Jewel's Life

27

 Adam holds her to him before he answers that question. He wasn't sure that he would ever be able to hold her like this again.

"Can't breathe," Jewel gets out and Adam immediately loosens his hold but doesn't release her yet.

"Don't leave me, please?" Adam pleads with her.

"If you don't answer my question it is far more likely. I don't like it when you ignore me, Adam, I thought we established that years ago?"

"We did, I don't know exactly what questions they would have asked you, but they got background from Michelle.

"Julie, I'm sorry that I didn't contact you when we got done. I just got caught up in the clean up and thought the boys would do it. " Adam explains trying to make things better. He bites his lip, he has no doubt that Julie is angry about that, but more than angry she's hurt. He hates it when he hurts her.

"I know things won't make it better, so I can't offer to buy you something. I don't know how to make this better, even after ten years. What can I do, Jewel?" 

Jewel sighs out. "I don't know, I guess it will just take time. It hurt that you didn't call. I was so worried, all of us were. The only reason things weren't worse was because of Margo. Do you know how much it hurt knowing that my best friend's husband cared enough about her to let her know what's going on, but mine didn't?"

Adam hangs his head down in shame. "I can imagine it was pretty bad."

Julie scoffs, "Bad doesn't even begin to cover it. If it weren't for her I'd not have been able to keep down the blood I did. How did you get blood in me while I was unconscious?"

"Blood infusion, it isn't the best way but it works."

"Bright boy here just about killed himself to give you more of his blood," Aaron says from the doorway. He's smirking at Adam while he says this.

Julie turns her attention to Aaron, "What do you mean?"

"He wasn't eating much more than enough to stay alive, but he gave more than he could afford to you."

Julie turns her attention to Adam and narrows her eyes. Adam shifts uncomfortably under her scrutiny. "I didn't like the taste of the blood, it was making my stomach turn. So I only drank what I had to. You are more important than me."

Julie looks at him in shock. How can he say that? He's the king of the vampires, president of all the supernaturals and CEO/owner of many businesses. "What the freak, does that mean?"

It's Aaron that answers her, "He's an important person in the world, yes, but for us you are far more important. If you should die than he and likely all of us would- do you remember what happens to vampire's who lose their special ones?"

"They fade away or," Julie looks from Aaron to Adam in horror as she realizes what would have happened.

"Or go crazy. Had you died there is no question which one Adam would have done. He was already struggling with his self control. With you gone and him going over I would have too and likely Alex as well. The other three would have their human special ones to help ameliorate the effects but it's very possible that they would fade.

"How do you think my father would have felt having to hunt down and kill two or more of his sons? My mother considers you as her own, how do you think she'd feel if you died? Then on top of that her sons?"

Julie just looks at both of them stunned into disbelief that her dying could have such an effect. 

"If Adam died, it would have a deep effect. Absolutely. It would be felt both in the human and supernatural world. I have no doubt that it would affect you as well, but not as severely as it would Adam. It was by far more important that you live than him."

"Julie? Don't you understand yet just how deeply we love you? We're pretty shitty at showing it most times, but we love you more than you can understand. You are what brought warmth into this house. You are what made this house a home. You are the heart of this family and should you die, then so do we." Alex tells her coming into the room and going up to her.

"We screwed up by not letting you know that we were done fighting and that we were alright. Absolutely and by doing that we almost lost you. Believe me, it's a lesson we won't soon forget. Please, forgive us, we didn't mean to cause you any pain. Your pain is our pain. It's killing us that we hurt you like that and we don't know how to fix it." Alex more brave than the other two has made his way to Julie and holds her in his arms.

"One of you was hurt." Julie says that definitively.

"A witch threw a knife and it landed in my arm. Had I not moved just before she threw it, it would have hit my heart. It was spelled to kill me," Adam tells her softly.

"And the witch?" Julie asks intently, her eyes flashing fire. How dare that bitch hurt her husband.

"Dead. When I caught up to her I was a bit annoyed with her and," Adam looks down sheepishly, "I tore her apart. They'll be finding pieces of her all over if they bother to gather them up."

Julie smirks, "You lost control? Adam, I don't think I've ever seen you lose control in all the time I've known you, unless it was tears because of me."

"My evil side wanted to play. Didn't like having extremely sharp knives thrown into my body." Adam shrugs still not able to look up at Julie.

"How many witches were there in total?" Julie asks after the silence lasts a bit too long for her comfort.

Aaron holds out his wrist and she reflexively takes it and bites while waiting for them to answer her question. 

"A full coven, that's thirteen or more. We definitely found thirteen. It was hard to tell exactly how many after Adam got through with them though. I think that's why he was too busy to let you know it was over. Adam took any pieces of witch that was more than an inch in length and made sure it became less than an inch. He and any that were near him were drenched in the foul smelling black witch blood." Alex responds waiting for his turn to feed Julie.

"I wasn't alone in that task, Alex. I seem to remember you and Aaron right along side of me for at least part of it." Adam says irritatedly.

"What were the other three doing while you were pulling the witches into little bits?" Julie isn't fazed by their description even a little. She's genuinely curious.

"I believe that they were herding up and keeping control of the wolf pack. The wolves after seeing how vicious Adam was with the witches were more than willing to keep as still as possible to not draw his attention to them." Alex tells her.

"It was just the alpha and beta of the pack that were aware of and part of the witches being there. The others were just following orders and weren't very happy about it. They were more than a little shocky when they found out Adam himself led the attack against them. They had no idea they were doing wrong. 

"After they saw his handy work I don't think we'll ever have to worry about them breaking the rules ever again." Aaron says smugly. 

"What did you do to the pack?"

"With Mike's help a new Alpha was selected and Mike will be overseeing it for awhile. If there are any problems he'll let me know. The members are aware of that and I don't think that there will be any problems." Adam says more than a little smug about that.

Julie mutters something under her breath that none of them could hear and they are rather thankful for that.

Julie takes Alex's arm and looks at Adam, "I won't drink from you until you eat properly." Then she drinks from Alex. Adam looks at her one last time then leaves to find himself something to eat. He'll need both fresh and a blood bag.

As he leaves his other brothers are rushing to Julie's room. 

"Adam? Arthur just rushed out but he didn't say why."

"She's awake and she'll be fine. She is just feeding right now. I'm sure that he won't be too long away from you." Adam says gently. He doesn't know what he and the others would have done without her help. Michelle has been a rock. "Thank you, Michelle for everything."

Michelle manages to give him a wavery smile and slight nod before returning to her room.