Unforgiven (Wanderers #3) (26 page)

“Honestly mom, I’m fine.”

She put a gentle hand on my shoulder. “Ella, I felt a
lot of hostility and…heartache,” she looked at me with sadness in
her eyes. “What happened in Ireland?” she asked softly.

“Now is not the time,” I snapped. She recoiled from
the harshness in my voice. I opened my mouth to say sorry, but
nothing came out.

“I know,” was all she said before wrapping her arms
around me. “When you’re ready, you let me know.” I nodded. That was
the best I could give her.

“Girls, there will be plenty of time for hugging
later. We’re going to be late,” my dad complained. I rolled my eyes
and got in the car beside Cameron. “Seriously Jamila, you’re
smothering them. No wonder they always want to leave.” My mom
gawked at my dad and I could see the slightest smile tug at the
corner of his lips.

“Oh dad,” I shook my head. He was on his own for that
one. I knew my mom wanted to give it to my dad for his comment –
joke or not – but with Cameron in the car she kept her cool.

When we arrived at the club I heard my mom whisper to
my dad, “Keep it up and you’ll be sleeping on the couch.” I tried
to hide my laugh but was unsuccessful. My dad turned around and
glared at me. I quickly wiped the smile from my face.

I paused just inside the hall doors. I was not ready
when we arrived. Most of everyone that would be there was from our
side of the family since Jasa said she really didn’t have any. I
hadn’t seen my extended family in a while and wasn’t quite sure I
was ready to face them. Knowing what we were and what they are, how
was I supposed to act? Not to mention I was sure the rumors of my
latest escapades were floating around and I wasn’t in the mood to
answer questions. I also wasn’t sure what I could and couldn’t say
.There would be a lot of Xander and Dad’s colleagues and friends
there and I was sure they weren’t all supernatural.

Before we walked inside I pulled my mom aside. “Hey
mom, so..um,” I started, not sure how to come out with it.

“Not everyone in there is a vampire,” she said
smiling.

“Wait, how’d you?”

“I’m your mother, remember,” she winked. “And as far
as everyone else here is concerned, we are all human.” She took my
hand and squeezed it, leading me inside with her.

I held my breath and let out a small gasp as soon as
we stepped through the doors. I’d never seen the club so decked out
before. All different types of Lilies on the tables with candles
lit up encircling the vases. The table clothes were white with lace
draped over them, chairs in a tacky gold cloth that tied into a bow
in the back, sparkly lights, crystal, and the highest quality china
you could find anywhere. “Wow Danni, you did all this?” I
asked.

“Well, Cameron helped,” she said.

“Everything looks great, well everything except the
gold clothed chairs,” I cringed.

“Yeah, not my choice,” Danni said, making a face.

“You sure you wanna do this?” I asked her.

“Gonna have to face it sooner or later. Why not start
now?” she said braver than I would have. We both braced ourselves
as we stepped into the swarm of people – plastering on our best
fake smiles. I was attacked the minute I ascended the stairs;
Aunts, Uncles, Cousins, family friends and colleagues. I barely got
a word in and most of what I said was,
‘this is my friend
Cameron’
and
‘Yes
,
I’m doing
well.’

A few of Xander’s buddies hit on me, saying how
‘grown up’
I looked. I bit my tongue, smiled, and ignored
their, not always, so subtle attempts at flirting. It was getting
harder to keep up the charade with all the nasty thoughts they were
thinking. One of his friends was contemplating bending me over a
table somewhere in the back. I couldn’t help myself. I smacked him
hard on the arm, gave him a nasty look, and stomped off leaving him
wondering what the hell just happened.

Xander saw the mixed expressions on his friend’s
faces and walked over to me. “What the hell is going on?” he spat
accusingly.

“What is going on is that your friends are a bunch of
perverts,” I pointed, glaring over Xander’s shoulder at them.

He turned around and laughed, shrugging his
shoulders, and dismissing my weird behavior. When he turned back to
me his smile faded and he pushed me out the door. “Okay, tell me
what happened and I want to know the truth. If they did or said
anything to make you feel uncomfortable I will handle it,” he said
in a sincere brotherly tone.

“No one said anything, really.” He looked at me
confused. I rolled my eyes knowing this would bite me in the ass.
“I heard what they were thinking,” I tapped my head.

“Jesus Ella, seriously,” he threw his hands up
frustrated.

“Okay, I know, but Xander you should have heard Zach.
The details of what he wanted to do with his…thing and…me.” I
shuddered at the last thought he had.

He scrubbed a hand down his face. “Zach is a dick and
I’m sorry you had to hear that, but Ella, you have to be more
careful,” he stressed.

“I know, I know. It’s not easy you know.”

“I’m sorry,” he sighed. His face softened and he
looked at me. “Just avoid them if you can.”

“That won’t be a problem.”

He pulled me closer to him for a hug and I relaxed a
little. “I’ll just say…you had a spasm or something.”

“Oh great,” I laughed. He smiled at me before he
headed back inside. I decided to stay outside and enjoy some of the
fresh air. Lately, it wasn’t so often I got a few moments to myself
so I wanted to take the time and enjoy the quiet. The swarm of
people and all their thoughts were overwhelming. I was just
starting to get a handle on that power. I haven’t had a chance to
test it with so many people in one room. Most of my family had
their minds automatically closed off, but for the rest of our
guests it would take over and become an over load. Anytime anyone
would open the door to sneak around the side to smoke I would get
an explosion of conversations colliding inside my head.

My head started to hurt and I rubbed my temples
hoping for some relief. To my surprise the relief came in a large
glass filled with champagne. “I thought you could use this,” Danni
said, handing me a glass. I took the flute and gulped down it’s
contents in one sip. “That bad, huh?”

I looked around to make sure no one else was around.
“How much do you actually know about all the vampire stuff?”

“Well, I guess the basics, why?”

“Nothing…I just…”

“Having a hard time adjusting?”

“Something like that,” I sighed.

“We all have our own demons. Yours is more in the
literal sense.”

“I’m not a demon,” I said, pouting and she
laughed.

“I didn’t mean you specifically. I guess what I meant
to say was when something’s new it’s hard in the beginning, but
you’ll get through it. I know you will,” she smiled and squeezed my
hand. “You ready to go back in or do you need some more time?”

“I just need a few more minutes.”

“Okay, I guess I should go back in.”

“You don’t have to. You can stay.”

“Like I said, we all have our own demons and mine is
in there,” she smiled bravely as she reentered the room.

I spent about another fifteen minutes outside and
then made my way back in. I needed to learn how to get a grip on my
power and it was as good a time as any to try. I thought back to my
powers class, remembering the breathing techniques. I took a few
deep breaths and mentally prepared myself before I reentered the
party.

I managed to slip back in without anyone stopping me.
I sat down at the table with Dean who was already on his third
glass of scotch and Cameron who seemed bored out of her mind. “You
doing okay?” I asked her. I couldn’t imagine that this was any fun
for her.

“Yeah,” she smiled genuinely. “Your family
is…interesting.”

“To say the least,” I smiled back, nudging her with
my elbow. Cameron gave me a small laugh, letting me know she was
doing alright.

“Ella Alexandra McCallister,” called a familiar and
warming voice.

I turned around and sure enough there she was. My
smile grew as I jumped out of my chair. “Grandma Bea,” I shrieked,
throwing my arms around her. She was my favorite grandmother. I
didn’t see her much because she was always traveling. Saying she
needed to see the world before her time was up. Knowing what I knew
now, I was curious as to how old she really was.

“That I will never tell,” she winked. I was about to
ask her how when I realized of course she could read minds. She was
my father’s mother. “So you know,” she said, squeezing my shoulders
and I nodded.

“How long are you here for?” I asked a little
desperately. Seeing her made me not want to let her go. I missed
her so much and needed her around, for little while at least.

“You know I don’t like to stay in one place for too
long,” she smiled, but then her smile faded when she saw my
expression.

“Right,” I said sighing.

She reached up and touched my cheek gently. “I might
make an exception if a certain little bumble bee needs me.”

“I don’t want to ruin your plans.”

Her hand slipped down to my chin and she cupped it,
lifting my head to meet her eyes. “Hush. Nothing is more important
than my family. Especially my little bumble bee,” she said, kissing
my cheek. I hugged her again before she turned her attention to
Dean. “Dean Patrick, you better get up and give me a hug. I’m old
you know, if I bend down I might not get back up.”

I laughed as Dean got up to give her a hug. “Hi
Grandma Bea,” he said, smiling for the first time tonight. Grandma
Bea kind of had that effect on everyone. She pinched his cheeks
making him blush and then stole his drink. He opened his mouth to
protest, but she gave him her always stern, don’t mess with grandma
look. I tried to hide my smile as I pulled out a chair for her.
Dean signaled for the waiter to bring him another drink and told
him to make it a double.

“So what’s this fiancé like?” Grandma Bea asked.

“She’s nice,” I said.

“Just nice, what’s wrong with her?” she asked,
knowing full well I was holding something back.

I shrugged. “I just don’t know her all that well,” I
said.

“But?” she pushed.

“But I kind of have this weird feeling. It’s probably
nothing. Just me being silly,” I smiled. I never told anyone about
the strange feeling I got around Jasa. I just figured at first it
was a natural instinct. Sort of like the protective sister coming
out in me, but when the feeling slowly started to grow I decided to
keep a cautious eye on her. I kept it to myself because I didn’t
want to start trouble in case I was overreacting.

Grandma Bea slid her seat closer to mine and leaned
in. “Always trust your gut. Even if you think it’s nothing, always
trust your instincts,” she said, staring straight into my eyes.
“Promise me Ella.”

“I promise.” I smiled, feeling a slight twinge in my
stomach.

“Great,” she said, finishing off her drink. “Now, who
is this lovely lady?” she looked at Cameron.

“Oh, I’m sorry Gran. This is our friend Cameron from
school.”

“Hello Cameron, it’s very nice to meet you.”

“It’s very nice to meet you too Mrs.?”

“Please, call me Grandma Bea, everyone else does.”
They smiled politely at each other as Gran shook her hand. Gran
eyed Cameron suspiciously and then her smile grew. I eyed her,
prompting her to let me know what was going on. She just smiled
back at me and told Dean to sit up straight.

Danni finally made her way back to our table and
looked just about as happy as I did when she saw Gran. “Grandma
Bea!” she cheered, throwing her arms around her. The smell of her
breath and the flopping of her arms told me Danni was facing her
demons with a fifth of alcohol. I sighed knowing it was going to be
a long night.

“My precious Danni, how are you and that adorable
little girl of yours?”

“I’m fine, she’s fine,” Danni said nonchalantly,
taking another glass from a tray as one of the waiters walked by. I
stood up and took the glass from her hand. She frowned but didn’t
argue with me.

“You cannot lie to me dear,” Gran said, wagging her
finger at Danni.

“I never could,” Danni smiled bashfully. “But now is
not the time.”

“Well it looks like I made it back in the nick of
time,” Gran said, looking between me, Dean, and Danni. I gave her a
fishy look and she just patted my shoulder. “Well I guess I should
go introduce myself. Ella, Dean, help me up, will you?” With a
grunt, Dean helped her up and I walked over with her to meet
Jasa.

Xander gave Gran a great big hug before he introduced
her. Gran smiled politely at Jasa, but I knew Gran had her
suspicions about her as just as much as I did. I nudged Gran and
she just played it off with one her warming smiles, but Gran
couldn’t fool me. She might be able to put on a poker face for
everyone else, but I knew all her tell signs – after all she was
the one who taught me. I made a mental note to grill her about it
later.

Gran didn’t hang around Jasa too long and I couldn’t
figure out why, but I did notice she had an uncomfortable look on
her face that was very hard to disguise. “Gran, are you okay?”
Xander asked and I thought the same thing.

“Yes, yes honey, I’m fine. Where’s your father?”

“He’s around here somewhere?” Xander said, craning
his neck.

“I believe I saw him over by the bar talking to the
Hendricks,” Jasa said, making Gran shiver.

“I’ll help you find him,” I said, gripping her arm.
Once we were out of earshot, I leaned down close. “Gran, what’s
really going on? You don’t look so good.”

“Nonsense bumble bee. Don’t worry your pretty little
head. It’s nothing a stiff drink can’t fix,” she said, trying to
make me feel better, but it didn’t lessen my concern.