One Thousand Years to Forever (18 page)

He knew he was a goner. He started
to pray as his body was lifted like a ragdoll and braced against
the tree he had fallen against. The last thing he saw was a smile,
red eyes and teeth that seemed to grow.

* * * * * * *

Sally and her horse stood perfectly
still. Had she heard a scream? She looked at Odin and Thor. “What
was that?”

Odin let his hand reach out to calm
the horse but he really wanted to calm Sally. He had been warned
however, never to touch her, until the time when she said who it
was she wanted. That would be years yet, but he was good at
waiting. He’d had many years of practice, and he knew she was his.
Now to just get his stubborn brother a mate so they didn’t have to
fight. He loved his brother. But he loved Sally more.

“
Don’t worry, it’s probably just
an eagle or osprey... ”

Sally looked at Odin. “It sounded
human. Don’t lie to me, Odin. I’m not stupid. Men are looking for
Mom, maybe it was one of them.”

Odin looked at his brother who, for
some reason, had moved away like he was allowing him the chance. He
turned his attention to Sally. She was a miniature of her mother.
At just sixteen she was still a girl but fast approaching
womanhood. In four to six years she could say who she
wanted.

“
Maybe it was... I just didn’t
want you to be scared.”

Sally smiled up at Odin. “Silly,
like I would be scared with you two around. The only time you two
aren’t with me is when I’m in the house and asleep.” She was
shocked by the brothers’ laughter and by what they said
next.

“
You are wrong... we sit outside
your door at night. We are always near,” Thor said with a
smile.

Sally couldn’t believe it.
“Really?”

The brothers nodded in
unison.

“
Sweet... ”

* * * * * * *

Colum watched as Katherine checked
each of the rooms one last time.

“
Everything will be
fine.”

Katherine came out of the third
guest room, ready to run downstairs to the big game room to have
the boys bring in firewood. “I know everything is done, that we
have servants galore to do anything I ask, but I like to make
sure.” She heard Sally.

“
Mom, Thor said the cars are at
the gate. They’re here!”

Katherine ran to the security
screen. Sure enough she could see her mother’s smiling face, and
she was waving. Her Mom knew full well she was being watched.
Katherine hit a talk button. “Hi Mom, come on in.” She hit another
button and the gate could be seen opening up.

She turned to Colum who stood
beside her. He pulled her in close. “You know I think you look
beautiful... ”

Katherine laid her head on his
chest. “Are you ready for the invasion?”

Colum smiled as he kissed the top
of her head. Then hooking his finger under her chin he brought her
face in view. “Yes, dearest... I’m going to talk to your father
tonight after dinner.”

Katherine laid her ear next to his
heart. “I mean, are you ready?”

Colum pulled her in closer. “Yes,
everything is fine. Everyone is well fed, we have a herd of cattle
that is at our disposal if need be.”

Katherine looked up into Colum’s
face. “Are you pulling my leg?”

Colum softly chuckled. “I would
never pull your leg. That’s what we normally feed off of. We can
snack frequently, so as not to hurt the beasts and that way we have
a constant source. It’s only when I forget to feed that I get
ravenous and need to feed until I am full. In that case, we go
hunting and there is a lot of meat in the freezer for a worse case
scenario,” he hugged her close. “Don’t worry.”

Katherine heard the family talking
as Sally had left the front door open. Katherine gave one last look
at Colum, quickly caught his lips in a quick kiss, then pulling him
with her, she went to greet her family.

Katherine sat next to Colum on the
comfy overstuffed couch in the family room. Colum had this room
added and finished in record time. It wasn’t like there weren’t
enough rooms, but Colum had said he wanted something new for their
future family. She had looked at him funny when he had said that,
but now as she looked at all the family members who sat around the
cozy room she could understand what he had been talking about. He
hadn’t meant so much he and her and future babies which she knew
was slim to null in happening, but her children that Colum said
would be raised just like his own and all her extended
family.

She felt his arm go around her and
give her a squeeze as she nestled back into his arms. He turned his
attention to her father who had asked Colum about his military
service. Katherine knew her father would be happy talking for hours
about anything military.

Colum gave Katherine an extra
squeeze. “If you will excuse me for a while darling, I want to show
your father my library.” He turned to her brother. “William, would
you like to join us?”

Katherine saw her brother smile.
“Sure.” Turning to his wife he gave her a quick peck on the cheek
and got up.

Issy and Katherine’s mother stood.
“Katherine, give us a tour of your new home... ”

Katherine smiled and stood. “Sure,
Mom.”

Issy turned to her kids, “You kids
stay out of trouble.”

The three of them looked at their
Mom and rolled their eyes. “Mom, we’re old enough to know
better.”

Issy wouldn’t be deterred. “I know
you all too well... stay out of trouble.”

Katherine gave her sister-in-law a
hug. “Issy, they can’t get into too much trouble with Thor and Odin
around.”

Sally stood and went and hugged her
Aunt. “Yea Auntie, Thor and Odin are my own personal body guards.
They even sit outside my door every night... ”

Issy looked from her niece to
Katherine. “You can’t be serious? How bad is it that...
”

Katherine interrupted, pulling her
along. “Come on, I will explain. Sally, take the kids down to the
barn to show off your new horse.” All the cousins were happy with
that prospect.

“
Sweet... ” could be heard as
Katherine left the family room with the female members of her
family.

Issy and her mother-in-law were
perched on the bar stools as Katherine poured tea water. Travis was
working quietly in the background, fixing appetizers.

As Katherine put out teacups, she
looked at the women in her family. “It seems I have gained a
following of would be terrorists or, as I think of them,
The
gang that couldn’t shoot straight
. They don’t seem to have it
together. The only thing that drives them is the apparent personal
offence they have taken with the rant I gave a John’s funeral.
Apparently, I should not have been allowed to voice
myself.”

Issy took her tea and added cream.
“Well, you did kinda challenge them. I mean, I wouldn’t care, but I
guess they have a sick sense of duty and even though they would
have said the same thing. But because it came from a corrupt
American, like yourself, who knows what else they have called
you.”

Katherine sat at a stool that
Travis had placed for her across from her family, then he left the
room.

Katherine’s mother leaned in
towards her daughter. “Do they hover like that all the
time?”

Katherine smiled. “Yes. It’s taking
some getting used to. I am not sure how long it will feel like
this? Sort of a claustrophobic feeling, but Travis is really trying
to let me do more alone. It’s like being a head of state. Wherever
I go, I must have security go with me. The kids are followed to
school and like Sally said, she has the brothers…”

Issy laughed. “Their names aren’t
really Thor and Odin?” She saw Katherine’s look. “You can’t be
serious, who names their sons that?”

“
It’s a long, long story.”
Katherine said with a smile.

* * * * * * *

Later that evening the family,
including Colum’s parents, sat in the large, cozy family room. The
kids were sprawled out on the floor in front of the fireplace
playing with the kittens and the puppy that belonged to Sally.
Katherine’s mother watched the scene and smiled. She was happy for
her daughter. Even with all of the money that was evident in
Colum’s family, if her daughter wasn’t happy, she wouldn’t want the
relationship. She saw how Colum obviously loved her daughter. It
was like they had known each other forever. Just their little
movements, and the looks that passed between the two of them. Just
like a couple who had been married forever.

She also saw Thor and Odin’s
adoration for Sally. She had voiced her concern to Colum and he had
said, “Not to worry, everything is under control and that they
would never dream of touching Sally.”

So she sat and relaxed, watching as
the cousins talked and joked quietly, and she enjoyed the scene in
front of her. She watched as Travis came in and gave a message to
Cormac. She watched as Cormac read the paper and then turned and
whispered something to Colum who quickly squeezed Katherine’s hand
and got up.

“
If you will excuse me for a few
moments.” He turned to Thor and Odin. “Come with me.”

The men walked at a brisk pace, a
sense of urgency matching their steps, as they turned the corner
and went down to the lower levels of the home. Lights came on, but
dimly, as the men walked down to the lowest level. Colum hit some
buttons on a keypad that were on the wall and a door slid
open.

They walked into a command center,
where men sat at screens and voices could be heard coming from
speakers. Colum passed by two monitors and came up to the screens
that showed the property. All gathered around to watch as a man
struggled with the confines of the wire that had shot out when he
had gone across the invisible barrier.

Colum zoomed in the camera and they
could see the face clearly. “This is getting tiresome.”

Cormac hit a button and the man
screamed after receiving a jolt of electricity. Turning towards his
son and heir, he said, “I doubt they will ever stop. They want
Katherine and hope to capture her.”

“
Never!” Colum’s fist came down on
the counter. “I won’t lose her again. That’s why we mustn’t let her
out of our sights. Should I lose her, I will start a holy war the
likes of which they have never seen.”

Cormac brought an arm up around his
son’s shoulders. “I would gladly step down now so you have the
authority to launch such an attack on them.”

Colum smiled a rueful smile. “It’s
not what I want, but it would take care of two problems, though I
would still be without my Kat. No, I will not allow them to get to
her. I need her as she needs air to breath.”

Cormac let his arm fall. “Then
change her now.”

Colum turned to his father. “I
can’t, it’s too risky.”

“
Life and death and rebirth are
always a risk. If you love her enough, take that risk, before it’s
too late. You can’t keep her cocooned forever. She is taking it
well for right now, but for how long? She is not the kind of woman
to be coddled for long. She is and was a warrior in her own right.
She won’t last long before she breaks free, would you want her any
other way?”

Colum shook his head. “No,
Sir.”

“
Well don’t think about it long
because they seem to have endless supply of men to go through, to
sacrifice…”

Colum turned to the brothers “Take
our uninvited guest and dispose of him properly. But first take a
photo of him and send to the group so they know they have lost two
today... ”

“
Yes, Sir.” They said in
unison.

Thanksgiving morning dawned bright
and clear. Katherine could feel Colum watching her. She felt his
mood. Turning, she saw concern written on his face. Capturing his
face, she kissed his lips. “What’s the matter, darling?”

Colum pulled her in. “Nothing that
a lifetime of forever won’t cure, dearest of my heart.”

Katherine let her lips taste him.
She tasted the honey that he was fond of tasting. He had been up
and in the kitchen early.

“
That doesn’t answer what’s
bothering you. Tell me.”

Colum let his lips skim over hers,
tasting her, letting his tongue explore her mouth as he felt her
moan in his kiss. He felt her body awaken and mold to him. She
moved under the covers, her hands finding him, touching him. As he
pulled her in she offered up her neck.

“
It could be so simple...
”

Colum kissed her smooth, ivory
skin. Gently nipping it. “No my Kat, it’s not that simple and we
can’t take the chance, not while your family is here. Only in life
and death circumstances would I take the chance of changing
you.”

Katherine pulled away a bit. “Then
don’t worry... you are borrowing trouble Colum. If you won’t change
me then don’t worry. Enjoy me, love me but don’t worry over me. You
are doing everything in your power to keep me safe. Nothing gets in
or at least survives trying,” She saw his look. “I know more then
you think. Travis told me of our prowler... but I forced it out of
him, so don’t be mad.”