18. Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Eighteen

" J enna, what the hell was that all about?"

"Every time we move Jeffrey and his wife find us. We've moved four times in four months. How the heck does that keep happening? I wondered, but I thought no, that can't be right. This time when I looked at her, I knew. That's why I didn't want her to know that Radka could make himself look human if needed."

"Impossible, she's our cousin." Bella was pacing, her hand rubbing her baby bump for comfort.

"Don't you think I know?" Jenna started pacing the two of them passing each other like ships in the night. "Someone got to her. Poisoned her mind with things that weren't true. Don't ask me how or who, I wasn't there. Her actions and words prove me correct."

"I know you're right, but I don't like it."

"I'm not overjoyed myself. Right now, we have to focus on what happened and why. You're going to have to talk to her."

"Why me?" Bella sat down with a plop on Rakha's lap. His arms went around her while he whispered comforting words into her ear.

"You're the one she didn't betray." Jenna wanted to hug Bella, but if she did then she'd break down. Her heart wouldn't be able to take Amelia's betrayal if she stopped to think about it.

Spending more time with Bella would remind her of when they were all kids. The fun and the laughter, even though they were going home to a father who liked to suck the joy out of life. Being outside and running around had been good and when she was down, it was often those memories that brought her back to life.

Jenna left, hoping that SaKura and Cleo would get the hint and come with her. Either way, she couldn't stay there another minute. SaKura was fastening his seatbelt by the time she was turning on the Hummer. Cleo sat in the back silently.

"I guess we're going to have to give this back."

"Yes, but I have something better being delivered to the house. It may be there before we arrive."

"You bought me a vehicle?"

"Yes, and no?" The look of confusion on his face made her want to laugh. "I get it. Yes, you brought me a car, and no, you didn't."

"Exactly."

"Where's Kala?"

"He's at the house."

Jenna nodded and turned on some music. Lord, it was country. She and Bella had an eclectic taste in music, listening to anything that caught their fancy. Right now, they were playing Beyonce's Jolene. She hummed the tune as she pulled in front of the house.

She stopped when she saw a flying car. It wasn't on the ground and there weren't any wheels.

"What is that?" She jumped out of the Hummer, tossing the keys on the seat. A door slid up when she touched it.

"I had it keyed to your touch." She whipped her head so fast to look at him her neck hurt.

"This is for me?" It was so strange looking, not like a modern car, but it was also sleek, and she wanted it.

"It's programmed to follow the rules of Earth driving, but it will also take over for you the minute the voices or the visions pull you away. This is a Duran."

She remembered him telling her about them. It was what they gifted to a frya when they reached maturity. He brought one for her, not knowing if she was his mate or a frya, but he hoped she was both. She wanted a bicycle on her twelfth birthday. It was pink and white. Back in the day, she was a girly girl. It had the basket and all the other girls had one, and she wanted to feel like she was part of what was happening in the neighborhood. Her father wouldn't get her one because she did something. It wasn't worth remembering what, but when she finally got the bike the next summer, the thrill was gone.

SaKura brought her one, just in case. She might be wrong, but didn't think he had it lying around. The color was a cross between pewter, brown, and berry. It wasn't a color she ever remembered seeing on the Earth. That made it stand out. The reddish shine made it not only beautiful but rare.

"Did you pick it out for me?" Please let him be thinking about me even though I was running from him.

"I did. Your sister said you and she looked alike. Your skin was almost the same color as hers. When I saw this, I thought you'd look beautiful sitting in it."

Jenna blinked fast, hoping that would keep the tears at bay. Not that the Duran would look nice, but that it would complement her looks.

"When I watch movies, I'm the one yelling at the screen, don't do it. You've only known him a week or two at the most don't fall for him. I also advocated they get chastity belts and went on a retreat where there were lots of trees and nuns to help them find spirituality. Look at me falling for the guy and finding spirituality at the same time." She pulled him close, kissing him until they couldn't breathe.

"I go into the house to make you lunch because you still haven't eaten and come outside to find you sucking face. Didn't you get enough of that in the shower?" Cleo stood with her hand on her hip acting like she was older… wait, she was older than she looked.

"Stop acting like a granny," Jenna said. She tried for stern, but laughter came from her. Cleo winked at her.

"Come eat and then you can teach Jenna how to use her new ride."

"Is it hard?" Jenna was sitting in the driver's seat. The back of the Duran opened, giving them room to get in and find a seat. Four seats were facing each other. The top half of the vehicle was all glass, allowing her to see out from whichever seat she chose. It turned on with a tap of a button. SaKura programmed her fingerprint into the Duran. It sounded like a warm purr wrapped around her when it was running.

"That sound is meant to comfort you." Mission accomplished.

"Why?"

"Not all visions are…" He stopped to think. "Friendly?" She nodded, knowing what he meant. There had been times she woke crying or shaking in fear. That's what happened every time she saw herself and Bella dying in that earthquake.

"We're working on driving cars but nothing this advanced, not yet. Do I drive on the road or in the air?"

"That's your choice. This will do whatever you want." She wanted to get her sister and show off her new Duran.

"There are two ways to drive this." She gave him a quick grin. He was saying things like drive, so she'd understand. "You can input your coordinates here or you can use this." He placed a small tool he pulled out of the Duran against her temple. It bit her."

"Ouch, what was that?"

"It allows you to form a link with the Duran. Tell it to turn off, not with words. Think of it. Whatever word you give to stop, or start, will be the word that will be programmed into it."

"Halt." She jumped when the engine went silent.

"Good, now tell it to start."

"Begin." The soothing hum of the Duran wrapped around her, making her feel safe. SaKura smiled at her with his pointed teeth on display. She was so used to seeing them, they didn't phase her now.

"Please tell me we are going somewhere?" Cleo said. She was outside looking in. The windows didn't roll down like a car, but Jenna was sure she'd get used to it.

"How comfortable are you giving the Duran directions?" He pointed to his temple.

Jenna told the Duran to begin and then to rise. Then she told it to halt, and it did up in the air. She looked down to see Cleo laughing her behind off.

"Um, yeah, so this happened." She spread her hands, indicating that they were at the tops of the trees stuck in the air.

"It's very literal. If you say park at the river and not park in the space by the river. It will park in the river or the parking space. If you want to stop, tell it where to stop. If you want to fly above traffic, you need to say that. It will also display a map on the windows to tell you where you're heading. I don't think you'll have a problem with it."

" Take me down to the ground, then halt." The ride was smooth. Everyone was going to want one of these. They could make a fortune selling them. She didn't need a fortune; she mated to a prince who would one day be a king.

It was going to take days, months, years, maybe centuries for that to sink in. Was it finally becoming real that she mated to a monster and didn't care? No one other than her mother and sister ever cared for her. Now she had somehow hit the jackpot to find a male who may look like a monster on the outside but acted like a smitten prince on the inside. It was more than she ever thought to ask for. She sent a small thank you to the higher powers, as she decided to call them.

"Let's put my shiny new toy through its paces." She winked at Cleo, who was getting in, and said see you later to SaKura as he stood and watched her take off. "We're going to pick up Bella. I wasn't being the best sister when I walked out."

"You guys needed space. The thought of your cousin betraying you is a lot to stomach." Jenna turned to look at her and then realized her eyes weren't on the road. She looked back to see that the Duran had switched to automatic pilot. "I'm going to love this."

"I'd pay good money for one. Right now, they won't sell them off the planet."

Jenna's eyes got big. SaKura had brought one for her, ignoring that they didn't allow them off the planet. The male was a mystery, a kingly mystery. She couldn't help the smile that graced her lips.

"He's not that bad, is he?"

Jenna went back to the strange talk Cleo had with her. "He's not. He still takes some getting used to."

"What male doesn't?" Jenna laughed. Cleo was right, good or bad, they all took some getting used to. What she hadn't realized before now was if you got a good one, the learning curve was worth it.

They pulled up in front of Bella's domicile, she was outside waiting with her shopping purse. What the heck had Jenna gotten herself into?

"I love it!" Bella gushed all about the Duran before she stopped, and Jenna threw herself into her sister's arms, being careful of the baby.

"I'm sorry," they said at the same time.

"I kept wondering how they knew. It never dawned on me that Amelia was telling them, but why?" Jenna shook her head like if she could clear her mind the answers would be there. Then she told Bella about the Duran and how it worked.

"I'm going to need one of these when the baby comes. Rakha said that the material used in the glass and the other materials are bulletproof. You won't have to worry about that. We have Spindrift's. Do you remember the bikes we rode when…"

Jenna knew she was thinking of their sperm donor and the traitor who was supposed to be Rakha's best friend.

"I remember that day is a bit of a blur. I got a peek at those bikes and must admit I was a tad bit jealous."

Bella looked around. "Same." They laughed together. "Please tell me we are going to the mall."

Jenna was sure she was going to regret this, but she told her Duran to take them to the mall.