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Chapter Seven

Elena

“ T he town is down there. After eliminating the threat, you will be able to walk around more freely. There is a grocery store, flower shop, even a witchy store.” Nadia directed that last part toward Abuela, pointing toward the quaint town before them.

We were coming down a mountain in a convoy of SUVs. These were a little older, owned by the MC to be less conspicuous and melt in with the rest of the scenery.

This time, Bear drove while Nadia sat beside him. Bear then went on about the typical upper Pacific Northwest weather. Cloudy, rainy. Much different from where we had spent most of our years.

I’m somehow still holding it all together while Abuela asked questions like: Are there farmers' markets in the summers, because “Elena loves buying fresh, home-grown vegetables?—asked somewhat mockingly.

I wasn’t able to go as much last year. Not when my muscle weakness had gotten worse. I found it not worthwhile loading a wheelchair into a car, and being exhausted before I got there.

She acted like we were staying here forever.

While Emm might make friends here, she was a nomad and never stayed in one place for long.

It would have been nice for our whole family to live in one place, but it wasn’t going to work.

Our enemies knew where Emm was now, which was here, and we had a lot of enemies.

A whole cartel.

I wouldn’t keep Luis here. I couldn’t. Especially when I couldn’t physically protect him.

There was also the matter of getting a citizenship. Emm made a lot of money, but not that much to get us here without the constant worry of being deported.

I peered out from the second row of our colossal vehicle, my eyes scanning the surroundings eagerly. Towering trees stretched towards the sky, their branches swaying gently in the cool breeze. The evergreens stood proud and vibrant, their emerald hues captivating my gaze.

The air hung heavy with the smell of damp earth. There must have been recent rainfall; Bear had mentioned that happens a lot here. The overcast sky blanketed a somber tone over the town. It felt as if I had stepped into a scene from a Twilight movie.

Considering the vampires trailing us, I recognized the irony.

I thought that was why I hadn’t completely lost it.

It was because I’d been raised around Abuela’s crazy antics, as she tried to make me believe that there was more out there.

.. and there was my son’s vivid, creative imagination.

It also helped that I read my fair share of paranormal romance novels.

Had I become immune?

At least I had not become the fainting, screaming heroine. Just the numb, dumb woman that couldn’t do jack to save her family.

Emm, where are you when we need you?

Crap, I couldn’t believe this was real. Vampires, shifters, witches? Not to mention, there was a dragon in the back seat playing Go Fish with my son .

I turned my head, to see Anaki and Luis whispering to each other. They were both animated, talking, and laughing like they had some sort of secret. Luis saw me watching and waved his hand for me to turn around.

I stuck my tongue out at him, and he returned the gesture.

They continued their card game, but instead of watching Luis, my attention was on Anaki.

A long sigh escaped my lips when I realized he was part of the club's care team. He was only there to make sure we were comfortable and to make sure that Luis was adjusting.

When he comforted me on the plane, it was the most delicate care I had ever received from a man in my life. He tucked me into a chair, made me a bed, and ordered me to sleep. I should have fought back, but something in his gentle voice, the soft touch of his hand… he took the physical pain away.

He called me love.

No one had called me anything like that. Babe, baby, love? Was it an endearment he used with the other women he helped take care of?

Part of me hoped it was only for me. I decided then and there, I wasn't going to believe it was only for me. Because a handsome man like that wouldn’t want a woman with a condition like mine, and a son.

I’ll keep that fantasy to myself.

It was selfish to even have such a fantasy when I have a son to look after.

I looked away and faced the front while we drove through the town. The first man to show me a bit of kindness for the first time in my life, and I get the warm fuzzies. What was wrong with me?

Why couldn’t I be like Emm? I needed to toughen up, for Luis’ sake. We wouldn’t be here for long. Once the threat was under control, we would talk to Emm and figure out what to do next. Find another place to hide, because we would never truly be rid of the problem .

This was just an MC. Magic or not, they couldn’t be that strong.

I felt my breath rise and fall faster and faster. I had tried to remain calm the whole time, but damn it, it all came to a head. Stress made my disease worse, and here I was, falling apart in front of all these strangers.

My heart sped up, and my body shook.

I should have called Emm. I should have told her what was happening. Why didn’t I fight more? They could be lying. Why did I just let them take us?

Abuela squeezed my hand. “Mija, look at me.” I shook my head, then screwed my eyes shut.

You’re weak. What do you mean, you’re tired? Can’t you do anything?

“Mija, come back to me. These people are not bad. Emm is safe. She’s with her soul mate—”

I blocked her out. I tightened my jaw, and my body tensed. The ache in my hips came back in full force. There she goes on about her soul mate again.

She always rambled on about that. She was insane .

The seat belt popped, and I was suddenly lifted. I tried to steady myself with my arms, and my eyes opened wide, but I was seeing double.

“Hey, hey, easy there, love. I’ve got you.”

That voice. Anaki had me on his lap, his arms wrapped around me, tightly, almost too tightly, but it was an embrace that caused instant ease.

“I don’t need your help,” I hissed. “I’m fine, I was just having a moment of clarity—”

“Yeah, that there are a bunch of scary monsters in the car, and now you are sitting on a dragon's lap.”

My face turned six shades of red.

Anaki’s hand went up to pet my hair. My eyes focused more clearly. I was damn embarrassed sitting on his lap, but when I looked around the car no one was paying attention to us. Abuela gazed out the window, Nadia held Bear’s hand, and Luis?

“Luis is fine, Mama. He’s reading,” Anaki whispered in my ear.

My eyes went wide, and I nestled further into his hold.

He did not just call me that.

“You can let go now,” I muttered and tried to pull away. “I’m fine.”

Anaki hummed, and I felt his head bob back and forth. “Don’t think you are, and that’s okay. I’m here for you. You aren’t alone anymore. No one in your family is. And you can say you don’t need a good hug right now. That’s fine, but really, I’m the one who needs a hug.” He sighed dramatically.

His tight hold loosened enough so I could get a good look at his face. His eyes weren’t glowing or shape-shifting into strange slits like a reptile. He appeared to be a regular man with that pantie-dropping smile.

I still didn’t know if I wanted to trust it or not, but I wouldn’t lie to myself and say being held by him wasn’t nice.

“Why would you need a hug?”

Anaki frowned and placed his hand on Nadia’s chair. “Nadia knows all about it. It's a terrible condition I have, really.” Nadia looked over her shoulder and rolled her eyes.

“Here we go,” she said.

Anaki held his head in shame. “I am… a cuddle slut.”

The car erupted into a fit of laughter, and automatically, I did the same. By the time the laughter was over, I didn’t feel the pain in my hips anymore, just the warmth where he held me.

“A cuddle slut?” I asked incredulously.

Anaki leaned back into the seat, getting comfortable. “When Nadia first came to the club, she was pretty sick. I’m Bear’s bestie, so of course we had movie nights, and of course, I was invited. ”

Bear scoffed, and I saw he shook his enormous head in front of me as he drove. “More like inserted himself, but it was welcomed.”

Anaki smirked. “Anyway, I like my cuddles. And Bear, being a bear, he was fun to curl up to, and Nadia, needing the warmth because at the time she was human and so small and fragile—”

“Hey!” Nadia glared at Anaki. They both stared-off at each other. “I liked it. I’m not gonna argue.”

I held back my laughter with a smile.

“As you see, I am a cuddle slut. Now that they are official, I don’t get the cuddles much anymore. I don’t need to piss off Bear’s bear.”

“Wait!” Luis unbuckled his seatbelt and sat on Abuela’s lap. “Nadia wasn’t a bear. You were a human before?”

Nadia turned around in her seat. “Yup, I was.”

“So cool,” Luis said. “Could I turn into a bear? Wait, I want to be a dragon!”

Anaki’s smile grew so wide, I thought his face would break.

I sat up straight when reality hit me that my son wanted to become a dragon. There was no way that was happening. How did it happen anyway? With a bite? Was it like legends of vampires?

“I don’t think so, mijo, you go sit back in your seat and buckle up!”

Luis groaned. “No fun, Mama.”

There was no way my son was getting a bite from a dragon. Before my body could tense again, I felt Anaki’s thumb run over my cheek.

I froze, feeling his hand so close to my face. I should have pushed him away. He was too close, touched too much, but the little fantasy in my head ate this up.

I couldn't resist as his touch enveloped my sore muscles in his warmth, it eased the ache and relaxed me.

Anaki chuckled. “Don’t worry. Luis isn’t going to get changed by a shifter or a vampire. Doesn’t work like that. Nadia and Bear fell in love, they are committed to each other, that’s why she changed.”