'I'm very sorry, Alexa', Wayne Farmer said as soon as he entered the room where she was busy packing hers and her children's clothes. 'Grandfather Farmer told me what happened last night. I can assure you it will never happen again!'
'Wayne!' Alexa shouted in surprise. 'When did you come back?'
'Early this morning!' he replied, hugging her.
'Uncle Wayne, we missed you!' the twins chorused, running to him for hugs.
'I wasn't expecting you for another two days at least!' she said.
'I finished my business earlier and felt there was no need staying back. So I hurried home to be with my favourite boy and girl!' he replied smiling first at Landon, then at Leigh and finally at Alexa. He hoped she could see how much he loved her.
'Well, we are not sticking around here anymore', she said, looking at him imploringly. 'I don't feel comfortable here anymore. Haven't since last night. What if I had been a moment late?' she asked shuddering at the fangs she had seen.
'I said I am sorry. It should never have happened!' Wayne repeated.
'So am I but I'm not sticking around to find out if it will or not!' she said, determined to go.
'But what grandpa said is the truth. I have often felt a kinship with you and your children. Are you sure you don't know if you are perhaps part vampire?' he asked sniffing.
'Stop it, Wayne!' she snapped. 'Are you planning on feeding on us as well?'
Wayne drew back, his hurt visible in his eyes. 'If I wanted to feed on you and your children, I had ample opportunity to do just that these past five years. Why should I do it now?'
'Perhaps because we are in your territory?' she asked, trying not to be affected by the hurt she saw in his eyes.
'Thanks for your confidence in me', he said. 'You forget that you were also in my territory, when we were abroad and there were times when you were vulnerable and I could have done as I pleased with you!'
'I'm sorry Wayne', she said, sincerely. 'It was my fear talking!'
'You have nothing to fear from me and as long as I am here, no one dares to harm you nor your children!' he said.
'Including from your powerful grandfather?' she asked.
'Especially from my powerful, grandfather!' he said, smiling at her.
Alexa sat back on the bed, heaving a sigh.
'Is it that bad?' he asked, 'The visit to your parents, that is'.
'Worse!: she said. She asked her children to go into her room. 'I want to speak with uncle Wayne!' she instructed and when they left, she continued. 'Turns out my mother was my father's mistress and I am an illegitimate child. My step mother endured my presence in her home only because of my father but any time he was not in, I bore the brunt of her anger for my mother since I was a continual reminder of her husband's mistake!'
'I see how it was!' Wayne said, nodding. 'You never suspected?'
'They guarded the secret well', she said. 'I only felt that my mother - sorry, step mother loved my siblings more and had often wondered why she treated me badly but I felt it must have been something I did and we always tried to impress her but I never succeeded!'
'Do what are you going to do now?' he asked.
'I shall visit my father again. I need to know more about my mother and why she abandoned me!'
'When do you plan on going?' he asked.
'I'll like to stay with my children today. Maybe tomorrow, maybe the day after that. There is no hurry. He isn't running away!' she said and he nodded. She didn't want to tell him about her encounter with Myles in the forest. Was that really his house or had he just come there to wait for her to appear like he insinuated? She realised that she also needed to speak with him and find out all he knew about her mother.
'About the father of these lovely pups, any news?' he asked.
'I was more interested in knowing more about my roots than anything else yesterday', she said, shaking her head disgustedly. 'Yet, I made a mess of even that because I was too emotional and impatient to hear the people involved out once the news of my illegitimacy was broken to me'.
'Like you said, there's no rush', he said cuddling her close, his hands on her shoulder. 'You can always go back there when you have your emotions in control. Who wouldn't be flustered if such news was broken to them without warning?', he asked smiling into her eyes. I wish you would allow me love you the way I want to, he thought desperately. 'So no need to be too hard on yourself!'
The closeness was strangely comforting and Alexa rested her head on Wayne's shoulders as they sat on the bed.
Wayne could hardly breathe, he wanted to push her into the bed and get her naked in record time. He let out his breath and it rushed out with a whizzing sound.
Alexa was suddenly alarmed, Wayne was gripping her shoulders too tightly, she looked up into his eyes and what she saw caused her to catch her breath. No, it couldn't be!
Seeing the shock in her eyes, Wayne quickly removed his hands from her shoulder and stood, straightening his shirt and then his trousers.
'Wayne?' Alexa started, not knowing exactly what to say.
'Alexa', he said, 'concentrate your effort on your search. Do not pay any attention to me. Do you think you are the only person who can be emotional?' he asked, hoping to divert her from whatever she saw on his eyes and the meaning she may have read from it. 'I worry about you a lot!' he added by way of explanation.
Alexa heaved a sigh. That must be it. For a moment there, she had thought that Wayne might be in love with her but thank goddess it was not like that at all. She was so grateful that it was not what she thought that she flung her arms round Wayne's neck.
'Thank you so much for caring and worrying about me and the pups', she said. 'You don't really have to do that, worry about me, that is'.
Wayne stayed rigid, his body tense and hands by his side but he tentatively lifted his arms and circled them round her back, praying he would not lose it again. She looked up into his eyes and smiled and he smiled back, wistfully. 'Oh, Alexa, what will I do with you?' he thought disconsolately.