Connection Through Blindness

Chapter 19

   Love is ugly. Love is weakness. Love is deceitful. Love is cruel. Love is beautiful. Love is strength. Love is everything. Love is heart.

No one always sees love the same way, but how can they? Love can destroy as well as heal. It could make people do stupid things and say stupid things. For me, love is all the bad and all the good things in life. But I choose to see love as a way of becoming stronger when I fall. See and feel it flow through my body like rain touching the Sahara Desert for the first time during the summer.

This family I have, as they laugh and smile in celebration for my safe return, is proof enough that love can last for decades without faltering. In my case, it's an eternity of love.

"Love is an eternity," someone said quietly from beside me, making a smile spread across my face.

"An eternity," I confirm softly, resting my head on Zach's wide shoulder. "But for eating my secret stash of goodies, your love might be in danger."

I laugh aloud as Zach flashed to the other side of the room with a look of victory on his face. A smirk made its way onto his face as he reached into his pocket and pulled out something that meant the world to me . . . my homemade Blueberry Muffins. They were soft, melting as they first hit your mouth, with a sugary sweetness that caused a person to fall into a whole different world.

Took one threatening step forward. "Zachery," I warn roughly. "Don't go and mess with the bear when it's eating honey."

He snorts while rolling his eyes, opening the Tupperware, he took the biggest muffin and shoved the whole thing into his mouth! I mean, I knew he could eat, but to fit all that into his mouth is crazy.

My smile grew bigger, canines and fangs barred and, once everyone saw that look on my face, they moved out the way.

Then all of my cousins stepped forward with grinning faces. First, there was Rosie and Anthony's triplets, Conner, Avery and Dalon – two boys one girl – then Seth and Jasmine's son Cory. Sam and Robin have Lev and their son Kody while Alice and Paul have only Jeremy. Alex and Stacy, on the other hand, had their one son Adrian, and two younger daughters, Vivian and Aubree. Derrick and Ava had only one son, Ethan. Roxy and Cesar had two boys named Max and Isaac.

So in total I had thirteen cousins. Blood-related cousins are my Uncles' kids, but really, blood doesn't matter when it comes to family.

I stood alone in a corner as my brother stood in the other with my cousins standing in a line on either side of us. Casting my eyes left to the right, then, without anyone but Zach noticing, slipped out the back door in less time it took a person to blink an eye. I lean against a tree as voices and laughter poured out of the house. Everyone piled out of the house quickly, eyes darting around to try to find me.

"Lookin' for some'n?" I asked around a yawn. Their attention snapped to my figure. What can I say? I got distracted by a nest of baby birds.

"Hide and seek anyone?" Zach asked even as he began to back up.

"Not it!" I yelled and ran off into the woods with excitement.

That's right. I'm playing hide and seek right after leaving the Alpha King. He's on his way to come get me, but this time I won't leave unless I want to.

I won't . . . .

Zachery ran right beside me with a very beautiful she-wolf following. That's my brother's mate, Beira. They haven't know each other two days before they'd mated. That's the norm for us werewolves and vampires, though.

The game went on for hours, Zach, his mate and I hiding and being hunted. That is, until I found out my grandparents had arrived. At that moment the game was put to an end as Zach and I went to see them.