Set In Sparks (Morningstars Book 2) (29 page)

“It’s what makes a good leader. They just follow you. Nothing else,” Colbin muttered under his breath and Jaden nodded. They had always followed Colbin, no matter where he had brought them, or wanted them to go. It didn’t matter which fight he had planned for them, they simply fought it.

“I don’t want it. Please, I know Maya wants you two to be part of the community and frankly, I’d be happy about that, too. We’ve been somewhat disorganized and –”

“I think she does a pretty spectacular job at organizing things,” Colbin whispered so quietly, Jaden might as well had read the words from his lips only. There was a barely perceptible nod towards Maya and Jaden couldn’t help but look at his Origin, pride swelling in his chest. She was good at being a Queen, but organizing war fare shouldn’t be in her area of expertise.

“Please, Colbin, think about it,” Kaden added, joining the talk.

“Working with you all means my Origin will be out there, fighting our fights, taking risks –”

“Living life,” Lara explained and Colbin closed his eyes for a few seconds. They appeared like hours to Jaden since he held his breath, waiting. He knew Maya wouldn’t like anything more than working with Lara. No matter if the Queen said it or not, she was looking up to Colbin’s female.

“Fine, but I’m not going to be okay with you leaving for weeks at a time,” the former warrior leader gave in and Jaden couldn’t help but grin.

“You don’t seriously think Kay and I will let Maya leave that often? You can count on that being a big fat fucking no,” he laughed and then turned back to Maya. “So, how do you wanna do it?”

She still felt guilty, laden with sadness, and tinged with desperation, but Jaden knew they’d make that okay for a night. He just needed to get Kaden on board and somehow manage the impossible of convincing Maya to take one night off, then they could fix it and give her back her little place of happiness.

“I’d love to drive. It just will give us some time together and once we have the wolf, she can get used to us before we bring her into this house, filled with vampires. There will be a lot of people reacting to her the way Rex reacted to her. I’d rather have her trust me and Lara before we ever get here,” Maya explained and Jaden knew that he needed to keep himself from voicing his opinions since he just had tried to convince someone else to do the exact thing he didn’t want to do.

Maya turned to him, rolling her eyes in exasperation. The bond betrayed him and it actually made him grin. He didn’t even need to say a thing, she still knew he wasn’t happy and by the way she looked at Kaden, cocking her head, she knew his twin was thinking the same. Oh, this was just too bad for her. A smug smile played over his lips.

“Driving sounds fine. We can always abandon the car if the need arises,” Lara commented thoughtfully and Jaden’s smile flattened. If the need arose, they were in danger and Matt the only support anywhere near. Hell, she did need self-defense classes the moment she was back safe.

“Exactly,” Maya agreed, her mood lifting a little.

“Two days. We’ll leave the day after tomorrow, the moment the sun sets,” Lara decided and Jaden saw his Origin nod.

“Since that’s settled, can we all go and do your thing?” he asked and Maya nodded, wanting to go, but he held her and Kaden back. “Tonight, just you, me, and Kaden,” he demanded and she sighed, checking their faces. Jaden put on his best hopeful expression and Maya laughed.

“You look like a puppy that wants just one more dog cookie,” she teased and then went onto her tiptoes to kiss him. “Give me thirty minutes and we’ll meet back at our room?” He absolutely loved how she called it ‘their’ room and thirty minutes would give him and Kaden some time to prepare.

“Deal,” he agreed and she left, not before hugging Kaden tight and tasting his lips for a second.

“What’s up?” his twin asked and Jaden shrugged. He wasn’t very good at arranging great dates, especially not inside their own house. He wished he could take Maya back to the cabin, but he knew she wouldn’t leave the mansion as long as they had so many strangers there. Maybe they could do that once she returned from the wolves. Lara could watch the newcomer and they could have some sweet hours with their Origin. He liked that. A lot. But for now they needed to focus on that night.

“I want to take her mind off things. I want her relaxed and carefree.” Kaden instantly started grinning and as much as Jaden wished that sex would be exactly the thing Maya needed, he thought that maybe this called for something different. “Funny, Kay. I more meant some … what’s that stuff called people eat at the movies?” He wasn’t into sweet snacks and therefore never really had bothered to deal with them. He did think though that maybe Maya would enjoy something normal.

“You want to have Maya eat popcorn and hope that this will relax her?” his twin asked in utter disbelief and Jaden growled.

“No, I want to watch a movie with her, just do something normal. You, me, and her.” He seriously sucked at this, he realized.

“Maya doesn’t eat popcorn, Jay. She loves ice-cream though and I know we still have some of that here,” Kaden remarked and suddenly Jaden thought of something else he knew Maya liked and that he actually hadn’t brought her in a while.

“Can you…?” he started, throwing his hands up in a way of saying that he sucked at this.

Kaden rolled his eyes towards the ceiling, blowing out a heavy breath.

“I’ll prepare everything and you just make sure you’re there on time,” he announced and that was all Jaden needed to hear, leaving the room to make his Origin happy with something small. He actually looked forward to the night, even if he guessed that Kaden wouldn’t show up with a horror movie. Sometimes love asked for sacrifices and he was willing to sacrifice three hours of bad movie watching as long as Maya would end up a little happier and a little less Queenly just for a nigh
t
.

Maya was almost late to her own date. Frankly, Cany had stopped her before going to her own room, having thrown sweatpants and a camisole at her, telling her to change and let her hair lose.

Maya had followed that instruction simply because she didn’t feel like a discussion. Stepping through the door of her bedroom, she wasn’t sure anymore she had the right place. A few candles were burning and a TV was mounted to the wall. She hadn’t even realized she needed one, or that someone had been drilling holes into the wall, but then, she had been busy talking a few things over with Matt. The twins wore sweatpants as well, covering their beautiful chests with simple black tees. They looked so handsome to her, she wanted to weep because they were hers only.

“You look so young,” Kaden mumbled after turning to her. She had realized that, too, while looking into Cany’s mirror just a few minutes earlier.

“Is that good or bad?” she asked, trying to ignore the mouth-watering aroma of her favorite drink in the whole wide world hanging in the air. Her stomach actually jumped in appreciation of the scent.

Kaden looked over his shoulder at Jaden, smiling. “I think she actually smells your treat,” he teased and Jaden stepped aside. There was a Chai Latte from her favorite coffee house and a cinnamon roll, probably slightly heated so the icing would melt on her tongue while the cinnamon ran its way down her throat. She could almost taste the whole thing just while thinking about it.

“I thought you’d maybe like this,” Jaden whispered, looking strangely insecure. “I want you … we want you to calm down and take off for a while. Don’t be Queen tonight, just be our Origin. We’ll watch a movie,” he explained, pointing his thumb at the TV and a DVD-casing that lay there. It was something colorful, but Maya didn’t look at it long enough to figure out what it was. She didn’t know any movies anyway.

“We want you to smile and be normal and we thought we’d watch one of the movies Cany loves. She said you’d appreciate feeling like a normal … this is stupid,” Kaden cursed and Maya noticed that both twins were tied up in knots.

“What did Cany say?” she probed and then walked closer until she could lean into Kaden’s arms, carefully reaching around him to sneak a piece of the cinnamon roll into her mouth. She wasn’t as subtle as she thought, feeling how Jaden snatched it from her.

“Oh man,” she pouted, stepping away. Kaden stared at her, feigning hurt.

“And here I thought you wanted to be close to me,” he almost sobbed and she pulled out her puppy dog eye-move.

“This was about me, right? And I really, really want this roll. Pretty please,” she begged and Jaden was the first to cave, holding the snack out to her. She didn’t bother taking it into her own hands. Instead, she wrapped her finger around his wrist, holding his gaze while she bit into it. An almost ecstatic feeling took her over as she chewed slowly, the warm roll was soft on her tongue, sweetness exploding across her taste buds until she hummed unwillingly in appreciation. She seriously loved those things. It had been months ago that Lex had tipped off Jaden on how to do her a favor and it was way too long ago.

“You weren’t lying when you said she loved those little things,” Kaden said in awe and Maya saw Jaden grin. He drew her in until her lips were pressed against his and he licked over them, his body instantly jumping with lust. To her dismay he smothered the feeling down instantly.

“Cany suggested we try to let you have a little bit of the childhood you might have missed, so she suggested
Tangled
. It’s a movie from fairytale and –”

“Oh!” Maya squealed. Cany had told her so much about her
Disney
movies, but so far the two girls hadn’t found the time to really sit down and watch. She did know though that most likely this wasn’t something for the males, especially not two warriors.

“I don’t think you want to watch that movie,” she remarked and the guys exchanged a glance, then, Jaden placed her on the bed while Kaden turned on the TV and then came over with her Chai and the rest of the roll. She devoured it before taking a sip from her tea. It was already getting cold, but she didn’t mind at all. It still tasted like heaven in a cup. They started and Maya felt absolutely relaxed, cuddled against both twins. She should make this a weekly thing, she decided. She just wanted some love and happiness and those two were the biggest part of what made her happy.

Maya laughed and as much as Kaden had worried about this movie, it probably was the best choice ever. Jaden’s idea had been nothing short of brilliant. Maya always was beautiful, but there was just something about the way she shone when not the slightest worry pulled her down.

“By the Creator, you are so damn beautiful,” he mumbled and she just winked at him over her shoulder after sitting up, almost ready to crawl into the TV. She had started on the ice-cream half way through the movie and each time she licked along the spoon, making sure she didn’t miss any of they gooey goodness. Looking behind her back at Jaden, he realized that his twin’s eyes were on their Origin only. It was seldom that Jaden’s expression was unguarded, free from their typical frown. That moment he funnily looked young, just like Maya. If they’d be normal, just some humans, they’d be in their prime, ready for children and small worries like bills to take care of.  They’d be an exceptionally good-looking couple.

Jaden’s eyes flickered to him and Kaden noticed that Maya’s happy expression had faltered. Something akin to accusation was written all over his brother’s face and too late Kaden realized that incredibly longing and a feeling of misplacement had crossed the bond between him and Maya and therefore had caused Maya’s smile to vanish.

She was still focused on the TV and Jaden pulled up a brow in question, just barely shaking his head.

“I wonder if I’ll ever be able to make you think that you belong to us,” Maya said quietly, digging her spoon back into the melting ice cream, one knee pulled up against her body while her eyes didn’t leave the colorful imagines in front of her.

Kaden took the container of ice cream from her and put it on the nightstand before leaning against the headboard and pulling her with him. He made sure she rested her head on his chest and still could see the movie. “I just thought about how incredible you two would look if you weren’t a vampire Queen and he wasn’t a soldier hardened on the streets,” he explained. “You two looked so content just now. Nothing else,” he promised, kissing her hair. She just nodded, her silence speaking volumes.

He wondered what he could do to make her relax and the only thing that came to her mind was tickling her.

Letting his hand go over her side, he gently poked her ribs, feeling her flinch. He gently probed and poked some more until she was giggling. Jaden joined in and she was thrashing, trying to get away from them, but they wouldn’t let her. The sound of her laughter was clear as bells and Kaden had never felt so light or saw his brother’s face so happy.

“I give in. Whatever it is, I give in,” she called, trying to keep them away from her ribs. Kaden leaned in and kissed her on her lips before grinning at her. Jaden didn’t lean in, but he still sat back with a satisfied expression.

“Is that what you had in mind?” Kaden asked and Jaden looked back at the beaming female on their bed. There was no denying that she was happy. It didn’t take a bond to notice that.

“It’s exactly what I had in mind,” he agreed and then took his position again, looking back at the TV. Maya crawled over to him, kissing his neck before she rested her head on Kaden’s chest again, letting her hand go under his shirt to place it over his heart. It made him smile since it was just a tiny gesture, but proving exactly how much she needed those little contacts. Jaden moved closer after turning everything off, pressing his stomach against Maya’s, kissing her shoulder. Kaden played with her hair, twisting the dark curls around his finger again and again. They were like silk and he never got tired of touching them.

“I love you, Kaden,” she whispered into the silence of the room and he squeezed her tighter. “I know, Maya. I never doubted that,” he promised and she only nodded.

“He knows he belongs to us. It’s just hard wrapping your mind around things that you always learned to be one way and that then turn out to be totally different. I struggle with the concept sometimes, but then I see you looking at us or how you reach out subconsciously, trying to just get a second’s worth of contact and I know that you need us both. It reminds me why I think this is okay and why I’m not worried. You make sure that we still feel as if we are the only. Each one of us,” Jaden promised and Kaden nodded. It was true. Maya had a way of acting as if they were the only one for her. It was easy to forget that there was a third party involved in this and Kaden thought that
this
was probably exactly what they needed in order for that to work.

“I’m so sorry,” was all that Maya replied.

“We aren’t,” Kaden reassured her, wondering how he was supposed to let her go soon. He had hardly seen her for six months and felt the need to catch up. The last nights and days had been soothing his soul, making him feel complete again. He no longer had black outs, or moments where he hated the world and that was all he really wanted.

“You saved us, Maya,” he whispered and heard how Jaden agreed. They’d make it, there was not a doubt in his mind. What he did worry about was letting her leave alone and no matter how many times he had said it before, he needed to say it one more time. “If you are not back within a week, Jaden and I will be there, playing with the wolves.”

“She knows,” Jaden whispered softly as Maya didn’t react. Kaden hadn’t even realized her how breathing had evened out. “She didn’t have enough sleep in a while.” Kaden knew why she hadn’t slept enough the night before and he knew Maya wouldn’t sleep much the nights after. Even though he’d probably feel stiff in the neck the moment evening came, he didn’t mind staying in exactly that position as long as Maya slept.

“You think her taking this mission on by herself is a good idea?” he asked and Jaden shifted, sighing.

“I think she’ll go either way. Caging her in will only cause heartache for her and us and in the end she will go anyways. That’s the one thing I learned the last time we tried to lock her up.” Kaden winced, remembering that this could have killed her. “If we let her go,” Jaden went on, “we’ll at least hear from her regularly and Matt promised he’ll keep us updated. This is scary shit, but it probably comes with the territory. Others mate a female and she’ll be nice, staying home and cooking. We mated a Queen, and a fighter on top of that. I can tell you that I’ll be on my knees every damn second I have, praying that the Creator will bring her back to us in one piece.”

“How did you manage to leave her every night and return to the cabin?” Kaden asked. It was something he had wondered ever since seeing Jaden and her together.

“Let’s say our first months weren’t easy. Every time I walked away, I knew it was what she wanted. I did everything wrong in the beginning and now seem to do everything right. You did everything right in the beginning and then messed up along the way. There’ll be trials, a lot of them, where Maya will have to defend her decision. There’ll be times we fight, maybe just one of us and her, maybe she with us, but I think all that matters at the end of the night is that we support her and let her know that she can always count on us,” his twin explained thoughtfully and Kaden had to grin.

“You are ready to tie her up and make sure she doesn’t go anywhere, aren’t you?” he asked and Jaden laughed quietly.

“Hell yeah, wrap her in bubble wrap and never let her out of my sight. That wolf-thing will be the death of me,” Jaden admitted.