Chapter 3
Chapter Three
Meadow stood on the far side of the room, still trying to digest everything the vampires had told her, when someone pounded on the door and said, “Let us in, Laurie and Joseph. Now.”
It was yet another male with a British accent. Why in the world would she dream of so many Brits? Yes, she loved the accents and often watched too many British dramas whenever she was in a reading slump. But everyone speaking with accents in a dream was definitely a first for her.
Laurie crossed the room, unlocked the door, and opened it. A slightly older and taller version of Laurie, with the same dark hair and brown eyes, pushed his way inside. His eyes finally found Meadow’s and widened.
But she barely had a chance to take in yet another vampire before a familiar voice asked, “Meadow? Is that really you?”
Yesenia? She searched until she found her older sister. She looked exactly the same, except for the weird shirt and skirt she was wearing.
Could she be real?
“Meadow?”
River pushed his way forward to stand next to Yesenia.
Was this real? Were they actually still alive?
They both opened their arms, and with a sob, Meadow ran across the room into Yesenia’s arms. River’s then engulfed them both.
As she hugged her sister tighter, tears streamed down her face. Oh, how she wanted this to be real. And yet, her siblings looked as if they hadn’t aged a day since the last time she saw them, over three years ago.
So this must be a dream.
Not knowing how long she had before she woke up, she moved an arm so she could do a three-way hug that included her brother.
For the first time in years, she felt a mixture of safety and happiness.
After at least a minute of Yesenia murmuring soothing words and River holding her close, River spoke up. “This isn’t a dream, Meadow. I promise.”
She leaned back a bit, until she could glance at her older brother. “But isn’t that what my dream brother would say, to make me feel better?”
“Maybe. Although we’ll convince you, eventually. If Yesenia could do it with me, about being in the past, we both can do it with you, too.”
“I want this to be real, and yet I can’t believe it.”
Yesenia smiled at her before plucking something from Meadow’s hair. She held it up. “Why are there leaves in your hair?”
She shook her head. “That doesn’t matter right now. You say I’m not dreaming, but how? I don’t understand.”
“Come,” Yesenia said. “Let’s sit down in the nearby parlor, and we can answer some of your questions, and you can answer ours, too. Because you look older, Meadow. What year is it for you?”
“2025.”
Yesenia closed her eyes, and then a tear trickled down her cheek. “I’m so sorry, Meadow, so very sorry that I couldn’t bring you from earlier. I thought I had gotten it right, but it seems I’m not as skilled as I thought I was.”
River placed a comforting hand on Yesenia’s shoulder. “You did the best you could, Senia. You know it.”
The older male who looked like Laurie grunted and put a hand on Yesenia’s lower back. “The fact you accomplished as much as you did in such a short time is brilliant, love. She’s here now, and that’s all that matters.”
A female Meadow hadn’t noticed at first, who looked a little like two of the males in the room, spoke up. “Come on. I think we all need to sit down, have some tea, and let Meadow ask her questions. I can answer one, though—My name is Nora, and I’m River’s wife.”
Meadow glanced at River, who shrugged. “It’s true. I’m hitched, and so is Yesenia. The scowling bastard is her husband, Leo. But don’t let his exterior fool you—he worships our sister.”
Her head spun, trying to take all of it in. Laurie spoke from just behind her. “Let’s go to the attached parlor. No one will disturb us, and we can nibble on cakes and tea.”
Joseph grunted, also nearby. “And you teased me for ordering the cart in the first place.”
“All right, all right, it was a good call. Now, let’s go into the parlor since this may take a while. And no, we’re not leaving yet, River. I can see you want us to, but Meadow will no doubt have questions for us, too. Besides, we can distract Leo and Nora, if necessary.”
Nora snorted. “I won’t be the problem. Leo might start barking orders, though.”
Leo grunted, but before anyone could say another word, Joseph and Laurie herded them into the attached room and ensured everyone sat down.
Meadow’s head spun as she took in the four people she didn’t know.
However, she sat on a sofa between Yesenia and River, and their presence eased a little of her anxiety, enough to keep her magic from spilling out.
And once her siblings each took a hand into their own, she slumped against the cushion behind her. “Is this real? Am I really in the past, with you both married, and me blooding two hot vampires?”
River drawled, “I wouldn’t exactly call them hot.”
Nora huffed. “That’s my brother you’re talking about. And Joseph is quite attractive.”
The male she’d deduced must be Leo jumped in. “Enough. Meadow needs a chance to ask some questions. We can tease and bicker and the like later.”
Yesenia motioned toward the male. “That’s Leo, my husband, and the vampire Dark Lord of London.
And yes, they still have lords in this time.
I suspect within the next few days, you’ll be meeting the fae witch Dark Lord, William Khan, as well.
He needs to grant permission for you to stay in the vampire territory. ”
Dark Lords? Territories? And who knew what else. Meadow’s head buzzed with questions, but she had no idea where to start.
However, her brother spoke before she could.
“I suspect Khan will want you to spend half the time with me and Nora—we live in the fae witch territory—and half with Yesenia and Leo. At least until you decide what to do about Joseph and Laurie.” He moved his gaze to the pair standing near the fireplace.
“Who’d better not fucking pressure you to do anything that you don’t want to do. ”
Both of the males merely raised their eyebrows.
But it was River’s wife—Meadow still couldn’t believe her brother was married—who spoke next.
“Can we stop with the threats for now? Meadow needs answers, and everyone talking at each other isn’t helping.
” The female, who had one blue eye and one green, smiled at her. “What do you wish to know, Meadow?”
Her heart pounded as she looked around the room, which was full of people wearing strange clothing. “So it’s true, then? I’m not dreaming and I’m really in the past?”
Yesenia nodded. “Yes, it’s true. I ended up here first, right before I was supposed to marry Derrick Yates. It turned out that I had magic the entire time, but no one knew how to look for it since time-wielding magic is rare.”
Her sister then went on to tell the story of blooding Leo, their bargain to help each other and part ways, at least until they’d fallen in love and gotten married.
River’s story had started out even worse, and Meadow had cried when she’d learned of him being beaten for months by Derrick Yates’ lackeys.
However, after he’d blooded Nora, she’d taken care of him.
And even though the female vampire had never wanted to marry, she’d ended up falling in love with River, too, and had married him.
By the time both of her siblings had finished, Meadow’s head hummed, and not just from the wine, either.
Even though there were plenty of emotions to unpack later, and even more questions to ask River and Yesenia when they were alone, she wanted some of the closeness she’d had with her siblings once.
And so when they finished their tales and asked what she’d been doing, she focused on something unrelated and blurted, “Wait, so if over three years have passed for me, then that means I’m older than River now, aren’t I? ”
River blinked. “What the fuck?”
“I’m nearly twenty-seven now.”
Something flickered in her older-yet-younger brother’s gaze. “Then yes, you’re older. So does that mean I can be the spoiled youngest? That would be amazing. You’ll have to do whatever I want, then.”
“I never asked you to do whatever I wanted!”
River smirked. “As a child, you were a little princess, Em. Don’t deny it.”
Her brother’s nickname for her—given because the first letter of her name was M—made her eyes heat with tears. She whispered, “I’ve missed you, River. So much. And Yesenia, too.”
As her brother pulled her into a hug and Yesenia stroked her hair—which she’d always done when Meadow was little—she closed her eyes.
Their love had always grounded her and made her feel safe.
And despite everything going on, and how her mind should be reeling from everything she’d learned, being close to her siblings relaxed her, and she slowly drifted off to sleep.
As Laurie watched River hold his sister as she slept, it took everything he had not to take her into his arms and cuddle her close.
He’d always yearned to take care of someone, to protect them, and to never let them get hurt.
Especially since he hadn’t been able to help his sister when she’d needed it most.
When he should’ve ignored his father’s threats and tried to rescue her from being a forced breeder before she entered her frozen state.
Joseph touched his lower back and whispered, “Not yet, Laurie. She needs her family right now.”
He looked at his friend. At the understanding in Joseph’s eyes, he asked softly, “Don’t you want to protect her, too?”
“Of course. But she’s not ready. Not yet.”
He knew Joseph was right. And yet, patience when it came to love and feelings and sex wasn’t one of Laurie’s strong points.
Joseph took his hand, squeezed, and released it. “I’ll handle this for us. You trust me, right?” He nodded. “Then let me talk to Leo.”
As Joseph went over to him, Nora came over to Laurie, took his hand, and asked, “What are you feeling right now? Everyone is concerned about Meadow, and rightly so, but it’s a shock for you, too.”