even more. Thinning my lips into a bored expression, so he didn’t know how eager I was, I asked, “What?”

His stride grew faster and more agitated as his feet slapped harder to the floor.

“Warren?” I called.

His hand rubbed the back of his neck. Abruptly, he stopped and faced me with a scowl. “What’s it feel like? Are you happy? Is she?”

My brows rose. That was all he wanted to know? Smiling, I told him, “Finding her has been like a part of me that’s been missing is found. My heart, body, and soul feel complete. No words could describe it.” Stepping up to him, I laid a hand on his shoulder again. “Even when she can be a pain, I’m happier than I have ever felt, and in time, I know she will be as well because I will see to it. Our mates… they’re everything and more. You will find yours one day and she may drive you insane, but you’ll like it.”

He scoffed, shrugged off my hand, and muttered, “I doubt it. Women are only good for a fuck.” Then he took off, stalking down the hall again.

My brother was a hardass, but he was also full of shit.

Jogging to catch him, I stopped at Warren’s side as he opened the door. It was where we found Connor sitting in a chair talking to the prisoner, who was pinned naked to the wall Jesus style.

“So then I said I had to go, which was when she got clingy. They all do, but who can help it when it comes to a stud like me?” Connor looked to us. “Oh good, the fun can now begin.” He stood with a spring in his step and clapped his hands. “Who’s going first?”

“I will not say anything, no matter what you do,” the minion cried. We looked at each other before we threw our heads back and laughed. Well, Connor and I did. Warren actually smirked, shaking his head at the poor fool.

Shutting the door behind me, I mentioned, “It’s good to see you finally awake. Feel free to spill your beans before things get ugly.”

Minion sneered. “You think I don’t know what pain is? I’ve survived agony even you couldn’t. This will be easy to deal with. It’s all of you who should be worried when Lord Decay gets his hands on you all.”