Anticipating, Chapter 33

(Unintentional A/N:  Still allergic, btw…& my muses are making the MOST of it, too!)

(Women, Weres, and WTF?)

 

In some instances, Godric found he missed the old ways.  Granted, he loved the new comforts technology had given everyone, and the freedoms earned by women, the education that allowed their minds to grow and expand, the careers and adventures that allowed their souls to explore and develop.  He appreciated that men and women were every bit as strong and smart as each other, just in different, compatible, ways.

In older days, everything seemed so much more urgent, though, and common people just did not have time or energy to explore “roles” or dream of large castles in the sky.  Their time and energy were spent trying not to die for yet another day.

To that end, men fought, hunted food, protected the land and the animals and the women.  The women bore and tended the children, cooked the food, wove the cloth, and did numerous other things to ensure the survival of the family.  Outside the home, men were in charge.  Inside the home, women were in charge if the men were smart enough to know what was good for them.  It was a simple, well-defined way to survive.  Life was hard for everyone, although no one knew that.  It was just “life” to them.

Oddly enough, even though life was so incredibly hard and tenuous, things were much simpler then than now.  Although Godric held a firm appreciation for modern conveniences and comfort, there was no denying that every year that passed brought even more hoops to have to jump through…more hurdles to cross…more paperwork to fill out…  None of the inconveniences of modern convenience existed back then.

In retrospect, considering just how hard all other aspects of life were in the past, Godric wondered how anyone survived to carry on the next generation.  But the way he was feeling this day, there was one major aspect of the old ways he truly missed.

Kidnapping was not nearly as frowned-upon back then.

o~*~*~*~*~*~o~*~*~*~*~*~o

When he rose in his chambers that afternoon, he knew something was off.  At first he was not sure of the source, just an innate knowledge that something was wrong.  He heated his bloods and drank them while he checked the security monitors.  The guards were patrolling as usual, so the threat was not external.  He switched to the internal systems, and noted Mark roaming the interior of the house while Elise was staying in range of her charge moving about in the kitchen, and nothing seemed off there, either.

Until he focused on Cara.

There was a mask of pleasantry on her face, her shoulders were tense, her eyes hard.  Sarah was eyeing her warily from the other side of the kitchen, and Elise was surreptitiously keeping an eye on her from the dining area.

Had someone said or done something to upset her?  What could have happened?  Godric cursed the hours till the sun set.  He needed to know what had happened to so anger? upset? his Cara.

Then he realized that he could not feel her.

Somehow, she had managed to close the small bond between them.  All he could sense was that she lived.

This would not do.  How had she managed to close the bond?  There was no way she should have been able to.

He felt his dead heart clinch.  Why would she want to do such a thing?

He heard Elise speak as she moved into the kitchen.  “Well, what do you think they’re going to do now that they’ve caught Isabel’s attackers?”

Cara jerked her head up.  “I wouldn’t know, honey,” her voice was hard.  “You’ll have to ask someone who’s actually important enough to be told things like that.”

What?

Cara continued.  “I doubt y’all will be around much longer, though.  At any rate I should probably start packing up.  If y’all go, then there’s no reason for me to stay.”

Fuck!

Sarah piped up.  “Cara, what do you mean?”  The Weres exchanged concerned glances.

Cara looked at her friends and shrugged.  “Well, as far as I can tell, if y’all aren’t guarding the place, then there’s no one for me to cook for, which is my job, and if there’s no job for me to do, then there’s no reason for me to be here, is there?”

Elise flicked her eyes toward one of the hidden cameras.  Her excellent supe hearing had probably alerted her to their presence, he realized, and she was apparently hoping that he was hearing this unsettling conversation.

He was, and what he was hearing chilled him to the bone.

Elise bit the proverbial bullet.  “Cara, what’s wrong?  You’ve been out of sorts the last two days.  If you’ll tell us what’s going on, maybe we can help.”

Godric immediately gave Elise a 200% raise.  But…what did she mean by “out of sorts the last two days”?  What had he missed?

“Nothing, really.  I guess I just thought things were different than they really are.”  Cara made a face and rubbed the lower part of her stomach.  “But don’t ask me what’s going on around here because I have absolutely no fucking idea.”  She stomped over to her bottle of Advil.

Double.  Fuck.

Sarah and Elise looked at each other and shrugged.

“But doesn’t Godric talk to you about…oh.”  Elise apparently got a clue.

Cara snorted and slammed the bottle back down on the counter.

Godric cringed.

He was now certain of only a few things:  he did not like having trouble in his paradise; even after all his 2100-plus years he still did not understand women; and there was no way in hell she was going any-fucking-where.

Tonight he would make time to talk with Cara.  He had foolishly disregarded her right and need to know what was going on, and knew he had best make up for it as soon as possible.  There was something else going on, though, another problem that he could not quite identify.

He was ashamed to realize how long it had been since their last true conversation.  No matter how spectacular their lovemaking was, he knew they needed more than that, and he had made no real effort in that area.

No wonder she felt less than cherished.

However, regardless of these modern times, if he had to, he would not hesitate to kidnap her to keep her safe, and to fix whatever problem was brewing between them.  She was his, he was hers, and the sooner they came to an understanding, the better.

He sent a text to Beck.  Maybe he should start with flowers…

.

.

.

**Poor Godric, he had no idea!  Guys, including delicious ancient vampires, do tend to forget about the need for talking, don’t they…  Do y’all have an idea of what else is wrong with Cara?  Lemme know what you think!**

.

Next to:  Chapter 34

Back to:  Chapter 32

.