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Chapter Forty Eight
Anna spent the day of their imminent arrival on pins and needles. She'd called Jenna to fill her in on the details, having already told her everything that had happened between her and Jack. Well, not everything, but she'd given her the gist. Jenna had wanted to be there to meet the vamps, but her aunt had decided they were going to France in a couple of days so she didn't have the time.
"If you end up going to England, I'll come and see you," she'd said, "It looks like Harri and I will be staying for a month or more."
"That would be fantastic, if I were going to England which I'm probably not," she'd countered. Jenna had made a sound of the "we'll see" variety and they'd exchanged love and hung up.
She stared at the clock, 2:30, a couple more hours and she'd be meeting her own kind. Own kind. She didn't really feel like that fit, how could they be her kind if she was born and raised a human? And Jack had pointed out some differences recently, like the fact that she didn't get off on human blood. Face it Anna, you're a freak, even in the vampire world.
She frowned and scolded herself. Where's your sunny outlook? Not a freak, just unique. Ooo, that rhymes. She giggled. According to Jack she was special. He believed her to be the fulfillment of an ancient prophecy, a uniter of good against evil. She definitely liked the idea of that, it was certainly better than thinking she was just an accident, a mistake. Special, that's me, she thought and smiled brightly.
"What are you grinning about?" Josh asked as he crossed the room.
"Oh you know, the usual, how great I am, amazing, special, unique. Definitely not a freak."
He was smiling at her list until the last part. He gave her a dark look, "Don't even think it Anna, you are not a freak."
"A freak?" Will walked in and looked at Anna with concern.
"I said that I wasn't a freak, not that I was, chill out you two. I know that I'm a fountain of wondrous awesomeness," she grinned widely and snatched Will's coke from him taking a long swig.
"You're lucky you don't have germs," he told her snatching it back.
"Says you. Don't you know that wondrous awesomeness is code for icky germiness?"
"A fountain of icky germiness, hmm, I've met a few people who fit that description." Will grinned.
"Yeah, the women you love and leave." Josh laughed and leapt out of the way of his brother’s retaliation.
"At least I get some lovin', unlike my brother the priest."
"It's monk, get it straight," Josh countered.
"Straight? I'm not the one who needs to work on that," Will snorted and went over to the television.
Anna caught Josh with an odd look on his face. He wiped it away quickly, but as fleeting as it was, his expression made her wonder. Was Josh gay? She glanced at Will and thought about Jack. Poor Josh, if he was gay that would not be an easy closet opening.
Jack sauntered into the room, "We might as well head out. We can get something to eat while we wait for them."
Anna nearly panicked. Not ready! She thought, her stomach tightening. But would another hour make a difference? No. Face your fears Anna, head on, you've done pretty well with it this far.
They went in Will's car, Anna and Josh in the back, and she cuddled up to her friend.
"It's gonna be fine Anna, if they're creeps we'll send them packing. Don't worry." He put his arms around her and she held him tightly.
"Uptown" Denver was breathtaking. In fact the entire city was enormously appealing with the surrounding mountains, so naturally the upscale parts were exceptional. She had asked why they'd decided on this location, the guys weren't usually the upper crust type. Jack had explained that it was always safer to be in classier environments, it generally put people, and other things, on their best behavior.
She was wearing a simple dress that matched the turquoise color of her eyes, though a few shades lighter. It was expensive but not flashy, with straps that clasped behind her neck and a neckline that dipped down showing just a little cleavage. It was clingy on her upper body but light and airy from her waist down to where it cut off just above her knees. She had curled the tips of her normally straight hair and fastened a silver butterfly hairclip just above her right temple. She'd even applied a little makeup- a very light shade of shimmery pink on her lips, blue eyeliner that accented her eyes and just a touch of color on her cheekbones. The guys had told her she looked beautiful and she had to admit that she did look very pretty. She still believed the term “beautiful” was reserved for women with voluptuous curves like Jenna and Jess.
The guys were wearing Khaki pants and dress shirts, though they’d forgone ties as that would have been overkill for the smoky tavern bunch. They looked extremely handsome, all of them with their unique features that blended to make for some serious head turners.
They were led to a table by a very formally attired and well spoken waiter, and once seated they wasted little time in ordering.
When their appetites were sated they ordered drinks and sat back making small talk.
Their guests arrived at nearly 5pm and they could not have been mistaken, at least by anyone who knew of their existence, for anything other than what they were. They were five absolutely stunning male specimens, otherworldly in their masculine beauty. When they reached the table every eye was on her making her nervous. Each one of them took a turn clasping her hand to their lips after they gave their names.
Time warp, she thought, I have just been dropped into the early 1900's. She struggled with her blush and tried not to giggle like a schoolgirl.
They were seated in one of those booths that wrapped all the way around and she pushed herself tightly into Josh's side as they filed in. One of them, Seth, pulled up a chair and she noticed there was something that separated him from the others. Maybe it was just that his hair was long and he had a light beard where the rest of them were clean shaven. His rugged handsomeness made him appear less alien than the other four.
The one seated next to her, Michael, turned to her and smiled. His eyes held the look of someone absolutely enthralled. They were a beautiful shade of vivid dark blue, framed by long dark lashes. The color of his hair was similar to Jack's chocolate shade, and it was wavy and full, the kind you wanted to run your hands through. When they were walking over to the table she'd judged them all to be over six feet tall, ranging in their physiques from muscular and slim to muscular and broad. Michael was of the latter version. She smiled back at him and he took her hand and kissed it again continuing to look at her in a way that made her feel revered and uncomfortable at the same time.
"We're all extremely honored to meet you," he told her, and she glanced at the others who were nodding their agreement.
The waiter came up to the table.
“We’ll have three bottles of your best Merlot,” Michael told him.
“Very good, sir.”
When the beverage was served the McClarons’ engaged the males in conversation giving her a chance to look them over more thoroughly. Two of them, Matthias and Coderin, had blonde hair, the first one a shade very similar to her own with startling emerald green eyes flecked with blue and a.....lip ring? Yup, and an eyebrow ring. She also saw what appeared to be a tattoo of some kind on his neck, appearing just above his shirt line. Big guy. Big big guy.
The other blonde had no piercings and eyes the color of amber, almost yellow, with streaks of orange running through them. She had never seen eyes that color in her life, she imagined most people would assume they were contacts. He was more boyishly handsome than the rest, probably the dimples were to blame. He also had a leaner body as did the dark haired male sitting beside him. Tyros. His eyes were the color of dark chocolate, just a shade lighter than his pupils. Iridescent gold rings circled his irises making him appear even more exotic than the others. His dark brows were slanted lending him a menacing appearance and the watchfulness in his eyes added to the effect. He could definitely play a vampire on one of those teenage pop culture series and be an instant heartthrob. An air of danger with a sexy face and body-perfect for the teenage crush.
Then there was Seth. The good looking smart ass from the series Lost came to mind, only with a much more powerful body. He was also the tallest of the group, about six and a half feet. His hair was dark gold, almost brown, and she thought if it wasn't tied back it would hang just above his shoulders. His eyes were a mixture of gold and teal, he had high cheekbones and gave the impression of a cross between a pirate and a warrior. He caught her staring and grinned, revealing perfect white teeth. His smile was a bit feral yet somehow disarming. She didn't always like facial hair on a guy, but on him, neatly trimmed the way it was, it only added to his appeal. Her eyes kept being drawn back to him, trying to figure out why he seemed so different than the rest.
Michael leaned into her and whispered, "He's a Lyncane."
She furrowed her brows and he smiled. "Seth. He's not a vampire, he's a Lyncane."
"Lyncane?" she whispered in question. She glanced at Seth who was smiling at her in amusement, obviously hearing her question.
"You've never heard the term?" Michael seemed genuinely surprised.
She shook her head.
He smiled at his friend before turning to her. "Humans depict the Lyncane as the Werewolf."
Annnd she thought she knew everything by now. So wrong. She stared at Seth in awe. "Does he actually turn into a wolf?" she whispered.
Michael nodded still smiling. "When the need arises."
"Wow. That's cool."
All but Tyros erupted with laughter having listened in on the exchange.
"She thinks you're cool, I think I'm jealous," Coderin joked.
"Yeah, that's just until she smells his dog breath, than "cool" will change to "foul"," Matthias quipped.
Anna felt heat rise in her cheeks. Cool? How much sillier could she sound?
"Knock it off guys, you're embarrassing her," Seth continued to smile, "don't let them fool you, they all wish they were as cool as me." He had a slight Irish brogue and she found herself relaxing and smiling back. For some reason that particular accent always seemed friendly.
"Yeah it's my dream to shed," Matthias retorted. Anna looked at Josh and Will and saw they were equally intrigued. Apparently she wasn't the only one surprised to learn of werewolves. Or at least to find one sitting at their table which Will confirmed with his next statement.
"We thought the Lyncane were extinct. And last I heard they were enemies of the vampire."
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