Chasing Fate (Sentinel & Guide)

Chapter 27

Fate was still gaping at the grand entryway when Jack came in, rubbing his now very red ear pitifully. He gravitated to Fate's side like a magnet while Martha floated over to her husband to hang onto his arm as pristine and unbothered as if she hadn't just bullied a world champion cage fighter.

"Well come in come in!" Martha chirped as she pulled her husband through the wide and elegant foyer into a short hallway that opened into what could only be called a dining room ripped out of a Town & Country magazine. 

Fate felt wildly underdressed for the occasion in her bargain bin sweater and leggings that had worn thin at the thighs. The sun poured in over freshly picked flowers and tastefully chosen table settings. It was all very casually chic, rich in a confident way that Fate really hadn't experienced before. She felt wildly out of place.   

  Martha seemed to pick up on it and her smile brightened, "Oh, don't worry about it! Sit anywhere, I went a bit overboard. I'm an interior decorator by trade and had some leftovers from a shoot that I just HAD to get the matching set for and then while at the store I well...you know~" she gestured at the room helplessly.

Sigfried chuckled as he moved to place the bags at the entrance of an adjoining hall, "Yes she's a bit of a fanatic, I fear if I leave her alone too long I won't be able to recognize the bathrooms."

"The slate flooring is magnificent and you love it," Martha protested, offended.

"Yes darling," Sigfried said with a henpecked sigh and a kiss to her forehead, "But enough about that. You two look absolutely busted, have a sit, get some food in you and relax! We've managed to warn off the tribe for a little while at least."

Jack herded her into a chair before she could so much as blink. He was radiating relaxation and happiness as plates were passed and piled high with food. Fate tried to only take a little at a time, self-conscious in front of the wafer-thin Martha and well trimmed Sigfried. She felt a bit more in common with the lumps of cottage cheese than the people around.

But ever the sentinel, Jack would not stop feeding her! Every second it was "try this" or "have some more of that" or "You haven't lived until you've tried these". He put her grandmother to shame with the way her plate looked when he was satisfied. And what was worse is that his parents smiled indulgently as he watched her eat his generous portions.

Admittedly, she was hungry, but she was also afraid that the stress would bring it right back up onto the pristine tablecloth. Her stomach was roiling as she tried to navigate what she hoped were polite table manners (is this the right fork?) and an overbearing sentinel hellbent on stuffing her full of hash browns. He tucked into his own food only after checking that she was making progress on her own. She supposed this was a manifestation of his own manners because he polished off the lion's share of the entire table. 

  It was awe inspiring really. He ate like he'd never seen food, clearing out half of the fluffy looking quiche in what looked like one bite. Though she'd been in his presence and seen him eating, it seemed that he'd been holding back. Now in front of his mother's cooking, no protein was safe.

Martha didn't pressure her at all, managing to keep up a low buzz of idle chatter without probing about her personal history at all. The entire room was saturated with a heavy press of comfort and contentment, though Fate couldn't he.lp but notice the tiny pricks of curious excitement. Mrs. Hammond was definitely holding back the floodgates.

Their leisurely brunch was emptied after a short while, as the sun was rising high in the late morning sky. With a pleased clap of her hands, Martha pushed back from the table. As if they'd been waiting for the cue, Sigfriend and Jack both stood, beginning to clear the dishes away.


"Come with me Dear," she said to Fate, pulling her gently by the arm,"Let's get out of their way while they clean up. Here, come into the sitting room with me."

  Fate's brows furrowed in confusion but she followed along anyway. She understood that as Jack's mother, Martha could order him about, but the way Sigfried happily went along with whatever she wished threw her for a loop. It was as though she'd entered a topsy-turvy world. She had no idea how anything worked when such a soft-spoken guide could order around such a clearly alpha sentinel. Perhaps it was just old age that had worn his corners so that he wasn't as domineering. Would Hunter mellow out after decades of Karen's chipper company? After all, even though they loved each other dearly, Hunter still bristled if Karen was too direct in her requests.

"Here, have a seat. I'll turn on the tea and we can digest a bit without those mother hens." Martha said conspiratorially turning to put on a very fashionable electric kettle on a side table. Fate looked around, wide-eyed. There was a tea set on the table, and loose tea selections placed neatly on a bookshelf display. Was this a room just for having tea?

She wouldn't be surprised if there was a separate one just for coffee at this point.

Martha came over with the hot water, selecting and pouring tea with practiced ease before she sat in her own spot across from her new guidedaughter. The air in the room turned serious and fate froze, the cup of tea halfway to her lips. Fate felt pinned beneath Martha's green-eyed stare.

"Lafayette, you know there cannot be lies between guides," she said carefully,"You must tell me. How did you come to this bond?"