Imminence (22 page)

“This is perfect! Super perfect!” Marie exulted.

“It's from us all,” I choked and tried to hold back my tears.

She couldn’t take her eyes off the red scooter that gleamed pristinely, enticing her to go for a test drive. Marie stroked and examined the scooter, mesmerized.

Marie and Ciall exchanged looks and something about that nagged at me, but I couldn’t quite grasp that thought and I let it be. Tiamhaidh came to Marie and wrapped his arms around her. He looked at me and then turned Marie to face him. His deep blue eyes locked onto hers and I heard Emma sigh wistfully.

“Perhaps it is time for me to give you my gift,” Tiamhaidh said solemnly.

“Marie, you are my life and I know I am yours. I do not know how young human couples bind themselves to each other or whether they do that at all, but I wish to bind myself to you,” Tiamhaidh said, sounding a tad embarrassed and glancing uncertainly at David. When David didn't react in any way, he continued.

“I want you to always know where I am and to be able to trust that no matter how far I may be I will always be yours. Forever.” Tiamhaidh took Marie's hand in his and let himself sink into her gaze.

“Wolves share their entire life with one mate, but I know that is not true of humans. I will not ask you to bind yourself to me, since you're still a child. I only ask that you allow me to bind myself to you.”

Tiamhaidh gave Marie a small packet and she opened it slowly. It contained what appeared to be a very old metal chain with a very beautiful white wolf fang. Tiamhaidh shyly parted his own shirt to reveal a similar, somewhat larger fang hanging from his neck. Marie looked bemusedly at him. Then she nodded and Tiamhaidh clumsily slipped the pendant around her neck.

“It was my mother’s,” he said hoarsely.

“Oh Tiamhaidh,” Marie breathed. “How can you doubt my willingness to bind myself to you? You are mine as I am yours.”

Tiamhaidh gave Marie a tender kiss and I pressed myself closer to David. I felt how stiff he was, but what else could I have expected? Marie was our little girl and we were seeing her drift apart from us, to this handsome young man, right in front of our eyes. I knew it was inevitable, but I still wasn’t quite ready to let go of her.

“Gu bràth,” Tiamhaidh whispered.

“Gu bràth,” Marie repeated.

The evening had taken a solemn turn and even though it wasn’t late yet, I noticed Marie and Tiam stealing impatient glances at each other. When we returned to the banquet table, they excused themselves and went inside, hand in hand. I was truly happy for them and I knew the others shared that feeling. David would only need some time to come to terms with the situation. I rubbed my nose against his neck and he smiled at me. Perhaps this would bring us closer to each other. From his touch I knew we, too, would soon withdraw to be alone together and leave the others to finish the celebration.

Marie lay beside Tiamhaidh, wearing only a thin white nightgown. Even though the nightgown was made of cotton, its fine lace adornments made it seem to Tiam the sexiest garment he had ever seen. Tiamhaidh wore only short black boxers and his tanned, divinely handsome body shivered as Marie lightly slid her fingers over his tattoos. Tiam closed his eyes and permitted himself to enjoy Marie’s touch. How long would he be able to resist her subtle attempts at seduction? For several weeks he’d had to vent his frustration into rigorous physical training at the gym, for he had no intention of taking Marie’s virginity yet even though she thought she wanted to rid herself of it as soon as possible. Marie was so young still - only fifteen, at the threshold of her womanhood. Although she had promised herself to him tonight, he would wait until she was truly ready and knew exactly what she was about. The human world confused Tiam and Marie was a source of particular confusion. Would he ever learn to understand her completely?

Tiamhaidh sighed languidly as Marie began kissing his tattooed arms. Patiently she moved her tongue along each tattooed figure, tasting Tiam and drawing in his scent. Almost imperceptibly Marie’s mouth moved to his chest, following the tattooed patterns that stopped at his sides. From time to time Marie lifted her mouth from Tiam’s skin and resumed running her fingers along his skin, admiring his flawless complexion. When Tiam had clearly relaxed again, she resumed kissing his tattoos. She stole a furtive glance at him and moved her lips to the tattoos following the narrow line of his hips and disappearing underneath his boxers. Tiamhaidh stiffened but as Marie continued her voyage of discovery, not even touching the edge of his black boxers, he allowed himself to simply enjoy the touch of his beloved.

Marie felt Tiamhaidh’s hard body and was quite conscious of what was going on in his pants. She desperately wanted to make love to him, but she knew she would have to be very cunning to make Tiam lose his iron-hard control. Tiamhaidh had stubbornly decided they wouldn’t make love before Marie had at least turned sixteen, but she had no intention of waiting for a whole year to rid herself of her virginity. There would never be another man for her, so why should they wait? She knew she was the only one for Tiam as well - at least for a long time - so she failed to understand why such a fuss was made over sex and why such silly agreements were needed. It didn’t really matter whether she was fifteen or sixteen, did it? For a moment Marie lay her head on Tiam’s warm stomach and listened to his apparently even breathing. She risked an attempt to lay her hand on the hard bulge she saw in his pants. At once Tiam jumped out of bed.

“No, Marie!” he told her firmly.

“Yes!” Marie insisted, her cheeks flushed.

“No! We discussed this and you promised to wait! You can’t expect me to stay firm if you keep trying to seduce me all the time.”

Tiamhaidh stared at the girl who lay on the bed. Her short nightgown revealed long, shapely legs and thighs and a hint of small pink knickers. Marie’s nightgown had slipped down her slender shoulders, revealing part of her beautiful small breasts. Her cheeks were flushed and her eyes brimming with desire. Tiam ran his fingers through his short dark hair. How could even a saint resist Marie? Marie noticed Tiam’s gaze and slowly slid her nightgown lower, revealing her breasts almost completely. Tiam’s eyes darkened and he slowly lowered himself down to Marie. She held her breath. Tiam didn’t take his eyes off her as he pressed his lips on her throat. Slowly, he moved his lips towards Marie’s breasts and tasted the young, innocent skin. Marie’s back arched and her breath hitched. Her fingers kneaded Tiam’s shoulders and hair, and a low moan escaped her lips. Tiam could take no more. He allowed himself to devour Marie’s breasts and neck. Only a little, he reminded himself. Swiftly he tore the nightgown off her, leaving her on the bed clad only in her small knickers.

Tiamhaidh stared hungrily at Marie and kept touching and tasting her skin until she cried out with pleasure. Marie’s fingers tore feverishly at Tiam’s boxers so that she might touch him. Tiamhaidh’s hot breath scalded Marie’s skin and with one hand he pulled her knickers off. They lay naked against one another and Marie felt a hot, inviting pulse in her lower belly. She felt how hard and demanding Tiam’s body was and wanted nothing more than to join her body to his. She pulled him tighter to her and Tiam seemed to have lost what little was left of his senses. She moaned Tiam’s name and he whispered ancient words of Gaelic into her ear. Tiam was right on the verge of taking her virginity, when she suddenly began to spasm. Quickly Tiam rose and stepped back into his boxers. He sent me an urgent summons and I was at Marie’s door in a matter of minutes.

The second I opened the door I knew what had happened in the room. Marie was convulsing on the bed, covered only by a sheet, and Tiam’s bare back sported several scratches. Even though Tiam had had time to pull on his jeans, he looked like he’d just had sex with my youngest daughter. I decided to postpone the conversation I intended to have with them both. However, I loved Tiam so much and couldn’t have chosen a better mate for Marie, so I couldn’t really be angry with them. I also knew Tiam would never do anything to harm Marie and knew he must be horrified at the sight of her convulsing on the bed. I silently summoned Daniel and Gavin and soon heard them clambering up the stairs, followed by David. David had Marie’s medication and he was already drawing medicine from a small glass vial into a syringe. I carefully inserted the syringe into Marie’s mouth and squirted the drug in small doses. Marie’s spasms ceased almost immediately, but she remained unconscious. Tiamhaidh lifted her into his arms and looked at me with teary eyes.

“I didn’t know. I’m sorry. Sofia, I swear I didn’t know a seizure could be this bad.”

I flicked my hand dismissively. What mattered was restoring Marie’s consciousness and health. Still, something about Tiam’s words nagged at me. I scrutinized him closely and his shifty look revealed that he was hiding something.

“Initially she only seemed a bit absent-minded, but that lasted only a few minutes. Then she began to have fainting spells and we didn’t know what to do. Marie always seemed fine afterwards and assured us there was nothing the matter with her. Even those spells lasted for only a few minutes.”

I looked at Tiamhaidh in horror. How stupid they had been! Your own fault, a small voice whispered in my mind. I knew I ought to have told Tiamhaidh more about Marie's illness, but I had packed my worst memories so deep within my mind that I hadn't even realized how essential it was for Tiamhaidh to know absolutely everything. Even the most painful memories that I myself was still unable to contemplate.

“I swear it, Sofia! We wouldn’t have kept this from you if Marie hadn’t expressly forbidden us to tell you.”

“We?” I inquired icily.

Tiamhaidh paled. David’s expression indicated that if Marie hadn’t been in Tiam’s arms he would have strangled Tiam. I swept my brothers with a furious glare but they backed off and lifted their hands up into the air.

“I’ll kill you!” David shouted. “We took you into our home and accepted you as part of our family, and you toy with our child’s life! I want you out of here by morning!”

“David,” I broke in soothingly.

David threw me a murderous glance.

“No, Sofia! Last time I stepped aside when my children needed me. I convinced myself they’d be safe with you, but this ends here and now. I want these freaks out of my house as soon as possible.”

“Your other daughter and I are also freaks,” I pointed out quietly.

David glared at me and I understood that he also wanted me and Clarissa to leave the house. Marie was the only one in our family apart from David who was a normal human, and David wanted to keep her close, safe, and as far from shape shifters as possible. I stared at him, unable to believe my ears. He was ready to cast our marriage into the rubbish bin and abandon one of our daughters. Deep down I understood him, though. If Marie changed too, he would be entirely alone. Even though I had chosen him he’d be the only human in our pack. The only one who’d grow old and die as humans were meant to, whereas the rest of us would live forever and might alter our ages and appearances to suit ourselves. We’d never grow old unless we wanted to, and when he was dead we would join Gunward’s pack and live for centuries after David had passed away. I still couldn’t agree to his demands, though, and I didn’t think Tiamhaidh would give Marie up voluntarily.

Then Marie moved and coughed. I grabbed paper tissues off the nightstand and pressed them to her lips to prevent the unabsorbed medicine still remaining in her mouth from spilling out. Tiamhaidh kissed Marie’s forehead and stroked her hair. Marie looked at him and made a brave attempt at smiling.

“Hush, love, don’t worry,” Tiamhaidh whispered.

I saw sweat running down his forehead and knew how he felt. An overwhelming guilt shone in his eyes and had he been able to, I think he might have listened to David and left in the morning. But we all knew that Tiam’s departure would only make Marie’s illness worse and her seizures would recur, at least as severe as the one we had just witnessed. David was the only one who couldn’t see that, and I felt powerless. Would we ever be able to live together as we had before, or would our marriage be history, doomed to fail? Words spoke a different language than deeds and although David had assured me he’d accept us the way we were, I still wasn’t convinced he was truly capable of it. After all, he had practically evicted us from our own home. How would he hold up once he realized he would be the only one remaining here, alone? Marie would go with us and David had no means of stopping her. Marie turned over and curled up in Tiam’s arms, exhausted.