The Allies of Old; Book Two Renewal: Chapter Thirty Six "Desire and Denial"

Book Cover created in acrylic by the extremely talented @therealpaul

If you have not read the first book of the series, "Reborn", it is advisable you do so before reading "Renewal" or you will be lost. This link will provide you with a series summary as well as all sixty-eight chapters of Reborn

Chapter Thirty-Six

“I would not want to be on your man’s bad side; that was freaking scary!” Macey exclaimed.

“Hell yeah it was,” Marina stated, “I thought he was going to tear Austin apart!”

Anna managed a wan smile and Holly put an awkward arm around her.

“It’s okay, I’m okay,” she told her.

“It’s okay if you’re not okay,” Holly said pointedly. “That’s what we’re here for.”

She nodded and hugged her friend briefly and they went back over to the patio table. After a bit Anna noticed Jenna standing off to the side looking distracted. She walked over and linked an arm through hers, directing them out of the girls’ earshot. “What’s up?” she raised a brow.

“Nothing!” Jenna said quickly.

Anna’s brow climbed higher. “So nothing is another word for…Mathias?” She watched her friend’s expression jump and knew she’d nailed it.

“Why would you say that? I don’t care about that jerk.”

“Uh huh.”

Jenna glared at her.

“You have a crush on him,” Anna whispered teasingly.

“No! Don’t say things like that,” Jenna looked towards the front of the house nervously. Not that he'd be listening, he’d barely even looked at me when he was back here, she thought irritably.

Anna’s eyes narrowed on her. “There’s something you haven’t told me isn’t there?”

“No. Really.” She said too quickly again. Convincing Jenna, she mocked inwardly. “Look, just don’t talk about it right now. Later. Maybe.”

Anna frowned but nodded and they went back over to the table.

“So tell us about Jared,” Marina said right away, “aside from the fact that he’s the most gorgeous man I have ever seen, oooh baby. And the scariest.”

Macey interjected, “I think the one that broke up the fight is really hot, what’s his name?”

“Mathias,” Anna said smiling.

“Are all vampires good looking?” Holly asked.

“All the ones I’ve seen, what do you think Jenna?”

Jenna made a face. “Mathias is not that hot.”

Was it her or had Jenna said that a little loudly? Anna looked at her friend and smirked.

“Are you blind?” Macey rolled her eyes and giggled.

“I don’t think Jenna likes Mathias…or maybe she does,” Holly smiled slyly.

Jenna gave Holly a look. “He’s an asshole. Seriously, just talk to him for a minute, you’ll see.”

“He’s not that bad,” Anna laughed.

“Okay, you still haven’t answered my question, tell us about Jared.” Marina put a hand on her hip and made a kissy face.

“He’s…I’m totally and hopelessly in love.” She smiled as they all teased her and then told them about their ceremony at the falls.

“Wait, you’re married?” Marina looked shocked.

Anna laughed at her wide-eyed expression. “It’s not any crazier than being bonded to someone as their soul mate, which is what we were anyway. Besides I love being his mate, he’s amazing.”

“A bit on the possessive side though,” Holly understated it purposely, raising an eyebrow.

“Yeah, he’s just wired that way. I kind of like it,” she admitted, earning a chorus of boos.

She shrugged, “If it becomes an actual problem we’ll deal with it, I mean we do have eons of time to work things out.” She grinned as they took that in.

“Wow, yeah, that is one long term relationship,” Marina stated, her earlier shock receding into a thoughtful expression, “even as incredibly gorgeous as he is, I don’t think I could deal with that.” She made a face. “I can’t even see myself in a lasting mortal relationship.”

“Mar!” Macey laughed. “You know you want to get married and have lots of babies!”

“Yeah, UGGH. Especially not the babies part! And even if I find a guy I could stand to be with for years there will be no wedding.”

They continued chatting and Anna realized how much she’d missed their companionship. She’d been around far too much testosterone in recent months.

Eventually Jared and Mathias wandered to the back and Anna got up, making her way slowly over to him. She hoped he wasn’t still angry with her. “I’m sorry about earlier,” she told him in a small voice, meeting his crystalline gaze.

His expression softened and he lifted her so they were eye level. “I understand you care about him, but I can’t let you continue the relationship due to your past…intimacy.” He tipped her face up, cradling her chin. “I don’t even like Josh touching you and I sense no threat from him. Any male too close to you instantly puts me on edge.”

She leaned up and kissed him. “I love you.”

“Am I interrupting?” Mathias leaned against the house with his typical smartass smirk.

Jared grinned. “If you were I wouldn’t respond with words,” he bared his teeth.

“Shit, you might scare the rest of the peanut gallery, but I’ll take you on if you wanna go.”

“Back lawn, ten minutes.”

“Can’t wait.”

“Uh…you guys aren’t serious right?” Anna looked between them.

“Don’t worry sweetheart, it will be a friendly fight. We need the exercise.” Mathias flexed his muscles and laughed.

Jenna walked over sparing an evil glance for Mathias before turning her back to him. She started to say something to Anna but Mathias wasn’t having it.

“That’s no way to greet your beloved,” he teased.

She turned on him with a malicious glare. “Does beloved translate into “bane of existence” in your world?” she asked sarcastically folding her arms across her chest.

Jared let out a surprised laugh. “I don’t think she likes you brother.”

“Oh yes she does, she just needs to be reminded.” He licked his lip provocatively and Jenna paled, her body instantly reacting to him.

Anna was startled by the strong scent of desire that rolled off her friend and Jared raised an eyebrow scenting it as well. She shook her head a little, warning him off a comment.

Mathias had no such decency. He breathed in deep and smiled wider. “I hate to tell you this sweetheart, but desire smells like strong perfume and we were all just blasted by yours.”

Jenna looked at Anna who nodded slightly her expression sympathetic.

A flush of embarrassed anger climbed up Jenna’s face. She gritted her teeth and hissed, “I don’t care what my traitorous body thinks because my mind absolutely loathes you.”

She stalked off and Anna glared at him.

“What?” he asked in mock innocence.

“Did you have to embarrass her?”

“She started it with that acid look she gave me. Besides, she loves being pissed at me.”

“What’s the story, you two have romantic history?” Jared asked.

Mathias looked at Anna’s curious eyes and realized Jenna had not confided. He shrugged lazily. “I’ll let you two get back to cuddling, rain check on the exercise.” He flashed a quick grin and took off after Jenna.

Jared looked at Anna questioningly.

“I honestly have no idea.”

Mathias found Jenna on the front porch angrily smoking a cigarette. “Got one for me?” he asked, startling her.

She glared at him. “What part of loathe do you not understand?”

He sighed and picked her pocket, plucking one out and lighting it. “You know you asked for it when you daggered me with hello.”

“Oh, because you went out of your way to say hello to me,” she turned away from him so he wouldn’t see the hurt she felt then realized he could probably smell it. God she despised vampire abilities at the moment.

“I would have but I thought you might want to set the tone.”

She frowned. “And I did, so why are you out here bugging me?”

“Because it’s irresistible to me. You’re irresistible to me.” His eyes roamed her body with blatant lust.

She could feel her cheeks heating again. “You are such a jackass, you think I don’t know you’re just hoping to get laid and I’m a convenient partner?”

He smirked. “Actually, I do want to “get laid”. But a convenient partner is not exactly how I would describe your prickly ass. In fact I could easily have your pretty dark haired friend take care of my needs, she’s been eye fucking me since I got here.”

The thought of him with Macey instantly sparked fury inside her. “If you touch her, I will kill you.”

“Whoa,” he laughed and threw his hands up. “I didn’t say I was going to, only that I could.” He sighed and went for a more serious tone. “I made my point badly, what I meant was you are by no means an easy mark. I could blur to your town’s nearest bar for that. Unfortunately for me, it’s you I want, you I’ve craved since I left you in Jersey.”

Jenna studied him, wondering if that were true. “Unfortunately for you is right, since it’s not going to happen.” She turned away from him and tried to ignore the traitorous thoughts in her head, like, “Why Not?”

She felt his breath near her ear and stiffened.

“Jenna,” he purred, “why fight it when you know it’s inevitable. You’ve imagined us together, over and over since that night.”

He smiled to himself when she drew in a sharp breath betraying the truth. “Do you touch yourself when you think of me? I can’t tell you how many times I’ve come in my hand pretending it was you- your hand, your mouth, your tight wet core.”

The image of him jerking off while he fantasized about her played like a video in her head and she whimpered. She felt his tongue on her ear and closed her eyes as a lick of pleasure shot through her body.

“We’re about to have company,” he whispered.

She reared back just as the girls opened the door. She could feel his eyes on her but refused to look at him as Marina stepped outside.

“Want a cig?” she asked quickly.

“Hell yeah, give me one of those!” Marina plucked it out of her hand and took the lighter.

Macey came out next and her eyes went to Mathias immediately.

“Hi pretty girl,” he said, earning a fierce glare from Jenna.

Macey giggled. “What are you guys doing out here?” she waggled her eyebrows.

Mathias grinned. “You might have interrupted.”

“Yeah right, I don’t think so,” Jenna shot him a look filled with warning.

“Okay, what’s the deal here, why don’t you like him?” Marina cocked a brow at Jenna.

“Hmm, let me see. It could be that the first time I met him he bruised my throat and broke my wrist and only apologized as an afterthought. Oh wait, I know, it could also be that he trapped me in a kitchen, insulted me, and then wouldn’t let me leave until I kissed him, that might’ve done it.” Jenna glared at him, daring him to add.

He raised a brow slightly, a sexy smile playing on his lips and Jenna experienced a moment of panic thinking he was going to add. He shook his head slightly and turned to Macey. “Is she always this unforgiving?”

Macey giggled again, “She can be. You broke her wrist?”

“Yeah but Anna healed it seconds later, she barely felt it.”

Jenna sputtered. “How do you know, you’re not the one whose bones were crushed!”

“I’m more interested in the kissing part,” Marina smooched the air.

There was a sound at the door and Austin came through it, raising a brow at Marina’s puckered lips. “Do you have an invisible friend?”

“Ha, funny! We were actually just discussing…

Jenna interrupted, giving her a fierce look. “We were not discussing anything.”

“O-kay,” Austin laughed. “Look guys, I gotta head out, would you tell Anna I’ll see her at the funeral?”

Marina snickered. “Why don’t you tell her? Don’t tell me you’re scared of that sweet vampire man of hers.”

“Yeah…sweet.” Austin raised his brows and gave his head a shake. “Just tell her. See you tomorrow.” He saluted them and headed for his car.

Holly stood off to the side listening to Will and Josh talk to the vampires. Vampires. She shook her head. She still felt like the incident at the mall and the subsequent trip with Anna and the brothers had all been some kind of bizarre dream.

Dream. Her gaze turned inward for a moment. She hadn’t had any more dreams like the one about the woman standing on Will and Josh’s childhood porch. No, she was now dreaming of a man. She could never remember what he looked like when she woke up, but what she did remember was the intense feelings she had for him. She loved him, which was absolutely ridiculous. Sometimes she would wake with a smile and other times in tears, and at all times she would be filled with a sense of intense love and loss. And for a reason she could not make sense of, seeing Will and Josh again had brought those feelings to the surface.

They noticed her standing there and waved her over.

“Holly, how are you?” Josh smiled warmly.

“I’m good, and you?” she smiled brightly at both of them.

“Oh you know, same old, same old,” Will responded with a grin.

Her eyes went from one to the other trying to determine if either of them were the man in her dreams. She silently snorted at how corny that sounded. No, she decided, neither one is my night time visitor. But there is something about them…

“So…dream anything interesting lately?” Will asked, as if reading her mind.

She shook her head automatically. “Not that I recall.”

His eyes narrowed just a little and she had the sense that he didn’t miss much. She started to say something to change the subject, but the girls came outside providing the distraction for her.

“Come with us,” Macey grabbed Holly’s arm.

“Where?”

“She wants us to go walk the demon dogs with her,” Marina stated, rolling her eyes.

“Demon dogs?” Josh asked with a smile.

“Her neighbors’ dogs,” Holly told him, with an exaggerated look of longsuffering. “She was paid to walk them all through school and she forced us to go with her.” Holly turned to Macey, “Don’t tell me they still pay you.”

Macey grinned as Marina retrieved Anna from her large male and Holly let herself be pulled away, giving the brothers an apologetic wave as she went. What is it about them, she thought in mild frustration. It was like trying to remember something and having it tease the back of your mind then rush away before you could grasp it. She sighed inwardly forcing herself to dismiss it for the moment, hoping that it would come to her the way things usually did when you stopped trying.

“A penny for your thoughts,” Jenna nudged her.

She shook her head with a forced smile. “Just school stuff. So tell me more about what you’ve been up to.”
The girls headed down the street falling into a comfortable banter borne from years of knowing one another. For a short while they were able to forget their personal troubles in the comfort of familiar friends.

Generously created for me by @son-of-satire