"Each of us has a unique
part to play in the
healing of the world."

~~Marianne Williamson

****************

~Robbie~

I was having trouble wrapping my head around the fact that I shifted. It had been six years since I was able to shift, the vampirism nulling my ability to do so except for the claws I had been able to extend on my hands. That had been one of the hardest things for me to accept after August had turned me, which had been one of the main reasons I had ended up spending so much time under Ashira's care.

She had helped me come to terms with my new body, my new life, and helping August teach me control over my temper, the bloodlust, and newfound abilities. But all that was different now, except it wasn't, not entirely. 

I was still fast, strong, and all the other enhanced reflexes and abilities that came with being a vampire. There were also the fangs, the color of my eyes, and there was no denying that the bloodlust was still there. Although my eyes were a bit different, the main physical changes I noticed had been my body feeling warm and… 

I had a fucking heartbeat again… 

“Do you think August will know what’s going on?” Nova asked as he steered the car down the deserted highway. “I mean, he’s your sire so he should know something, right?”

“I have no idea,” I admitted, shaking my head. “I’ve never in my life heard of anything like this, like it was supposed to be impossible for me to… whatever the hell is happening to me, I don’t even know what to call it.”

Nova smacked his hand on the wheel in frustration at not being able to give me any answers and the volume on the radio shot up. Rock music blasted through the speakers, shocking my eardrums with the sudden increase in sound.

“What the fuck?” he growled, jabbing the power button with his finger and the wipers turning on. “Oh for the love of the gods!”

“Hey, calm down babe before you fry the engine,” I teased, taking his free hand in mine earning me a glare.

“It’s not funny you ass,” he said, irritation clear in his voice but it didn’t feel direct at me. “My magick is all over the place and you make jokes. I feel like I’m vibrating over here.”

I began to second guess my decision to let him drive. When I had first asked him to drive us home, I had still been pretty shaken up and distracted by what had happened to me. But now, seeing the issues Nova was having, I was starting to wonder if I had been the only one affected by the claiming last night. That was the only answer I could piece together was that something had changed because of it, besides the fact that our connection was even stronger than before, which was saying something.

When we had woken up and started getting ready to go, Nova had managed to burn out three small appliances, the toaster, coffee pot, and the microwave, as well as shorting out all of the wiring in the cabin again. That was ignoring the fact that he somehow set off the security alarm on the SUV after we had already been on the road. I could see the magick glittering on his skin, his eyes still burning a bright violet like they had the night before. Something was definitely going on.

“I’m sorry, I wasn’t trying to upset you further,” I apologized with a squeeze of his hand. “Your magick is partially reactive to your emotions right? Well, it’s been a little intense the last twelve hours and I can tell your nerves are all over the place. If you can’t calm down, pull over because we’ll have a wreck.”

“No, I’ll be okay,” Nova argued, pressing his lips together for a moment as he inhaled deeply through his nose. “Just… keep holding my hand, contact seems to help.”

I nodded my head and didn’t say anything, listening to the sounds of our hearts beating in sync after a few minutes. Smiling to myself, I looked out of the window and replayed the night before in my head for the hundredth time.

“Stop that, it’s not helping,” he scolded, shaking our joined hands. “Seriously, focus on something else.”

I smirked but didn’t argue, not wanting to stress him out any more than he already was. “Okay, so let’s talk about something else.”

“Like what?” Nova asked distractedly, his lips in a thin line as he glared at the road.

“I don’t know,” I shrugged, thinking for a moment. “How about the first time you met Nevada? I know the two of you didn’t realize you were half siblings, but you obviously got along despite being entirely different.”

A wistful smile snuck onto his face, softening the worry lines that had formed between his brows.

“It was second grade, my second time being there because my dumbass decided to fight all the time,” Nova finally said, laughing at himself. “I stayed suspended most of the previous year so they made me repeat. It all started with a purple crayon... “

●●●●

We spent the rest of the ride home talking about the most random things, nothing of real importance that could possibly leave either of us upset in any way. Nova only had one electrical incident during that time, which was the horn deciding to honk repeatedly for five minutes straight. Luckily, he was able to laugh at himself that time instead of getting mad.

By the time we pulled down the long driveway, it was midday and the thick canopy of trees blocked most of the summer sun as we made our way towards the house. I had grown nervous, suddenly worried about Dominic trying to fight me like he had before and how he had done with August, but I quickly dismissed the idea after finding the other car gone. Walking into the house, I didn’t catch a fresh scent of Dominic or Alana but I could feel August was somewhere in the house. The sire bond between us was useful at times but also quite annoying, but now it was actually productive so I didn’t mind.

We found August and Nevada in the training room, standing in front of each other about ten feet apart on the mats. Both of them were barefoot and in workout clothes, the smell of magick in the air. I opened my mouth to say something as I approached but when he met my eyes I froze with my jaw hanging open, stopping so fast that Nova bumped into me.

His usually silver eyes were glowing a vibrant shade of purple, the irises flecked and ringed with silver just as mine had been but gold. I openly gaped at him, the sound of four heartbeats filling my ears and I registered the same magickal sheen to their skin.

“What the fuck is happening?” I burst out, my voice louder than I meant it to be but I was honestly trying not to freak out. “What?!”

“You feel different,” Nevada cut in, squinting her eyes at me which were the brightest emerald I had ever seen. She turned her curious gaze on Nova. “I’m doing weird things.”

She sounded like a little kid, trying to play a board game she didn’t know all the rules to. In all honesty, we all kind of seemed to be doing that very thing a lot lately, just without the board. I glanced around as if the walls would hold some sort of clues. August hadn’t answered me yet, or said anything at all, his eyes roaming over me and I saw his nostrils flare as if sniffing.

“You shifted.” It was an observation, not a question, and I narrowed my eyes.

“Yes…” I answered, crossing my arms. “What did you do?”

“I set Nevada’s bed on fire while in the shower and burst every light bulb on the second floor,” he answered mildly and without hesitation.

“Well, the bed could have been my fault,” Nevada put in sheepishly, a blush rising in her cheeks. “It was definitely me that electrocuted my phone while trying to text Nova.”

“Wait, you electrocuted things?” Nova finally spoke up. “What else?”

“We need a new coffee pot,” she grimaced, her face darkening even farther. “And I may or may not have killed the fridge.”

“Thank the gods it’s not just me,” Nova mumbled under his breath, looping his arm through mine with a smile. “See? We are all being weird, maybe it’s something not related to mate bond.”

August smirked and Nevada hid her face by looking down, her hair falling like a curtain around her. I snorted as I tried not to laugh, nudging Nova with my elbow as I nodded at his sister. He followed my gaze and his smile faded slightly.

“Oh, come on!” he exclaimed, throwing his hands up in melodramatic defeat. “This is your fault, baby sister. You finally get laid and the universe freaks the hell out because it's so out of the ordinary.”

He sounded serious, even the scowl on his face was almost believable but the suppressed laughter crinkling the corners of his eyes, and the subtle twitch of his lips gave it away. It only lasted a moment, however, as Nevada glared daggers at Nova he burst out laughing. He clutched his stomach, doubling over with laughter shaking his body. I couldn’t help but grin as I watched him, thoroughly enjoying his happiness.

“Are you done yet?” August growled, suddenly beside Nevada and pulling her back against his chest protectively. 

Nova instantly straightened, the humor dying on his face as the two men swapped glares and scowls. The lights in the room dimmed and then grew brighter, flickering as they continued their staring contest. I could feel his irritation returning, silently bubbling beneath the surface, and I pulled him into my own arms, hoping the proximity would help calm him.

“Are you done being a dick?” Nova finally bit out, clutching my arms that were wrapped around his chest like a lifeline. “I’m allowed to tease my sister, and mate or not, I don’t give a fuck. You, nor anyone else, will involve themselves with my relationship with her. It's how we are and how we’ve always been. We joke, we laugh, we give each other shit, and if you don’t like it then oh fucking well.”

August growled, releasing Nevada to take a step forward and my protective instincts kicked in. 

“I wouldn’t do that, August,” I warned, keeping my voice deathly calm.

“August, don’t, it’s fine,” Nevada said at the same time, wrapping her hands around his biceps. “Calm down.”

“He shouldn’t talk to you like that, trying to humiliate you,” he growled in response, halting his approach but not looking at her. “It’s not okay.”

“For the gods’ sake, love, it’s Nova we’re talking about,” she retorted, looking like she wanted to smile and roll her eyes, barely managing not to considering the quirk of her lips. “I love that you’re protective but he’s one person, possibly the only person, that you don’t have to worry about with me.” Nevada grimaced and looked at me. “No offense.”

“None taken, but I assure you that you don’t have to worry about me in that regard,” I shrugged, pressing a kiss to Nova’s temple. “Hurting you would hurt him and that’s something I’ll never do.”

“Awe, that’s so sweet!” she gushed, clapping excitedly making me chuckle. “Isn’t that sweet, babe?”

August scowled. “Adorable. Can we get back on topic no please?”

“At least he said please,” Nova muttered with a smirk.

I shushed him but smiled anyway, enjoying the feel of him relaxed in my arms.

“So, judging by the mark I can see on Nova’s neck, I’m going to assume the two of you completed the claiming ritual,” August said, going into what I called his business mode, “as did Nevada and I. Last night, I presume?”

“Yes we did,” I acknowledged proudly, my eyes trailing over the new dark colored mark on the side of his neck.

It looked similar to a tattoo, the way his skin was almost black where the mark had appeared. The smooth lines followed the curve of his neck, flowing with his body and looked like a triskelion with a crescent moon. It was simple yet stunning, just as he was.

“Quit fawning, it’s distracting,” August complained before moving on. “Anyway, I don’t know how or why specifically, but it seems the claiming changed all of us. My magick returned, which I haven’t been able to use in centuries, not since becoming a vampire. I could sense it but not wield it. The same goes for Robbie. He was able to shift after being turned but he did afterwards, correct?”

I nodded. August returned the nod and looked at the siblings.

“The two of you are stronger,” he said, looking from one to the other. “I’m sure you’ve noticed a difference whether you wanted to acknowledge it or not. But I can definitely feel a difference in your energies.”

“Okay, so where does that leave us?” Nova asked warily.

“I don’t know exactly,” August answered with a shrug, frowning. “We know what happened, obviously, but not why or how. I’ve never heard of anything like this, have any of you?"

"Dude, your old as dirt," Nova laughed. "If you haven't then I doubt any of us would."

"Behave, babe," I whispered, lightly biting the shell of his ear even as I chuckled.

August ignored him, looking at me instead. "Robbie?"

"No, I haven't," I shook my head, but paused as something popped into my head. "Well, there's a reason the vampire council doesn't want hybrids created, right? I mean, we're stronger because we do retain a little of our former abilities after being turned. Plus we can go out in daylight while normal vamps can't."

"That's true," August agreed, absentmindedly playing with a strand of Nevada's hair as he thought. "Maybe they know something we don't."

"Well, we can't just ask them, can we?" Nevada asked nervously. "If they don't like hybrids normally, they definitely would like what's happened to the two of you now."

"I agree, it's too risky," Nova added. "There's got to be another way to find out. The fae kings maybe?"

"They want us dead for existing," Nevada pointed out dryly. "I don't think we can just be 'Hey, grandpa, I have a question. Can I hang out and talk for a bit?'"

"Good point," Nova agreed, frowning. He looked around. "Where is Dominic and Alana? Maybe they would know something."

"They went out for groceries and other supplies," August answered. "They should be back soon. I guess in the meantime, we should discuss what you two found out while gone?"

Nova sighed and looked at me as if expecting me to answer. I shook my head.

"Sorry babe but I was dead for pretty much all of that."

Nova rolled his eyes and proceeded to inform the other two of our recent excursion to my grandmother's house. He left out the part of the ceme visit because that wasn't on the resonance list. Nevada distracted him for a good ten or fifteen minutes, curious and excited about the market which Nova happily complied with discussing. After a mild bit of annoyed coaxing, they dropped the shopping discussion and my weaponsmith hobby to move back to the original subject.

When he was finally finished, Nevada stared at us, her eyes wide and face pale as she simply gaped like a fish.

"Torch was there and didn't care that you were?!" she finally asked incredulously.

"That was my thought but it happened," Nova shrugged, looking almost perturbed. "Rosie wouldn't tell me everything but I'm beginning to think Torch isn't the Torch we've all heard stories about."

"I don't know, gran told you he always brings a shit storm," I responded. "Maybe there's more than one?"

"That doesn't seem likely," August disagreed, scrubbing a hand over his face. "It's got to be a trick or something."

"How? He literally could have killed me or kidnapped me then and there, but he didn't even fight me back." Nova bristled. "He broke Robbie's neck and then basically told me to fuck off that he didn't give a shit about me."

"Did you ever talk to the other lead you had?" August asked, looking at me.

"No. Reyne told Nova and gran that Cecile disappeared, so we didn't bother to go to the rave where she originally would have been," I answered.

Nevada frowned and looked at Nova. "Isn't that the girl that was at Michael's?"

"Yep, one and the same."

"She's always been a slippery snake," August growled, walking to pick up his flask on a nearby table.

"Wait, you know her too?" Nevada asked with her eyebrows raised, sounding surprised.

"Yeah, she used to help me find out information," he answered, not looking at Nevada when he answered. "She usually gave me legit information but she could be a pain in the ass to find if she didn't want to be found."

"Sounds like someone else I know," Nova commented and I instantly thought of his mother.

"How did… how did that become a thing with you two?" Nevada asked, looking irritated and uncomfortable at the same time. 

"Cecile is a groupie for the powerful supes like us," I answered for him, knowing the fool would fuck it up if he tried. I was in a decent mood so I figured I could try and save him an argument less than twenty-four hours after he finally claimed his mate. "She wanted August to turn her so we used her stupidity to our advantage."

"Did you… did you ever feed on her or…," Nevada looked away, unable to finish her words.

"No, not even once," August immediately answered. "Nothing but information ever happened between us, I promise."

He pulled her into a hug, holding her tight in his arms. I watched as she clung to him, nodding her head.

Good, we do not need any more drama, I thought as I buried my head in Nova's neck, kissing my claim mark on his skin. We've got enough bullshit and an unknown future to deal with that.

We could only hope that Dominic and Alana would have some answers whenever they returned.

********************

A/N: Breathe with me... in... out... lol I don't know about you but I'm mildly freaking out. One more chapter left! In my excitement last night, I cranked out two chapters in a matter of a few hours! (There were also energy drinks involved.) I waited to post this one after I finished because it was 3:30am 😅

Thoughts?

What do we hope happens in the last chapter? (Yes, it has been started!)

Thanks a bunchies my lovelies! You're all the best!❤❤

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XOXO🖤❤🖤❤

~SM~