Unraveling Mordecai, Marisa Maichel [ebook reader .TXT] 📗

suddenly get their wings like I did-it takes time."
"That's because you were overdue," I said. "And you deserve your wings more than anyone else."
"That's sweet, Reese, but you're wrong. Kaz deserves them more than I do, if not as much. He's a volunteer firefighter, he helps out on the farm, he volunteers at the library and the animal shelter, all while getting good grades. He's headed to Oxford next year."
"Impressive, but you are so amazing as well, my lovely Sarah." I grabbed her wrist, and she spun around in the mud and kissed my lips, her wings bringing her to my height.
I smelled salt, and realized she was crying. I mentally sighed. Her self-esteem was so low, no thanks to Nales and Scarlett and Sabine and Puck. I'd have to work on that with her. I needed her to be completely healthy before her change.
I grabbed her shoulders, pulling her into me. She tasted like tea and spearmint and her favorite lipstick. She wrapped her legs around my waist, hugging me. Finally, she needed to breathe. Damn human needs.
I walked her to the garage, where she flapped her wings furiously, drying them. Then, to my shock, a feather fell off.
"Oh my gods, Sarah, your wings..."
"What?" She looked down and laughed. "Yeah, that happens sometimes. I have a whole bunch of them in my desk drawer. She picked up the feather and handed it to me. "Soft as a kitten."
I ran my finger along the fine feather. It was soft, the softest feather I'd ever felt.
"You can have it," she said. "It'll grow back."
I put the feather in my belt, and kissed her again.
"You're so selfless," I said, pecking her.
"Not really. I'm selfish when it comes to you. I want you, and nobody else can have you. Except your family. I trust them."
"You're not selfish. You're sweet, and amazing, and I adore you. I don't want to lose you, Sarah."
"You won't lose me. We'll go to Denmark on the first of November, and we'll have a fantastically grand time and an incredible wedding. I've already got my dress picked out, and the flowers, and everything."
"I've done about half the planning," I said. "I picked the castle, and the carriage, and even the horses. Have you ever ridden in a horse-drawn carriage?"
"No, but it sounds dreamy."
"It's fun. It'll be more romantic than buying a car. And I have all your presents ordered."
She looked amazed. "You got me more presents? Reese, you just bought me a Lamborghini! I haven't even got to drive it yet!"
"That's my fault, dear. I want it installed with every safety feature available. When it's finished, you can have it back."
"Oh, Reese Mordecai..."
"Oh, Sarah Harper."
We kissed again and again until she announced that she needed to use the bathroom. I've said it before and I'll say it again: damn human needs.

"What kind of gifts did you buy her?" Louis asked. We were playing blackjack with David and my father and my uncle.
"I got her some river pearls, and some elegant shoes that I hope she'll like, and of course, you already know about the horses."
"What horses?" David asked.
"Goth Boy over here thinks his girlfriend needs more pets, so he got her three horses. Two mares and a stallion, all from good breeding lines. They cost a fortune, too."
"I have Dad to thank for that," I said, nodding toward my father.
"Anything for you, son. Oh, look at that, I win again."
Louis had a brief temper tantrum which involved flipping over the table and scattering the cards all around. We spent the next ten minutes trying to find them all, and then Uncle Soren told Louis he was no longer allowed to play if he was going to act like a sore loser. Louis promised to behave ("We'll see how long that lasts") if he would be allowed to join us again.
We played a few more games and my father won five hundred dollars. Louis dared me to play strip poker, and Uncle Soren yanked some hairs out of his head.
"Control your spawn, brother," Father said as he shuffled the cards.
"Is it always like this?" David asked me.
"Yes," I said. "Sometimes it's worse."
"Behave, Louis," Uncle Soren warned.
"Look here, Blood-Breath-"
He got a smack on the back of the head for the name-calling.
"When Reese marries Sarah, I want you on your best behavior," Uncle Soren told Louis. "No drunken toasts, no courting the females, no overspending."
Louis seemed embarrassed.
"We went to the track earlier," David broke in. "Louis can really-"
My father dropped his cards. "You went to the track?!"
Uncle Soren sighed and shook his head.
"Thanks, big mouth," Louis said to David.
"What did I say?" David asked.
"It's not your fault," Father told him. "Louis is forbidden to go to the horse track, and he knows it. He had a slight gambling problem at one time."
"Slight?" Uncle Soren snorted. "He went to you, crying, because he was in massive debt and had to borrow money from loan sharks. I still can't believe you gave it to him."
"Thanks, Dad."
"Shut up, Louis."
"Louis got his first taste of the casinos when we went to Vegas for the first time," Father said. "He lost everything and more. He came to me, sobbing, because he was afraid of your reaction, Soren. And I didn't give him a cent until he promised to see a professional."
"You shouldn't have given it to him," Uncle Soren said. "How will he ever learn if you're constantly rescuing him?"
"I'm devoted to my son and my nephew, Soren."
"Do not question my devotion as a father, Mordecai. I just wish he'd learn something before I leave this plane."
"I can't think about that," Louis said, his eyes shining. "I know it was my own fault, and I was desperate, or I wouldn't have gone to Uncle Mordecai. I'm just glad he has a heart."
"You still need to pay me back, dear nephew."
Louis swallowed nervously. "It's just nice to know that I can still pick a winner."
"Who won?" Father asked.
"Silver Bullet," David told him. "I won five hundred dollars."
"Reese, don't gamble," Louis said. "It may just cost you." He smiled crookedly, but his eyes were still full of sadness.
"I'm still angry at him for causing us to-"
"Soren! Not helping!" Dad shouted. "He feels bad enough about it without you always harping on him. Sometimes people need help, and there's nothing wrong with that. It only becomes a problem if you don't learn from your mistakes or take advantage."
"Which he does."
"Soren, you're being a dick. Quit it."
Louis stuck his tongue out at his father, which he received a smack on the back of the head for.
We played a few more games, and then Sarah came over with the dogs to meet David. They all liked him, especially Lola. They were practically soulmates. Coffee hated him, like she does all men. Spunk, Jasmine, and Koda liked him. Scooter was a little wary, possibly because Uncle Soren was there, and he hates him.
Shadowfang came over in his human form, and he sniffed David while still in human form. David was confused and disturbed, and I told Shadow to keep his nose to himself. He changed to cat form, and sat on my lap while the dogs played and Sarah texted her friends.
Something bothered me. Why was Scarlett there when we went to pick up Jasmine and Lola? Why was she reappearing in our lives? And what did Satira really want? And how did she meet Cholena, and how did Kole fit into all this?
Kole had come by occasionally to say hi and to ask a few questions about vampire life, but she still wouldn't say who created her or why. My father thought she might have been abandoned by her creator-that happens sometimes. But since we were already a formed coven, she didn't want to interfere, which I found odd, since most fledglings are desperate for a connection, especially if they've been abandoned by their creator or had a broken mate-bond or even came from a broken coven.
I rubbed Jasmine's soft short-furred white head and she gave me a smile that only a pitbull could give. I was a little impressed, since most dogs don't like me, and I don't normally like dogs. But I'd have to form a relationship with these dogs, because as I said, Jasmine was meant to be a therapy dog for Sarah and Lola was Jasmine's sister and bond.
Sarah confessed to me that Lola was meant as a gift to Sabine, but the little brat was ungrateful. Sisters of different species, bonded in friendship and blood. Koda and Scooter were meant as companions for Spunk for when Sarah had to travel, since Coffee hated dogs as well as men. Koda, a husky, was a beautiful male with a bright personality and full of love. Scooter was still a Boston terrier puppy, and still coming out of his shell.

Koda put his paw on my leg, and Shadowfang sat up and pawed at Koda's head.
"Be nice," I warned him, scratching Koda's head.
"The dog says that feels good," Shadow said. "He likes his new family."
"Good, because we like him."
"I don't."
"That's because you're a cat. Can't you at least be civil?"
Shadow pretended to meow then, and Koda gave him a big, sloppy kiss.
"What else did you get Sarah?" David asked as he and Father played poker.
"I gave her some money for her wedding dress and accessories. I hired the best makeup artist in Denmark to do her makeup and a world-renowned hairstylist to do her hair."
"You spoil her," Father said. "I mean, shopping sprees, horses, cars, dogs..."
"She's growing," I said. "You can definitely tell she's pregnant now."
"I noticed. She's beautiful, Reese. Even more beautiful than before. Your mother was the same way-when she was pregnant with Selena, she glowed. You gave her a harder time because you weighed so much?"
"How much did he weigh?" David asked.
"Thirty-two pounds."
"Dad," I said, "No baby weighs thirty-two pounds when they're born."
"Okay, twelve pounds."
"I think you're telling a tall one."
"Okay, eight pounds."
"That's at least more reasonable."
"You were a little chunk, though. Of course, you got skinnier as you grew up, and now you're a stick."
We were distracted by Louis, who came in, wearing reindeer antlers.
"I, um..." he trailed off. "I lost a bet."
"What did you do this time?" Father asked.
"I got feelings for someone new. Dad bet me this headband that I couldn't go two months without liking someone new. And I did, and he caught me. The only problem is, I'm still dating Paul."
"I'm amazed," I said. "You're still with Paul? You've been with him for months now."
"Who did you fall for now?" Father asked.
Louis looked humiliated. He would have been blushing if vampires could blush. It's not easy to embarrass him, either.
I noticed David sneak a peek at Dad's cards, but said nothing. Cheater. Unfortunately, Dad noticed, too.
"Nice try, son," he said, smiling at my new brother. Now David was embarrassed. "I'll get the chessboard set up."
Louis took off the antlers and sat beside David. "I can give you some pointers, dude."
"No cheating, Louis," Father warned. "That's how I beat you the last hundred times."
"Um, Dad?" David began. "I, um...I don't know how to play chess."
We all gave him horrified looks.
"You've never played chess?" I asked.
"I'm up for learning how, though."
"Good boy," Father said. "It's a shame others don't share your thirst for knowledge and would rather cheat." He aimed the last sentence at Louis, who stuck his tongue out at Father.
"Who do you like now?" I asked