Rolling over I sit up about the same time as LJ’s fox pushes the door to my room open with her pointy nose, it's dark in the room but the night light from the hall acts as a halo around her light fur. She pads quietly across the room to me and sits down in front of me. She cocks her head and assesses me and I whisper, “What are you doing in here, girl? Shouldn’t you be with LJ?”
Her answer is to move closer to me and lower her head and I reach out to stroke her forehead and ears, she croons and leans into my touch. Just having Cara sitting beside me letting me pet her has the ability to relax me. Laying back down, I’m surprised when Cara hops up on the bed beside me. Putting all of my thoughts aside I settle down and soon drift off to sleep with LJ’s fox snuggled up next to me.
Iwake to find Cara licking my face and I’m startled to see that LJ is asleep on the other side of her fox, not only that, but there is definitely someone in the house downstairs. Cara is useless, you would think that she would be more like a dog and bark or something to alert us of an intruder, but no, she’s as content as she can be. She hops off the bed, noses the door open, and makes her way down the hall, her nails clicking on the hardwood floor as she goes. The last thing I see is her golden blonde bushy tail as she rounds the corner. I slip out of bed and pull on my jeans. I’m about halfway down the stairs when I realize that no one can enter this property without permission or without being escorted. Which means… Hellfire and brimstone, I bet I’m about to run into LJ’s brother. Slowing my pace, I find two dark-haired males and two females talking quietly as they go about throwing together what looks like brunch as they unpack a large basket that’s overladen with food. I decide to observe and wait for them to notice me.
I don’t have to wait long. The male with the exact same hair color as LJ turns and sees me casually leaning against the doorjamb, damn but he looks like the spitting image of their father, without the beard. He puts aside what he’s doing and stalks toward me, the room grows silent and I can tell he's pissed.
He glares at me and pins me with a murderous look before saying, “The only reason my fist has not connected with your jaw is because my sister was fully clothed when I finally located her. Who the hell are you and why the hell is she in the bed that you occupied last night? How do you know my sister?”
Casually, I push away from the wall and hold my hands up in a submissive gesture, “I see your parents failed to mention to you that I’m going to help LJ run down as much information on the New Raven Order as we can before she accompanies me to The Underworld.”
“What the hell are you talking about? What’s the New Raven Order? Let’s get one thing straight, I’m Lillie’s brother and her Guardian. Where she goes, I go, and I’ll be damned if I allow her to step foot in The Underworld with the likes of you.” Everyone in the room has grown still with his declaration, you could hear a pin drop.
I step forward, my demon ready to come out and play. A growl issues from my lips, when I hear LJ come up behind me. She lays a calming hand on my back as she comes around to my side and quietly says to me, “Dax, let me,” then, turning to her brother, she continues, “Lachlan, you need to stand down. You’re out of line. Is that any way to greet a guest that I have brought into this house? Besides, you said you would respect my wishes on this. I do not consider your attitude, respecting my wishes. How dare you threaten Daxell. He’s my guest.”
Lachlan is pissed, his blue eyes glittering in anger, “What the hell, Lillie? What were you doing in his bed?”
She glowers at him and says, “I have never once butted my nose into your personal affairs and I would appreciate the same respect from you. Not that its any of your business, but Cara left me at some point in the night to go snuggle with Dax. I missed her and went looking for her, I didn’t wake either of them when I crawled into their bed and went back to sleep. Nothing happened. I will stress this one last time… I do not answer to you, dear brother.” She’s beyond angry and her eyes are flashing, daring her brother to force the issue.
The silence in the room is deafening. I take a moment to try to figure out who all the players in the room are. Lachlan is her twin. One of the females looks to be her younger sister, her coloring is the same as their mother’s and her features are so similar to LJ’s it’s spooky, the other two are a bit of a mystery. The male is half-elven and half-human, but so much more and then there is the enchanting sprite, but she too is a half-breed… like me. I’m not alone here, and I almost stagger under the realization that for the first time in my life I’m not the only half-breed in the room.
LJ is quick to continue, “If you are all hellbent on acting before you get to know Dax, then you’re welcome to leave. Don’t let the door hit ya where the good lord split ya.”
“Lillie,” Lachlan starts looking reproachful.
“No, Lach, you don’t get to act like your behavior this morning is
