The Forbidden Daughter

CHAPTER 7

JACK’S POV.

After Talia left, I sat and thought about everything that she said. She said that Jane wasn’t her mate, but she described some similarity trades to a mate except that there was no attraction except for friendship. I frown to myself.

 Talia has never been able to connect to someone that she would consider a friend. What does this mean? The opening of a door grabs my attention and I know that Elaina was home. I get up still thinking about Talia as I go to help Elaina with the groceries. “Hi Lainey. I greet her as she struggles into the front door trying to carry as many bags as possible. I chuckle as I take a few from her and she thanks me before we head to the kitchen. She starts to unpack while I quickly gather the rest of the bags from the car and bring them in.

After putting the remainder of the bags on the counter I drop down on one of the stools at the kitchen table. Should I tell Elaina? Or will Talia? I’ve never heard of such a bond of ‘friendship?’ between humans, werewolves or vampires.

“Something wrong?” Elaina asks while she unpacks, looking my way. I sigh and start unpacking one of the bags. “It’s probably nothing.” I say, knowing that my gut was saying otherwise. “Talia told me that she’s worried about her friend Jane, from school. Says that she thinks there is something wrong that she’s not telling her.”

Elaina looks at me for a moment. “It could be nothing but if Talia thinks otherwise then there must be something. Her instincts are rarely wrong.” She says frowning, also going into thought. I look at her intently while I practically see her wheels spinning in her head. She puts down the food can what she just took out of the bag in front of her and drums her fingers on it before looking back at me.

“Why would Talia have a feeling that something would be wrong? I didn’t realize that they were that close?” She says.

“Neither did I but… she did say the other night that Nera felt protective over her, which I thought was strange.” I said.

“Do you think…?” she said but I finished her sentence for her. “That she’s her mate?”

“That was my thought. Her protectiveness she described over Jane sounded like it, but she said that there was no attraction towards her. It sounded more to me like sisterly concern.” I said. “A Friendship bond perhaps?”

Elaina looks at me intently. “D-Do you think Talia is able to form different types of bonds to different types of people because of… what she is?” she asks, and I can see the worry in her eyes. This and every time the subject comes up on Talia’s heritage.

“Honestly?” I sigh. “I don’t know. There is so much about her that we don’t know and still need to learn.” I say as I stand and help her with the rest of the groceries so that we could start on dinner.

Our thoughts were interrupted when we heard the humming of Talia’s motorcycle coming up to the house.

I was just packing away the last of the food away when the door opened, and more than one set of feet came into the house. I could sense it and I knew Elaina could too. We both turned towards the coming steps when Talia came in. She looked slightly nervous. She looked from me to Elaina and took a deep breath.

“Mom, Jack. Please hear me out before you both freak out okay?” She says looking between us. “Talia. Who is with you?” Elaina asks stepping closer. “You got to promise to hear me out first.” Talia says, determined to be heard out.

I look to Elaina and nod and look back to Talia. “We won’t promise but we’ll try.” I said.

“Okay.” She sighs. She turns slightly to look over her shoulder into the hallway and motions someone to enter.

Before the she came into the room, I smelt her. I gasped as the most amazing scent I have ever smelled hit me. Lavender mixed with a hint of vanilla in the summer’s rain. I closed my eyes taking in a breath full before I opened them again to see the most beautiful girl… no. Woman, coming into the room to stand next to Talia.

Her blond hair is in a ponytail but still long enough to tumble over her left shoulder. She is wearing a pair of skinny jeans that fit her perfectly with a pair of sneakers and a baby blue hoody that is a size too big for her. I look to her face, desperate to look into her eyes to make the connection but she is looking at her feet but as soon as Talia introduced her, her head slowly rises up to look at us. “Mom, Jack. This is Jane McCall.”

I was lost the moment our eyes met, and I could swear I stopped breathing as I found myself drowning in her beautiful blue eyes. “MATE!” I breathed out and she loudly gasps as I knew that she felt the connection too. In a flash I had her in my arms, pulling her to my chest as I buried my face in her neck and breathed her in as she gave out a squeak in surprise against my chest.

I was only slightly aware of Talia and Elaina in the room but the beautiful creature in my arms had all my attention.

***

TALIA POV.

“Mom, Jack. This is Jane McCall.” I say as I study their faces. My mom has a confused and curious expression on her face and Jack… Jack is… What?

He barely breathed out the word “MATE”, when he moved so fast, I barely saw it and the next thing I know Jane is pressed against his chest, wrapped in his arms. Jane utters a small, surprised squeak, her eyes wide.

Mom and I stood there shocked watching them. Well damn! I can even feel that Nera is shocked. I can practically see in my minds eye that she’s staring wide eyed and jaw on the ground. Jack pulls back and cups Jane’s face to bring it up to look at him, but she flinches in pain from the touch to her face. His smile turns into a frown then to rage as he sees her bruised face.

“What the hell happened?” He growls to me and Jane whimpers in fright as she tries to push herself away from Jack, but he keeps a firm grip on her.

“Jack you’re scaring her.” I say and take a step towards them. Emotion flashed across his face and he looks back down to Jane. He relaxes his hold on her but not enough for her to get away. He cups her face again, gentler this time to look into her eyes. “What happened? Who did this to you love?” He asks softly.

Jane looks at him. I can see she is still afraid but she’s not fighting to get away from him anymore. She opens her mouth to speak but closes it again.

“That’s what I wanted to tell you guys.” I speak up. “It was her father. I made it just in time before he could do anything more serious.”

Jane starts sobbing again as she buries her face in Jack’s chest, feeling ashamed. Jack’s arms tighten around her once more as his eyes flash to blue and I can see his fangs extend past his bottom lip but I can feel him trying to control his rage in order not to scare Jane who has begun shaking and whimpering.

He closes his eyes as he takes deep breaths and when he opens them, he’s back to normal but the anger is still there. He rests his cheek to the side of her head as he speaks softly to her. “It’s okay, you’re save here, and no-one will ever hurt you again.” He promises her. He looks up back at me. “Where is he?” He asks in a forced calm tone.

“You don’t have to worry about him Jack. I took care of it.” I state back calmly looking from him to Jane who is still crying in his arms. This seems to have drawn my mom out of her shock who has been struck silent this whole time. “Talia! Tell me you didn’t?” She asks me with a strange expression.

I look to her and shake my head quickly. “I wanted to; Goddess knows Nera would have if Jane didn’t calm her.” I said. Mom looked to me and then to Jane in somewhat disbelief.

Before my mom can reply. “Mom. I told Jane she can stay with us. I can’t let her go back there.” I say.

“Of course, she’s staying!” Jack says. Jane’s tear-filled face shoots up to him. He looks at her. “You will never need to go back there ever again.” He says and he tugs a few stray hairs from her face. She closes her eyes and I see her shiver from his touch.

“Jack there are ‘things’ she doesn’t know. It will be difficult to explain.” My mom says but Jack only gives her a glare. “Actually… That won’t be necessary.” I say and Jane meets my gaze with a scared expression and unknowingly grips Jack’s shirt tighter. Mom and Jack’s eyes snap to me and I can feel myself squirming under their gaze.

“She already knows what we are.” I said. “Talia! Humans are not allowed to know of our existence! Do you realize in how much trouble you can get into for telling her?” My mom says angrily to me.

“S-She d-didn’t.” Jane’s voice came out as a whisper, but we all heard her. My mom turns her head to look at her confused.

“T-then how?” Mom asks. Jane stands straighter, pushing herself away from Jack but not too much to break contact from him. She wipes the stray tears from her eyes.

“She figured it out herself, I only confirmed it.” I said looking between my mom and Jack. Jack had a little ghost of a smile on his lips as my mom’s face is of surprise. She appears to think for a moment before she turns to look at Jane again. “How did you know? She asks in a gentle voice, but I can hear the fear in it.

“Th-there were rumors that s-started a few months b-back about big wolf sightings… I also saw something big in the w-woods one day on my way home but -but at the time I-I thought I imagined it.” Jane says growing a little bit of confidence.

Jane looks at me and I nod for her to continue. She takes a deep breath and continues. “I uhm… I also felt…I-I don’t know how to describe it, but I could feel that there is something different about s-some people. Something… more.”

“You mean you can sense us?” Jack asks looking at her in awe. Jane looks up at him and nods her head before looking at the rest of us again. “Yeah something like that. I felt it the moment I met Talia. I knew she was intelligent, strong, and confident but I could also feel something intimidating and dangerous underneath but… but strangely I didn’t feel afraid of her. Not with like the others I’ve come across at school. like now. I can feel all of you, like thick electricity in the air.”

Jane looks back at Jack and takes a deep breath, but it looks as though there is something else, she is trying to inhale. “I-I can feel you the strongest. Also strong, confident, intelligent and something dangerous and… dark, but I also feel safe and… and…” Jane’s voice trails off as a blush creeps up her cheeks as she stares into Jack’s eyes. Almost trans like.

Mom laughs as she gets her meaning. “What you’re feeling is the mate bond. He’s your mate. Your soulmate.” Jane looks to my mom as though she grew an extra head. “Soulmate?” She utters and looks back at Jack who is grinning widely, and she swoons under his gaze.

“Oh Goddess!” I exclaim. “Can we continue this later before they start climbing each other?” I say as I can smell their arousal in the air. Don’t get me wrong, I’m happy for them but I don’t want to see my best friend getting it on with a person I consider my brother in the middle of our kitchen.

Jane blushes furiously as Jack chuckles. He plants a kiss on her forehead before leading her to sit on one of the kitchen stools. Mom quickly leaves the room and while I also go to sit at the table. “So, Talia said y-you’re a vampire?” Jane asks. Jack nods and she reaches out to take his hand in hers. Almost like inspecting it and chuckles. “Strange, you don’t feel cold.”

Jack bursts out laughing and laces his fingers with the one that held his. “Contrary to popular belief, we aren’t as dead as people believe us to be like in the movies.” We are born and alive just like you and I eat regular foods too, but I do need sleep and blood to survive. A little sensitive to the sun but other than that I’m quite normal except for the speed and strength.” He says smiling at Jane while she’s hanging on his every word.

I roll my eyes at him. “That remains to be seen.” I say and Jack just chuckles at me. “What? Still think you can take me little wolf?” Jack asks, his eyes twinkling.

“Of course, I can. You only won because you cheated last time.” I retort as Jane looks back and forth between Jack and me. “I would never!” Jack says as he puts a hand to his heart as he pretended to be hurt. “Yeah right.” I say shaking my head.

Just then mom returns with a small white metal medical box and hands it to Jack. “Why don’t you tend to her cuts while Talia and I continue making dinner?” Mom says. He graciously accepts it and puts it down on the table to open it. He takes out cotton balls, ointments and plasters and starts cleaning her cuts and bruises while I join my mom behind the counter to help with supper. During this time, we fall into comfortable chatter about school and the upcoming graduation, as well about the final things that needs to be sorted after our move here.

My mind is on overdrive with today’s events. I’m glad that Jane is going to be part of the family, but I can’t help but feel a little jealous towards Jack because he will undoubtedly be having more of Jane’s attention now. At least she will be safe from that drunken bastard and I feel lighter knowing that I don’t have to hide the fact that Jane knows about us.

I still think it’s strange for a human to be so accepting and she seems to be handling it well and the connection she has with Nera is strange too.

Soon enough dinner was ready, and we all sat around the table continuing our chatting and even crack a few jokes. Me and mom had to practically tear the two love birds apart in order for us to retire for the night resulting in the two pouting like five-year old’s. After getting into bed, Jane peppers me with more questions and obviously it was about Jack until we eventually drifted off to sleep.