Page 40 of Awakened and Betrayed
Reese chuckles, and I’m suddenly painfully aware that their mom is sitting right next to me, and just heard me say that. I give her a sheepish look, and she chuckles even harder. I debate whether I should explain what I mean, but I figure pointing out Knox’s panty melting skills might not be the best topic to discuss with his mother. She pats my leg and gives me a sweet look that tells me I’m off the hook.
Skylar runs a finger over the runes on my hand and leans in ever so slightly towards me.
“Are you guys going to tell us what these mean and why you all have matching ones, or are we all still supposed to pretend that we don’t see them?”
Alarm shoots through me as her words sink in.
I turn to her, not sure how to answer, but as I look into Skylar's sweet gaze, I realize that I don’t want Knox and Ryker to feel like they have to keep anything from people who obviously care so much about them. I also don’t want them to feel responsible for anything that might happen if we reveal my secrets and it goes wrong. IfIput it all out there, the risk and consequences will hopefully land mostly on me.
“They’re runes. They do a lot of different things like create weapons, and channel different types of magic.” I pause for a moment. “So...uh...my magic works a little differently, we’ve discovered, and it marked the boys as mine, which is why we’re all matchy and shit now.”
I look from Skylar to Reese as the hushed confession seeps from me to wrap around her, changing her world with each reverent and nervous word I speak. I’m worried about what I might find in her eyes as my truth comes out, but all I see is the same hope and acceptance that’s been there all night.
“How did you get them?” A deep voice asks me, and I look up to find that the voice belongs to Merlin and he’s not the only one watching the exchange. They all are. I take a deep breath and get ready to drop the bomb on all of them. Reese must feel and see my hesitancy, and she takes my other hand and gives it a squeeze.
“I am a Sentinel. It’s a different race of magic user from casters. There aren’t a lot of us around anymore, or so I’m told. According to the readers, I might be the last of my kind, but I’m hoping somehow they’re wrong.”
“So the runes just marked my sons, and now youhaveto claim them?” Reese asks, her eyes tracing the symbols on the hand that she’s holding and then moving up to meet mine.
“Yes. I didn’t know the runes or my magic worked that way, but even if I had, I wouldn’t change my claim on your sons. They’re incredible, and I care very deeply about them. I would choose them regardless of my magic beating me to the punch. I am theirs, they are mine, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
My confession hangs precariously in the quiet that blanketed the group. The silence is only breached by the sound of crackling, fire-touched logs, and the crickets that are serenading us with their night song.
“Just tell us one thing, Vinna, and I want you to think long and hard before you answer…” Trace tells me, his golden gaze serious and intimidating. “Are you Team Edward or Team Jacob?”
His question takes me completely by surprise, and I have no idea where he’s going with this.
“Totally Team Jacob,” I announce, with only the smallest amount of hesitancy.
He shakes his head at me, disappointment swelling in his gaze.
“Did you even read the books? How could you choose Jacob? Edward is superior in every possible way!”
And just like that, the bomb I was worried was going to mess up everything for me and this family, turns into a war between glittering vampires and hot werewolves.
“Edward was a dick. He just made all these decisions without really thinking them through! Oh, let me just abandon you because I decide that it’s best, what’s that about? Jacob was there for her; he loved her in a beautiful way that built her up and made her better.”
“How dare you attack my Edward like that. He loved her more than himself; he was willing to make the hard decisions!”
My eyes betray the laugh that I’m trying to stifle at Trace’s passionate confession and clear fangirl love for Edward Cullen. Slowly a chant ofsumoechoes around me until the demand is deafening, and Trace raises his hands to quiet the demanding members of his family.
“We sumo!” he announces, and the rest of the family hoots and cheers their approval. I look to Knox and Ryker not sure what the hell just happened, and Knox gives me acat that got the creamgrin.
“Oh Killer, our dad has no idea the pain he just unleashed on himself! This is going to be epic!”
Thirty minutes later, I’m laughing so hard I’m worried I’m going to pee my pants inside the massive sumo suit I’m wearing. I push the black bun-haired-helmet out of my face and watch as Trace rocks from side to side trying to figure out a way to get up from where he just landed sprawled out on his back. He looks like that little French Bulldog puppy on YouTube that can’t figure out how to get off its back, so it just rocks side to side in a hysterically adorable way.
From the minute I was forced into the sumo suit, to the first time I body slammed dad number five and watched him go flying, I haven’t been able to stop laughing. I wobble over to Knox, who’s bent over chortling away. I do the pee wiggle, although in this sumo suit I probably look like I’m shimming my large man breasts in his direction.
“Knox, I have to pee! Help me out of this thing before I defile it and break your dad’s heart.”
Knox laughs even harder, but he and Ryker start to pull the velcro apart and unzip it.
They both wipe tears out of their eyes and then trade pecks on my cheeks as I climb out of the suit and unbuckle the massive helmet.
“I demand a rematch!” Trace shouts from where he’s still wiggling side to side on his back.
“Know when you’re beat, Old Man,” Knox shouts at his dad through his tear-streaked laughter.
