Post by Thea on Jul 23, 2022 5:17:28 GMT -5
Jewel and Nathaniel
Tired would be an understatement for how she was feeling right now.
It wasn’t really a physical kind of tired. It was more of a mental drainage. A spiritual lethargy that weighed on her as if she were Atlas, holding the entire world on her shoulders. There was no ailment that kept her from getting into her car at the end of her shift at the Infirmary, but her brain refused to send a message to her hand to open the door. For what felt like hours, though was only for a few minutes, she was a statue, staring blankly into her front seat.
She didn’t want to go home.
It was going to be empty when she got there. Hallie and Dimitri opted to stay in France – Hallie because she found herself to be the next bearer for the Eye of Solomon, and Demi because he was following her great-uncle’s Alchemic footsteps. When they would be home, she wasn’t sure. Would they come home? She didn’t want to think about it. Jewel didn’t want to be too dramatic, but with her oldest not speaking to her at all, and Thea being away most of the time with the Guild, she couldn’t bear to think that Hallie and Demi wouldn’t be coming back to her at all. The other half of her quads did come back, however, and she was grateful for that. But they weren’t home either. Lucian was with his uncles. And Jasper?
Oh, Jas…
Tears came to her eyes unbidden as she thought of her gentle giant and his mate, whom she had considered a bonus daughter. The image of Jasper coming back to the estate, eyes dark and haunted, looking at his family as if at any moment they would vanish too, would forever be branded into her mind. How he had just murmured, “She’s gone,” before breaking down into sobs.
With a shaky sigh, she wrenched open her door and threw herself into the car.
The drive home was long. From the center of the New Dawn to the center of the Nightstar was filled with gravel roads and twisting pavement. It wouldn’t have taken her so long to get home if she was in her truck (oh, how she missed that thing) since it was higher up off the ground and had tires that were made for rough terrain. The near two hours getting home usually didn’t bother her, but tonight, it did. She was stuck thinking about all that happened in France, from her daughter becoming a future vampire queen to Jade’s disappearance and everything in-between including Nathaniel’s newfound heritage. And let’s not forget her own dilemma, where she killed – killed – people and somehow unlocked some mysterious foreign power within herself that was completely different than what she’s seen Sarah and Felicity pull off. She’d like to ask Felicity if she knew, or Queen Laina if it had something to do with the magic that came from her books.
If she remembered when she got home, she’d write them letters.
Finally, she pulled into her driveway, looking out into the yard briefly with a small smile. Just last month they held a cookout for everyone in the pack, bringing the Nightstar tradition back life. Seeing everyone, even some New Dawn members, laughing and cutting up had given her a sense of pack that she’s never really felt before. But witnessing Andy’s face? The way it lit up with such childlike glee as he went around and did his usual jokester ways? It was a wonderful sight. He gave his all to the Nightstar before their resurrection and after, even as a lot of the Nightstar parted ways. The gorilla-shifter had been so serious lately, so morose. Jewel wondered if he missed the way things used to be like she did.
“Maybe I can make something for him and bring it to his office,” she mused, though shook her head no. “He’d prolly croak from my cooking. Ooh, but Aves gave me her banana pudding recipe.” Shuffling the work she brought home to one arm, she fished the keys from her purse and made quick work of getting inside. “Wonder what she’s doing tomorrow. I could call her and the others. Have a brunch or something.”
She could call Gem too. Ever since she found out, and then recovered her memory of, being one of three triplets, Gem and Thorn have been very adamant about growing a relationship with her. At first, she was hesitant, being reminded of her own relationship with Lupita and how her younger brother (also named Thorn) had died along with most of her birth pack. But soon, she started warming up to them. Thorn was in another country, holding down the fort at her grandfather’s new pack, but that didn’t stop him from calling her every now and again to catch up.
Just recently she found out that they were feeling the same way as she was. How every night their wolves would rake at them to let them out, riding them until they finally succumbed to the demands of their animal sides. Like Jewel, they had never had any trouble living alongside their wolves. Something had changed. The Head Healer thought that it was because of her trip to Drethinov, but if her siblings were also having issues it must be something else. She needed to tell them what happened in France with herself, but it was late (6 p.m. wasn’t that late, but she didn’t care). She didn’t know what time it was where Thorn was, and Gem might be out right now with Aiden. She’d call them tomorrow.
Up in the bedroom she shared with her husband, she made quick work with her winding-down routine. Shower, towel dry hair, face cleaning. Then she picked out one of Nathaniel’s shirts to wear for the rest of the night and called him with the face time option.
It was after midnight in France, yet she knew with such confidence that Nathaniel would pick up. He’s rarely ever missed her phone calls. The ones he did he would end up calling her a few minutes later, always reminding her that he was never too busy to talk to his Darling Doc, either by words or by actions. She loved him for it.
She didn’t have to wait long; after the second ring, her mate’s face appeared on the screen, hazel eyes narrowed mischievously as he gave her his trademark smirk. “Hello, gorgeous. I miss you.”
He always greeted her like this, even when he was otherwise preoccupied. And every time it made a smile come across her face, regardless of what mood she was in. Her chest ached, however, and she wished that he was there with her. Or she with him. This is the first time that they’d been away from each other since they got married. Day three of him not sleeping beside her and she was “going through it”, to quote her youngest. “Hey, handsome. I miss you too.”
For a few moments, they stared at each other, conveying to each other just how much they would give anything in the world right now to be right there where the other was. Kissing, holding, cuddling. Anything.
Nate broke the silence first: “How was your day?”
Jewel shrugged her shoulders. “It was all right. Pretty slow, all things considered. I just had my regular patients come in to get their prescriptions renewed. What about you? Have you spoken with the Court yet? Or is it tomorrow?”
“Actually,” he replied, his eyes flicking up briefly to check the time on his phone before coming back to rest on her face, “I will be within a few hours. Despite my attempts to persuade them to see me as soon as you and the kids left. And you know how persuasive I can be.” He dropped his voice an octave, slowing his words to his seductive tone. A shiver went down the woman’s spine, an immediate response as she closed her eyes and imagined him whispering it into her ear.
“Mmm, yes I know, my love.” By now, she was in the kitchen in search of dinner. Nathaniel was the one that cooked, and on the nights that she had to stay late at the Infirmary, he would have leftovers of what he cooked nuked and ready for her to consume, staying up with her until they went to bed together. She didn’t get to have that luxury tonight, as all the food that was to go bad while they were gone was already thrown out. She didn’t have time to go grocery shopping either so what was left after her children raided the cabinets when they got home was slim pickings. “I’m sure with your charm you will sweep them off their feet, though. Don’t get discouraged just yet.”
“Oh, my Darling Doctor, I wouldn’t dream of it.”
The married couple talked all the way through her microwaved potpie dinner, speaking in loving tones and unspoken promises of what they would do when they were together again. During that time Jewel drank two glasses of her favorite Moscato, and Nate showed off the tailored gray suit he would be wearing to his appointment, smiling as his wife gave her vocal approval. “My biggest cheerleader.” They relayed what was going on with their children, and Jewel vented her frustrations with Jade’s parents and their blasé attitude when she told them that she had gone missing again, to which she swears, “I know they know what actually happened to her. They were too okay with it.”
When she set her glass in the sink and threw her trash away, she made her way back up the stairs to their bedroom and laid down on Nathaniel’s side of their luxurious king bed. After being away for so long, his scent was faint. Given her heightened sense of smell, even for a shifter, she could still smell him. Add the face time call, and she could believe that he was right here with her, their legs entwined and with her head on his chest as he stroked her back.
“Are you going to sleep on me, baby?” Nathaniel teased, his eyes crinkling once more. “It’s not even eight over there yet.”
She chuckled before nodding slowly. She moved a little to use her pillow to prop her phone up so that she could use her arms to give the pillow more support. After the night of the vampire invasion, her wolf wasn’t raging at her to go running. It was as if the killings had sated the animal. She wasn’t sure what that meant for her, but she did know that the dreams had stopped too. At least, she hoped. “I’m gonna call it a night early. You’ve got that meeting soon and I don’t want to be reminded that I’m in a house by myself.”
She’s always hated being alone. Maybe it was the wolf within her, not wanting to feel this. Or maybe it was because she was all too familiar with a vacant house, and what that had meant before she married Nathaniel. Logically, her husband and children would never abandon her like her ex-mate and sister had. And she knew that Thea was safe. But after all these years, she still hated the lonesome quality of a quiet home.
“Oh, darling,” Nate murmured on a sigh. “You’re breaking my heart.”
“I’m sorry.” She watched the screen in front of her as Nathaniel moved around the room until he was lying on their bed back in France, suit and shoes included as he burrowed himself under the blanket. Despite her melancholy, she couldn’t help her small smile. She knew he was trying to cheer her up, making it look like they were in the same bed together – it was working.
“Don’t say that to me,” Nathaniel pleaded, closing his eyes and shaking his head once before looking at her once more. “Ever. You have no reason to be sorry and you never will with me. You should know this by now, honestly.” At that, she rolled her eyes. He continued, “I’m changing my flight home to next week.” He ignored her protests as he continued on, “I’ll send you the itinerary so that you can pick me up, so be sure to wear your best dress. The one with the keyhole in the front – it gives me reason to stare at your breasts. And wear your hair up so that I can take it down when we get back to the house. In the meantime, I’m going to have Avery, Penny and X move in temporarily to keep you company.”
“What about Timothy?” Jewel was finally able to speak up, raising a brow. “You can’t move his whole family out of their house just because I’m lonely, Mr. Bossy Pants.”
“Thank you, I’ll take that as a compliment. Killian nor Ruby know it yet, but Timothy and they will be helping protect our little girl from any blood-thirsty fuckers that dare cause harm to her pretty little head. Timothy just so happened to snag the soonest flight to Paris and should be out here in a jiffy.”
With an exaggerated groan, she buried her head into his pillow, not bothering to hide the inhale she took to pull his scent deep into her lungs, threading it into her very soul. Leave it to Nathaniel to rally the troops on such short notice.
“And,” he said, nodding sagely and ignoring her not-really-heartfelt protest. “I’ve already filled Andy in on what happened, including about Jade, and promised to keep him posted on the meeting tonight. Ventia too, so you don’t have to worry about it.”
She turned her head to look back at her mate, who had an accomplished look on his face. His cheeky smile went from ear to ear, and his eyes sparkled with a “see how good I did?” warmth. “You’ve thought of everything. And here I am –“
“Being a good Head Healer for both packs, as is your job,” he interrupted, giving her a “don’t be a party pooper” look. “And you’re damn good at it.”
The love she felt for him swelled in her chest, getting bigger and bigger like there was a balloon in her ribcage. He knew that at her core, she was a provider. A protector. Right now, there was nothing more that she wanted than to be in France right now, staying right with Hallie as she found herself in a situation that she was unsure of, to say the least, wearing a ring that was kill-worthy, and made her a large target. But she also had duties here that couldn’t be shirked. That she didn’t want to shirk. One thing Jewel was not was a deserter. And she would never abandon her packs.
Hearing her husband reassure her eased her worries. “I love you. So much.”
“I love you too. Now go to sleep. I’m right here with you.”
Tired would be an understatement for how she was feeling right now.
It wasn’t really a physical kind of tired. It was more of a mental drainage. A spiritual lethargy that weighed on her as if she were Atlas, holding the entire world on her shoulders. There was no ailment that kept her from getting into her car at the end of her shift at the Infirmary, but her brain refused to send a message to her hand to open the door. For what felt like hours, though was only for a few minutes, she was a statue, staring blankly into her front seat.
She didn’t want to go home.
It was going to be empty when she got there. Hallie and Dimitri opted to stay in France – Hallie because she found herself to be the next bearer for the Eye of Solomon, and Demi because he was following her great-uncle’s Alchemic footsteps. When they would be home, she wasn’t sure. Would they come home? She didn’t want to think about it. Jewel didn’t want to be too dramatic, but with her oldest not speaking to her at all, and Thea being away most of the time with the Guild, she couldn’t bear to think that Hallie and Demi wouldn’t be coming back to her at all. The other half of her quads did come back, however, and she was grateful for that. But they weren’t home either. Lucian was with his uncles. And Jasper?
Oh, Jas…
Tears came to her eyes unbidden as she thought of her gentle giant and his mate, whom she had considered a bonus daughter. The image of Jasper coming back to the estate, eyes dark and haunted, looking at his family as if at any moment they would vanish too, would forever be branded into her mind. How he had just murmured, “She’s gone,” before breaking down into sobs.
With a shaky sigh, she wrenched open her door and threw herself into the car.
The drive home was long. From the center of the New Dawn to the center of the Nightstar was filled with gravel roads and twisting pavement. It wouldn’t have taken her so long to get home if she was in her truck (oh, how she missed that thing) since it was higher up off the ground and had tires that were made for rough terrain. The near two hours getting home usually didn’t bother her, but tonight, it did. She was stuck thinking about all that happened in France, from her daughter becoming a future vampire queen to Jade’s disappearance and everything in-between including Nathaniel’s newfound heritage. And let’s not forget her own dilemma, where she killed – killed – people and somehow unlocked some mysterious foreign power within herself that was completely different than what she’s seen Sarah and Felicity pull off. She’d like to ask Felicity if she knew, or Queen Laina if it had something to do with the magic that came from her books.
If she remembered when she got home, she’d write them letters.
Finally, she pulled into her driveway, looking out into the yard briefly with a small smile. Just last month they held a cookout for everyone in the pack, bringing the Nightstar tradition back life. Seeing everyone, even some New Dawn members, laughing and cutting up had given her a sense of pack that she’s never really felt before. But witnessing Andy’s face? The way it lit up with such childlike glee as he went around and did his usual jokester ways? It was a wonderful sight. He gave his all to the Nightstar before their resurrection and after, even as a lot of the Nightstar parted ways. The gorilla-shifter had been so serious lately, so morose. Jewel wondered if he missed the way things used to be like she did.
“Maybe I can make something for him and bring it to his office,” she mused, though shook her head no. “He’d prolly croak from my cooking. Ooh, but Aves gave me her banana pudding recipe.” Shuffling the work she brought home to one arm, she fished the keys from her purse and made quick work of getting inside. “Wonder what she’s doing tomorrow. I could call her and the others. Have a brunch or something.”
She could call Gem too. Ever since she found out, and then recovered her memory of, being one of three triplets, Gem and Thorn have been very adamant about growing a relationship with her. At first, she was hesitant, being reminded of her own relationship with Lupita and how her younger brother (also named Thorn) had died along with most of her birth pack. But soon, she started warming up to them. Thorn was in another country, holding down the fort at her grandfather’s new pack, but that didn’t stop him from calling her every now and again to catch up.
Just recently she found out that they were feeling the same way as she was. How every night their wolves would rake at them to let them out, riding them until they finally succumbed to the demands of their animal sides. Like Jewel, they had never had any trouble living alongside their wolves. Something had changed. The Head Healer thought that it was because of her trip to Drethinov, but if her siblings were also having issues it must be something else. She needed to tell them what happened in France with herself, but it was late (6 p.m. wasn’t that late, but she didn’t care). She didn’t know what time it was where Thorn was, and Gem might be out right now with Aiden. She’d call them tomorrow.
Speaking of calling…
It was after midnight in France, yet she knew with such confidence that Nathaniel would pick up. He’s rarely ever missed her phone calls. The ones he did he would end up calling her a few minutes later, always reminding her that he was never too busy to talk to his Darling Doc, either by words or by actions. She loved him for it.
She didn’t have to wait long; after the second ring, her mate’s face appeared on the screen, hazel eyes narrowed mischievously as he gave her his trademark smirk. “Hello, gorgeous. I miss you.”
He always greeted her like this, even when he was otherwise preoccupied. And every time it made a smile come across her face, regardless of what mood she was in. Her chest ached, however, and she wished that he was there with her. Or she with him. This is the first time that they’d been away from each other since they got married. Day three of him not sleeping beside her and she was “going through it”, to quote her youngest. “Hey, handsome. I miss you too.”
For a few moments, they stared at each other, conveying to each other just how much they would give anything in the world right now to be right there where the other was. Kissing, holding, cuddling. Anything.
Nate broke the silence first: “How was your day?”
Jewel shrugged her shoulders. “It was all right. Pretty slow, all things considered. I just had my regular patients come in to get their prescriptions renewed. What about you? Have you spoken with the Court yet? Or is it tomorrow?”
“Actually,” he replied, his eyes flicking up briefly to check the time on his phone before coming back to rest on her face, “I will be within a few hours. Despite my attempts to persuade them to see me as soon as you and the kids left. And you know how persuasive I can be.” He dropped his voice an octave, slowing his words to his seductive tone. A shiver went down the woman’s spine, an immediate response as she closed her eyes and imagined him whispering it into her ear.
All this time and he still had such an effect on her.
“Oh, my Darling Doctor, I wouldn’t dream of it.”
The married couple talked all the way through her microwaved potpie dinner, speaking in loving tones and unspoken promises of what they would do when they were together again. During that time Jewel drank two glasses of her favorite Moscato, and Nate showed off the tailored gray suit he would be wearing to his appointment, smiling as his wife gave her vocal approval. “My biggest cheerleader.” They relayed what was going on with their children, and Jewel vented her frustrations with Jade’s parents and their blasé attitude when she told them that she had gone missing again, to which she swears, “I know they know what actually happened to her. They were too okay with it.”
When she set her glass in the sink and threw her trash away, she made her way back up the stairs to their bedroom and laid down on Nathaniel’s side of their luxurious king bed. After being away for so long, his scent was faint. Given her heightened sense of smell, even for a shifter, she could still smell him. Add the face time call, and she could believe that he was right here with her, their legs entwined and with her head on his chest as he stroked her back.
“Are you going to sleep on me, baby?” Nathaniel teased, his eyes crinkling once more. “It’s not even eight over there yet.”
She chuckled before nodding slowly. She moved a little to use her pillow to prop her phone up so that she could use her arms to give the pillow more support. After the night of the vampire invasion, her wolf wasn’t raging at her to go running. It was as if the killings had sated the animal. She wasn’t sure what that meant for her, but she did know that the dreams had stopped too. At least, she hoped. “I’m gonna call it a night early. You’ve got that meeting soon and I don’t want to be reminded that I’m in a house by myself.”
She’s always hated being alone. Maybe it was the wolf within her, not wanting to feel this. Or maybe it was because she was all too familiar with a vacant house, and what that had meant before she married Nathaniel. Logically, her husband and children would never abandon her like her ex-mate and sister had. And she knew that Thea was safe. But after all these years, she still hated the lonesome quality of a quiet home.
“Oh, darling,” Nate murmured on a sigh. “You’re breaking my heart.”
“I’m sorry.” She watched the screen in front of her as Nathaniel moved around the room until he was lying on their bed back in France, suit and shoes included as he burrowed himself under the blanket. Despite her melancholy, she couldn’t help her small smile. She knew he was trying to cheer her up, making it look like they were in the same bed together – it was working.
“Don’t say that to me,” Nathaniel pleaded, closing his eyes and shaking his head once before looking at her once more. “Ever. You have no reason to be sorry and you never will with me. You should know this by now, honestly.” At that, she rolled her eyes. He continued, “I’m changing my flight home to next week.” He ignored her protests as he continued on, “I’ll send you the itinerary so that you can pick me up, so be sure to wear your best dress. The one with the keyhole in the front – it gives me reason to stare at your breasts. And wear your hair up so that I can take it down when we get back to the house. In the meantime, I’m going to have Avery, Penny and X move in temporarily to keep you company.”
“What about Timothy?” Jewel was finally able to speak up, raising a brow. “You can’t move his whole family out of their house just because I’m lonely, Mr. Bossy Pants.”
“Thank you, I’ll take that as a compliment. Killian nor Ruby know it yet, but Timothy and they will be helping protect our little girl from any blood-thirsty fuckers that dare cause harm to her pretty little head. Timothy just so happened to snag the soonest flight to Paris and should be out here in a jiffy.”
With an exaggerated groan, she buried her head into his pillow, not bothering to hide the inhale she took to pull his scent deep into her lungs, threading it into her very soul. Leave it to Nathaniel to rally the troops on such short notice.
“And,” he said, nodding sagely and ignoring her not-really-heartfelt protest. “I’ve already filled Andy in on what happened, including about Jade, and promised to keep him posted on the meeting tonight. Ventia too, so you don’t have to worry about it.”
She turned her head to look back at her mate, who had an accomplished look on his face. His cheeky smile went from ear to ear, and his eyes sparkled with a “see how good I did?” warmth. “You’ve thought of everything. And here I am –“
“Being a good Head Healer for both packs, as is your job,” he interrupted, giving her a “don’t be a party pooper” look. “And you’re damn good at it.”
The love she felt for him swelled in her chest, getting bigger and bigger like there was a balloon in her ribcage. He knew that at her core, she was a provider. A protector. Right now, there was nothing more that she wanted than to be in France right now, staying right with Hallie as she found herself in a situation that she was unsure of, to say the least, wearing a ring that was kill-worthy, and made her a large target. But she also had duties here that couldn’t be shirked. That she didn’t want to shirk. One thing Jewel was not was a deserter. And she would never abandon her packs.
Hearing her husband reassure her eased her worries. “I love you. So much.”
“I love you too. Now go to sleep. I’m right here with you.”