Set To Start (Morningstars) (8 page)

“Shut up.”

Cia stared at her mother as if she had been slapped. Her mother never spoke like that, especially not to her.

“Excuse me?”

“You have no idea what it does to a person to find their true mate, daughter, or you would never ever suggest what you do. Usually, a mate already is fiercely loyal to his Origin. I cannot imagine how it’ll be for a warrior. Their sense of duty is even deeper ingrained in them and even if he only gets to spend just a few months with her, you’ll never be able to touch him the way you did before he met anyone. Do not degrade yourself like that, and more importantly, do not wish on your warrior to find his Origin only to lose her again. The man you get back after will not be the same as the man you’ve known before.” There was a quite intensity in her mother’s voice that Cia had never heard before. It was as if just the thought of losing her mate scared her enough to almost burst from the room and find him.

“I want to be his true mate,” Cia finally admitted, tears in her eyes.

“I doubt that you are, but I know where you are coming from,” her mother soothed her, gently cupping her cheek. “As long as he hasn’t found her, you can be all that and more for him.”

“I think I’m already losing him, because there was a girl that entered his brother’s life.”

“His brother’s life?” her mother asked, tone incredulous.

“They are twins.”

“Jaden and Kaden,” her mother mused. “They are damn handsome, those boys,” she smiled and Cia picked up a brow.

“Mom, what’s with the language today?” she asked and her mother winked.

“After you left, I needed a new passion. And I found that TV shows can be quite entertaining,” her mother winked and then sobered again. “Which of the twins it is you consider yours?”

It shouldn’t surprise her at all that her mother knew the twins or any of the warriors for that matter. Her mother was well known in the vampire society since she dealt a lot with those Origins that were abused in their own household. Her mother was always at the Morning Star Police Office, which most likely was the place where she had met all of the fighters.

“Kaden.”

Her mother nodded with a smile. “Seems he’s seen as the twin more down to earth, more connected to his heart while Jaden, his brother, is more the little soldier Colbin, their leader, needs and looks for. If the girl entered his brother’s life though, why should that interfere with what you have?”

“He was absent when he was there, talking about how incredibly that girl had smelled. He hadn’t even seen her and yet I had the feeling he was back with his brother and that girl.”

“The twins are very protective of each other, and someone special always changes the dynamics. I bet he’s just worried what it’ll mean for their relationship.”

Cia shrugged, taking a deep breath.

“Mom, what does Dad smell to you like?” She knew her father’s perfume. It was one with pine needles and some wooden essence.

“Your father smells to me like a clear stream in the early morning hours. There’s something wild about him, something that has nothing to do with his perfume. He smells best to me when he gets out of the shower and hadn’t used any shower gel or lotion. It’s clear and mouth-watering in a way,” her mother explained, ending her sentence with a dreamy sigh.

“He smells eatable to you, doesn’t he?”

Her mother laughed. “Not quite the word I would have used, but if I’d be thirsty, he probably could be the only one quenching that thirst.”

Cia slowly nodded, wanting to say something when her mother cocked her head.

“Dinner is ready. Your dad just placed the last fork on the table,” she reported and Cia felt like crying right away again. She missed those special powers.

“I wish I could do that,” she sighed.

“It still wouldn’t make you the right one for him if you are not meant to be,” her mother said gently, obviously knowing exactly where that wish originated.

Cia couldn’t help but walk over and hug her tight.

“Right now I am no longer sure where I am meant to be,” she mumbled and her mother patted her back.

“Time will tell, sweetie, time will tell. Now, let’s have dinner. Go and wash up.”

Cia shook her head with a smile. Even though by now she looked older than her mother – thanks to the humanity – she still felt like a little girl around her.

“Yes, Ma’am,” she grinned, following her mother for a night that felt more normal than any night had in the past.

Kaden was still worrying his bottom lip when he opened the front door; freezing the moment the raspberry-vanilla-smell hit his nose more prominent than before, and just then he spotted the couple on the sofa.

“Hey there, Cupcake,” he grinned, watching how a very turned on Jaden pushed her off his lap, getting up so he could stand in Kaden’s line of sight, not that he needed that. His mind had taken in enough of her to know that she was a beauty: brown hair that fell past her shoulders, not as skinny as Jaden usually picked them and definitely rather on the small side.

“Why is everyone calling me that?” she snapped, coming to stand next to his twin. She had violet eyes that sparked with quite fury, then though she only stared.

Jaden had forgotten to mention his twin, he guessed. He gave her a smile.

“I’ve always been the more handsome one,” he winked, her expression softening the slightly. If he wouldn’t have looked that closely, he might have missed it. “And we call you that because you smell like one. What’s your name?” he wanted to know.

“She won’t tell,” Jaden growled. His twin’s expression darkened, if that was still possible.

“Maya,” Cupcake said at the same time, giving him the tiniest of smiles.

Kaden couldn’t help but watch her. She looked breakable, but that added only to her appeal, or so he thought.

“Get the fuck out, Kaden,” Jaden snarled, looking ready to attack him. Finally Kaden remembered that he had promised he’d stay away from that girl and was supposed to tell his brother that Colbin wanted to see him – and her. All the emotions playing over his twin’s face scared him though. There was something so intense about Jaden, Kaden wasn’t sure he had ever seen that in him.

“Colbin wants to see you,” he finally said, keeping his eyes steady on Jaden.

“Can’t, got something else to do,” Jaden replied curtly.

“More likely someone else,” Kaden teased, unable to keep his eyes on his twin. The girl blushed deeply. “Don’t mess with Colbin anymore, Jaden. He’s mad enough. Besides, you need to bring her.”

“Bring me where?” She certainly had spunk, but something about the way she looked at him made him wonder what she had been through.

“Stay out of it, Cupcake,” Jaden pleaded and Kaden stared at him, wondering if Jaden even knew that his voice had gone all soft. Maya raised her hand, placing it on his twin’s back. A ripple went through his brother’s body and Jaden looked as if he wanted to close his eyes.

Her touch though was a strong contrast to her words. “I can take care of myself, vampire,” she hissed, her purple eyes going dark, then they focus on him and Kaden could barely contain a grin, before her words had a chance to fully settle in. “Fine, big boy, bring me to this Colbin,” she added.

“You told her?” his voice rose in disbelief, but he couldn’t keep it in. Colbin had feared something like that, but sometimes Kaden just hoped that he would be wrong, too.

“He didn’t tell me. I can tell who is vamp and who’s not from a mile away,” she fussed, pouting. Kaden couldn’t help himself and smirked. She was too damn adorable. He shook his head, grinning slightly while already realizing that this girl wasn’t just something special to Jaden, but to him as well. He couldn’t help but like her.

“I’m gonna get dressed,” Jaden announced, sounding irritated. He gave Kaden a long look, obviously thinking about something to say, but then decided against it, turning on his heel and disappearing towards his room.

“I wonder what’s wrong with going out in a towel,” Kaden whispered quietly towards their guest and she surprised him by chuckling. Kaden didn’t smile, noticing a few lines that looked like flames spanning right over Jaden’s shoulders. Maya had obviously seen it, too, but didn’t comment on it. Kaden wondered if she knew what it meant. He needed to ask Jaden about that, but for now he had a totally stiff girl standing next to him and he wanted to see more of her smile.

“Last time he went out in less than suitable clothes, he only wanted to get a package. We don’t usually have delivery, but imagine the look on the woman’s face when he opened half naked. She stared at him and then said something about being glad that he had the decency to pull over pants. He offered to lose them, grinning, and she totally didn’t know how to handle that question, so Jaden dropped his pants and…” Maya’s eyes were sparkling with humor and it made him feel good because she finally relaxed a little, that was, until his twin interrupted.

“Are we done with the tea party? Colbin’s waiting and I’d rather have her out of there … be out there before morning comes.”

Obviously Jaden wasn’t keen on leaving Maya there. Unfortunately, there was something that needed solving before they went anywhere anyways.

“You have the beginning of a tattoo, brother. A pair of flames,” Kaden accused, knowing what he wasn’t saying: How could you? Not that one could know who they were about to touch before they came in direct skin contact. As it was, only your one true made could mark you the way Jaden now was marked: with a tattoo that would only fully develop once a mating bond was fulfilled.

Jaden looked absolutely taken aback. “Tat?”

“It’s purple and chocolate brown and…” Kaden didn’t let Maya finish.

“Been with any woman last night?” he asked, his eyes going back to the girl next to him. He didn’t know why, but he didn’t really like the thought of Jaden having slept with her. Besides, Maya seemed to be so breakable, he wasn’t sure Jaden would be able to make her happy if she turned out to be his Origin. For whatever reason, Kaden couldn’t stand the thought of her being hurt.

Defiance entered her purple eyes. “Oh, don’t look at me like that. He wanted to, but I don’t sleep with every handsome man who begs me to,” she bit out, crossing her arms. Kaden wanted to kiss her forehead, but suppressed the impulse. There was no doubt that Jaden didn’t want to answer, but Kaden wasn’t ready to let him go, just picking up an eyebrow.

“Maybe,” his twin finally admitted and Kaden took a deep breath, anger burning his way through his body. He couldn’t believe Jaden had let that girl walk away.

“I take Cupcake back and you better find her,” Kaden ordered, wanting to turn away.

“Them,” Jaden corrected and Kaden’s eyes instantly went to the girl next to him.

“Excuse me?” he asked, looking from Maya to Jaden and back.

“I need to find them,” Jaden explained and Kaden felt Maya move closer, flinching at the words. What little color had entered her face, vanished almost instantly and his heart broke for her.

“Cheap booze and even cheaper women,” she whispered and Kaden could hear how disgusted and hurt she was.

“Cupcake,” his twin started, looking as hurt as Maya seemed to feel. It surprised Kaden, but it almost looked as if Jaden felt guilty, yet Maya didn’t let him finish.

“Don’t,” she snapped and then reached for Kaden’s hand. Her skin was ice-cold and Kaden couldn’t help but hold his breath. She was shaking from anger most likely. “Get me out of here,” she demanded towards him and no matter what he was thinking, he found himself walking with her.

Taking a deep breath, he just hoped that he wouldn’t have to break his promise to his twin in the end.