Changes

Chapter 8

I woke up feeling an arm wrapped around me. I tried to get up but Mr. Z gave a growl and I sighed. His beast was very much on the surface, wanting to keep me close since he just claimed me. "I have to get up and go open the store," I told him. He pulled me closer, "The store can wait." He tucked his face into my neck, and nibbled on the mark he gave me. Pleasure shot through me and I moaned softly. Then my stomach told me I couldn't eat him for breakfast. Well I could, but as great as he tastes I would like some coffee and bacon.

"Z, I'm human remember? As good as you taste, you're not food," I told him. He chuckled and it sent a shiver down my back. I then realized, I just called him Z. I had tried to keep things formal, besides the sex of course. Have no further attachments than that. He had tried too, but last night he called me Alanna, he claimed me, and he stayed in the room after we had sex. Things were definitely not as they once were and I knew like hell they weren't gonna go back.

He then got up, letting me go and I felt cold. "My mark will fade over time. Once it's gone, I cant reclaim you ever because if you let it fade, then it's a sign of rejection," he said, not looking at me. "How long till it fades completely," I asked him. "A month," He told me. I nodded, "Then the clock is ticking." I wanted to add in Mr. Z, as a way to show him where we stand so far still, but I couldn't because I knew deep down, that's not where we stand. We stand on a first name basis relationship. I could tell he was following my lead on this, not wanting to over step boundaries. He was a beast in uncharted territory. We had to take this as we go, but we couldn't go too slow or it may become too late.

I was downstairs on my laptop filing reports when Silver, Talos, and Axel sat across from me. "Can I help you," I asked while not looking up. They didn't say anything, just stared at me. It was a stare down. I moved my laptop to the side not looking away. Axel then stood and came around to my side of the table. He placed a sheathed blade on the table and kissed my cheek before leaving the room. I blinked in surprise, not knowing what to say. Talos then stood and did the same before he left the room, leaving Silver and I alone, continuing our stare down. He then shook his head before vanishing in thin air. I looked back at the knives laid before me and Z came in. "Talos and Axel swore themselves," He simply stated as he looked at them. "It's up to you if you accept it. If you do then they will forever follow you, protecting you. If not, then you'll crush their honor." "How do I accept it," I asked him. "You carry their knives on you," He told me. I nodded and I was glad to see their sheaths had clips to put them on my belt. Once attached I pulled my laptop over to me. 

"Silver had been down here too," I told him. "Really," it was growled and I knew he and Silver weren't on good terms at this point. I nodded, not looking at him, "Yeah he, Talos, and Axel had all come in here. After they gave me their knives with a kiss on the cheek, Silver sat there for a while, having a stare down with me. Eventually he shook his head and vanished." "Excuse me," He said then left the room. That didn't sound good, I thought.

Suddenly there was cursing, before there was growling and the sound of a fight between them. I heard them barrel down the stairs and left the dinning room to see what was going on. Axel and Talos noticed their knives hanging from my belt, and I saw their chests lift with pride. "Did you reject Silver," Talos asked. I shook my head, "He didn't swear himself. He made himself disappear. I told Z and now they're fighting." Axel growled and went to join in, but Talos stopped him. "We need to protect her in case the other brothers, blame her for the rift," Talos told him. "He disrespected her though," Axel growled. "And as her mate, Z can handle it," Talos told him.

Silver shifted back, "She's just a whore, who managed to put some fucked up spell on you. How the hell could you claim something like that? She's only using your mark to not have that vampire's mark!" Z shifted back, "You know nothing of the things we've discussed behind closed doors." "Oh really? You actually do more than fuck her," Silver challenged. Z growled and looked over his shoulder and I nodded. He looked back at Silver, "I had talked to her awhile ago about claiming her and she said as long as we fall in love. She wouldn't want to torture herself and me by being bound to someone forever if it's not something we truly want. My beast doesn't give a fuck about the future, he wants her now. She wanted me to make sure that it was something we both wanted. Yes, how I marked her isn't how either of us wanted it to go down, but it did. Now for you to go to her when Axel and Talos swore themselves to her, then see her as someone not worthy of having one of us sworn too, is uncalled for. Never have we ever disrespected our brothers like you did. They see her as a worthy woman they want to protect, to give control over, and you reject that. None of us rejected the idea of you swearing yourself to Edwina all those centuries ago even though none of us trust her. We didn't go to your swearing and just leave like you did. Not only did you disrespect my woman, you disrespected me, you disrespected Axel and Talos." By now all the men were gathered. One of them stepped forward, "On what grounds do you stand Silver to disrespect the Lady of the House so greatly? Temporary or not, she wears our leader's mark and has as much say over matters, just as he does. Axel and Talos are forever her warriors, until she relieves them of their duties. It is not only their duty to protect her, but her honor as well. Or have you forgotten that?"

Silver growled, "She's like Edwina, using us. You're so damn blind Z. How the fuck could you let a little trash pussy warp your minds?" Z gave him a very dark laugh, "She is no Edwina. She actually has a heart. She knows what we are and doesn't think of us as anything else. Edwina was a gutless bitch who wanted to use you as her fucking shield. That day when the Hag attacked my shop, Alanna was more than ready to fight till her last breath. She goes out and hunts, saving innocents. Edwina wanted you to just keep her bed warm, a knife in the sheath only drawn when needed. She didn't like the beast you are. That any of us. Alanna knows my diet, and doesn't cower. Just tells me to brush my teeth before I kiss her. Whether you like it or not, she is my woman, my mate. She is Axel and Talos's Queen. You disrespected her, now you must face punishment. Punishment that she gets to decide on."

It was a challenge for me, to see if I accept my role among them. If I didn't I would make myself look weak, give no backing to Z's words. I walked up to him, and I could feel the room tense. I gave him a dark laugh, "You're so pathetic. Letting something that happened centuries ago fog your judgement. Mature the fuck up, maybe then you would be worth the time punishing." I turned on my heel, showing I wasn't scared of him. I flung a hand, "I have work to do, and I'd like to not be disturbed anymore today until dinner."

I knew that Axel and Talos had stood outside of the dinning room to ensure no one bothered me, except Z. He came in looking full from the hunt he went on. He came over and I smelled the mint on his breath, happy he brushed his teeth I smiled softly. "Did I do good," I asked him as he sat next to me. "I couldn't have done better," He said while pulling my chair closer so our thighs touched. I sighed, "I don't like that I caused a rift here." "The rift was caused by Silver talking shit, and the others not knowing what we know about you. They know your past thanks to Jay, but they don't know your thoughts on us and everything of the sorts. Today cleared up a lot of that," He explained to me. I nodded, "Good."

"What are you looking at," He asked me. "Uh reports. Jay and Jaden have been out all day hunting and have asked me to do the reports of the innocents that were lost. More things have come out of the tears and the humans are beginning to think there is a serial killer out there. We've decided to run with that idea and file the death reports and other things to give the families some form of explanation of what happened even though we can't tell them the truth," I shared with him. He nodded, "Not bad." I nodded, "Yeah. I just hate being the one stuck here doing the damned paperwork while they get to have all the fun. The only good thing that comes from this is that I'm by my phone to answer any calls that come in if there are any more nobles being taken. Eventually the kidnapper will have to screw up and leave some evidence. It's just a matter of time." Unfortunately I didn't know how much time that was going to take. Hopefully it doesn't take that much more time. Bad enough the majority of the nobles were most likely dead. If not then they're probably wishing for death.

"If you see that leech I don't want you going alone," He told me. "After last night, that's not something you have to worry about," I told him. "Plus who knows how he will act when he sees I no longer wear his mark." We fell silent for a moment. "How do you feel about seeing my mark on your neck," He asked me seriously. "I'm not gonna lie. When I see it in the mirror, I feel like it belongs there. It gives me a feeling of comfort like having that piece of your magic wrapped around me does," I confessed to him. I had a habit of running my fingers over it when I read over a report, proof reading it. It was warm and comforting. I wanted it. I wanted him. I also wanted him to love me, but I know neither of us were there yet.