Set In Sparks (Morningstars Book 2) (2 page)

Even though she was by now used to it, Maya was surprised each time anew at the hostility her people showed her. She wanted to change the race and all they did was glare at her as if she had announced aliens were the best mating partners out there. She smiled nonetheless because the younger Morningstars actually took well to her idea.

“I love the idea of a ballroom dancing class. Seriously. Isn't there a ball at the end of the course or something?” this particular girl asked, clapping excitedly. She was only fifteen, but age and time did not pass for vampires the way it was for humans. Even though they had centuries to spare, they usually were considered mature pretty quickly.

“I was thinking about a Masquerade. People are usually afraid of my warriors as well as everyone in the court. I'd like to mingle with our people without them being scared of me.”

“I don't think scared is the right word to be used,” the older Morningstar mumbled, but Maya's perfect hearing naturally picked up on it.
Serves
you right that I can't even remember your name
, she thought grimly.

“Cynthia was your name, right?” Maya asked towards the so far silent fledgling, ignoring the younger vampire's father while gently raising her hand. She hadn't seen Jaden move, but she could feel his anger vibrating against her skin. It almost made her smile since he had become the only thing she really thought she could count on in her life.

Funny how a near-death experience sometimes changed your entire world, or in that case, his.

“Yes, my Queen,” the young woman stated, bowing her head slightly.

“Call me Maya,” she instantly protested and a blush colored the young woman's cheek, but before she could reply, her father stepped forward, prompting Jaden to do the same. “Please,” she mumbled toward her mate and then listened to him inhale sharply. Maya knew he was always worried, but he needed to understand that she had to stand her own if she ever wanted to be respected by anyone.

“Any thoughts?” she wanted to know, giving the father what she hoped to be an open smile.

“No wonder people don't respect you if you don't even force your position. I don't think any Queen before you ever-”

“With all due respect,” she said, interrupting him even though she knew that it was improper. “The way I understand your history no Queen before me went out to meet with you. As far as I got it, no one but her court had contact to her. Therefore, I assume you don't have anything to go by but what the people are gossiping about. Clearly, someone of your status and high values is above gossip,” Maya stated and then had a hard time hiding her smile as the guy in front of her sputtered before turning a deep crimson color. She could feel Jaden's pride bursting through their bond which made her feel ten feet tall. Glancing at him she took in his strong jaw and chocolate eyes, framed by long, dark lashes. Dearest Creator, that warrior was too handsome for his own good.

“Of course not. I didn't mean ... that wasn’t...” he mumbled and it was almost as if his woman was actually smiling while his daughter clearly bit her cheeks.

“That's what I thought. You are one of the respectable males of our race and I'm very happy we are on the same page. So, I assume we can put Cynthia's name down to participate? She will be picked up and returned safely. I guarantee so with my life,” Maya smiled, seeing how the arrogant male morphed into a worried father right in front of her eyes.

“How can you guarantee that?” he asked, his voice quiet; inquiring.

“One of the warriors will be picking up the girls in a safe car. We vouch for their well-being with our lives,” Jaden explained, jumping in at the right time. He stepped closer to her side, too, actually slouching so he appeared less impressive, as if that was even a possibility. He was still as handsome as he'd been to her the very first night they had met. To her relief he had started wearing plain shirts under his black leather jacket, but that item alone was enough to make people cower in fear. His face, handsome when relaxed, sexy when angry, was a picture of innocence and honesty as he looked at the father and promised to watch his daughter like he'd watch his own Queen. The blond hair was just that tad bit longer because he hadn't exactly found the time to cut it, but Maya didn't mind. She liked being able to brush her hand through it. His muscles bunched under the black material that covered his chest and she blushed and she imagined running her fingertips over his bare skin. It made her feel all warm and she had to lower her eyes as she actually saw the corner of Jaden's lip lift the tiniest bit. He certainly felt which gutter her thoughts were in.

“Exactly,” Cynthia's father agreed and Maya realized that while she had been watching Jaden's full lips move, she had missed everything that was said. The guys clasped hands and it surprised her how, once again, a whole family's attitude had changed during a few short minutes. “Thank you for coming by personally and inviting our daughter. It's an honor.”

She almost snorted. When they had arrived twenty minutes ago he had looked at her as if she was bringing the plague to his doorstep, not that it would have hurt the family since a virus never harmed a vampire, but it still would have been a bother.

“Thank you for your hospitality. My warrior and I took enough of your time. Cynthia, we'll send you a letter with all important information soon,” Maya promised and the young girl bowed before her.

“Thank you, my Queen,” Cynthia said and Maya's sincere smile turned strained. She hated being treated as if she was royal when, in fact, she was just a freak of nature.

As soon as they had left the house and the door closed behind them, Jaden tugged her into his side, nibbling at her neck. If they wouldn't be on some stranger's land, out in the open, she'd probably demand of him to bite her. There was something about the way she felt almost whole when he did, and it was a comfort she was missing just then. It couldn't be more obvious to her that they should be three and, as so often in the last months, had ended up being two. She felt as if she was missing her second half, and, in a scary way, it was true.

Just last week a little boy, not older than four, had looked at her, Jaden standing to her left like a dark shadow while her right was empty, and had told her that she looked like an angel with a broken wing. Sometimes she wondered if there ever had been a more accurate description of how she felt during those nights. Shaking her head to force away those dark thoughts, she giggled as he licked the side of her neck while he growled low in his throat.

Kaden was out, doing whatever and even though it had been more than twenty weeks since she had taken his blood, she could still feel each and every one of his emotions clear as day. He was angry, as usual, but that night there seemed to be disgust in him, too. Now, if only she could hear his thoughts, maybe then she'd know what was going on. She long since had given up asking Jaden for any information since he seemed to know as little about his twin as she did. She knew Kaden was hurting, but it wasn't anything she could change, especially if she had no chance to contact him since he was avoiding her. Every time Jaden had been with her, she had felt aroused. It was something coming at her through the bond with Jaden's twin. During those nights, she had a hard time to hide from her mate what his brother was feeling, especially since Kaden's emotions amplified hers. At the beginning of the night, she'd be in a somewhat lusty haze, the morning would come bringing with it grim satisfaction coming from Kaden's side of the bond. Obviously he somehow had found relief and even though she had told him that they couldn't take this further, those were the moments she wanted to sink to her knees and bawl her eyes out in jealousy and heartbreak.

Leave aside the fact that she had no idea how Jaden would take the news of Kaden being bonded to her, she wasn't sure how her entire race would react if she'd now start something with Kaden, too. Almost instantly she put a stop to her thoughts, because it was a treacherous road she was walking down. It could risk everything Jaden and she had worked out over the last few months.

That night, Maya wasn't sure she could deal with the grim satisfaction, so instead of letting him hurt her, she knew she was going to break his heart instead. All it took was one sentence that she wouldn't even have to say to him directly.

“Stay with me tonight?” she asked and elation spread in Jaden's body and through the bond. It made his eyes sparkle even while he cautiously looked at her.

“Do you mean that?”

She wasn't surprised that he was suspicious of her offer. Usually he went home after returning Maya to hers safely. It made her feel guilty for pushing him away most of the time.

“I feel a little drained,” she explained, stopping so she could let her fingertips touch the chest she had been desperate to feel all night. Even if he wouldn't be able to bring her any relief, she really wanted to get naked with him and lick him all over. It was a weird impulse, one she hadn't had in a good while, but it felt nice. It was the right thing to feel. In fact, it should be the only thing to occupy her thoughts with. Not that this would ever work for her since there was a second twin, hovering like a dark cloud over every little bit of happiness.

They got in Jaden's car together. They could have easily taken the quicker route by foot, but Jaden liked it more if they were in an enclosed space with her right by his side and no chance of getting lost.

He started up his Impala and as always the low purr of the engine making Maya smile. She still remembered that Jaden had called the car and her the most important ladies in his life. It had been the exact same night her universe had shifted to circling twin centers.

“I'm pissed at him, too,” Jaden said into the silence and she realized that she had furrowed her brow with her thoughts.

“Don't be,” she pleaded because, as unfair as it was, Jaden didn't know the entire story. If he'd been in Kaden's favorite black sneakers, Jaden wouldn't react any other way and that she was sure of.

It was another one of
those
nights. Jaden hated them with a vengeance because she was most distant then. No matter how close he thought he came to unveiling what bothered her, nights like this one threw him back miles.

Reaching out, he grabbed her hand and pulled it in his lap, brushing his rough thumb over her soft skin. In all his years, he had never cared how the handling of his daggers had formed him, but ever since Maya and him were so close, he realized more and more how his life as a warrior had influenced him. Yet Maya had come along and now he was changing again and he liked himself much more the way he was becoming than the way he had been.

“He left us hanging, Cupcake. Again. One of those nights it’s gonna cost me everything I have. It’s gonna cost me you. I can’t take you home and fight at the same time.” He clenched his teeth, almost being able to see the scene in front of his inner eye.

She surprised him by bringing their joined hands up to her full lips, kissing the back of his hand ever so gently. He could feel her confidence coming through the bond and it eased his mind. There was no doubt that she knew how to pacify him, but the topic of his brother would never –

“You’d die before letting me get hurt, therefore I have no doubt that you’d be killing whoever attacks us and then still get me to safety.”

Damn, he loved her so much, especially as she winked at him, her purple eyes sparkling with trust. Another time he brought her fingers down to his lip, only now, he let her fingertips graze the erection that popped up every time he realized how much they meant to each other. And each time she was naked. And when she was winking at him. And, of course, each time she tried to be sexy. By the Creator, he never had enough time with her, and that night, the night he had planned to kick his twin’s ass from here to Texas for not having been there, she picked to ask him to stay with her.