Pre Edit Count –   2,310 Words

Song I listened to for this chapter: Better Life by Keith Urban

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He holds her closer, and without her realizing it, he floats them to back to the bed holding her as she cries into his chest.  He tells her softly, “I told you I would never have you regret giving me a chance.  I still am striving to this.  This is as new to me as it is to you, a ghra.  Be patient with me, and I will give you everything.”

She nods her head, and he holds her as she cries, promising himself that he will think twice before acting.  His Mate is new to his life, and he is new to her being in his life. They will have disagreements in the future, but he resolves to listen as he just did, as he suspects that none have in the past.

Now:

Godric stares down at his Mate as she finally falls asleep in his arms.  She is safe from anything and everything that could harm her, protected from the dangers that could try to hurt his little Mate physically.

Unfortunately, that list does not include the pain he and Eric could inflict upon her without even knowing. The fight from last night had seriously hurt his fragile Mate.  He will remind his son that they need to be more careful around her.  As she told them, she is trusting her heart to them both, trusting in that they are going to be there for her. He also needs to figure out a way for them to discuss their disagreements.  They are too alike to allow them to argue in the way they just did.  It hurt her, him and Eric.  There has to be an easier way for them to talk it out.

He chuckles though as he heard his son listening to Paul’s advice, and he can now hear the clicking that is probably Eric ordering the flowers that had been recommended.  Godric had already taken care of his own apology to his Mate earlier when she had taken what she called a human moment. He didn’t think the flowers would be enough from him, but he had an idea of what he could give her later that will be sufficient.

Sighing, he nestles her closer to him, and feels the need to rest, to actually sleep, for the first time in many centuries.  Knowing that he will not be dead to the world, that instead it will be a real rest, is something he can enjoy.  He and Eric will play with this new ability to see how much time they need to rest and so forth.

With all this in his mind, he slowly gives way to sleep. He will take with his Mate what she calls a nap so that she can be rested for later.  Even though they have the ability to daywalk, they will still need to remain on night hours to keep up with their duties.  Tomorrow will be soon enough to discuss his ideas with his Mate, and tomorrow night is when she meets another member of the family.  He smiles as he falls asleep, happy that they had solved the problem tonight.

In another part of Dallas a vampire awakens and sits right up.  He reaches out and calms when he senses that his Maker and brother are back in the city. He rubs his face, feeling the stubble and thinking he might need to shave before he meets his new Queen.  His bright blue eyes twinkle as he thinks of the fun he is going to get to have.

He smiles as he feels the joy in both of his bonds with them.  Yes, it has been a trying time with the announcement of Godric taking a Mate, and he has had to fend off his so-called sister and her many attempts to try to command their Maker.  He shakes his head wryly when he thinks of the madness that is Nora.

Godric is not one to be commanded. The sooner Nora realizes that her supposed ‘Authority’ is a joke, the better it will be all around. She thinks way too much of herself and the influence she thinks she holds. The general vampire pubic is placated by not ever knowing what those vampires do, but if they ever actually tried anything, they would quickly find out just how much power they truly have: none.

There are many vampires behind the scenes, and most of them favor the Bloodline.  Nora’s pettiness is going to land her in trouble.  Roman will not allow it, especially as he is a member of the Bloodline.  No, Nora is going to land herself in a lot of trouble in the very near future if she doesn’t stop her behavior.

He moves quickly to his computer, and looks through the correspondence and sees what needs to be done so he can plan his night.  Sighing when he sees the many requests from Nora and her current idol, Salome, he puts them all in an email and sends them to Roman.  He can figure out how to get a handle on the two of them, and he hopes he does this soon before they irritate Godric too much.

Seeing the emailed request from Godric to present his Mate to him is one that makes him grin.  He quickly fires off the reply along with a side comment that he will enjoy meeting his future Queen.  He also thinks about what he can bring with him to get in his new Queen’s good graces.

 He leans back in his chair, his hands behind his head, as he thinks of Mates.  Finally, he grins.  Godric’s Mate is going to be like him; she will compliment him and he her.  So he will gift her with an item that really means something…and he has the perfect gift in mind.

That done, he heads to his closet to get ready.  But before he makes it too far, his phone rings.  Grinning at the ring tone he assigned Eric, Bad Boys, he answers. “I hear we have a new sibling.” His rich baritone voice gets in the first jab at his brother.

A growl comes through the phone.  “Mine.  She will become your sibling later, but she is my blood sister.” Eric is preening, knowing that he will win this little contest with his brother.  Sibling rivalry at its best, and for them, it was all in fun.  They have had each other’s backs literally too many times for it to be anything but fun.

Andrew sits down laughing.  “You always were a jealous one.  So what happened?” His voice settles, but there is curiosity.  It is times like this that he hates the monarchy he assumed to allow his Maker the freedom he wanted.  He would have loved to have been there when Godric met his Mate.

Eric looks out on the patio, watching as Alcide trains Paul in some moves.  “Godric found his Mate in a bumfuck town, as Pam calls it.  He called me to him since her family didn’t acknowledge the treasure that they had. Also, the Cold Ones had infected her and her father.  Unfortunately, the father will survive.  Syrra is having issues.” He made note of spots he thinks the shifter needs to work on.  His mind is also on all the flowers that had arrived as his ‘I’m sorry’ move.  He hopes he read her right and that she would appreciate receiving wildflowers.  He had even made sure that they are all ones from his childhood, hoping the bubbling as her mind retrieves the information will show her that he really is sorry.

In his room, Andrew leans forward. “Infected?  What the fuck, Eric?” His Queen is infected?  What the hell?  He stands up and, looking through the emails, he finally realizes that is why his brother had sent requests for information on the Cold Ones.  He had forwarded it, but he sent it back out with the comment that he would appreciate any more information.  He also sent it to some private investigators to get them on the tail.  Maybe a specimen would help?

Sighing as he runs his hands through his hair that he had gone out and gotten cut per Bella’s request, Eric tells him, “Godric thinks, with Ludwig’s endorsement, that the Cold Ones can infect the brain of humans.  Bella was also bitten by one, but the fucking idiot that she was dating sucked the venom out.  Not all of it, however, since after the ceremony making her my blood sister, I managed to open the scar and the doctor and I drained the shit out of her.  And let me tell you, that shit is lethal.  Even with two blood bonds, it is still killing her.”  He is not used to the shorter hair, and right now, it is one thing among many.  His mind is still working over his apology to his syrra, making points on the shifter, and keeping track of this conversation with his brother.  Who says males can’t multitask?

“What?”

Looking down, Eric nods.  He barely can process the whole situation, and he has been there for most of it, much less Andrew who is just now hearing about it.  “They are not only Mated, but Bella agreed to be his Bonded since we know there are idiots out there that would not respect a Mate Bond.  Even now, with both Godric and me bonded to her, we are taking the pain from her to give her more time as a human.” His mind slides back to the bond, and pulls more pain from his lillasyster.  He can’t understand how she is still feeling pain.  It’s not as bad as it was before, but it is still there, and he wanted nothing more than to give her the time she so richly deserves.

His head resting in his hand, Andrew sighs. “So Godric is not going to become King anytime soon, then.” He is more upset about the pain his Queen is in, but at the same time, he had hoped…  He truly wants to be with Godric and Eric, and now Bella.  His heart is with them at all times, why cannot his body be, too?  But he will persevere in this until Godric is ready.  He will do anything for the man who became his Maker in a miracle.

Not being able to hold the smirk, Eric replies to him, “Oh no, brother.  You will be stepping down, and becoming his Lieutenant.” He waits for the remarks he is sure to hear.  As it is, he is smirking because of the dead silence on the phone.  And the longer it goes on the bigger his grin gets.

Frowning, Andrew blurts out, “But you are named Second.” He’s trying to understand this.  Is his greatest wish finally being granted?

Eric’s eyes go darker for a second. “Godric said that he will take Texas, but he also wants Louisiana because of the pull that made me stay there.  He wants to watch Sophie Anne and take it from her once we figure out what the hell she’s doing.  That will allow him to cement his power in Texas, and allow Bella the time she needs for the change.” What is not being said is that once Louisiana is under Godric, he will be helping him.  For now, it is better that Eric stay in the state until the takeover is finished.

Andrew snorts. “When Godric decides to take action, he doesn’t hesitate, does he?” His mind is still reeling, but he can’t help the huge grin.  Finally!

“Nope, but wait until you meet Bella.  She is the reason, my brother.  He would give her the world if he could.” Eric’s voice reflects that Godric will not be the only one to do as much for her.  Eric is every bit as happily wrapped around her finger as Godric is.  The joy he feels at having a sister rebounds through all their bonds.

Andrew smiles.  “I look forward to tonight then.  What else is going on that I may help with?” He is eager to get working on the other stuff, to make this move easier on his Maker, and to hit the ground running as he will be at their sides from now on.

Eric is soon talking to him about Godric’s plan for the club he had been slowly putting together.  He wants Bella’s take on it.  Andrew is impressed by the information that Godric had put together.  He is aware of the area where Godric wants to build the club, and as part of the McKinney Street bars it’s in an excellent location, and it will also allow for the passage of vampires that will be going through the club when Godric takes over.  All in all, it is a great plan.

Then the conversation pauses as Eric says, “He is also getting hassled about claiming Bella as his.” His voice is hard, as it normally is when he talks about Nora.  He is so very thankful Godric stepped in, but he hates that she makes their lives miserable.

Andrew growls, “Nora.”

“He sent the information to Roman.  If you hear anything else…”

Andrew nods into the phone. “I’ll do what I can to push it through.  I’m going to get ready.  When will he want to transfer power?  You know it is already acknowledged since I have stated from the beginning I was only Holding in his place.” He grins as he makes his way to his closet.  He wants to arrive at the house as soon as he can get out of here.  He knows he will have a few things to handle since no one knows that Godric is, basically, already King now.

A snort comes through the phone.  “Be prepared.  I have no idea how fast this is moving, but be prepared.”

With that, the two hang up.  Andrew gets ready for his meeting with his new sister and Queen.  As he stops by a case, he reaches in and grabs the one thing he can see his Queen loving, remembering how much Eric and Godric had appreciated it when he presented it to them.

Bella slowly wakes up, at first not understanding why she is being held by a being much warmer than Edward.  She reaches out with her senses to find out what is going on, and finally opens her eyes.

As her eyes open, she sees Godric holding her, and looking for all the world as though he is sleeping with her. She can’t help the smile that crosses her face in seeing the ancient vampire looking like the young man he physically appears to be.  Her hand reaches out and gently touches his face, her mind shocked when his eyes open to meet hers.

“Good morning, a thaisce.”  His head moves and he nuzzles into her hand as he enjoys the peace and the contrast from yesterday’s emotions from her.  His voice is heavy with sleep, and he is thoroughly enjoying the waking up process for the first time in two thousand years…especially with his love next to him.

Wide-eyed with shock, she’d never thought nor dreamed of hearing him having a sleep heavy voice, much less of him waking up beside her.

He feels her joy and amazement.  “I plan to sleep with you often, a ghra.  Since we have so much more time in each day, there will be no harm in spending all the time with you that I can.” And knowing that they will share such an unusual experience for vampires makes him smile.

Bella shakes her head. “Aren’t you going to get bored with me, Godric?” She just can’t see how he could want to spend so much time with her.  She is not very interesting; he will get bored.  This is the only conclusion she can come to.

He chuckles, and sends her his love, the love that will never die for this woman. “Do you think I will ever grow bored with you, a thaisce?  As it is, I suspect that Eric will claim some of your time to spend with you also.  You will find that once we meet with Andrew, our lives will become very busy.  I plan to relieve my son’s mind and take Texas off of his hands.  He has been watching over it for a while now.” He smiles at her as they face each other in bed.  He reaches out to trace her face, his eyes taking in how delicate her features are.

Shaking her head, she asks, “I don’t understand how he can give you a state.” She is mystified about a lot of things, and yes, the information is there, but often it just makes their explanations make more sense.  She likes this better, that the things she has to know, she does.  But things like this?  It is better for them to teach it to her, so that it is something she knows, understands, unlike the knowledge nestled in her head.

Godric sits up, and kisses her head as he pulls her up.  He arranges her between his legs, and wraps his arms around her. “As his Maker and his Head of the Bloodline, it was always understood that he was holding the state under me.  Since I can command him to do anything, there is no contest.  He only took the throne to make sure no one could interfere with what I wanted done.  You’ll find Andrew to be very loyal to me.  He is painfully aware of that short period of time when he had no Maker.  We have no idea how I took over the bond, but he is thankful for it each and every day.  No matter how much I encourage him to do as Eric did, to go out and make his own way, Andrew has always stayed close.” He smiles as he remembers the loyalty his child gives him.  Both of his male children are more loyal than any could ask for.

She smiles. “Seems like he didn’t want to give up on you.” She relaxes in his arms, playing with his hand, just looking at it.  It is hard to realize these hands that are so gentle with her can be used to tear people apart, that these hands have probably killed many.  But with her, they are nothing but loving.

His eyes drift down and take in the highlights in her dark hair that are now mixed with the blonde and with the rich red that her hair color would suggest.  He likes the blonde, it gives her hair a softer look without losing the mahogany that he fell in love with.   And it makes her resemblance to Eric more obvious.  He glances over her, and with his memory, he can see that there are slight changes.  He bets that as they wait to turn her, she will look more and more like Eric every day.

He answers his love. “No, neither of my sons gave up on me.  Eric was and still is pulled to stay in Louisiana.  We have no idea why, but I am not letting him give up on whatever it is.  Though we don’t get pulls to our Mates, the only other thing we do get a pull for is potential children.  And even that is not as strong as what Eric is feeling.” His thought turn to the strange pull Eric has to his Area.

Bella frowns. “If you feel pulled to potential children, then why didn’t you feel the pull to me?” It only makes sense to her.  If Mates are potential children, then why would he not feel the pull?

He smiles. “I love how your mind works, a thaisce.  I think it was because we normally don’t find our potential children until they are needing us.  I literally found Eric on the battlefield, and watched him get wounded but not give in to his wounds until days later.  I felt the pull to Andrew, too, but it faded.  I was curious and continued on, only to find him raising himself out of his grave lost.  I think that is why I could bond him to me, since he was meant to be my child.   But you, you were destined to become immortal one way or the other.  Since you were with people who could make you that way, it may have overridden the call.  I really don’t know, a ghra.  I am just happy to have found you, no matter which path of providence brought us together.” He nuzzles in her neck, letting her feel his gratitude in finding her.

Thinking on what he said, she is quiet, then mentions, “Do you think it was the drug that may have prevented the call?” Her mind is busy thinking over the reasons.  If Edward never meant to turn her, then that call should have gone out to Godric…many times.

He frowns, and thinks about how he feels with her.  Slowly he muses, “It could be.  We don’t know all the particulars on this drug-like substance that they seem to give off.  But it could have.” He is impressed with his little Mate and her thinking.

He feels Bella’s anger as she asks, “What if it was in the plan, why they were there.  Were they there to make me where you couldn’t feel me?” Her mind is coming up with that as the only possible answer.

He frowns.  “Why would they do that?  I don’t think I have met them to make them do something like this.”  Though, this would make for a frightening answer as to why his race rarely finds their Mates.  To block the call…

“Freya.”

He looks down at her, “Your patron goddess?”

She nods.  “Where is Eric?  I think we need to talk to him.” She needs to see Eric to try to figure all this out.  Because if her thoughts are right…

He nods, and, lifting her in his arms, makes his way upstairs.  He pauses automatically when his eyes see the sun, but is soon sitting in the same chair they had been in last night.  Eric is staring out the window, his eyes glued to the scene as he gazes outside.

“The sun rise this morning was amazing.  The same with the sun set.” He comments to them offhandedly.

Godric quickly glanced at the time. “We slept all day?” He sees that they barely missed the sunset, which is why he didn’t register the light as harmful.  But then he wouldn’t, would he?

Turning to look at him, Eric nods. “And you were sleeping.  The same feelings that I got from Bella, I got from you.  I suspect you both needed it.  It will take a while to get used to all the changes.” He smiles, looking forward to actually sleeping too.

Bella snorts.  “Well at least that explains why I’m so hungry!”

Both Eric and Godric look alarmed at her statement, but there is a knock on the door. Eric moves in front of them, and Godric has Bella behind him.  They hear Alcide and Paul enter via the back door and are quickly beside them.

Nodding to them all, Eric opens the door.

 A couple is on the entryway, the man holding a bag that he hands over to Eric.  “This should help Little One’s hunger.”  With that the two are in the house and before Bella.   The man grins and tells her, “Finally.  I’ve been waiting centuries for you to meet yer Mate.  Now let’s get this show on the road.”

The other beings stare at the two strangers in their midst.  The man moves and is soon sitting on the couch with the blonde lady on his lap.  “I think you been waitin’ fer us.  Jasper left the note for you, I take it?”

Bella just stares and finally says, “Peter?”

The male smiles. “Yep!  Nice to meetcha Little One!”

Final count:  4,035 words.

Fairfarren~Wendy