Part Eleven:
 

Rating: PG-13
 

At eight ‘o clock the 1960s Thunderbird pulled into the gravel driveway of a two story house that was obviously under construction. Tarp and paint cans were scattered on the wraparound porch, and there was a ladder on the front lawn.

Lund and Sage were still on the road in the Corvette. Gabriel waved to them and they drove off.

Ash vaulted out of the backseat of the convertible and started up the walkway to the house that had belonged to his aunt. Arianna and Gabriel got out of the car and followed him.

Ash walked gingerly up the steps, watching where he put his feet. He didn’t hesitate at the front door, though, and walked right through. Behind him, Arianna found herself looking into a living room full of people watching TV, some of whom she recognized.

Kestrel, one of Ash’s sisters, was sitting on a new sofa next to a boy with black hair and dark eyes. When they heard the door open, they jumped up. Kestrel’s eyes turned yellow and she hissed, a purely reptilian sound. The boy beside her growled and bared his teeth.

On a loveseat, two more people tensed and got to their feet. One, a girl, had shoulder-length, pale blond hair. Her companion, a boy with shiny dark brown hair and bright blue eyes, put a protective arm around her.

Kestrel took in the scene. She felt her fangs retract as her mouth dropped open. Her eyes returned to their normal amber color.

The two from the loveseat relaxed, and the girl sat back down. Kestrel glared at the newcomers, but only the Mediterranean-looking boy with dark hair and eyes remained defensive.

Ash looked slightly stunned and greatly annoyed. He looked at the growling boy in disbelief.

“Who the hell are you?” he asked. Then, addressing no one in particular, he inquired loudly, “Will someone please tell me what the hell a werewolf is doing in my house?”

“It’s not your house, damn it!” Kestrel yelled. She put a restraining arm on the boy beside her. “It’s okay, Jax,” she said. “It’s just my brother.” Speaking to Ash, she said, “Ash, this is Jackal Anubis, my soulmate.”

Ash looked like he was about to go into a coma. He was pale, and his eyes were such a light gray they looked almost silver.

Arianna took his hand and squeezed it. He looked at her, startled. He’d forgotten she was there.

Jade, the girl with the pale blond hair, saw Ash looking at someone, and, curious as a kitten, got up to investigate. Once Arianna was in her line of vision, Ash’s youngest sister shrieked happily, making everyone in the room jump.

“Arianna!” she cried out. Kestrel noticed her, too, and her eyes widened. Both girls went running to Arianna as she stepped into the room. Her last thought was that the TV was still on, and then she was hit by a whirlwind as the two blond girls jumped her and gave her a fierce hug.

“My God, how long has it been?” Kestrel asked, pulling back.

“More than two years,” Arianna answered. She fingered a lock of Jade’s white blond hair. “I love the haircut,” she said. “You can’t hide behind it anymore, and it makes you look a lot older.”

Jade nodded. “Mark convinced me to chop it all off.” She pointed to the blue-eyed boy. “He’s my boyfriend.”

Both boys looked uncertain of what to do or say. Jax was still looking at Ash warily, and Mark seemed a little uncomfortable at being the only human in a room full of Night people.

“Well, it seems we all have significant others,” Arianna said. She pulled Gabriel into the house. The expression he wore would have scared small children and some animals. Put down your hackles, Gabe, Arianna sent. Aloud, she said, “This is Gabriel, my soulmate. He’s a witch.”

“Mark’s a human,” Jade informed her, although it was painfully obvious.

“He’s also Mary-Lynnette’s brother,” Ash said. “Which brings us to-”

“What’s going on down here?” A soft, gentle voice said. Rowan, Ash’s older sister, seemed to be floating down the stairs. Following her was a tall boy with mahogany hair, light brown eyes, and clean-cut, Roman features.

Ash looked very stressed out. He threw his hands in the air before he yelled, “And who the hell is this?”