A new beginning

Tension part 2

Leah tries to order me out of the kitchen, because I made lunch, she and Alex wanted to make the dinner, but when she doesn't let me do the salad, and Alex is already preparing the meat outside, I go and start making a cheesecake. She just whispers unbelievable under her breath, and leaves me to do my thing. Until ten seconds or so, when she breaks the silence.

He will not hurt you.

I stopped midair, while I was squeezing the lemons for the lemon cheesecake.

What?Jake. He will not hurt you.I know that. - I answer with a sigh.

This is what they think ... that Leo hurt me so bad, that I will never trust another man. Maybe it would be true with any other guy, but not with Jake. The imprint bond makes everything so different. And much more painful.

Then why? I have my reasons. What reasons?

I start to add the lemon juice to the mascarpone, and I try my best not to mix them too aggressively. Why do they always have to talk about this?

You don't need to know my reasons. It's not fair. It's not fair towards him. - her voice is rising too. - He is like a brother to me. And it's shit to see him hurt like this. He deserves better, and... Of course he does! - I yell at her. - Don't you think I know that? This is the only way to protect him.

And I realize my mistake as soon as the words leave my mouth, as soon as I see my brother standing in the door. With a shocked expression, which slowly turns into recognition, and anger. I just hope the music is loud enough outside that the others didn't hear me. Leah gives both of us a puzzled look, but one look from Alex and she decided to leave this to us, by going outside.

Put that down. My car. Now. - Alex says with lethal calm, and I let out a sigh before I obey him. I can't avoid him, he won't let me, and maybe he could help me if he understood.

I put down my mixing bowl, we leave through the front door, and don't stop until we sit in his car. He turns up the radio, and looks at me. There is no other person who understands me better than him, who saw me at my worst, who was tortured for me, who knows what that monster is capable of.

He contacted you. - he states the fact without a question. And he is using his interrogator soldier voice. Great. Yes. - I whisper. When? First time last year when I was pregnant... - and then I told him everything.

About the text messages, about my fears, about how I need to stay away from Jake to protect him from this. Tears were slowly running down my face when I finished. Alex was silent for seconds.

Fuck. - he muttered. - I knew he wasn't dead... but still, I thought our rebellion destroyed his army enough not to try again. It's was a fucking naive thought.

Our rebellion took down part of his camp, we managed to convince half of the soldiers to stand by our side, we killed most of the vampires, and burnt down the whole place. But of course he disappeared, with a few of his selected followers.

And what's your plan? Never love, never marry, never have children? Live in fear all your life, waiting for him to come back and take you? - his voice is full of sarcasm. We are liabilities, he will not try to take us again. But you can't be sure about children.. especially if I have one with a shapeshifter. It would be his perfect soldier. So if I have to sacrifice something so that never happens, I will do it. And Jake cannot know about this. Why?You know exactly why. He would want to fight him. And he would die trying. Alone, maybe. But not if he has backup. Don't you even think about fighting him. You don't even know where he is! Or if he rebuilt his army already. He was silent for a long time, with reason. Do not underestimate him. - I started yelling and Alex turned up the radio volume. If you keep yelling at me, everyone will know.