#TB
Day 1
Morning *I said softly, tracing the glyph marks on
Kellan's
arm. I smiled as his sleepy eyes blinked open and looked at me with
love...a love I could feel radiate through my veins. He smiled,
wrapping his arm around my waist and pulling me closer to him*
"Morning" *He mumbled sleepily as he breathed in my scent.* Do you
know what today is? *I wrapped my arms around him* "Mmmm..." *he
moaned, more focused on exploring my body than anything else* It's the
day we became mates. *he pulled back slightly so he could look at me*
and while it was under the worst of circumstances and would eventually
culminate in your surrender and eventual death. *playfully shoving him
lightly* Still mad at you for that! *we laugh, but quickly sober up.*
It also made us stronger. *resuming my trace of his glphys, this time
down his back* Made our love stronger. Made our friendship stronger.
"Ahhh, mouse..." *he said with an emotion I could hear in his voice
and feel in our bond* I didn't think I could love you more, but I do.
*wrapping my arms tightly around him, my head nestling in the usual
nook his body created for me* I will love you forever, Kellan
Archer...and I will never let go.
#tb
Day 2
*As the JUSTIS officers led him into the counsel chamber he saw the counselors, with
Lucan
sitting front and center. To one side he saw the other elders and their
mates. "There she is" He thought, seeing and sensing his mate.
Mira,
standing in front of the counsel. His heart pounded at the sight of
her. She turned, tears tracking down her cheeks. She saw him. Holy shit!
She SAW him! She wasn't blind anymore! He was elated, knowing that
Tess had healed her.
Before he realized it, Lucan asked the counsel to vote. The verdict:
DEATH. He felt Mira's anguish through their bond. Even as she begged, he
knew there was no help for him. Director Benson continued to mutter and
Kellan suddenly heard what the human was saying. He moved closer,
listening even as he fired off questions at the director. But the man
was in a panic, an alcohol induced haze of semi-coherency.
Kellan put the pieces together. This was Jeremy's uncle. HE was the one
who stole the liquid UV. He launched himself across the chamber with a
snarl, landing on top if the director as his guards opened fire on him.
He could feel the shrapnel tearing his body to shreds. The director
pushed him off, escaping down the hall as
Kellan
bled out on the floor. He coughed, spitting up blood as Mira reached
his side. Her tears dripped onto his cheeks as she sobbed and held his
head in her lap. He closed his eyes. He could feel himself drifting
further and further away, the connection with his mate stretching until,
with an almost audible pop, it snapped. He didn't take another breath.
Death had claimed him just as he saw in Mira's eyes 8 years ago...
#TB
Day 3
* I listened in abject horror as each council member pronounced
Kellan guilty....their
voices sounding more like a distant echo than of the seven humans and
breeds representing both races within the chamber. This could not be
happening. My eyes, over brimming with tears, became blurry as I looked
at Kellan. My mate. How cruel that we never had the chance at a life
together. Would never again fight together, be together, never have
children together, never grow old together.
"Death".
Director Benson's final judgement was like a dagger straight to my
heart. A feeling that eclipsed the pain I felt that night eight
years ago. This was a pain that I could feel into my very veins. It
was then I realized, that I was feeling my pain as well as Kellan's
pain. Mates...to the bitter end.*
No! *I cried.*
Lucan,
don’t let this happen, please! *the tears flowed torturously now, a
flash flood that had no sign of stopping.* No! *My head fell into my
hands as I tried to come to grips with the fact that my one and only
love, my mate, my very heart. Would die.*
No.
*tb
Day 4
*he heard raised voices and ran for the garage. Vince was trying to hold on to
Mira
as she swung at anything and everything. He checked on Brady first,
making sure she was ok, before facing Mira. He was suddenly in way over his head with this botched smash & grab. It was the middle of the
day, no one would have thought the Order would be involved. Yet here
she stood, pissed off and fighting for all she was worth. He tried not
to feel the pride when he saw the damage she had wrought. His Mira had
always been tough. But no, that's not right. She stopped being his Mira
when the warehouse blew up 8 long years ago, almost to the day. He had
spent months recovering from his physical injuries, years trying to get
over her. Everything came rushing back to him at once, making his head
spin. He couldn't believe she was standing before him now. Damn, why
hadn't he run when he had the chance? He cleared his throat and said her
name softly* Mira...
#TB
Day 5
*Hope. It was all I could cling to as I laid on the soft yet
unfamiliar infirmary bed. There was nothing left of the building but
hope made believe that somehow
Kellan survived. They would find him and bring him here...Tess would save him like she saved
Rio.
There was no other outcome I could imagine. There wasn't a world
without Kellan in it. There couldn't be. As I shifted in the bed I
winced...the pain searing through the various spots of my body that the
shrapnel embedded. At my wince, I could hear my father rush across the
room, frantically asking me if I was okay. * Yeah... *I mostly lied,
deep down I was not okay. Deep down I knew there was no way someone
could have survived that building. It was all but obliterated. I
pushed those unwelcome thoughts aside as I opened my eyes and looked up
at my worried parents.* Where are they? *I asked. It was taking far
to long for the order to return from their search. I forced myself to
believe it was taking so long because they found him and were
administering care on the field...there would be no other reason. It
was then that I realized there was someone else in the room.*
Nathan...
*my voice cracked as I spoke my other best friend's name. He had been
injured as well, but being breed, healed quickly. Once I recognized
his presence, he took a few steps toward the bed, bringing his face into
the light. He looked so damn hollow. Like he had just experienced
something horrible and was about to relay possibly the worst news
imaginable.* No. *I shook my head and closed my eyes, willing this
to be all one big horrible nightmare.* No... please, Nathan, no... *I
covered my face with my hands, wiping the tears that were filling
unbidden into my eyes. When I finally opened them and looked up at my
friend I saw a little piece of him that I had never seen before. True
pain. * No. Please. *I struggled keeping my voice and vision
clear.*
"He's gone." *he said gruffly* "There was no sign of
his body or weapons." *I made a unintelligible sound at his words and
for the first time, Nathan wrapped his hand around mine as I completely
fell apart. If I thought the pain of the shrapnel was bad, it was
nothing in comparison to the heartbreak I was experiencing at this
moment.
Hope...was such a cruel bitch.*
#tb
Day #6
*both teams were down by the waterfront. Intel had come in about some rebel activity and
Lucan
had asked them to check it out. They arrived and fanned out to search.
He caught a shadow and ducked behind the stack of pallets. Yes, there
he is. He picked up the rebel easily with his Breed enhanced eyesight.
He followed quickly, while radio'ing in his location.
Mira and
Nathan
responded that they were close. He wasn't going to let this guy get
away. The rebels were causing too much trouble to the Order lately.*
Gotcha! *he mumbled quietly as he followed the rebel scum, knowing his
brethren would be close on his heels*
*Kellan's
confirmation that the rebels were indeed active at this industrial park
warehouse sent my warrior instincts into overdrive.* Lets get these
assholes! *I shout to my other best friend
Nathan.
We had been chasing this particular pack of human rebels for weeks
and as we headed toward the spot where Kellan disappeared I couldn't
help but feel a little victorious.*
*The nigh is quiet, almost too quiet.
Mira looks over her shoulder at me as I guard the perimeter. The glint in her eye as she watches
Kellan
close the distance between him and the rebel is cat like, She sees her
prey and is ready to pounce. My breed hearing picks up the slight
clicking sound of the facility's door softly closing as Kellan follows
his target in. I make my way silently to Mira, signaling for us to move
in. As our training has taught us, I start the seven second count down
before moving forward. One one thousand, two one thousand.....
Blinding light
Screaming
My ears are ringing as I watch the fire ball that was the warehouse rise into the night sky. Holy fuck, Kellan.
Mira drops her weapon and sets off to run toward the flames. I flash
up behind her, throwing my arms around her like a steel cage. I know
how she feels about that warrior, I know she'd walk into that inferno
trying to save him. I can't lose two of the people I care about in the
same night. I hold on to Mira like her life depends on it. Because I
know it does.
#TB
Day 7
*I woke up with strong arms and the leathery spiced scent of
Kellan
surrounding me. I gave a soft moan as I nestled deeper into Kellan's
body.* It wasn't a dream. *I whispered. We were naked and we had
indeed made love. Finally. For the first time. It was magical. The
most miraculous moment of my life thus far. Kellan rolled on top of me,
nestling perfectly in the cradle that my body provided. Like he was
made to be there. I tilted my head and gave him a a sweet and loving
kiss...one full of all the love I had for him.*
*he
rolled over, seeing a sleepy, sexy, and delicious looking Mira. He
leaned in slowly, kissing her soft lips. Feeling her lips turn up into a
smile he pulled back and watched as she opened her eyes. Her eyes were
bright as diamonds. Clear and beautiful. He could have gotten lost in
them forever. They changed quickly, milky shadows began taking shape. He
watched, transfixed by the future she was inadvertently showing him. He
looked away quickly, but not quickly enough.*
*Realizing
that my contacts were out, I turned to the side grabbed the small
container and slipped the lenses quickly on.* Sorry *placing my hand
gently on the side of his face and turning his hazel gaze back toward
mine* I''m not used to sharing a bed with someone. *I bit my lip as I
looked down at how our naked bodies pressed intimately against one
another.* I don't ever want to leave this bed. Lets never leave,
Kellan. *wrapping my arms around his neck and pulled him down for yet
another kiss.*
*The
scene replayed again in his mind. Lucan and the Council charging him
with treason, murder, and a slew of other charges. Mira, standing
before the GNC Council, begging. The verdict, DEATH.
There was no
escape for him, ever. Mira's eyes never lied. He could only thank God
that Mira doesn't know what he had seen. He kissed her, holding her
close. What was he going to do?...*
#tb
Day 8
*" Her slender blond brows lowered even farther over her flashing eyes.
“That’s not your decision to make. I don’t need your permission to care
about you, Kellan. You don’t get to decide what’s important to me.”
God help him, but it didn’t take much to remember the stubborn little
girl who’d told him pretty much the same thing in word and deed time and
again when he’d been a withdrawn, stupid teen who didn’t know how to
accept her friendship, let alone her love. By sheer force of will, she’d
made him participate in life when grief and anger over his family’s
annihilation had all but crippled him inside. As a girl,
Mira
had held his hand and led him out of a dark place. As a woman, she’d
held his heart, despite his efforts to protect himself from caring for
someone he could never bear to lose. Now he only hoped he’d find the
strength to push Mira away, when all he wanted was to pull her close and
never let her go. He kept his voice quiet, the words as gentle as he
could make them* This time I do get to decide. Bad enough I couldn’t
stay away from you, even though I knew damn well where this would take
us in the end* He lowered his head and held her searching gaze, needing
her to hear him now. She needed to understand. *When I go down, I’ll be
damned if I take you down with me. "
Even when I knew, with every fiber of my being, that I shouldn't love you, Mouse. I did.
#TB
Day 9
*I looked intently across the table at Kellan. I knew I was making him
nervous by the way his eyes shifted from looking back at me to looking
up at the elders giving the nightly debrief. He had no reason to be
nervous around me, especially given the level of intimacy within our
relationship. No, his nervousness was coming in the form of the bomb
loving, bullet making, over protective (even though I was 21 years old)
father sitting beside me.
It was then that I realized that my father was staring daggers at him. Oops... *
Mira Nicholas-Archer
#TB
Day 10
Kellan,
stop! *laughing so hard I can't breathe* Seriously, I *laughing*
can't *laughing harder* breathe! *I squirm as he continues his assault
of tickles. Sometimes not being fast like a breed was a serious
disadvantage.* "You know what to say, mouse" he laughed and continued
tickling* Okaaay! okay, okay, okay, okay! *he finally stopped,
looking down at me expectantly* Iwontmakeyouwat
chHarryPotter
*I mumble my words, because deep down I knew I didn't mean them* "What
was that, mouse?" *Kellan smirked and then began lightly tickling my
sides* You're such a butthead! *Kellan smirked again* "So you keep
telling me..."
Ugh! Fine... I wont make you watch Harry Potter.
Mira Nicholas-Archer
#TB
Day 12
*When our kiss ended, I cuddled into Kellan's body. I fit perfectly
against him, as though I was made to be there.*how long do you think
until Nathan gets back from the training center? *Kellan shrugged
as caressed my neck.* "Probably in an hour or two" *my brain took note
of the way his thumb lingered over my pulse point for a few seconds. I
tilted my head slightly so he could have full access should he finally
decide to bite. Kellan shook his head slowly* "We can't mouse... *he
moved his hand to my shoulder and eventually to my waist.* I'm over
eighteen you know. *I climbed onto his lap and wrapped my arms around
his neck.* If we're mated, my dad wont kill you. *I smiled, then leaned
in to kiss him* "I know you are" *he said through my kisses; he began
touching me, practically everywhere and anywhere he could.* "I really,
really do..."
Mira Nicholas-Archer
#TB
Day 14
*falling backwards onto my bed with a bounce* Did that just happen?
*As I lightly and slowly rubbed my newly kissed lips, I imagined what it
would feel like to kiss Kellan again. It was magical. Everything I
thought my first kiss would be...it was like a giant fire cracker
exploding in my heart and travelling throughout my entire body. I
wanted to kiss him again...I wanted him. I rolled over in the bed and
reveled in the joy I felt. If this was love...I never wanted it to end.
*
I know, I'm a dork. I got so wrapped up in my mate yesterday *grins at
Mira* that I was almost late for patrol and didn't post my count down. So, without further ado...
#tb
Day 16
*he watched her walk down the corridor in front of him. She had her
special blades strapped to one hip and one of Niko's special 9m on the
other, her hips swaying enticingly. Damn, he needed to get his head in
the game. He certainly didn't need to be thinking about the things he
wanted to do to Mouse.
Niko would kill him if he knew what he was thinking about her. She was talking with
Rafe
as they all headed to the lab for their patrol. She was going with them
and it filled him with dread. She was a good fighter, but she was
female. He had been out on those streets for a few years now, he knew
what those rogues were capable of. He shuddered and growled at the
thought. Both Rafe and Mira turned and looked at him at his growl*
Sorry, was just thinking about....uuummm
m,
stuff.*Mira rolled her eyes and continued, Rafe on her heels. How were
they going to protect her and still do their jobs? She would kill them
if she knew they were trying to protect her. But there was NO WAY he was
going to let a damn rogue anywhere near her. Damn, it's going to be a
LONG night.*
Mira Nicholas-Archer
#TB Day 16
I'll just leave this right here...in Kellan's bathroom. *crossing fingers*
#TB Day 17
*Tonight's the night! I was going to actually do it this time. No
more chickening out, no more hiding my feelings, no more little girl.
Tonight I was going to ask
Kellan out and no one was going to stop me! As I marched down to Kellan and
Nathan's
room, my heart pounded in nervous anticipation. It's not like he's
going to start laughing at me...I gulped and then slowed my pace.
Surely he wouldn't embarrass me like that? Would he? I came to a
stop, leaned against the wall of the long hallway and took a deep and
cleansing breath.* Dang it, Mira! Pull yourself together! *After a
few horrified moments of self doubt, I get my crap together and resume
my track to destiny...or total and complete embarrassment. By the time I
reach the door, my heart was in my stomach, beating like the little
traitor that it was...if Nathan and Kellan hadn't figured out that I was
outside their door, they definitely did now. Knowing that the jig was
up I tentatively lifted my hand and knock...*
#tb
Day 18
*He had been summoned to
Gideon
's lab. As he walked in he noted that most of the Warriors were already
there, some even had their breed mates with them. He moved quietly to
the back of the room, preferring to observe more than participate. He
watched as
Kade and
Brock joked with each other while
Jenna and
Alexandra planned another shopping adventure. He shook his head, he would never understand females. The doors slid open and
Niko walked in with
Renata on his arm,
Mira
was following close behind. He studied her closely. He pale blonde hair
pulled into a ponytail, showing the curve of her neck. He purple lenses
were always in, making her eyes seem to almost glow. She was filling
out, in all the right places, and Kellan wasn't sure how he felt about
that. Hunter, standing beside him, nudged him with his elbow and cleared
his throat. Kellan turned bright red, looking down until his
embarrassment passes. Damn, busted by the Brute, of all the luck. He
shook his head before focusing on Lucan, who was calling the meeting to
order. His gaze strayed to Mouse again and again, drawn by some
inexplicable force. She was pretty, but she was also young. Niko was so
protective of her that he was convinced she would never be able to date.
He startled at his own thoughts. DATE? Who said anything about dating?
Jesus, he needed to stop, right now. He tried to focus again on what was
being said, he really did. But as his eyes strayed back to the
mini-warrior in the making she looked up and caught him staring. With a
saucy smile she winked at him. He groaned and turned away. Damn, she was
getting under his skin and she damn well knew it. He was so screwed...*
Mira Nicholas-Archer
#TB
Day 19
*"Girls can't be warriors, Mira."
Kellan's
words stung as I began my final rep. He looked down at me with a look
of desperation on his face...could it be that he thought of me as more
than just a friend? Or was this some kind of stupid caveman-woman-h
ater
move? As I lifted my body up for the last left, I kicked my right
leg out to whack Kellan square in the face. Guess I picked the
latter.*
#tb
Day 20
*he reported to the gym for another grueling training session, surprised to find
Mira
there as well. He dropped his gear and looked her over* what are you
doing here Mouse? This is a warrior training session. Breed mates can't
be warriors. *She sneers at him "You're stupid. *she says* Rennie is a
warrior. She patrols with you.
Elise
is too, she is amazing with her blades. Just because I'm female doesn't
mean I can't fight!" *She shoves him and stomps away* Yeah, whatever.
Rennie has her powers to protect her and Elise has
Tegan.
How are you going to protect yourself? *She turned and stomped back to
him "I'm gonna learn everything you do. I'm gonna train. I'm gonna get
strong. And I'm gonna kick YOUR butt,
Kellan!"
*he snorts* Yeah, whatever. Just don't think I'm going to take it easy
on you because you're a gurl. *he sneered back* I'll drop you just as
fast as anyone else. *he watched as she squared off opposite him on the
mat with a smile "bring it!" She says.*
#TB
Day 21
Kellan! I can't believe you just did that! *The snowball had come
practically out of nowhere, but that was expected when you were dealing
with a breed. I quickly picked up my own mound of snow and lunged to
smash the cold slush into Kellan's face, a seemingly futile revenge*
WHITEWASH!!!! *giggling, I run...as fast as my breedmate feet will
allow. If I hid in Niko's lab, Kellan would never follow...my dad
already had his scope trained firmly on Kellan's head.
#tb
Day 22
He put on his jacket and slipped on the gloves that
Renata had given him for Christmas. He didn't really need them but he liked the feel of the fur on the inside.
Mira wanted to go out and play in the snow but Renata and
Niko
were both on patrol tonight so she had strict orders to stay inside. It
was stupid, he thought. She was almost a teenager and the Maine
compound was 50 miles from any civilization at all. But she wouldn't
break the rules. He chuckled as he remembered their fight over it, he
had called her a baby and a goody-two-shoes
. She promptly threw her pillow at him and stomped off in a huff.
He headed out the door, closing it tight behind him. He paused, taking a
deep breath of the cold air and watching the cloud of air as he
exhaled* I love winter. Now, let's see... Should I be boring and make
her a snowman? Those Calvin & Hobbs comic books
Kade gave me have some great snowman themes in them too! But Rennie might get mad, she is so overprotective of Mira. Maybe not...
He started by the door, shaping a big snowball before putting it down
and rolling it around the yard until it was big enough to be the base.
He placed it in front of her window with a snicker* This should give her
nightmares. Oh well, she said she wanted a snowman. *He quickly created
the body and the head, sticking pieces of coal in its head for eyes and
putting three on his belly, wondering why they were even necessary.
It's not like the snowman had clothes on or anything. He found a short,
fat, carrot and stuck it on the face as a nose. Finding some branches,
he stuck them into the body and stood back to look.* he needs a
mouth...what should I use? *he looked around but couldn't find anything
he wanted to use so he just carved out a hole* That'll do.
Kellan Archer
Finishing the one, another idea came to him.
Mira loved Luna,
Alexandra
's dog. He wanted to make a snow dog for her too. He quickly created
another, bigger, better snowman that was as big as he was. Then he found
an old top hat that
Lucan
said he could have and scrounged a long scarf, adding them to the
second snowman before starting on the dog. When he was done he stepped
back to look at his handiwork. The dog had tufts of pine for its ears
and tail, making it looks funny, but the snowman looked awesome. He
wiped his sleeve under his runny nose and headed inside, hoping his
little Mouse liked his gifts.
#TB
Day 23
*When I asked Niko and Rennie for friends I never expected to have one friend in the compound let alone TWO! As
Nathan and
Kellan
shifted in their seats, surely poised to breedspeed out of the room, I
closed Chamber of Secrets and placed it on the table beside me.* The
End! *Their sighs of relief made me grin as I picked up Prisoner of
Azkaban and cracked open the cover* I can't wait for you to hear this
one...it's one of my favorites!
#tb
Day 24
*There was a lot of commotion. Hunter had returned with the breedmate
Corinne.
Most surprising, they brought another Breed with them. Corinne's child.
He was another one of Drago's hunters. They had no names, weren't
allowed to have them. They were bred for a purpose, and named for that
purpose so they would never forget their duty. But Corinne had named her
son long before he ever took his first breath, and she never gave up
hope of finding him. Thanks to Hunter, and some information they had
uncovered in New Orleans, they were able to find the kid and free him.
He hung back, watching as the warriors and their breedmates greeted the
unlikely trio. The kid was wary, watching everyone as they watched him.
Nathans adams apple bobbed as he swallowed, the white ring around his
neck where the UV collar that Drago used on his hunters was proof of the
nightmare the kid had endured. Well, he could relate. It was because of
Drago that his whole family was dead. He wanted revenge. He wanted
Drago to pay. Maybe this Kid,
Nathan, could help. He would have to think about it.
He watched as
Mira
pushed her way through the crowd, looking for Hunter. The two of them
were close, an odd couple for sure, he thought as he watched the Gen One
pick up the little girl and talk with her in low tones. He knew that
they were often found together when Hunter wasn't out on patrol but he
was unsure of their connection. Why would a killer, a hunter in all
ways, care for a little sprite like her? Mouse, that is what everyone
called her. It was fitting. She was a tiny little girl and looked even
smaller next to Hunter as she tried to talk to Nathan.
Mira Nicholas-Archer
#TB
Day 25
*Dropping the heavy load onto the bed with an exaggerated huff* THIS...is Harry Potter! *I smile at
Kellan
who looked at me with an annoyed and horrified expression on his face
as he glared between me and the pile of books on his bed.* I can't wait
to read them to you, I just know you're going to love them just as much
as me. *I climb onto the edge of his bed and grab the first book of the
series and crack the worn book open.* You gonna sit down, silly?
*giggling* You're in for the night!
#tb
Day 26
*He wandered the halls of the compound. He was looking for the suite the commander,
Lucan,
had assigned for him and his grandfather. He felt queasy and didn't
know why. The Order had brought them there the night before. Everyone
was gone. His father, killed while sitting defenseless in the back of
the Darkhaven agents SUV by a dirty agent. His grandfather,
Lazaro, had only survived because of an Order warrior named
Hunter.
Mira, the daughter of
Niko &
Renata,
followed along behind him, talking away in her endless 8 year old
chatter about some stupid book she was reading. Who is Harry Potter, and
why would He care? She was going on about muggels and owls and
quiddage, whatever that was. Finally he turned to her* Mira, since
you're so smart, *he said sarcastically* Why don't you show me where my
room is? I want to see grandpa, make sure he is ok. *She giggled
annoyingly and turned in the opposite direction. "It's down here, silly!
Come on. *He rolled his eyes and followed*
