Welcome to Wednesday Briefs! It's flash fiction, so this story will be presented in 1000(ish)-word chapters. I hope you enjoy it, and check out the many other flashers, whose links are below. You can also check out the Wednesday Briefs Blog for more info and to sign up for email notifications.
Thanks for reading!
Thanks for reading!
THE BOYS OF BELSMEADE
Chapter Fourteen
"What the fuck, Air? You could have killed us!" The absurdity of the exclamation hit me just seconds after I'd said it. Aramis laughed loudly and I glared. "Asshole. You know what I meant. Will you please slow down?"
"Anything for you," he replied, slowing to fifty miles an hour. "I think this is the slowest I've ever driven in this car."
"A hundred-thousand-dollar fucking car," I mumbled.
"No room for fucking in here, I'm afraid. Why don't you get some sleep? I promise, no more speeding until the highway." He turned on the radio to a quiet techno track.
"Just don't blame me if I throw up." The hum of the engine and the trance-like song lulled me to sleep.
"Anything for you," he replied, slowing to fifty miles an hour. "I think this is the slowest I've ever driven in this car."
"A hundred-thousand-dollar fucking car," I mumbled.
"No room for fucking in here, I'm afraid. Why don't you get some sleep? I promise, no more speeding until the highway." He turned on the radio to a quiet techno track.
"Just don't blame me if I throw up." The hum of the engine and the trance-like song lulled me to sleep.
********************
I woke when the car slowed. A high stone wall was pierced by an elaborate iron gate, which opened just before we turned in. The estate was big—enormous; it dwarfed any other home I'd ever been too. Manicured lawns were embellished with elaborate fountains and topiaries. Two girls on horseback headed in our direction. Aramis stopped and put his window down.
"Hey, guys!" one of the girls called out. They dismounted and leaned in the car window. Both were stunningly beautiful, with deep brown hair and olive skin. Although they shared facial features with Aramis, their coloring was exactly opposite of my mate.
"Careful of the paint," Aramis scolded, pushing his sister's arm off the car.
She rolled her eyes and thrust her hand into the car. Her elbow smacked Aramis in the face and she chuckled, "I'm Lucia."
I shook her hand and replied, "Eliot. Nice to meet you."
The other girl said, "I'm Blanca, and Mom's waiting for you, along with the entire family and staff. Be prepared to be smothered."
"Oh, God," I whispered. "Can't I just sneak in the back door?"
Blanca laughed sweetly. "She'd just come and find you."
Aramis patted my knee. "Come on, baby. You'll be fine. Trust me, I don't plan on spending much time with them. I want to go to my room, make you kneel before me and—"
"Don't you dare!" I barked. "I refuse to do this with a huge bulge in my pants."
He looked contrite. "I'll behave, promise. Here we go."
The house loomed up before us: a three-story Tudor-style behemoth, designed to impress. And I was certainly impressed. I climbed out of the car and stared in awe at the line of people waiting to greet me.
Aristes stepped forward. "Welcome, Eliot. May I present my wife, Aurelia."
The tall, stunning woman had Aramis' pale skin and blond hair, but her gold locks tumbled down her back in loose waves. The clothes were definitely designer, but modest and tasteful. She had an incredible body, but she didn't flaunt it.
I put my hand out to shake hers, but she pulled me into a hug. "Oh, my dear Eliot! You've made my baby so happy. We all hope that you think of this as your home now."
She giggled and squeezed me tighter. Unfortunately, my face was level with her generous bust, and I was trapped. Her spicy perfume went up my nose and made me cough.
"God, mom, let him go," Aramis said with a groan.
Aurelia released my body, but held my face in her hands. "But, Air. He's just so cute!"
My cheeks were squashed together and my mouth resembled that of a goldfish. She cooed at me like I was an infant, so I turned my eyes to Aristes. He saw my helpless gaze and put a hand on his wife's arm.
"That's quite enough, darling. He is our son's mate, not a Spaniel."
Aramis' mother bit her lip and looked sheepish. "Right. Sorry. Well, let's meet the rest of the family, shall we? From oldest to youngest, we have Marco—"
"Polo!" someone shouted.
All of the children, except Marco, chuckled and giggled. I had to admit it was pretty funny. Aristes marched down to the boy who'd made the joke and swatted him on the back of the head. Mrs. Ambrogi sighed. "Well, we have Marco… " She paused, as if daring anyone to say anything. When no one spoke, she continued, "Raniero, Giovanni, Beatricia, Epifanio, Lucia, and Blanca."
They stared at me expectantly while I tried to digest all seven names. Aramis took my hand and said, "Just call them Mark, Nero, Gio, Bea, Epp, Chia and… well Blanca is just Blanca."
"Hey!" Blanca protested. She huffed and crossed her arms.
"O, mia bella!" Mrs. Ambrogi cooed. She put an arm around the pouting girl and whispered reassurances. "Of course you are much more than that, my angel."
Aramis definitely wasn't kidding when he said their parents spoiled them. I was about to be introduced to the staff when a car came up the driveway. A tall, blond, absolutely furious vampire threw open the back door and growled.
"Ambrogi!" he cried. "I demand you release my son!"
Aristes didn't flinch. "I will not. Blake is to be transferred into council custody as soon as it can be arranged."
Mr. Becker shook with rage. He set his red eyes on Aramis and bared his fangs. "You!" he sneered. "You're the one who brought all of this about by fucking that human mongrel."
Aramis roared, but I put my hand out to stop him. "No, Aramis."
A sickening sneer spread over Becker's face. "Have they told you about your father, Eliot?"
"My father?" I breathed.
"Yes, your father. Drugged. Tied to a bed. You see, he's gone insane."
"What?" I gasped and fell back against Aramis. My heart seized. The blood in my body ran cold. That's what had been bothering me this whole time: my dad. I had forgotten all about him. I'd hurt him? He was crazy? What had I done?
My tormentor didn't relent. "Wouldn't you go insane if your son became a vampire and tried to kill you?"
Mr. Ambrogi howled in anger and leapt over my head. He landed in front of Becker and bared his fangs. "Get off my land and don't come back. The treaty is null from this day forward. If you or your clan enter my property or approach my family anywhere or at any time, I will kill you."
"Hey, guys!" one of the girls called out. They dismounted and leaned in the car window. Both were stunningly beautiful, with deep brown hair and olive skin. Although they shared facial features with Aramis, their coloring was exactly opposite of my mate.
"Careful of the paint," Aramis scolded, pushing his sister's arm off the car.
She rolled her eyes and thrust her hand into the car. Her elbow smacked Aramis in the face and she chuckled, "I'm Lucia."
I shook her hand and replied, "Eliot. Nice to meet you."
The other girl said, "I'm Blanca, and Mom's waiting for you, along with the entire family and staff. Be prepared to be smothered."
"Oh, God," I whispered. "Can't I just sneak in the back door?"
Blanca laughed sweetly. "She'd just come and find you."
Aramis patted my knee. "Come on, baby. You'll be fine. Trust me, I don't plan on spending much time with them. I want to go to my room, make you kneel before me and—"
"Don't you dare!" I barked. "I refuse to do this with a huge bulge in my pants."
He looked contrite. "I'll behave, promise. Here we go."
The house loomed up before us: a three-story Tudor-style behemoth, designed to impress. And I was certainly impressed. I climbed out of the car and stared in awe at the line of people waiting to greet me.
Aristes stepped forward. "Welcome, Eliot. May I present my wife, Aurelia."
The tall, stunning woman had Aramis' pale skin and blond hair, but her gold locks tumbled down her back in loose waves. The clothes were definitely designer, but modest and tasteful. She had an incredible body, but she didn't flaunt it.
I put my hand out to shake hers, but she pulled me into a hug. "Oh, my dear Eliot! You've made my baby so happy. We all hope that you think of this as your home now."
She giggled and squeezed me tighter. Unfortunately, my face was level with her generous bust, and I was trapped. Her spicy perfume went up my nose and made me cough.
"God, mom, let him go," Aramis said with a groan.
Aurelia released my body, but held my face in her hands. "But, Air. He's just so cute!"
My cheeks were squashed together and my mouth resembled that of a goldfish. She cooed at me like I was an infant, so I turned my eyes to Aristes. He saw my helpless gaze and put a hand on his wife's arm.
"That's quite enough, darling. He is our son's mate, not a Spaniel."
Aramis' mother bit her lip and looked sheepish. "Right. Sorry. Well, let's meet the rest of the family, shall we? From oldest to youngest, we have Marco—"
"Polo!" someone shouted.
All of the children, except Marco, chuckled and giggled. I had to admit it was pretty funny. Aristes marched down to the boy who'd made the joke and swatted him on the back of the head. Mrs. Ambrogi sighed. "Well, we have Marco… " She paused, as if daring anyone to say anything. When no one spoke, she continued, "Raniero, Giovanni, Beatricia, Epifanio, Lucia, and Blanca."
They stared at me expectantly while I tried to digest all seven names. Aramis took my hand and said, "Just call them Mark, Nero, Gio, Bea, Epp, Chia and… well Blanca is just Blanca."
"Hey!" Blanca protested. She huffed and crossed her arms.
"O, mia bella!" Mrs. Ambrogi cooed. She put an arm around the pouting girl and whispered reassurances. "Of course you are much more than that, my angel."
Aramis definitely wasn't kidding when he said their parents spoiled them. I was about to be introduced to the staff when a car came up the driveway. A tall, blond, absolutely furious vampire threw open the back door and growled.
"Ambrogi!" he cried. "I demand you release my son!"
Aristes didn't flinch. "I will not. Blake is to be transferred into council custody as soon as it can be arranged."
Mr. Becker shook with rage. He set his red eyes on Aramis and bared his fangs. "You!" he sneered. "You're the one who brought all of this about by fucking that human mongrel."
Aramis roared, but I put my hand out to stop him. "No, Aramis."
A sickening sneer spread over Becker's face. "Have they told you about your father, Eliot?"
"My father?" I breathed.
"Yes, your father. Drugged. Tied to a bed. You see, he's gone insane."
"What?" I gasped and fell back against Aramis. My heart seized. The blood in my body ran cold. That's what had been bothering me this whole time: my dad. I had forgotten all about him. I'd hurt him? He was crazy? What had I done?
My tormentor didn't relent. "Wouldn't you go insane if your son became a vampire and tried to kill you?"
Mr. Ambrogi howled in anger and leapt over my head. He landed in front of Becker and bared his fangs. "Get off my land and don't come back. The treaty is null from this day forward. If you or your clan enter my property or approach my family anywhere or at any time, I will kill you."
****************************************
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