Ah'Taria - Ward Residence

Xara stood at the island singing softly as she beat the eggs into a frothy yellow mixture.  "If you like it then you should've but a ring on it," sang Xara as she spun around toward the stove.  "Wuh uh oh uh uh oh oh uh oh uh uh oh," she sang louder as she started to dance in place pouring the mixture into a hot skillet.

Xara stopped singing when she heard someone coming down the stairs.  With a smile she flipped the eggs over and dumped cheese and spinach on top before she folded it.

"Kaelen did you want an omelet," asked Xara as she looked over from the stove and offered him a small smile.  "I'm just finishing up one for C-bass."

"No," snapped Kaelen as he stared at her in frustrated disgust.  "Go away!  Why are you down here so fucking early," he growled.  With a deadly glare he walked to the refrigerator and threw it open.

Xara released a startled and nervous laugh at his outburst but continued to prepare the omelet.  After a few minutes she placed the fluffy golden omelet on a plate with a flourish and started cleaning up the mess she'd made.

"I thought I told you to go away," came Kaelen's cold voice from behind her.  His breathe stirred the hairs on the back of her neck.  "Is there something wrong with your hearing?"

Apprehension froze the smile on Xara's face as she placed the skillet in the sink, nodded and took her apron off.  Without turning around she eased pass Kaelen, "I think I'll go see what's taking Sebastian so long."   Xara hurried toward the stairs but before her foot touched the first step she felt a hand grabbed her shoulder and swing her around.

"You should have moved faster," growled Kaelen as he slammed her against the wall. 

"What are you doing," cried Xara as she pushed against his chest.  "Let me go!"

Kaelen grip on Xara's shoulders tightened as he stared down into her fearful brown eyes and whispered darkly, “That’s the look I'm used to. Now cry for me."

"Stop," pleased Xara as she stared into the swirling vortex of his eyes.  "Please stop!"

"Stop what," whispered Kaelen sinisterly as he grabbed a hand full of her hair.  "I think this color red suits you," purred Kaelen maliciously.  "It's reminds me of the color of your blood."

Xara struggled to push Kaelen away as he pulled her head roughly to the side to expose her neck. Xara's whimpers started to fill the air as tears fell down her cheeks.  Despair filled her eyes as she to push against the wall of his chest, "Don't!  Please Kaelen!"

"Don't what," teased Kaelen as he chuckled.  "What don't you want me to do," he whispered.  HIs breathe fanned her cheek as he chuckled.  "Do you not want me to do this," he asked seconds before his teeth sank into her skin.

Xara struggled against him as he seemed intent on draining the life out of her.  Her loud cries turned into weak moans as her arms fell to her side and she no longer struggled.

Kaelen pulled back and stared into the lifeless eyes of Xara and smiled as he felt a coldness seep into his body, all the way to his soul.  Xara's body fell to the ground as Kaelen released a bone curdling laugh that would have chilled the blood in Xara's body if he hadn't drained it all.

*

Kaelen woke in a cold sweat his eyes darted around the room unable to believe what he'd just dreamed.  "Oh gods," he groaned as he cupped his face in his hands as he shook his head in an attempt to rid himself of the memory.  "This cannot be happening."

Kaelen threw the covers back and walked into his bathroom and stared in the mirror at his teeth and scowled when he saw they were elongated.  "Double fuck," hissed Kaelen before he pulled his sweat soaked lounge pants off. With a weary sigh he stared in the mirror at his arousal, "Ugh!  I'm a horrible person."  With a shake of his head he walked into the glass enclosure.

An hour later, after a cold shower and forty minutes of meditation Kaelen strolled into the kitchen.  "What's for breakfast," he asked the room at large not really acknowledging anyone.

"Xara's making pancakes," announced Anthony.  Anthony ran his hands through his jet black hair as he stared at Xara's back as he made an impatient noise.  "But she's taking forever."

Kaelen rolled his eyes as he walked past him to the refrigerator, "You could make your own breakfast."

"Oh ho ho," laughed Anthony as he sat back.  "Not all of us know how to make our own food."

"You can always summon it," smiled Xara as she placed a plate of hot pancakes in front of him.  "Then you wouldn't have to wait."

"But they don't taste like yours," whined Anthony as he watched her reach for the maple syrup.

"Whatever," mumbled Kaelen.  He felt his ire rise as he turned to see Anthony and Xara both speaking quietly to each other.  "Get a room," fumed Kaelen as he dropped his bowl of fruit on the counter.

"Ah and the courtship continues," laughed Anthony as he picked his pancakes up and walked to the small round table in the corner.  "I think I'll leave you two to flirt or something."

Kaelen glared at Xara out of angry eyes, "There's to be none of that in this house."

"None of what," asked Xara with a ghost of a smile.  "No talking?"

Kaelen could feel his fangs drop as he eyes moved from her face to the pulse beating in her neck.  "There is to be no flirting or sex in my house," he said as he looked down at his bowl of cereal.  "If you can't follow my house rules I'll have you moved to the dungeons at the palace."

"I wasn't flirting," stammered Xara as she looked Kaelen in the eyes.  "I was telling him about a dream I had."

"A dream," inquired Kaelen, as he arched his eyebrow.  "What did you dream about?"

Xara looked away and a blush crept up her neck as she started to play with the strings on her apron.  "I," she hesitated and took a deep breathe.  "I had a dream that you bite me."

Kaelen fork fell into his bowl as he gawked at her.  "I have bitten you," he confessed.

"I know," Xara continued as she pulled several strings from her baby blue apron.  "But this time was different."  Xara's color rose again as shook her head.  "But I'd prefer not to talk about it," she mumbled as she turned toward the sink.

"She dreamed you fucked her," laughed Anthony around a mouthful of pancakes.

Kaelen's brow furrowed as he watched Xara's neck turn a shade of red he'd never seen before.  "Why would she tell you that," he sputtered as he moved to but distance between himself and Xara.  "Why the hell would you tell him that," yelled Kaelen as he slammed his fruit on the table.

"Leave her alone Kaelen," laughed Anthony as he leaned toward him.  "I'm fairly sure you've dreamed of having sex with her more than once."

Kaelen shook his head in denial.

"Really," asked Anthony with a knowing smile.  "She said she dreamed that she was making eggs or something with cheese and spinach and that you'd walked into the kitchen.  She said you guys did it on the stairs."  Anthony tapped his chin and chuckled, "or was it on the wall by the stairs?"

Kaelen turned to stare at the place in question blankly.  This were I killed her in my dream, thought Kaelen.  "I have a meeting in ten minutes," murmured Kaelen as he frowned at his half eaten bowl of fruit.

"You do," asked Anthony as his lips curled up slightly.  "From that blush you're sporting I'd say you had a pretty interesting dream yourself."

Kaelen gave Anthony a dark frown as he walked toward the kitchen door.  "Don't worry about it," snapped Kaelen.

*********

Ah'Taria - The Palace - Lucas and Kayla's Rooms

"Don't stare at me as if I'm some type of oddity, Kayla."  Xara stirred a teaspon of sugar into her lemonade with a slight frown.  "Have I done something?"

"Kayla!"  Ebony kicked Kayla under the table to pull her attention from whatever thoughts she was having.

"Oh! I'm sorry," laughed Kayla as she looked from Ebony to Xara.  "Kae was talking to me and I got lost in his musings."

"Oh," asked Xara interested. "Can Lucas and Jacob communicate with you like that too?"

Kayla gave Xara a strained look before she shook her head.  "No, Lucas doesn't speak to me like that and neither does Jacob."

"Why not," asked Xara as she picked a sugared date.  "I'd think he'd want you to establish a two way link with you."

"Two way link," repeated Kayla and Ebony slowly.

"Yeah," laughed Xara.  "Aren't you able to see and feel what Kaelen feels when you two establish a connection?"

"I never really thought about it," whispered Kayla as she picked up a brownie bite.  "Kaelen and I have been able to do that for ages."  A cloud of sadness shadowed Kayla's eyes as she smiled, "I thought it was normal."

"I'm so sorry," gasped Xara as she stood up abruptly.  "I didn't mean to imply that Lucas didn't want you in his head."

Ebony sighed as she stared out toward the koi pond.  "Don't apologize.  You didn't imply anything.  Kayla has been dealing with Lucas for years and she knows exactly what type of person he is."  Ebony turned and arched an eyebrow, "I for sure would never want to be in Jacob's sick ass mind so why would you want to be his his bestest friend's mind."

Kayla laughed as she watched Ebony pour half the container of sugar into her lemonade.  "You're right!  I'd prefer not to have to see the inner working of his mind."

Ebony giggled, "I can't even imagine the scariness that goes on in either of their minds."

Xara stared at both of them confused, "And do you believe Kaelen's mind work that much different from theirs?"  Xara's expression went blank when Kayla nodded enthusastically and Ebony shook her head slightly.  "Um," she replied with a slightly confused expression.  "Okay."

"Why do you say it like that," asked Kayla as she tilted her head to the side.

"On Rayia there's a saying," sighed Xara.  "Birds of a feather flock together," she continued before she picked up her lemonade and took a sip.

"Birds of a feather," hummed Kayla as she started to stare off into the distance.  After several minutes she frowned at Xara, "I'm sorry."

"Why," asked Xara. 

Kayla stared with an apologetic expression.  "I thougth your saying was funny and mentioned it to Kaelen."

"You did," asked Ebony stunned by Kayla's denseness when it comes to her brother.  "And his reply?"

Kayla pressed her lips together, "He said he will deal with her when he picks her up this evening."

Xara nodded as she stared at Kayla, "I'm assuming you aren't as dumb as Ebony thinks you are just trusting of your brother."

Kayla cheeks puffed up as the insult took root, "I am not dumb, nor am I stupid and my mind hasn't been fried!"

"Yes," nodded Xara as she stared at Kayla's angry expression.  "You just trust your brother would never do anything horrible."

"Right!"

"So all the rumors about him -," began Xara.

"What rumors," asked Kayla.

Ebony placed a hand on Xara's arm and leaned toward her.  "She will never believe them so just stop while your ahead."

"Well," asked Kayla as she watched Xara and Ebony separate.

"Nothing," smiled Xara as she sipped her drink.  "Nothing at all.  I was mistaken.  All the rumors are about Jacob and Lucas."

"That's what I thought," smiled Kayla as she leaned back in her chair.  "Kaelen is a saint."

"A saint," nodded Ebony as she twisted her lips.  "Kayla I love you but I have to tell you that your brother is more like a fallen angel corrupted by your husband and his best friend."

"Ebony," smile Kayla with an annoyed smile. "I know but humor me."

A/N my Internet is out so I did part of this on my phone.  It's late where I am I'll proof tomorrow but I like to keep my word. here's Monday's update