Not Nothing

Not Nothing
The door burst open. “It's not nothing. Get dressed,” Malcolm commands. “Come see for yourselves.”

Fuck, I feel his confusion, agitation, and arousal mixed with a bit of envy. Forcing them to share isn't fair to them.

Malcolm yells. “Stop!” Fuck, he's so close. So fast too. Yes, he's a vampire, but I didn't even blink. He lifts my chin with his finger so I can look at him. “Eyes here…only here. You aren't forcing anything. You are our mate, and every moment with you is a gift.”

“I felt it, though.”

Malcolm nods. “Because you're my mate. We feel what the other does because we are bound. Would I trade places with either of them? Yes.

That's what you felt.” He cupped my face in his large hands. “You felt my desire for you even with me holding it at bay. Soon, I will get my gift. Soon you shall have mine too.” Then he kissed me. It was packed full of fire, ice, and passion. Lust is there, but there's so much more. Nothing will ever be the same. “Now let's go.” He takes my dress from the chair and puts it on me. He picks me up, and the others follow in just their pants.

I can't see anything, no matter how hard I try. I guess vampires can, though.

“Shit, what did I run into?” Chase asks.

Trent chuckles. “Me.”

Chase laughs. “Sorry, I can't see much.”

Trent giggles. “Same.”

“Just stay close in the center of the hall,” Malcolm suggests.

“What l'm trying to do,” Trent replies.

Then we hear a crash and a vase shatter. “Damnit!” Chase exclaims.

“Mike, we owe you new decor!” We hear Trent yell.

Mike grumbles, “Just get to the living room in one piece.”

Malcolm takes charge. “Trent, put your hand on my shoulders. Chase, put yours on Trent, and let's go.”

“You can put me down,” I suggest.

Malcolm growls. “Not a chance.”

We finally made it to the living room. Mikey has lit some candles. Niko sighs. “It's about time.”

Chase roars. “Fuck off! You can see in complete darkness. Some of us fuucking can't!”

“What's going on?” I ask.

Eric lets out a breath. “That's what we are trying to figure out.”

I know that I am restating the obvious, but I am so confused right now. “Why is it so dark? Can't it magically be daylight like before?”

“No,” Mike growls.

“Why?”

Mike stares at me. “My magic isn't working right now.”

“Why?” 

He runs his hand over his face and sighs. “You.”

I clenched my fists. “I didn't do anything!”

Eric reaches for my hand. “Emma. He's not blaming you.”

“It sure sounds like it.” Malcolm sits me down. He nods to Eric.

Eric gently tugs on my hand. “Come with me.”

Niko warns, “Remember, don't step outside.”

Eric nods. “I'm aware of the limitations of our temporary wards. Now come, Emma.” He takes my hand that he is holding and intertwines our fingers. We go to the front door. He opens it, and it's silent. Dead silent, and there's no light anywhere.

“A blackout?”

Eric shakes his head. “More than that. Look up.” He moves to stand behind me and puts his arms around me.

“Where's the full moon and the stars? I don't see clouds either.”

Eric kisses the top of my head. “Exactly. Nothing but darkness.”

“But how?”

He shuts the door and spins me to face him. “I think you released something.”

“Like something evil?”

Eric shakes his head. “No.”

“But the darkness…”

“Did it feel evil to you?” he asks.

“No. Just odd,” I reply.

He cups my face in his hands. “I think you released energy. You let go.” My eyes widened.

“Emma…” He kissed me. It was light but packed with emotion. I can feel every ounce of his being. Every emotion, every nuance coursed between us. No secrets, no mask, and no guards either, just pure emotion. He pulls away and smiles. “Don't stop exploring.”

“But…”

“No, nothing bad will come. Don't you see?”

“See what?”

He opened the door. “Then look.”

I heard crickets chirping under a clear moonlit sky. “But how?”

Eric grins and says proudly, “We are yours, that's how. We are pieces of the same whole, Emma.

Come.” He shuts the door, and we walk back into the living room. Eric snaps his fingers, and the lamps turn back on. “All fixed.”

Malcolm asks, “What was it? We didn't listen in, so explain.”

Eric explains, “She let go and accepted the bond.

It released a magical emp if you will. It was temporarily disabled, and existing magic blanketed the area in her own protective blanket.”

“Holy shit!” Niko gasps.

“How did you restore it?” Chase asks.

Eric smiles. “I made her realize that we all fit.”

Trent sighs, “Love?”

I nod as I come to a huge realization. “You boys ground me.”

“So it is what we had discussed earlier?” Trent asks.

I nodded. “Your pace. Nothing changes concerning that,” Chase reassures.

Malcolm looks at me and then them. “Alright, so she tried to hide after acceptance kicked in.

Why the blanket?”

“I wasn't hiding.”

Malcolm looks into my eyes. “I can feel you. You did briefly because you thought you were sharing with Trent, and Chase wasn't fair to the rest of us or them.”

Chase gasps. “Emma.” Chase comes and hugs me. “Stop. What you are is amazing, and it is nearly as spectacular as who you are.”

Trent rubs my shoulders. “Love, we know and accept it all. You did too. Don't go backwards.”

They all crowd around Chase, Trent, and me.

They hold my hands or stroke my hair and back.

“This is our eternity,” Eric murmurs contentedly. 

Chase smiles, and it lights up my soul. “I love you, Emma.” Then he kisses me. I have no words. All I feel is love, something that I thought I would never feel after my mother died. But this love is different as it's everlasting. It's time that I let go and truly start to believe.

Just what did we do? I can't see anything, it's so dark.