Branded Page 4

  I search Frank’s face for a resemblance to his younger brother. They both have dark eyes and dark hair, but that’s about it. Frank is at least three inches taller than Elliott and looks like he spends every waking hour in the gym. He has no visible tattoos and doesn’t look like the kind of guy who would grow his hair out. I can’t tell if he has dimples like Elliott because he hasn’t smiled yet. Based on his current demeanor, I won’t hold my breath.

  “They call him Tank,” Chloe chimes in from behind us.

  We all turn to look at her. She holds her place by the steps, defiance in her eyes.

  Frank walks over to her. “Are you Chloe?”

  Frank makes my sister look like Tinkerbell. I am terrified of these three men, but per her usual, Chloe is unfazed.

  “I am,” she answers.

  “I need to see it,” Frank says.

  The two men behind him step closer.

  “Well, that’s awfully forward of you Tank.” Chloe smirks. Already messing with him.

  “Chloe…” Dad warns.

  “Your brand. I need to see it,” Frank repeats.

  Chloe rolls her eyes and takes off her shirt. She turns around and shows Frank the beautiful white hawk on her back. The man in blue gasps, but regains his composure when the man in green elbows him in the rib cage.

  Frank’s eyes gleam as he stares at the tattoo. “May I touch it?”

  Chloe looks over her right shoulder. “Double checking your brother’s work?”

  I have no idea what she means, but Frank does. “You can never be too careful.”

  “Have at it,” Chloe tells him.

  Frank steps forward and places his fingertips on Chloe’s back. She stiffens when he trails his hands down her skin.

  “Is Frank a Reader too?” I whisper to my mom.

  “Sure looks like it,” she murmurs back.

  Chloe stands awkwardly as Frank presses his palms flat on her back. Frank closes his eyes as his hands remain motionless. After a moment, he steps back.

  “You can put your shirt on,” he tells Chloe.

  Elliott shifts his weight. “What do you think?”

  “You’re right. She’s our next Verhena.”

  Elliott, who’d been holding his breath while Frank read Chloe’s skin, looks relieved. Chloe looks crestfallen.

  Frank turns to my parents. “Sorry if I’ve been rude. As Elliott mentioned, my name is Frank.” He points to the man in the blue shirt. “This is Thomas.” Then he points to the man in the green shirt. “And this is Matthew.”

  Matthew is a mountain of a man. His bulkiness reminds me of Goldberg, a wrestler we used to watch on TV when we were kids. Despite his straight face, his blue eyes are kind.

  Thomas is tall like the other two, but leaner. His big brown eyes look at nothing, but see everything at the same time.

  Dad steps forward and shakes all of their hands. “My name is Steven. This is my wife Fran. You’ve already met our daughter Chloe.” Dad puts his hand on my shoulder as he continues. “And this is Chloe’s twin sister Chelsea. Elliott gave her a dove today.”

  I momentarily shrivel when the three men turn to me, but relax as soon as they turn their attention back to Chloe.

  “Steven, is there a place my men and I can speak with Elliott privately?” Frank asks.

  Dad nods. “Absolutely. Let me show you to my office in the basement.”

  “Well that’s rude,” Chloe complains when the men have exited the room. “They’re supposed to be here for me, then they convene by themselves.”

  Mom laughs. “Magical or not, all men have their faults.”

  “You know they’re talking about me,” Chloe huffs.

  “Of course they are,” Mom says with zero doubt.

  Mom walks behind Chloe, places her hands on Chloe’s shoulders, and pushes Chloe along to the kitchen. “Let them have their powwow. Let them think they’re in charge. Then you can crash the party and show them who’s boss. In the meantime, let’s get something to eat.”

  Chloe and I sit at the kitchen table while Mom whips up some pancakes.

  Trying to cheer Chloe up, I say, “I don’t think you have to worry about your safety around those guys.”

  She shrugs her shoulders. “Werewolves can tear a man limb from limb, even if those limbs are huge.”

  Mom drops her spatula on the floor. “Chloe!”

  “Just sayin’,” she responds with her casual nonchalance.

  Visions of Barbara Sheep cornered in a dark alley flow through my mind. I shiver.

  Mom brings over a big plate of pancakes, steam slowly rising off of them. “Dig in.”

  We do as told and fill our plates. I haven’t eaten anything since breakfast and I’m starving.

  “You know,” I say between bites, “the guy in blue looks a lot like Jason Mamoa. Am I right?”

  Chloe’s eyes light up. “Ohhh, you’re right! He does have that dark and mysterious thing going on.”

  “You can be his Khaleesi,” I joke.

  “What is a Khaleesi?” Mom asks.

  “It’s from Game of Thrones,” I explain.

  Chloe puts more syrup on her pancakes. “The guy in green looks like the Incredible Hulk.”

  We giggle.

  “I bet he looks good when his shirt rips open too,” Mom says with a grin.

  “Mom!” Chloe protests. “Gross!”

  Mom winks. “Just sayin’.”

  Before we can go any further with our assessment of the Guard, Dad walks into the kitchen.

  “Frank wants to see you,” Dad tells Chloe. When he notices our plates, he asks, “Leave any pancakes for me?”

  Chloe slides her plate toward Dad. “Why can’t they come in here?”

  Dad takes Chloe’s fork and sits down. “They want to talk with you privately.”

  Chloe pushes her chair away from the table, a scowl on her face. “Let’s go Chelsea.”

  My parents turn to look at me.

  “What? They want you Chloe. Not me.”

  “I don’t care what they want. You’re coming with me.”

  I hesitate, but Chloe is insistent.

  “I’m not going down there without you. Let’s go.”

  ---

  Chloe

  Seeing these big men crammed in my father’s office is comical. Frank occupies my dad’s seat behind the desk and is flanked by Matthew and Thomas. Elliott is sitting in one of the two chairs across from Dad’s desk.

  When we walk in, Elliott jumps up and offers Chelsea his seat.

  I give him a quick smile. Such a gentleman. I put my big girl face on when I sit down across from Frank.

  “We need to speak with you privately,” Frank says as he watches Chelsea take a seat.

  “Anything you have to tell me, you can tell my sister.”

  “No,” he answers.

  “I’ll just…” Chelsea starts to get up, but I put my hand on her arm.

  “Sit Chelsea,” I say softly to her. I turn back to Frank and harden my tone. “My sister stays, or I go.”

  Frank’s jaw tightens. “This is confidential information. We cannot have any third parties in here. In fact,” he turns to Elliott, “you need to leave as well.”

  Elliott shrugs. “Alright, I’ll be upstairs.” He winks at me as he leaves the room. My heart flutters.

  Frank ruins the moment. “Don’t think for a second I don’t know what’s going on between you two.” Frank is using his booming voice again.

  I roll my eyes.

  Chelsea leans over. “What’s going on between you and Elliott?”

  “Nothing,” I whisper back. “I’ll tell you later.”

  “Your sister needs to leave,” Frank interrupts.

  “She’s not leaving.”

  For a second I think Frank is going to slam his fist on the desk. He’d probably break it in half if he did. “Enough of this. Chelsea, go.”

  “I told you. If she goes, I go,” I repeat.

  “What don’t you understa
nd?” he asks irritated.

  “What don’t you understand?” I shoot back. Before he can respond, I continue. “This is my house. This is my future. You are here to protect me. If I say I want my sister here, she stays here. If you can’t handle that, then you and the other Under Armour models can leave.”

  Frank crosses his arms over his chest. “So that’s how it’s going to be, huh? You’re taking charge?”

  I smile. “Yes, I am. If I tell you to jump, you jump. Right?”

  I think I’m being a badass, but quickly regret being snarky when Matthew shifts his weight and Thomas frowns. Neither pleased with my attitude.

  Frank sighs. “We’re here for your protection. I don’t think you understand how important it is for you to remain anonymous for a while. No one can know about your brand.”

  “I get it. I don’t want you to think I’m going to be a pain in your ass, but I need my sister here. I will follow your advice. I will do what you tell me to do, but Chelsea is with me. Always.”

  Frank leans back in his chair. “Fine. Every Verhena has an adviser. Chelsea can be yours.”

  Chelsea and I exchange looks. She shrugs her shoulders. “Sure. Why not?”

  With that issue resolved, Frank moves on. “Who knows about your brand?”

  “My parents, Elliott, you guys and our coven leader.”

  “Who is your coven leader?” Frank asks, brow furrowed.

  “Samantha.”

  He relaxes. “Ah, Samantha. She’s a good leader.”

  Chelsea and I say, “Yes, she is,” in unison.

  A small smile crosses Frank’s lips. As quickly as it appears, it is gone. “No one else?”

  “No, but we have to tell Chelsea’s boyfriend Rory.”

  Chelsea gives me a grateful look. It would be incredibly difficult for her to keep this from Rory. They tell each other everything.

  Frank is frowning. “Why?”

  “Rory is practically family. He will know something is up.”

  “And you trust him?”

  “Completely,” I answer without hesitation.

  Frank rubs his chin. “Let me run a background check. If it comes back clear, you can tell him.”

  I nod. “Sounds fair.”

  “We need to talk about the coming weeks and how to keep you safe,” Frank continues. “It’s going to be months, years really, until your powers have matured. Even then, you’re going to want our protection.”

  This is all too much. I can hardly think past tonight, let alone the amount of security I may or may not need for the rest of my life.

  “You are scheduled to leave for Leviston in a couple weeks. We intend to follow you there and set up a security detail.”

  I’m surprised when Chelsea interrupts. It’s not like her. “Chloe can still go to Leviston?”

  “Yes.”

  “Is that safe for her?”

  “It will be before she gets there.”

  Chelsea’s eyes are intense. “How? How can you keep her safe at Leviston?”

  Frank shifts his weight, disarmed by my usually sweet-tempered sister’s change in attitude. I myself am almost brought to tears by her concern. If the situation were reversed, I would be pushing Frank just as hard.

  “We already had a plan in place,” Frank explains. “It was no secret a new Verhena would be branded in the next year or so.”

  “Because of Barbara?” I ask.

  Frank, like Elliott, grimaces. “Yes, because of Barbara. Our current Verhena is getting older and is ready for her replacement. We all thought it would be Barbara, but obviously that came to a bad end.”

  I can’t help myself and ask something I probably shouldn’t. “Were you in charge of guarding her?”

  Frank shakes his head. “We weren’t, but other members of the Guard were.”

  “What happened?” Chelsea asks, her eyes no longer burning holes through Frank.

  “As Chloe pointed out earlier, while the Guard is here to protect the Verhena, she can do as she pleases. I think a part of it was a false sense of security. We haven’t had any trouble with the wolves in years. Barbara didn’t think she was vulnerable. It’s my understanding she insisted on going out to a bar. When she got there, she climbed out of the bar’s bathroom window and into the alley.”

  “Falling right into the hands of werewolves,” I finish.

  “Exactly.”

  We are all quiet for a minute.

  “I don’t want this,” I finally say to no one in particular.

  Chelsea reaches out her hand and gives mine a quick squeeze.

  “Too bad,” Frank says, zero pity in his voice. “You are the next Verhena. You have to live up to that privilege.”

  “She will,” Chelsea promises. “She just needs time. We all do.”

  Frank is unmoved. “I understand everyone is upset, but we don’t have time to wallow in whatever angst you feel. We have to be prepared at all times.”

  I don’t like his tone with Chelsea, or the smug expression on his face.

  “Yeah, and are we prepared now?” I ask, pissed off. “Wolves could be outside my door as we speak.”

  “They’re not,” Matthew says, face emotionless.

  I shoot him a look. “How do you know?”

  “I’ve been patrolling your house for a week. No wolves here.”

  My mouth drops open. “A week?”

  Frank nods. “We patrol and investigate the homes of all girls before their Branding Day. If the wolves are following Elliott waiting for the next Verhena, we’ll be ready.”

  I sit back in my chair. I’ve been watched for a whole week and didn’t know it. Should I be impressed or creeped out?

  “No wolves are aware, at least not yet, that Chloe is the next Verhena?” Chelsea asks.

  “Correct. We have not seen, or heard, from any wolves since Barbara’s attack.”

  “Maybe they’re not as smart as you think they are,” I speculate.

  “Possibly, but we can’t make that assumption. It’s true Barbara was an easy target, the whole world knew who she was and she wasn’t careful. On the other hand, the wolves attacking her is a clear indication they are coming after us,” Frank reasons.

  I don’t like the thought of werewolves stalking me. “I thought their leader insisted they don’t mean us any harm.”

  “He has. However, it seems the leader’s son may be going his own way and trying to take over the pack.”

  Chelsea sighs. “He thinks if he can defeat us, he will win loyalty.”

  “Exactly right,” Frank confirms.

  The thought of a werewolf/witch war terrifies me. Especially if I’ll be the leader of this mess in a few years.

  “What do we do now?” I ask.

  “Go on about your life as if you received a black hawk tattoo. You will go to Leviston next month just as you would if you were not the Verhena. It is critical you appear to be a normal witch attending her first year of school. You cannot stand out in any way.”

  “How am I safe at Leviston? The werewolves know we go to school there.”

  “Leviston has strong wards against the wolves. They’ve been in place for years. Even if the wolves get through the wards, there are guards everywhere on campus. We can discreetly increase our numbers while you are there.”

  “Will she have personal security?” Chelsea asks.

  “Not exactly.” Frank shifts his weight. “We…” he gestures to Matthew and Thomas, “will be on campus with you. We will take positions as teachers in the physical training facilities. Not everyone knows this, but members of the Guard begin their initial training at Leviston as well. We will go through your training as seamlessly, and invisibly, as possible.”

  “What about the extra stuff I’ll need to know as the Verhena?”

  Frank smiles. “We’ll have it covered.”

  “Will I meet the Verhena?”

  “Not yet. We can’t risk it right now. The wolves could be watching her.”

  “What am I suppose
d to do until it’s time to leave for Leviston?”

  Frank shrugs. “What are your plans for the rest of the summer?”

  I frown. “We were supposed to go to Jones Beach and spend some time on Long Island, but I guess that’s out.”

  Chelsea turns to me, surprised. “Why?”

  “I can’t go to the beach with this tattoo on my back.”

  Understanding sets in. “Oh…” Chelsea’s disappointed face mirrors my own. We planned this trip months ago. A last hoorah with our friends from high school. We were really looking forward to it.

  I frown at Frank. “I’m homebound, aren’t I?”

  “Not necessarily. You can run errands, go to the mall, etcetera. But we’ll be with you. Maybe not right next to you, but with you.”

  “What about her security while she’s home? Will someone be staying with us?” Chelsea asks.

  Matthew raises his hand. “I will. I look the most like your family.”

  I smile. “I guess you’ll be my cousin on steroids?”

  He smiles back. “Something like that.”

  Frank throws Matthew a stern look. “This is serious business. You are not here for fun.”

  Matthew clears his throat. “Sorry Frank.”

  Frank turns back to me. “I need you to promise me you won’t do anything stupid or careless.”

  I huff. “I’m twenty years old. By definition I’ll do something stupid or careless. I just won’t do anything that puts my life at risk.”

  This placates him. “Fine. We’ll work out the details with your parents.” Frank stands, my cue to leave.

  Frank’s voice stops me before I reach the door. “Oh…and Chloe?”

  I turn around. “Yes?”

  “No personal calls with my brother.”

  “What?” I demand. How did he know I planned to get Elliott’s number?

  “It’s possible my brother is being watched. You two can’t have a personal connection.”

  “So what if he is being watched? He’s not allowed to date me? What difference would it make to the wolves?”

  “It may not make a difference to the wolves, but it makes a difference to me.”

  “I can’t have a boyfriend?”

  “You can, but you shouldn’t.”

  This is too much. He has no right to dictate my personal life like this. “Are you serious?” I hiss.

  Frank crosses his arms over his broad chest. “Think it through Chloe. If the wolves find out you are the Verhena, the first person they’ll go after is my brother, or any other guy you decide to date.”