TAL 10
The ride home was stressful, we were all tense, guarded, waiting for someone to attack us at any moment. It was a relief when Tor and the others joined us, I have never been as concerned about anyone as I am at this moment of Violet. I find myself thinking about everything, worrying about everything. When did I turn into this person? When did I become soft?
“What’s up brother?” I glance back to see Asger leaning against a tree. I was so distracted that I didn’t even sense him. Fuck, being mated screws with your mind.
“Nothing” I reply with a shrug
“Nothing, doesn’t leave you distracted.” He states as he pushes away from the tree and approaches.
“There is just so much to think about when mated,” I confess bringing my hand up to rub at my face. Violet is now sleeping in my bed, but I couldn’t sit there looking at her any longer thinking about all the things that I need to protect her from. I will go back soon as I don’t want her to wake up and I am gone.
“Well brother, I might be the wrong guy to talk to, but what I can tell you is that you think too much, you have always been an overthinker.” He slaps my shoulder, “don’t think about things that might never happen. Think of the risks before you, not the ones that might never materialize.” I grunt in reply, what if I can’t see all the risks before me, what if Violet gets hurt and I can’t prevent it?
“Tal,” he calls bringing my attention back to our conversation, “one bite at a time, you can’t eat the whole Elephant in one go.” I raise my brows in surprise at his statement.
“What the fuck did I miss, what do you mean the whole Elephant?” I am completely confused at his statement. Instead of explaining the asshole just grins and starts to walk away.
“Asger you asshole, what is that supposed to mean?” I should have known that he would be cryptic, Asger always talks in riddles. He doesn’t stop or say anything else as he continues to walk away. I lift my hand showing Asger’s back the finger. Even though he can’t see it, it makes me feel better.
I close my eyes, taking in a deep breath I enjoy the night air. The sounds all around me calming my rioting mind. I need to be near Violet, but my restlessness will awaken her. I want to find the motherfuckers that are after me, find the reason for their determined hunting of me. What could I possibly have that they need, I am the same as any other air bender, the same as every Elemental? Now that I am mated, I can’t afford to be looking over my shoulder all the time, I can’t afford for anything to touch Violet.
I sense Tor approaching knowing that he must have seen me outside on the security cameras. As our leader he can be relentless when one of us is in danger, but he can also be a real prick if he’s not happy with something that we have done. I know that the fact that I am being targeted has Tor on edge, that he doesn’t know who to kill must be doing his head in. Tor is not a patient man, not being able to find someone to make them pay for what was done will be working on his mind.
“What are you doing outside by yourself?” he asks before he even reaches me.
“I can protect myself Tor, I don’t need an escort,” I mutter
“That isn’t what I was asking, where is your mate?” I sigh, still not used to having anyone else in my life.
“She’s sleeping,” I reply knowing that Violet isn’t the reason why he would come outside to talk to me but waiting for whatever else he has to say.
“Struggling with the idea, are you?” I know that he is talking about me being mated. Tor is one that doesn’t like the idea of being mated, he loves to do everything in excess so a woman would impede his way of life. The fact that some of his men have found mates has already started to change the way he did some of the things, like his parties.
We had the best, wildest parties in the Cape Town Chapter. Since the mates arrived that the parties have been more subdued. I loved the parties, even Tor’s crazy extravagant way of living, but to be truthful I was feeling like there was something just out of my reach, something that was missing in my life. I know that all the Elementals feel like that until they find their mates, but it was relentless with me in the last decade. The peace that I feel within is unexplainable, I will rather feel like this than have all the parties and extravagant crazy gifts back.
“No, just struggling with all the risks to Violet.” I shake my head in irritation, “how am I supposed to protect her when we don’t know where the threat is coming from.” Tor huffs at my reply, his features tensed.
“Violet will be safe here.” He promises
“I know Tor, but how long will she need to stay inside?” I ask, “we don’t even know who to fucking kill for what they did.”
“That’s not exactly true, that is why I came out.” His words have me turning towards him, “Draco phoned, there is a lead that we are going to follow tomorrow.”
“Have you found them?” I enquire wanting to go out there now that Violet is here and safe and stop this threat that is over our heads.
“We found one of the Desperados, Burkhart and Eirik convinced him to part with information.” Tor’s tone suggests that the Desperado is no longer breathing. The Desperados have been a bone of contention with us. The are a Cape Town street gang that have been trafficking women, most of the women that they took were women with certain gifts that would be Elemental mates. We found a compound with kidnapped women, the scientists there were experimenting on them. Since then that we have attacked and closed all the compounds where they have taken women to. The asshole that is driving this is a millionaire Keres fucker.
“It looks like they have stopped the trafficking for now, but they have been asked to follow and inform them of our movements.” I raise a brow at Tor’s calm words. I know for a fact that him knowing that we are being watched must be working up a fury within him, a fury that if is set loose will take everything in its path.
“What is our move?” I ask
“Tomorrow we will go and visit a compound that has some of these new enhanced fuckers, we will find answers and we will kill the motherfuckers.” His eyes are hard, angry as he looks directly at me. “Are you ready for this?”
“Tor” I start to say, making sure that he realizes the drive I have now to find every one of them and kill them. I want to irradicate the world of anyone that can harm my Violet. “I want to kill everyone that was involved in my kidnapping,” my reply has him nodding in approval. He crosses his arms, the gold ring on his muscular forceps glistening in the moonlight. No matter how many centuries pass I think Tor will always carry his Viking ancestry with him.
“Good, be ready we are leaving early.” He warns starting to turn but then stopping. “Once this shit is all put to rest, we will have a mega party to celebrate you coming back and your bond.”
“Fuck no Tor,” my immediate reply has Tor chuckling as he starts making his way up towards the club. “Tor, seriously I want to keep Violet not have her running.”