Thicker than Blood - Book One (Watty Awards 2012)

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Heya!

Thank you everyone for fanning and commenting! I know I haven't yet replied to each and everyone of you but I really will as soon as I got time ;) Trying to finish writing another chapter for another story first though.

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Love,

Robin

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Carrying Hayden in my arms I made my way up the stairs, flanked by Missy and Deidre who were still softly talking to each other. I heard Missy point out which door was Jake's before they wished me good night and each disappeared into their own rooms.

The door to our room was open a crack I noticed and when I nudged it open I saw Nathaniel seated on the bed, a scattering of papers around him and a frown on his face. When he saw me his eyes widened a fraction before he flashed over to me so quick that I didn't even see him move.

'Is he hurt? What happened?' he asked as he took the sleeping Hayden from my arms and hurried to the bed where he gently put him down. The papers stacking themselves neatly without a hand touching them and shifting to an ordered pile on the nightstand.

'Nothing, he's just sleeping,' I replied. 'But he wanted to sleep here tonight and I said yes, are you okay with that?'

His eyes darkened and then I saw his nostrils flare as he breathed in deeply through his nose. 'Ams, then why are you covered in Deidre's blood?'

'Because she was crying Nathaniel... and I comforted her,' I replied as I watched Nathaniel rake his eyes over Hayden as if checking for injuries. One hand he reached out to gently move some strands of hair out of Hayden's face.

'I told you to keep your distance a ghrá mo chroí and I told you to keep those daggers within reach! Damn it,' Nathaniel whisper yelled as he pointedly glared at the belt of daggers I had dangling in my hand. It was obvious I'd taken it off against his wishes.

'She's no danger to me or Hay and especially not Jake Nathaniel,' I whispered back as I shrugged out of Nathaniel's white shirt, stained crimson from Deidre's tears. I threw it in the hamper and quickly washed up in the bathroom where I tugged on proper PJ's.

Nathaniel didn't follow me and he switched to talking with his mind so he wouldn't wake Hayden, 'Ams you don't know what she did to Jake, you don't know what happened! So you can't know for sure if she's a threat or not. It's because of her Thornten is threatening all of you now!'

I shot him a glare, 'I do know what happened. That's why it took so long, it's what the three of us have been talking about ALL night Nathaniel! Besides from what I've heard of that Thornten, he would have used ANY excuse to go after your territory. This is just very convenient...'

Since I was done in the bathroom I made my way over to the bed where I saw that Nathaniel had already changed Hayden into his Spiderman PJ's and tucked him in. Smack in the middle of the bed.

'I know but that doesn't mean she's trustworthy Ams,' Nathaniel reached out a hand to cup my face gently. 'I love you a ghrá mo chroí.'

'I love you too but now you're trying to change the subject! Deidre is Jake's soulmate Nathaniel. You can't deny them being together, it's a part of the reason Jake appears to have no powers.' I folded back the blanket and slid in beside Hay.

Nathaniel froze in place and stared at me as if struck by lightning, 'You are sure about this a ghrá mo chroí? He spoke out loud but his voice was very soft as he knelt beside me on the floor, taking one of my hands in his.