Jake

Chapter 15 - Imelda & Aldrek

Blooming flowers grew freely along the sides of the fences, wild and colourful as we walked along a stone pathway towards the large modern door to their home.

I followed Imelda in front of me as Aldrek pushed open the door and allowed Imelda and I entrance first, I gave him a polite nod as I followed Imelda into a large living space, sparkling with simplistic modernism and a relaxing but overpowering scent of lavender.

"Have a seat" Imelda directed as she held a hand out towards a boucle brown lounge horseshoeing around a square oak coffee table placed in the middle.

I did as directed and sat, feeling the comfortable sink of my body as Aldrek sat opposite me and Jake close beside me

"I'll get some coffee" Imelda told us before disappearing around a corner. I pulled my legs up, resting my hands on my knees as my ankle ached, my face wincing slightly as I rolled it gently around, my moon-boot left behind

"How are you feeling?" Aldrek smiled, easing the tension as he glanced down at my movements. He was vigilant, just like Jake was. How much did he know? What had Jake told him?

"Oh" I stumbled "I'm fine I guess, considering"

Jake shifted beside me, his posture changing as it did whenever he was irritated

"Does it hurt?" Aldrek continued "Your ankle, Jake told me you'd hurt it"

"It's actually not that bad" I scoffed "It did hurt for a few days, but it passed quicker than I was expecting"

I looked down at my foot and wriggled my toes pointedly

"And how exactly did you hurt it?"

"I, well, an old friend, he was, I fell off a curb and twisted it" I struggled, not making sense

"Mm-hm" Aldrek mumbled with a narrow expression "Well" He sighed, leaning back with his hands on his lap "I guess we should explain to you what's going on then" Aldrek smiled, returning to a light mood

I nodded.

"I assume Jake told you what's going on, I can imagine your confusion and shock, but I want to assure you that we aren't going to let anything happen to you" He began as he kept his eyes firmly on mine

"I think at this point, we need a cooling off period, you can stay here for a few days, absorb, decompress, get to know us, we'll have some tough choices to make soon, so let's make sure you're ready for it, we will however have some rules, for your safety of course" Aldrek continued, his words echoing inside my mind with the information

"I know you're scared" He leaned forward as his eyes locked on mine "but you need to know the seriousness of the situation, Hudson and his friends are very powerful,  our kind are very powerful and the fixation he has for you won't stop until we stop it" Aldrek explained, my skin cold, my chest tightening

Jake shifted beside me, the tension thick

I bowed my head and sucked in air from my nose to blow out from my mouth in an attempt to slow my high heart rate

"Are you okay?" Aldrek asked as I heard Imelda return with a a tray holding three coffee mugs, steam bellowing from each of them. She set it down on the coffee table between us with a small smile

"I wasn't sure how you took it, here is the sugar, here is the milk" she directed to two mini jugs on the tray

I nodded as I lifted head, returning her smile "thank you"

Imelda sat beside Aldrek, crossing her legs when Aldrek continued

"Jake, myself and a few other family members will plan ahead, we've been through this kind of thing before, we got through it, but it isn't easy"