The Life of Anna, Part 2: Entwined (19 page)

The three of them went into the house and upstairs to Aaron's large bedroom. Two comfortable chairs sat near the window and he led Anna to sit in one of them. Her face was pale and her eyes were wide with fear.

He shot off a text to Alex:
Is Anna an Elder-Mistress?

That would be enough to know if he needed to be concerned. Anna trembled in the chair. “Are you cold, hon?” he asked, putting his hand on her shoulder.

She nodded and he pulled the blanket off his bed and wrapped it around her.

“What's an Immortal?” Anna asked Travis softly.

“I don't know much about them, but my dad said they're kinda like angels. Different ones have different roles. Some are guardians of certain humans. I don't know what all they do, but I do know that the Elders and Immortals work together.” Travis glanced at Aaron. “I don't know how much you know.”

“I've never heard the term. I don't know much about the Brotherhood aside from the, uh, girls.” Aaron shrugged sheepishly.

Travis chuckled. “My dad said that the Immortals are all male. Sometimes they will...well, breed, for a lack of a better term, with a human woman and have a daughter. They're always girls. These ‘half-Immortals’ are really special and they help the Elder that is their Master. That's why they're called ‘Elder-Mistresses.’” Travis looked apologetically at Anna. “But the Immortals can't die. I mean, that's pretty obvious. So, I don't know why Devin would be claiming that you—”

Aaron's phone rang. “Hey Al—”

“Where did you hear that term?” Alex interrupted him with an anxious voice.

“Travis and Anna were talking and—”

“Travis?” Alex cursed in German. “I didn't see him at the party.”

“He came when you were upstairs. Why?”

“He's the one person that would know as much about Anna as I do.” He cursed again. “I'm on my way back. Don’t let him tell Anna anything else until I get there.”

“Okay...why?”

“Because she is, but she doesn't know the significance of it, and if she gets upset I need to be there. Jack and Devin never told her.” He sighed. “I'll be there in...ten minutes. Keep her calm and do not let her out of your sight. If she tries to leave, hold her if you have to. I don't think she will, but just in case—”

“Okay, I will,” Aaron assured him. He put the phone down and looked at Travis then at Anna, who was staring at the ground. “Alex is on his way back. He said don't say anything else until he gets here.”

*****

Alex had been in the middle of a shouting match with Kirsty when his phone had buzzed. Without looking at it, he opened the bedroom door and tossed it to Seth, all without missing a step in the argument. Kirsty yelled at him about Anna and he got more defensive than he'd ever imagined possible. If Kirsty had been a man he would have tackled her and beat the shit out of her for what she dared to say about Anna.

Alex knew this was the end and didn't know why he was bothering to defend himself to her. The worst thing you could do to Kirsty was ignore her. But Alex was in the mood to fight. He felt that his decision to encourage Aaron to date Anna was the right one, but it still frustrated the hell out of him.

Seth opened the door, wincing, but holding up the phone for Alex to see the text.

“What
?”
Alex shouted in German, glaring at Seth. He didn't often yell at his men, but he was on a roll and didn't like to be interrupted. The only reason he could imagine Seth would dare interrupt is if there was a call about a mission and he didn't want to think about any missions right now.

“You might want to read it, Alex,” Seth said firmly.

Seth knew Alex's temper as well as Alex did, so he realized it must be important. Alex quickly read the message.
Fuck!

“Get the car started,” he barked to Seth. He turned back to Kirsty. “I have to leave. It's been an interesting six months, Kirsty, but it's time we acknowledged it's over.”

Kirsty stared at him. “That's it?”

Alex shoved his phone in his pocket. “Yes. You've spent the last fifteen minutes insulting the woman that I—” He stopped himself before he finished the phrase. “...that is important to my family and I won't listen to it anymore. Anna is here to stay. You are expendable.”

With that, he turned on his heel and stalked out of her bedroom. As he closed the door, he heard a thump as Kirsty threw something at the door. Seth and Tony were already outside in the SUV parked in front of her condo.

Alex cursed again as got into the SUV. “Aaron's house as fast as you can, Tony,” he ordered in German.

After he ended the call with Aaron, Alex leaned back in the seat and ran his hands through his hair. Anna didn't need this right now. He had planned to tell her soon, but wanted her to get used to life before he went and told her the truth about her father. That Aaron was with her was a good sign though. Perhaps things were progressing as he'd hoped.

He knew Travis well enough to know he wasn't trying to cause trouble. He was a good guy and fortunate enough not to be Devin's son and have a life. Most people who were born in a Manor lived their entire life there. Travis was an excellent dancer and a good friend.

Alex clutched the seat as Tony took a sharp corner. Tony certainly knew how to drive and it had come in handy many times over the course of the years. It had saved all their lives more than a few times as well.

He sighed. A mission right now sounded easier than the thought of telling Anna that her father wasn't dead.

He'd met two of the other Mistresses in the world. They were beautiful, confident women that were a joy to be around. And yes, amazing in bed. But they had to be. The Brotherhood controlled the world using sex.

He understood why Devin and Jack hadn't told Anna who she was. They might not have been able to control her as much as they did.

Once Anna knew who she was...how would she react? She could almost take Devin on all by herself, but Alex had a feeling she never would. Fear ruled her, which is exactly what Devin wanted.

Devin kept her under control through fear. He kept her isolated, so she didn't know she wasn't “normal.” She attributed her attractiveness to men to her training. The fact was, even if she'd never been “trained,” she still would have attracted men in droves. There was just something about a half-Immortal that was irresistible to men. Alex wondered if they had special pheromones.

Tony pulled up in front of the house. “I'll park and meet you inside.”

“Thanks, Ton,” Alex jumped out, ran up into the house and went right up to Aaron's room where he assumed they would be. He knocked once and opened the door.

Anna was curled up in Aaron's lap, stopping him cold in the doorway. He’d momentarily forgotten he’d encouraged Aaron to pursue her. Aaron stroked her hair and kissed her head. Like Alex had done yesterday morning.

Alex swallowed and tried to ignore the lump in his throat and the pain in his heart as he watched his best friend love on the girl that he himself was in love with. Aaron whispered something in her ear and she looked up at him adoringly.

Alex rubbed at his chest as he watched them together.
It’s better this way
. Aaron was better for her right now. More stable. Aaron didn't have a temper like Alex, and he didn't disappear for weeks on end without an explanation. Right now Anna needed stable and safe.

He could tell just by watching her that she had no fear of Aaron. Something had happened between the two of them and she was content. Peaceful even. Anna at peace was the most beautiful sight he'd ever seen. He hoped he'd be able to make her feel that way someday. She deserved nothing less.

Anna looked up to see Alex standing in the doorway. She stood quickly and stepped away from Aaron, nervously twisting her fingers together and watching him.

“It's all right, Anna,” Alex said, lowering his hand and walking into the room. “Stay with Aaron. You looked comfortable.” He sat on the bed and looked around. “Where's Travis?”

Aaron reached for Anna and she returned to his lap. He wrapped the blanket around her again, but she didn’t seem as relaxed as before she had seen Alex.

“Travis went down to get his shirt. It's kinda cold up here.” Aaron motioned to the blanket Anna was wrapped in.

Alex nodded absent-mindedly and looked at Anna with a tender expression. “What did Travis tell you, Schatzi?”

Anna stared at her hands and repeated what Travis had told her. She glanced up. “Am I really an Elder-Mistress?” she asked timidly.

Alex sighed and nodded. “Yes, Schatzi. You are.”

Travis had returned as Anna was speaking and settled into the chair next to her and Aaron. He looked at Alex with a wary expression. “Was I wrong to tell her?” he asked after she'd finished.

Alex shook his head. “No, Travis. You didn't know that she didn't know. It's wrong that she didn't know before. I just—”

“You knew?” Anna asked him, eyes full of hurt.

Alex nodded. “I didn't realize you didn't know until we were talking yesterday morning and then I wasn't sure how to broach the subject.” Alex stood and walked to the window. “What Travis told you is correct, though it's a simplistic explanation.”

“It's all I knew...,” Travis began.

Alex turned to his friend. “It's all right, Trav. I wouldn't expect you to know much more than that. I figured if anyone would know what she really was, though, it would be you.”

He looked back out the window. “Yes
,
Anna. Your father is an Immortal. Sometimes an Immortal will fall in love with a woman and decide to put aside their immortality for a time. They choose to live as normal men and get married and have a family. In that situation, they can only have one child, a daughter. When that happens, we're supposed to leave the daughter alone. Let her live as a normal person. At some point, when she's an adult, her father will tell her the truth, and she can have the choice whether she wants to become an Elder-Mistress or not.”

Alex turned to look at Anna. “They live longer and age slower than other women. That can make a normal life difficult. The Brotherhood offers a safe place to live, where they'll be protected and cherished. Or at least they’re supposed to be.”

Alex felt the old regret return and he took in a shaky breath as he looked back out the window. He didn't want Anna to sense his emotions...not that he was sure she wasn't doing it anyways. “Sometimes they will marry and have a family of their own. Sometimes they just remain a servant of their Elder. It's up to them.”

He turned back to Anna, his eyes hard. “That should have been your life, Anna. But Devin didn’t give you that choice. He just took you.” He clenched his jaw. “And abused you.”

“How did he take her?” Aaron asked. “I mean, I knew her parents....”

Alex frowned. “Before the Elders and Immortals started working together, the Elders would find and take their daughters. They treated them...well, like Anna was treated. There were tomes that were written with instructions on how to ‘tame’ them. Once the two groups started working together, the old ways were outlawed and the tomes were supposed to have been destroyed. The Immortals agreed to give the Elders their daughters when needed in return for the promise that they would be treated as they would their own daughters. Or wives,” he added, avoiding Anna's gaze.

“One of the old methods mentioned in the tomes
was to find a married Immortal and claim the daughter at birth. There only has to be one witness and it didn't have to be another Elder.”

“Jack?” Anna asked softly.

“Most likely,” Alex answered. It was the most logical conclusion.

Anna nodded silently.

“That's why you heal so quickly, Anna.” Alex added quietly. “That's how you survived all those horrible years with your guardian.”

“Immortals can't die?” she asked.

Alex sighed. “No, they can't.”

Anna looked up at him with questioning eyes. He knew what she was asking.

“It wasn't possible for anyone to survive that type of accident, Anna. He had to leave. If he'd stayed, it would have raised too many questions. He did what he could to protect you.”

By coming to Alex's father before he “died” with a desperate request.
A girl with brown hair and green eyes
, Trevor had said.
You'll know her when you see her
.

If Alex had only listened to Vati, Anna could have been saved from so much pain. The knife of regret stabbed deeper into his heart.

“Can't he come back now? Now that I know?” Her sweet little voice twisted the knife.

“I don't think so, Anna. I don't know how it works, but I do know that if they ‘die’ there is a period of time that they cannot return. And your father was rather famous. I don't know if he'd ever be allowed to return.”

She didn't say anything for a minute, staring at Alex's chest. “Where did he go?” she whispered, eyes moving up to look at his.

Alex shook his head and sighed. “I don't know, Schatzi. I've never asked.” He knew there was a “place” but he'd never thought to ask about it.

His friend Sebastian was an Immortal. He was Alex's guardian and the one who guided Alex in saving Anna from Devin’s ritual. They'd met about eight years ago. Right around when Anna's parents had died. Alex had to wonder if there was a connection. Sebastian kept pretty tight-lipped about most things. Alex didn't even know he was an Immortal until a few years ago when Sebastian got shot...and didn't die.