Chapter 19
On Wednesday morning, I was packed and ready to go. Bryce said he had the flight and car rental covered. We headed out to the garage and I got into the Land Rover with Mason, Carter, and Harrison. Chase and Bryce rode to the airport in Chase’s Aston Martin. I had only been at the airport once, when I arrived for school in August, but could have sworn it had been in the opposite direction.
“Mason, are you going the right way?” I asked. “I thought the airport was the other way.”
“Yes, we are not going to the regular airport. We are heading to the private one. I guess we forgot to tell you that we chartered a private plane for our trip,” Mason answered.
“What? You guys have a private plane, too?”
“No, we just chartered one. We don’t actually own it,” Carter answered.
“Oh, you just chartered one. You guys know I don’t like when you spend so much money on me. The birthday gifts were all over the top and now you are flying me privately to my hometown?”
“Yep, now get over it,” Harrison said with a smile and a wink.
“Whatever. You really shouldn’t spend this much just for me,” I grumbled. They all laugh and we continued toward the private airport.
Once we were on the plane, everyone strapped in and we took off. A pretty stewardess came around asking if anyone wanted a refreshment. I asked for a water and sat back, trying to relax. The closer we got, the more nervous I became. My mom seemed okay with me bringing five guys, but maybe she’d just been in shock. I had no idea how my dad was going to react.
“Don’t look so nervous, Bre. It’ll be fine. Parents love us!” Carter said.
I knew my parents would like them, but it had to seem strange to them. The only friend I had ever really had was Callie and now I was bringing home five men. I wasn’t sure how to explain the guys to them. I certainly couldn’t let them know anything about Elementals or that I was in a relationship with all five of them. They would never understand that. Which led me to the question, where did I come from?
“Uh, guys. I know my mom is my mom, but she isn’t an Elemental. At least, I don’t think she is. So how can I be what I am?”
“I’ve been looking into it,” Chase said. “There is something strange going on with your mother’s history. I can trace her life all the way back, but there is something suspicious about the information I found from her childhood until six months before you were born.”
“What do you mean by ‘strange’?” I asked.
“The information I found has school transcripts dating all the way back to elementary school, but I can’t find one yearbook that has her in it. I also can’t find any information on her parents; it’s like they don’t exist. There are names on her birth certificate, but I cannot find anything about them.”
“What does that mean?” I asked.
“The only answer I can come up with is that the information is fake. Someone created information to hide where she actually was right up until she was three months pregnant with you.”
“Why would someone do that?” Harrison asked, reading my mind.
“I don’t know for sure, but there could be any number of reasons. She is an Elemental and had to get away from the community for some reason. She might have been in an abusive relationship. She could be an Animal Elemental and had a relationship with one of the other four types of Elementals. She could have taken you from your real parents. It could be any number of reasons. The only real way to find out is to ask her,” Chase answered.
“I can’t imagine her not telling me what I am if she knew. She saw how hard it was for me growing up being different and she never said anything. She is a wonderful mother and I really can’t see her not helping me if she could have,” I said. Something wasn’t right. She and I looked like sisters, so she had to be my mom. But the guys said that both parents have to be Elemental for them to have an Elemental child, so who was my father? Was he abusive and she left for our safety? If that’s the case, then why didn’t she teach me? Why did she let me struggle my entire life? And who were my grandparents? She never talked about them, either. The more I thought about it, the more questions I had. I wouldn’t jump to conclusions until I could talk to her, but thinking about it made me even more nervous to go home.
Carter gently bumped my shoulder and took my hand. He kissed the back of my hand and squeezed, “It will be okay, no matter what. Don’t stress about the things you can’t control. No matter what we find out, we will be here for you and we will get through it.”
Carter was the most in tune with my emotions and always made me feel better. I leaned into him, put my head on his shoulder, and took a deep breath. “Thank you.”
I must have dozed off, because the next thing I knew, we were landing. My heart started to race and I felt like I might throw up. Get it together, Bre! You dealt with learning you are a supernatural with gifts, fought demons, and are in a relationship with five men. Seeing your parents who love you will be easy. Breathe.
I took a deep breath and grabbed my things to disembark. At the bottom of the stairs of the plane were two cars, both black Escalades. “Do we have private security, too? Good grief!” I said.
“These are the only cars that would fit all of us and our stuff,” Bryce said.
“We look like foreign diplomats coming to Allendale to meet with the President,” I said. All five of them laughed at my statement. We got into the cars and took off; I was in the car with Chase and Bryce this time. My mom had offered to pick us up, but since there were so many of us, it was smarter to have cars waiting. Thank goodness. I wasn’t sure what she would have thought about the private plane. Bryce was driving and using GPS to navigate to my house. My stomach was churning in anticipation. After an agonizing thirty-minute drive, we arrived at my childhood home. My mom was standing on the front porch of our blue Cape Cod-style house. I had always loved this house. Callie and I spent a lot of time here over the years. I was pretty sure she’d spent more time here than she did at her own house. Thinking of her and seeing my mom brought tears to my eyes. I really missed Callie and my mom. My mom ran to me and wrapped me in a huge bear hug.
“My sweet girl. I missed you so much! I am so glad you are home,” she said while squeezing me tight. I missed these hugs and sank into her. We stayed that way for a little while and then I remembered the guys. I stepped back a little and saw tears in her eyes.
“I missed you, too, Mom. It is so great to see you,” I said.
She wiped her eyes and said, “Well, introduce me to your friends.” I looked over to the guys and they all looked a little stiff. I guess they were nervous about meeting their bonded’s mom.
“Mom, this is Bryce, Chase, Mason, Carter, and Harrison. Guys, this is my mom Kerin.”
Each of the guys walked up to my mom and shook her hand. Bryce, ever the leader, said, “Thank you for having us. We have never celebrated Thanksgiving, but are really excited to. Please let us know what we can do to help. We know that adding five more is a lot. Harrison over there is a great cook and would love to help in the kitchen.”
“Absolutely, anything you need, I am at your disposal,” Harrison said.
“Wow, thank you. Harrison, I’ll take you up on that,” Mom said. “Well, let’s get your things, Bre, and go inside. I have some snacks set out in case you are hungry.” Chase grabbed my bags from the car and carried them in. “Just put them by the stairs and we can take them up later. Boys, I have water, tea, soda, and coffee. What would you like?” The guys all opted for water. Mom pointed to the family room, “Please make yourselves at home while Bre and I get the refreshments.”
We disappeared into the kitchen while the guys sat down in the family room. Well, this was when I would find out what she really thought. My stomach was in knots and I started sweating. Breathe, Bre. Breathe.
“Let’s stick these in the oven to warm them up,” Mom said, motioning to the cute little hors d’oeuvres she had sitting on the counter. I giggled to myself that the guys would knock those out in a matter of seconds. Luckily, I saw a cheese and fruit tray, chips and salsa. While she was getting the waters, I placed the tray in the oven. “So, Bre, you didn’t tell me that your new friends were such large and handsome men. How old are they?”
Blushing, I replied, “Bryce is 21. Chase is 20. Mason is 20. Harrison is 21 and Carter is 19.”
“Well, I have to admit, they are not what I pictured.” I concentrated really hard on the oven, so I didn’t make eye contact with her. “Are they all in school at Appalachian State?”
“Yes, Bryce and Harrison are in their last year, Chase and Mason are juniors, and Carter is a sophomore.”
“So, if none of them are freshman, how did you meet them?” she questioned.
“Just around campus.” I answered as short and general as possible. We should have figured all of this out before coming here.
“Oh. It’s just… Now, I’m not saying I’m not glad you made friends, but it used to be just you and Callie. I find it a little strange that you are good enough friends with these boys to bring them home. You have never been friends with any boys and now you bring five of them home.”
“What can I say? We really hit it off. They are really nice and I enjoy hanging out with them.”
“But none of them are your boyfriend?”
“No, we are all just good friends.”
Laughing, she said, “Unless you start dating one of them, I doubt you will ever have a boyfriend. I can’t imagine any guy being bold enough to come up to you with them around. I like them even more now!” I started laughing, too, because she was right. Since they were all really my boyfriends, though, it didn’t matter. “Those should be done,” she said while pointing at the oven. I grabbed a hot hand and pulled them out. She got a serving platter down from the cabinet and we placed the hors d’oeuvres on it. After we were finished, she gave me a one-armed hug and a kiss on the forehead, “Well, you do seem happy and if they have anything to do with it, I approve of them.”
Carter and Harrison poked their heads around the kitchen doorway and offered to help carry refreshments into the family room. We made our way down the hall with the snacks and placed them on the coffee table. All of the guys thanked my mom for going out of her way and then they dug in. Within minutes, everything was gone and Carter and Harrison were in the kitchen washing everything up. “I could get used to this! Since Bre went to school, I have to wash all the dishes. Boyd is absolutely no help in the kitchen at all,” Mom said. Once they were finished, Carter and Harrison came back in to sit with us. Mom looked at Carter and asked, “Have we met before? You seem really familiar.” All of the guys immediately stiffened and looked to Carter.
“I don’t think so. Maybe we ran into each other when Bre was moving in?” Carter suggested.
“No, I didn’t move Bre in. She flew there by herself and we mailed all of her belongings. You just really seem familiar. Come to think of it, all of you seem familiar, like we have met before,” Mom said.
I started to panic and looked to Bryce. “Now that you say that, you look familiar, too. Have you ever lived in Nova Scotia?” he replied.
“No, I’ve never even been there. Is that where you are from?” Mom asked. I’m glad he said that, because we had never discussed where they were from.
“Yes, we all grew up there together and decided to go to University here in the states together. I think we might stay here indefinitely and just visit our homeland from time to time. We really love North Carolina.”
Just as my mom was about to comment, my dad walked in. “Deda!” My nickname for my dad was Deda. When I was really young, I liked to say things backwards and would call him Deda instead of Daddy. I ran over to him and jumped into his arms.
He hugged me tight and said, “Munchkin, I’ve missed you so much!” He let me down and looked over the room and my guys.
“Deda, this is Carter, Mason, Harrison, Bryce, and Chase. They are my friends from school. Guys, this is my dad Boyd Hunter.” Each of them stood and walked over to my dad to shake hands with him.
Again, Bryce spoke for everyone, “Sir, thank you for allowing us to share in your holiday. We really appreciate your hospitality.”
My dad shook each of their hands and replied, “You are most welcome. Please, sit down so we can all talk.” I got a little nervous now. “So men, how did you meet my Bre?” That’s my dad, never one to beat around the bush.
Bryce spoke first, “Chase met her first. They were both in the library studying and it became late so he offered to walk her back to her dorm. Boone is a great town, but it never hurts to be careful. The rest of us met her the next day on campus and we all became friends.”
My dad looked at me, unsure. “I thought we talked about not walking around on campus after dark.”
“We did and I don’t. I fell asleep while studying and the next thing I know, it’s ten o’clock and they were closing. Luckily, Chase was walking out at the same time and offered to walk me home.”
“Well, I am glad there are still chivalrous men out there looking after my Bre. Thank you, Chase,” my dad said. I relaxed a little until he started asking more questions. “So, what are you each studying at App State? What are your plans for after school?”
Carter spoke up first, “I plan to become a veterinarian, so I am majoring in Biology.”
Bryce answered next, “I am in my last year of undergrad, majoring in Sustainable Development and plan to start The Cratis D. Williams Graduate School next fall majoring in the Environmental and Conservation program.”
“I am majoring in Computer Science and plan to get my graduate degree in Engineering. I am still working toward exactly what I want to do with it, but I am leaning toward work in Civil Engineering,” Chase answered. I didn’t know that; funny what you can learn when you ask.
Mason answered, “I plan to get my doctorate in Educational Leadership eventually. I am planning on finishing a year early with an undergraduate degree in Leadership and Education Studies first. I would like to become a professor.”
“And I am one semester away from my undergraduate degree in Physics. I am still debating on what graduate degree I want to pursue. I can’t decide between Mathematical Sciences and International Business,” Harrison answered.
Both my dad’s and mom’s mouths were hanging open at their answers. My guys were both sexy and smart. My face beamed, I was so proud of them. I looked to my dad and he closed his mouth. “Well, that is great to hear, boys. Looks like Bre hooked up with some smart and motivated friends. I am glad she ran into you, Chase. It makes me feel better knowing she has friends like you looking out for her since she is so far away from us.”
“Well, I can now breathe a sigh of relief. Thank you for looking out for our little girl,” my mom said.
Looked like they both like the guys, so I breathed my own sigh of relief. “Mr. and Mrs. Hunter, thank you for your hospitality. We should go and get checked into the hotel. We know you want to spend time with Bre alone, but we would love to take you out to dinner tonight as a thank you for having us. I hear there is a really great restaurant one town over, Jean Luc’s Steakhouse.”
“Oh no, Bryce, that is really expensive. We only go there on special occasions,” Mom replied.
“It’s fine. We want to do something special for you, since you are going to be working so hard tomorrow. Please allow us to do this for you. Plus, tomorrow is Bre’s birthday, so it is a special occasion.”
Mom looked to my dad and he nodded, “Okay, Jean Luc’s it is,” Mom said.
“Great, we will meet you there at seven o’clock if that works,” Bryce replied.
“Seven it is. Thank you, Bryce. That is really nice of you,” Mom answered. The guys got up to leave and I offered to walk them out.
Once we were outside and out of earshot, I asked, “What was all the ‘you seem familiar’ talk?”
“Your mom is an Elemental. I can’t tell what kind, but she is definitely an Elemental,” Bryce said.
My heart dropped. How could she be an Elemental? I had never seen her do anything out of the ordinary. And how could she not have told me? I’d had such a hard time before the guys taught me what I was and what I could do. How could she have let me struggle like that my entire life? I started to get angry and then felt sad and let down. How could she have done this to me?
Carter walked up and wrapped an arm around my shoulders, “Bre, you don’t know why she did what she did. Don’t jump to conclusions until you know the entire truth. Your mom loves you and would never do anything to hurt you. Let’s find out what happened before you get upset with her. Let Chase see what he can find first and if he can’t find anything, you can talk to her.”
Harrison came up on my other side and took my hand, “I agree, you can tell she loves you more than anything. Let Chase do what he does and we will go from there. Tomorrow is your birthday, so forget about all of this and just enjoy being with your family.”
“That’s easier said than done, but I will try. I know you’re right, she does love me. I just don’t understand. If she knows about Elementals, why she would let me struggle my entire life and not explain it to me?”
“I will figure this out, Bre,” Chase said.
Each of the guys hugged me and got into the cars to drive to the hotel. I watched them drive away, wishing I was going with them. Suck it up, Bre. Chase will figure this out. I walked back inside to sit with my parents in the family room, and tried my best to relax.
“We really like your friends, Bre. They seem like great young men,” my dad said.
“Thanks, they’ve made my first semester a lot easier. I can’t imagine being there without them.”
“So, none of them are your boyfriend?” Mom asked.
“No, we are all just friends.”
“Well, maybe one day!” Mom said. “Do you want to go unpack and rest for a little while before dinner?”
“Yes, I am a little tired.” I went up to my room with my bag and flopped onto my bed. My mind was swirling with questions. I tried to relax and not think about it, so instead I think back to the night of my birthday dinner.
I woke up in the middle of the night with Bryce lying beside me in my bed. I must have fallen asleep on the way home. I looked at him sleeping peacefully and thought about the first time I met him. He was so sweet and wanted so badly to help me. I really couldn’t imagine what my life would be like without him. Bryce opened his eyes and looked at me, “Hey, beautiful. Everything okay?” he asked in a husky voice. “Yes, I just woke up and was admiring the handsome man in my bed.” He smiled at me and ran a finger down the side of my face. I stared into his eyes until I swore I was lost. He leaned forward and lightly brushed his lips over mine. He kissed me so softly that I barely felt it. Slowly, he ran his tongue over my lips and my entire body heated up. Then, his tongue slid into my mouth and found mine. He slowly tangled his tongue with mine until I was aching all over. I ran my fingers through his hair and pulled him closer. I needed him closer. He deepened the kiss and I still wanted more. He propped himself up on one elbow and slid the other hand down my arm to my hip. His hand squeezed my hip, then cupped my ass and pulled me flush against him. I could feel his excitement and it made me even hotter. He pulled back from my mouth and started kissing and licking down my neck. I arched my back to give him better access and because I couldn’t help it. My heart was racing and my entire body was on fire. He slid his body down a little, but still pressed against me, kissing from my neck down to my chest. He looked up at me, asking permission, and I nodded. He lifted my shirt and began kissing my stomach. His tongue created swirls around my belly button as he lightly pushed me onto my back. He continued to kiss and lick my stomach as he lifted my shirt over my head. He looked at me and smiled with those dimples, saying, “You are the most beautiful girl I have ever seen, and I am the luckiest man in the world to be bonded to you. Let me show you how much you mean to me.” Again, I nodded and he unclasped my bra, completely removing it. My chest was bare in front of a man for the first time, but I didn’t feel nervous or embarrassed. I felt wonderful and loved. Using one finger, he lightly traced circles around my breasts and my nipples hardened immediately. He looked into my eyes and leaned in for another kiss. As he kissed me, he enclosed my breast in his hand and squeezed. I moaned into his mouth. He backed away from my mouth again and I was about to pull his head back to me when he lowered his head to the other breast. He licked in circles around my nipple and then brought it into his mouth and sucked. I arched my back off the bed in a raging heat. What he was doing felt so good, but I needed more. “Bryce, please.” He knew exactly what I needed; the hand that was around my breast slid down my stomach to undo the buttons on my pants. I was in a haze of want and needed him to move faster. He finally got them undone while moving his mouth to my other breast. My hands were in his hair, pulling him tighter to me. He slid his hand under my pants and panties to find them soaked. He slid one finger inside of me and then slowly back out. I needed him to go faster, so I placed my hand on top of his and forced him to move quicker. He kept that up for a minute, then added another finger and I immediately broke apart. I arched my back as my first-ever orgasm exploded through my body.
Bryce got one of my firsts and man was it a great first. I laid in my childhood bed and was hot from thinking about that night. I wished one of them was here now. Instead, I cooled myself down with a shower and got ready for dinner.