Authors: Michelle Love
KYLE
Stars fill the night sky as we walk out the door. It’s all so surreal. And I’m used to some crazy shit!
The band stops playing as Laura and I emerge from the house. Eden and Ally have taken their places at an altar, Galchobar stands in between them. The altar has been set up across the yard from the stage the band is set up on.
A tall man comes to us and ushers us to the altar. I’m wearing a black suit, the freaking thing is an Armani, with a royal blue silk shirt under the jacket, much like Eden’s. Laura is looking gorgeous in a silky, royal blue evening gown similar to Ally’s.
They take us up the stairs. Galchobar moves in front of us, motioning for us to stand on the other side of Ally. Laura reaches out for Ally’s hand. I realize we’re all holding hands, as Eden holds Ally’s and I holds Laura’s.
“We have a new member to welcome into our flock,” Galchobar’s thunderous voice booms into the night. “A new guardian has been chosen. The woman called Laura will be revered by our society, as she holds a very powerful position.”
Galchobar turns back to us. “Kyle, son of Joe, you have vowed to protect our Mistress. I will ask you if you are willing to take a vow to our Master. I will let you think on that for a moment while I ask Laura, daughter of Brent, about her vows.” Galchobar stands in front of Laura. “Do you, Laura, daughter of Brent, promise to protect the female mistress and male master who are now ours to take care of from this time until the end, both in human and bird forms?”
Laura leans forward, and says quietly, “Who’s this Brent you’re calling me the daughter of?”
Galchobar’s white eyebrows raise in confusion. “Your mother has deceived you?”
“My father’s name is Stanley,” she says.
His head shakes. “Your father’s name is Brent. He was your mother’s first love in high school. She left her hometown of Little Rock, Arkansas without telling him she was pregnant with you. Stanley was the man she married when she was five months pregnant with you.”
Laura looks at Ally with shock on her face. “My real father doesn’t know about me?”
Galchobar shakes his head again. “No.”
“Okay, go on with the ceremony,” she says.
Galchobar looks at Laura. “Laura, daughter of Brent, do you promise to protect the female mistress and male master who are now ours to take care of, from this time to the end, both in human and bird forms? he asks her again.
“I do,” she answers.
“Great responsibility has been bestowed upon you. You will begin your journey now,” Galchobar says.
The old guy stands in front of me. I smile at him but he just looks as stoic as ever. “Kyle, son of Joe, do you vow to take care of the male master as well as you would your female mistress, from this time to the end, in both human and bird forms?”
I look over at Eden, his eyes are on Ally. I know he loves her, and I’d do anything for her. “I do.”
“Another great responsibility has been bestowed upon you.” Galchobar turns away. “I present your leaders,” Galchobar roars, and the crowd bursts into applause.
I see Eden, pulling Ally’s hand up, to hold it over their heads, then I pull Laura’s hand up above our heads, and she and Ally raise their clasped hands. The people of our society cheer so loudly, it’s almost deafening.
Eden lowers their hands. “Let us celebrate!” he yells out to the crowd, then takes Ally into his arms, and the band begins to play.
I pull Laura into my arms and sway back and forth with her. “I love you!” I tell her.
She smiles at me, then brings her lips up to mine, gently kissing me. “I love you too, Kyle.”
The song is over much too soon, but another one starts almost immediately. Eden leads Ally over to us. Much to my surprise he takes Ally’s hand, which he’s been holding, and offers it to me as he offers his hand to Laura.
Switching partners, huh?
I release Laura, and he dances away with her. I slide my arm around Ally’s waist, pulling her close to me. Her hair smells like jasmine, and her body forms perfectly to mine. Something in me clicks, and I want her, I want all of her.
My lips move close to her ear. “This is how it’s supposed to be, Ally.”
I try to read her thoughts but she’s either hiding them from me, or she just doesn’t have any right now. Her small head she lays on my shoulder, her face so close to mine. One small move and our lips would touch.
Just one little kiss. Who would even care?
“I love you, Kyle,” she says, and I almost fall apart.
“I love you too, Ally. I always will,” I tell her as I squeeze her closer to me. As if that’s even possible.
Her light pink cheek is just too close for me to resist. I touch my lips to it and feel a warmth spread through to my lower regions. The damn song ends, and I have to let her go. I allow her to move back a bit, before I take her hand up to my lips, leaving a long kiss on the top of it.
Her eyelashes flutter as she smiles at me. “Thank you for the dance, my partisan.”
“Your new name for me, my princess,” I ask. “And what does it mean?”
“It means you have an emotional allegiance to me. I like the way it rolls off the tongue. So much better than primary guardian or protector, don’t you agree?” she asks.
‘I do,’ I send her.
Eden and Laura come to us. “Can I have my wife back, Kyle?”
“She is yours, Eden,” I say as I look into the deep, sapphire blue of Ally’s eyes, then turn to smile at Eden. “I will want to borrow her again, though. She’s a really good dancer.”
“Let’s mingle,” Eden tells us all, as he leads us off the altar and into the crowd of people.
Eden takes us to say hello to Linda Banks. Why he has to continue to push this woman in Ally’s face is a mystery to me. I tense up at first because she has on a little short dress with sky high heels, and I see Ally is green with jealousy already. I look at Laura who’s smiling at Ally.
Laura leans forward to tell her something in her ear. “Be good, Ally. He only loves you.”
I smile at Laura. Happy she’s being such a good friend to Ally.
Trying to reign in her jealousies, Ally looks at me, and smiles as I send her, ‘That old lady ain’t nothing compared to you, doll.’
Eden has to go and make it really freaking hard. He lets go of Ally’s hand to hug Linda, then holds her back, taking a look at her.
Dumb move, dude! It would really help him if he and I could communicate telepathically. I could save him an ass chewing!
“You’re looking sexy tonight, Linda,” he tells her.
I close my eyes at his words and see my Ally’s mind go red with anger, tinged with the green of jealousy.
It’s a nasty color, yuk!
Laura’s hand slips out of mine. I watch her walk away from me, going up to Eden and the poor woman my Ally would like to see dangling from a branch up high in one of the giant oaks in this backyard.
My Ally would fight dirty if she was given the chance.
I send to her, ‘My princess, control that temper. That’s not fighting fair.’
Ally’s eyes don’t leave Eden as she sends back, ‘Wouldn’t she deserve it, though?’
Linda wraps her arms around Eden’s waist, pressing her body into his. “Thank you, Eden. You look delicious as well.”
You’re fucked, dude!
Laura eases in between them, almost gracefully. “Hi Linda, I want to thank you for picking out all of the beautiful things for us. I hate to shop as does Alyssa. Having you and your exquisite taste is a dream come true for us.”
I laugh, and send Ally, ‘She’s a smooth one isn’t she?’
Laura takes Linda by the arm, gently. “Can I get you to come help me at the buffet table, I want your opinion on something,” Laura tells her, as she moves her away from Eden.
Eden turns to look at Ally. “How nice, Laura and Linda look like they’ll get along just fine.”
Ally and I look at each other and laugh, Eden looks confused. “You really are clueless, aren’t you sweetheart?” Ally asks him.
Eden narrows his eyes at her. “I thought you had those jealousies under control?”
“Oh, I do. I really do,” she tells him.
She turns to me. “Let’s go find something to eat,” she tells me as she takes my hand and Eden’s, pulling us to a table away from the sexy Linda Banks and her short dress.
We take a table close to the stage. It’s quiet right now as the band is on a break. I welcome the peace and quiet.
“I’ll go get us something from the buffet, you two stay here,” Eden directs us.
I hold out a chair for my Ally to sit in, then sit down next to her. “How do you like the house, Kyle?”
Her hair is shiny, light reflects off it, and I find it mesmerizing. I take a lock and twirl it with my finger as I answer, “Are you kidding, Ally? I love it. How could I not love it?”
She smiles. “Good, I’m glad to hear that.”
Her dress fits her just right for a flowy dress. Hugging her breasts then flowing out. I sigh, and say, “You have to stay here with us for a while. I’m not ready to let you go yet.”
“We can stay for a while, I guess. You know we aren’t running you off from our house, right?”
I look into her gorgeous eyes. “You aren’t?”
“Not at all, we just wanted you to have a place in Austin for when you start school. You’re always welcome, wherever I am.”
Even in your bed? Stop it boy!
“I am?”
“Yes, of course. You are a guardian, after all,” she says.
Is that all I am to her?
I take her hand, and place it on my thigh, lightly running my fingertips over the top of it. “You know the only reason I’m okay with you being with someone, other than myself, is because he treats you so well. I want you to let me know if he doesn’t, cause I’ll set him straight.”
She rolls her eyes. “God, Kyle, you are intense this evening.”
I take her by the chin and make her look at me. “Maybe it’s the ceremony or something. This is our second one you know. When the wizard guy asked if I would take care of you to the end, it made me feel different this time. I don’t know what it is. I made a commitment to you for the rest of my life before. It’s a commitment I can’t ever go back on, not that I want to. It feels permanent, unlike anything else I’ve ever experienced. We’ll be together through it all, you and I. In the end, we will leave this world together.”
Ally stares deep into my eyes. “You are also committed to my husband, don’t forget that part too.”
Oh yeah, him!
I move her hand back to her own lap. “I know that, Alyssa. I won’t let anything happen to him either. Galchobar told us if one of you dies the other will follow within a day. He said most likely I’ll follow quickly after you. If something happens to him, then it will be the end of us all.”
Her eyes dance, and she says, “I hope someday you decide to make a commitment to Laura as well.”
I look back up at her. “I don’t have to marry her. Do I Ally?”
Her dark brows furrow as she frowns. “Kyle, do you not love her?”
“I do, but we haven’t been together long enough for me to know if I want to live the rest of my life with her,” I say. “She’s great, please don’t get me wrong, Al. I just don’t know yet. Especially with this happening. I don’t want her to feel like we have to be together, like that, just because of our positions with you guys.”
She looks away. “I see. I don’t want you to feel forced together either. I love you guys. I would never want you to be unhappy in any way. No matter what happens, you will both be in my life for a very long time.”
I see Eden walking to the table with a large platter of all types of different foods. Laura’s following him with a bottle of wine and four glasses.
“Look who I found,” Eden says.
Ally smiles at Laura. “Did you make a new friend, Laura?”
“Yes, I did, Ally. She said to tell you goodbye, she had to leave the party early. She needs to get up really early tomorrow to head back to New Orleans.”
My eyes narrow as I glance at Eden. His fascination with the drab woman makes me tingle inside. I’m not pleased with it one bit. His focus should only be Ally. “Did you get to tell her bye, Eden?” I ask.
The slightest hint of a frown takes the corners of his lips down. “No, I didn’t. I guess she was in a rush to leave.”
Laura looks at Eden and smiles. “So, am I going to see the birds tonight or what?”
Eden taps the top of her hand which lies on the table top. “I told you that you were. I always keep my promises.”
The music starts back up, and Laura stands up. “Come on, Eden,” she looks back and calls out to him. Ally looks surprised. “It’s okay, isn’t it, Ally?”
The look of surprise leaves her face, leaving it as angelic as it usually is. “Yes, of course, it is.”
Eden gets up to go out to the temporary dancefloor with Laura. The band plays a country song that’s slow. I find Ally watching them intently, as her husband holds her best friend close to him.
I stand up, taking her hand and pulling her up. “Come on, Ally. We can’t let them have all the fun.”