The Allies of Old; Book Two Renewal: Chapter Seventy Four "Vows to be Made and Games to be Played"

Book Cover created in acrylic by the extremely talented @therealpaul

If you have not read the first book of the series, "Reborn", it is advisable you do so before reading "Renewal" or you will be lost. This link will provide you with a series summary as well as all sixty-eight chapters of Reborn

Table of Contents for Fifty Five chapters of Renewal, created by @bashadow

Chapter 56
Chapter 57
Chapter 58
Chapter 59
Chapter 60
Chapter 61
Chapter 62
Chapter 63
Chapter 64
Chapter 65
Chapter 66
Chapter 67
Chapter 68
Chapter 69
Chapter 70
Chapter 71
Chapter 72
Chapter 73

Chapter Seventy-Four

The next morning Jared asked her if the males had said anything that might provide a clue as to what their plans were before he’d arrived on the scene. She explained they hadn’t spoken in English and once again he cursed himself for taking care of them too quickly. After which he called a meeting in their suite and the males gathered to decide on the most effective way to avoid similar incidents in the future.

They concluded that they would need to extract two separate vows from each male currently working with them. The first one would be to ensure they would not pass along information to anyone working against them and the second would keep them from harming or abducting the females.

Unfortunately vows could not be made about things that happened in the past so even if every one of the recruits took them without protest they couldn’t be certain that Jonathan and Thomas had been the only spies among them.

“It’s the best we can do,” Michael sighed heavily. He felt partially responsible for what had happened since he had inadvertently brought the two males into their lives.

“Michael it’s not your fault,” Anna insisted. He had apologized, unnecessarily in her opinion, and she could tell it was still weighing on him. “You couldn’t have known.”

“It would have been avoided if I had only elicited vows in the first place,” he pointed out.

“Come on brother,” Mathias shook his head, “shit I don’t even like that we have to do it at all, it’s hard enough to talk our brethren out of apathy without telling them right at the fucking get-go their word isn’t good enough.
Unfortunately we gotta do what we gotta do.”

Jared leaned across the table and forced Michael to meet his eyes. “I agree with Mathias, if it weren’t for Anna it’s unlikely any of you could have convinced me to fight for the human race, especially if you were telling me I had to hang a guillotine over my fucking neck to prove I was worthy. Christ.” He leaned back.

Jess put her hand on Michael’s shoulder and he glanced up at her, shifting nearly imperceptibly away. She dropped her arm and sat down next to Anna, staring at the ground.

Michael sighed inwardly. He knew she was just trying to reassure him, but every small contact with her was too much for him to handle. He shifted his thoughts back to the decision at hand and decided he didn’t particularly agree with LeJarien and Mathias’s sentiment. In his opinion there was no reason why a male would have a problem with either of those vows unless they had reason to break them.

“So let’s call a mandatory meeting, hold it at the Vegas mansion,” Mathias put in. “By now most of the males have probably heard about this incident so I’m sure they won’t be surprised when they learn what it’s about.”

The Brothers Three nodded their approval at the use of their place, particularly since a greater number of vampires were on the west coast; then the group- with the exception of Will and Josh who were heading to Texas to meet up with their father- made plans to fly out there the following morning.

“Oh crap,” Anna said suddenly, “Jenna’s flight lands in Boston tomorrow night.”

“I’ll meet her," Mathias said immediately, "I’ll stay an extra night, you can send the jet back for us the following day.”

Anna smirked at him. “Okay, I have been really good about not asking, but what is up with the two of you?”

"Wait, what?" Jess blinked.

All eyes trained on Mathias who shrugged.“Shit, nothing's going on. I won’t lie and say that I don’t want there to be, but- let’s just say I’m working on it,” he winked at the girls as is handsome face broke into a lascivious grin.

**

Jenna headed for the baggage terminal trying hard to ignore the feeling of anticipation knotting in her belly. When Anna filled her in on what happened and informed her they were on their way to Vegas it was too late to change her flight plan, so not only would her greeting party be absent of Jess and Anna, it would be a party of one, and he was one her entire being was at war about seeing.

Her body liked the idea, her head did not.

A hand touched her shoulder just as she reached for her suitcase and she nearly flew out of her skin.

“Didn't mean to startle you,” he whispered in her ear, tickling her neck.

She grabbed the suitcase and shoved it into his chest glaring at his infuriating smile.

“Nice to see you too,” he said with a grin that emphasized his perfect white teeth.

Why did he have to be so impossibly handsome?

“Come beautiful, your chariot awaits,” he waved his hand and she walked ahead of him towards the exit. She could feel his eyes on her bum and she resisted the urge to turn and catch him at it, he would only say something cocky to irritate her.

Her “chariot” turned out to be a sleek black Maserati Gran Turismo that she couldn’t help eyeing with appreciative awe.

“You like?” Mathias raised an eyebrow with a knowing smirk as he opened the door for her.

Looking at both the male and the car she had to admit, yes she did like, aesthetically speaking it was (he was) magnificent.

She mimicked his smirk. “I suppose if I didn’t know it cost as much as it would to clothe and feed an entire third world village for a year- I never get why men throw so much money away on machines, a car is a car.”

He gaped at her. “Saying a car is a car is like saying a female is a female, believe me there are differences sweetheart-

She held up a hand, “I know where this is going, stop while you’re behind,” she tried and failed to suppress a smile earning herself an exaggerated wink as he shut the door. Grudgingly she admitted that one thing she truly did like about him, aside from the physical, was how he managed to start over with her every time. There wasn’t a hint of the negative note they had parted on. Of course that might just mean he's disgustingly shallow, she thought uncharitably. She knew it wasn’t true though, she’d seen glimpses of his depth.

He turned the stereo up so loud she felt the bass reverberating through her chest. And of course he showed her what the car could do, obliterating all of the speed limits until they were turning into the hotel parking lot where he swung smoothly into a space. She’d loved every minute of the ride and despite the things she’d said she understood perfectly why men loved sports cars. Now way would she give him the satisfaction by voicing her approval however.

He turned the car off and looked at her expectantly.

She shrugged indifferently. “Any car would have brought me to the same place.”

He narrowed his eyes, “I think you lie, I saw your face-you love this car.”

“What I loved was the loud music because I didn’t have to listen to you talk.” She hopped out of the car and hid a grin.

Score one for me.

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