Monsters

Blessing

Kirg and Ishka ran back to the house, busting through the doors to find Sorcha holding a sobbing Luken while the others stood around them looking completely spent.

All eyes landed on them, and Kirg quickly said, "Please don't kill me, Mom. I promise I'll explain, but Asher's missing!"

"Missing?" Sorcha repeated.

Lucinda's eyes turned white, and her forehead furrowed. They all waited while she looked for him. Eventually her eyes cleared, and she shook her head, "He's upset, and he's gone to stay with a friend, but he'll be okay. Where's Bram?"

Ishka and Kirg looked at each other uneasily.

"Bram found out Asher was a girl," Celeste said from the steps, running her fingers though Dimitri's sweaty hair. "He's freaking out, but he's safe."

Lucinda nodded, "Thanks, Celeste."

"Why would Bram be freaking out about that?" Sorcha wondered.

"'Cause Bram's gay," Dimitri said. "And the two of them have been dating for a while now."

Luken gaped at Dimitri, and Sorcha threw her hands up, "Were we the only ones that didn't know our kids were all dating?!"

"Yes," Alorik and Rome answered at the same time. 

Lucinda and Destiny shrugged.

"Did you know about Kirg and Ishka too?" Luken demanded.

Nobody would look at him except for Lucinda, "Well, they are Bloodmates after all."

Sorcha blinked, "They...what? But they're first-lifers!"

Lucinda nodded, "Sometimes first-lifers have a predestined Bloodmate, and sometimes they pick their Bloodmate out while they're here. They chose each other the first time they met. Their souls formed a bond long before their emotions did."

"A-And I plan to marry her," Kirg said, his voice unsteady.

Ishka's heart hurt for him, and she reached out to take his hand, sharing her strength with him and showing solidarity to their audience. "He asked. I said yes."

Sorcha rubbed her mouth roughly, her eyes annoyed, "You should have just told us. We would have--"

"Never let us be alone?" Ishka said pointedly. "I overheard how much you harassed Aunt Lucinda and Uncle Rome until they were both of age--and they couldn't even do anything until they were of age because she is a Giftreah."

"You're damn right!" Sorcha agreed. "I'd have at least made sure you were being safe! Do you want to have a kid at your age?!"

Ishka felt confusion she knew would register on her face, "But... you can't make a child without sex."

Sorcha folded her arms and quirked a brow, "And you haven't been having sex? You expect us to believe that?"

Ishka felt anger rising, "Actually, since I'm of age, it's none of your business."

"Kirg's not," Sorcha shot back.

"Kirg's a Vampire, and for that matter, I'm whatever I am. Our people don't have set ages. We could go by the Dragon's tradition and say seventeen, or the human's and say eighteen. And I don't care what you think, I'm going to be with Kirg!"

"It was our first kiss," Kirg said quietly, and Ishka looked over to see his face redden. "I...I didn't know it would feel so... I would never hurt, Ishka."

Sorcha's face softened, "I know you'd never hurt her, Kirg."

Tears twinkled in his eyes, and Ishka gave his hand a squeeze.

Luken had been quiet until that point and slowly rose to his feet.

Ishka tried to step in front of Kirg, but he didn't allow it, taking a step in front of her instead.

"Mom--" Ishka cautioned, her tail shaking anxiously.

Luken pulled Kirg into a hug, whispering roughly, "I'm so sorry. I didn't know it was you, Kirg. I swear."

Kirg and Ishka both relaxed, and Kirg let go of Ishka's hand to wrap his arms around Luken.

"I know. You went into frenzy the moment you realized somebody was on her," Kirg whispered. "But I promise, I won't ever hurt her. I love her, Mom."

Luken pulled away, tears threading his own lashes, "I know. We found your book."

"Book?" Ishka wondered.

Luken glanced at her then back to Kirg.

Kirg blushed again, "I didn't have a chance to show her."

Luken nodded, "Scath?"

Scath, the small dragon-like creature made from light and shadow, slithered from where ever Scath went when he wasn't visible, floated through the ceiling, and came back through it a second later with the notebook.

He floated over to Ishka and laid it in her hands.

"Happy birthday, Ishka," Kirg whispered.

Her eyes widened as she opened the book, and happy tears traced their way down her cheeks as she started to read.

"Oh, Kirg! This is...this is wonderful! When did you--"

"I've missed a lot of sleep the past few years," he grinned sheepishly.

When she got to the end of it, she threw her arms around his neck, "Did you really think I wouldn't want to be your Mate? You're the best, Kirg! Absolutely the best! I love you so much!"

She quickly kissed his lips, and he gasped into her mouth.

Luken cleared his throat, looking away awkwardly, "I--you--you are good for each other, but it's..."

Sorcha rolled her eyes, "You've got our blessing, but don't suck faces in front of your Mom. It weirds him out."

They stepped away from each other, smiling sheepishly, and held hands instead.

A second later they heard Bram's heavy feet on the steps and turned to see him walking into the house.

"You look like hell," Ishka found herself saying. She smiled, "Good."

He nodded, eyes dull, and silently walked up the stairs to his room.

Kirg looked between him and Ishka.

Ishka gave him a little push, "Go. He needs you."

Kirg gave her a quick kiss on the cheek and jogged up the stairs.

Ishka turned, folding her arms, "So...we're staying together, and you approve?"

Sorcha rolled her eyes, "Would it do us any good if we didn't? You're so much like me--I bet you'd already planned to run away if we didn't."

Luken gasped, turning to Sorcha, "Ishka would never--"

"Yeah," Ishka agreed. "We had a plan. We were actually planning to leave before Asher disappeared."

"Ishka," Luken whispered, looking utterly betrayed.

Guilt ate at her gut. She explained, "Mom... what if somebody had told you that you couldn't be with Sorcha? Would you have stayed with them?"

"No," he admitted, though it sounded as if the words were dragged from the depths of his soul. "I actually did run away with her in our first life."

"See, she's yours biologically, but she's actually my Mini-Me," Sorcha grinned, reaching out to ruffle Ishka's hair.

Luken shook his head, "You're lucky I love you both so much."

Sorcha stuck her tongue out, "You're lucky we put up with your overprotective ass."

"We love you too, Mom," Ishka laughed, drawing both of her parents into a tight hug.