The Life of Anna, Part 5: Emerged

The Life of Anna, Part 5:
Emerged

By Marissa Honeycutt

Copyright 2015 Marissa Honeycutt

Smashwords Edition

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author.

Copyright © 2015 Marissa Honeycutt

All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof
may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the
express written permission of the publisher except for the use of
brief quotations in a book review.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters,
businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of
the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any
resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is
purely coincidental.

This book is for grownups. This book is not
for people who are easily offended, get nightmares easily, or have
difficulty reading books about tough subjects. I do not glorify bad
things, but bad things do happen to my poor characters. This is not
your typical love story. My heroine does not fall in love and live
happily ever after... at least not like the typical heroine. There
is a happily ever after, but it is a long, painful journey to that
end.

This is not a stand-alone novel. The series
must be read in order.

Anna’s story is told in five, novel-length
books. There is a subculture within our own world that you’ve only
heard whispers of. The conspiracy theorists wish they knew Anna’s
story. What the conspiracy theorists think they know is only
disinformation, put out there to keep them from the real story.

This book will likely offend you. This book
might make you cry; it might make you throw up. It is a dark book.
As my friend, Heidi, said, “It’s dark. It gets darker. It gets even
darker, and then it gets even darker. And then, just when you think
it can’t get any darker, it does.”

But, don’t worry. I take you to the deep end
gradually. ;)

There are many sexual situations in this
series of books. People die. People get hurt. Things aren’t always
truly the way they appear. The antagonist isn’t just a bad guy;
he’s EVIL. My heroine’s worldview is skewed; things that may appall
you are perfectly normal to her.

Any violence in this book is non-gratuitous
and crucial to the plot and character development.

Do not read this if you are under the age of
consent in your country. Do not get angry if the subject or actual
book upsets you. If you're reading this, you've been warned.

Aaron paced around Penn Station, stopping to
stare at the arrivals screen every few minutes. The train that Anna
and Justin were on was supposed to have arrived over two hours ago.
Yes, this particular train had a reputation for being late, but
every minute that ticked by made Aaron’s anxiety grow. The lack of
communication was killing him.

He hadn’t seen or spoken to Anna in nine
months. Their goodbye had been passionate and he couldn’t stop
himself from wondering if things could maybe get going between the
two of them again. She was a free woman now. No obligations to the
Brotherhood, other than staying out of Devin’s sight. What would
she do?

The overhead speaker blared and he was pretty
sure he heard the train number he was waiting for. God, he hoped
so! He didn’t know if he could stand waiting any longer.

He turned and headed back to the arrivals
area and, sure enough, he saw a notification of the Number 48
train. As he sighed in relief, he anxiously scanned the crowd for
the beautiful face of the woman he still loved after all these
years.

Justin’s tall, thin frame was easy to spot
and Aaron looked around for Anna, but didn’t see her. A panic arose
in his heart as he and Justin made eye contact. Justin grinned and
then bent over to the small person wearing a hat next to him. The
hat lifted and Anna’s green eyes appeared, her gaze moving quickly
around the room. She looked for a second and then Aaron’s heart
took a nosedive as she found him. A big smile appeared on her face
and she said something to Justin who nodded.

The next thing Aaron knew, Anna was in his
arms, hugging him tighter than he’d ever been hugged before. It
felt like heaven.

“Aaron!” she cried against his chest.

Justin approached, watching Anna closely with
a troubled look on his face; the other dancer had grown feelings
for her. It wasn’t really surprising, though. Aaron suspected that
anyone who spent time with Anna developed feelings for her. It
couldn’t be helped.

Justin and Aaron shook hands and Aaron
reluctantly detangled himself from Anna’s embrace.

“What’s with the hat?” Aaron asked, tapping
the brim and grinning down at Anna.

Justin looked around. “She’s all over the
news as a missing person.”

Aaron frowned. “She is? I haven’t seen
anything.” Fuck, that wasn’t good. But he watched the news and he
hadn’t seen anything. “Where did you find that out?”

“In Chicago,” Anna said, looking up at him
with anxious eyes.

Aaron’s heart raced as he gazed into her
eyes. Oh, he just wanted to lean down and kiss her, but she looked
away before he could decide if he would or not.

“C’mon, let’s get going,” Aaron said with a
heavy sigh as he took Anna’s backpack from her. He would take them
to the Ritz tonight where Wilhelm was staying. Tomorrow they would
start dealing with her new life.

They went outside and he flagged down a
taxi.

Anna stared out the window of the taxi,
amazed by all the tall buildings. They went on and on and on.
“Where are we going?” she asked. Aaron had told the cab driver, but
she had been overwhelmed with her surroundings and hadn’t been
listening.

“The Ritz. Wilhelm is there.”

Anna inhaled sharply and then sighed with a
smile.
Wilhelm.
“Is Kurt with him?”

Aaron shook his head. “He couldn’t risk
bringing Kurt.”

“Why?”

Aaron glanced at the cabbie. “Traveling
difficulties.”

“Oh.”

She sat between Aaron and Justin. Both men
wanted her attention and she wanted to give attention to them both.
Justin had risked his life by bringing her out here and they’d
connected on the train. Aaron...Aaron was Aaron. Her best friend
and first love. She intertwined her fingers with both of them and
smiled at each of them.

They arrived at the hotel, went up to the
Royal Suite and knocked on the door. A few moments later Wilhelm
opened the door and smiled at her with tender blue eyes.

“
Mein Liebling
,” he said in a soft
tone and opened his arms.

She rushed into his arms and sighed as he
held her tight.

Wilhelm stepped back without letting go of
Anna. “Come in, please.”

Justin and Aaron stepped inside and Aaron
closed the door behind him.

Justin let out a whistle as he looked around.
“Fuck,” he murmured under his breath.

Anna buried her head in Wilhelm’s chest.
“You’re here,” she mumbled.

“Of course,
Liebling
,” he murmured,
stroking her hair. “I wanted to be here when you arrived.”

Anna looked up and saw his eyes were wet. She
reached up and stroked his cheek. “Why are you upset, Wilhelm?”

He shook his head sadly. “I should have done
this years ago. I should have kept you in
Deutschland
and
never returned you to him.”

“Wilhelm, you know you couldn’t have done
this alone,” Aaron said softly. “How many Elders did it take to get
her out?”

Wilhelm chuckled. “Several.” He smiled and
looked at Justin. “Thank you, Justin, for bringing her.”

“You’re welcome, sir,” Justin said.

Wilhelm led them into the living room and sat
down with Anna on the couch. She curled up next to him and rested
her head on his chest. Aaron and Justin took seats on opposite
sides of the couch.

“Are you hungry?” Wilhelm asked, looking at
Justin and Anna.

Anna nodded and glanced at Justin, who nodded
as well. “There wasn’t dinner on the train,” she said. “It was
supposed to arrive earlier. Even when the train is late, they close
the dining car mid-afternoon for the end of the line.”

Wilhelm reached beside him on the table and
handed Anna a binder with a picture of the hotel on the front. “Let
me know what you want and we will order it.”

After the orders were placed, Justin told
Wilhelm and Aaron about the trip.

“There weren’t any issues, except Anna
showing up on the news as a missing person in Chicago.” He
shrugged. “I don't get it.”

“Tom is most likely preventing the story from
airing here,” Wilhelm said. “Anna’s face plastered all over the
city’s TVs would not be good.”

“He can do that?” Justin asked surprised.

Wilhelm nodded and smiled almost sheepishly.
“Part of being an Elder and running a city.” He kissed the top of
Anna’s head. “Would any of you like something to drink?” He
motioned to a wet bar in the corner. “Feel free to help yourselves.
I would get it for you, but....” He smiled down at Anna. “I do not
think she will let me up.”

Anna shook her head. She tightened her arms
around his waist and snuggled closer. “
Nein
,” she
whispered.

Wilhelm’s eyes dilated slightly. “I like it
when you speak German. It is very sexy.”

“That’s about all I remember.”

He looked down at her intently and stroked
her cheek with his thumb. “I have missed you so much,
Liebling
,” he whispered. He slid his hand around the back
of her head and captured her lips with his as Aaron and Justin made
their way to the wet bar.

After a relaxing dinner, Anna followed
Wilhelm into the master bedroom after saying goodnight to Justin,
who was staying in the second bedroom of the suite.

“Why isn’t Kurt here?” Anna asked, hurt that
he wasn’t.

“An Immortal transported me here. They can
only do that with Elders.” Wilhelm glanced down at her. “He is very
sad that he could not be here, but sends his love.” He took her
into his arms. “Did you learn what your new name is?”

Anna couldn’t stop the grin from appearing on
her face as she nodded. “Justin said you picked it out.”

“
Ja
,” he smiled. “Kurt picked the
last name. I picked the first name.”

“Katrina Engel,” she said softly and gazed up
at him. “It makes me feel like I belong to you,” she said
softly.

He brushed her hair back from her face. “You
do belong to me,” he said softly and brushed his lips against her.
“Always.” He slowly pulled her shirt off and stroked her bare back.
“I have missed you,” he murmured.

As Justin, Anna and Wilhelm were finishing
breakfast the next morning, someone knocked on the door. Wilhelm
looked at his watch before standing and going to answer it.

Tom and Tommy walked into the room with
another man that Anna recognized as Wayne Sawyer.

“Dad?” Justin exclaimed, standing as the men
appeared.

Tommy smiled brightly at Anna and she stood
quickly and went to him. He sighed contentedly as he pulled Anna
close. “For the first time I don’t have to worry about you getting
hurt,” he murmured against her hair.

She looked up at him and smiled. “Thank you,”
she said softly.

He brushed her cheek and leaned down to kiss
her. “I can’t believe you live here now,” he said softly.

“Tommy,” Tom said in a warning tone. “She’s a
free woman now. And you have a wife.”

Tommy grimaced and released her. “You’re
right, Dad,” he said, though the longing remained in his eyes.

Anna looked at the ground, ashamed at her
excitement of seeing Tommy. Tom clearly didn’t approve of Tommy
approaching her. What did that mean?

Tom came up and hugged her in a fatherly
manner and then kissed her on the top of the head. “You don’t have
any more ‘obligations’, Anna. Er, Katrina.” He grinned down at her.
“Katrina is a free woman who can do as she pleases, as long as she
stays in Manhattan.” He released her and went to shake hands with
Wilhelm.

Wayne, whom she had met several times, came
to her and kissed her cheek. “Hello, Anna,” he said with an
affectionate smile. He then went over to Justin and embraced his
son. “I’m really proud of you, Justin.”