Micah's Family

Micah stopped the car and hopped out. He headed to the back to start pulling out the luggage, allowing me to get out of the car on my own. Smart man.

“Hey, Anita,” he called, flipping his sunglasses up to rest on top of his head.

I looked away from the two story house and met his chartreuse eyes. “Yeah, Micah?”

“Could you come back here and help me with this?”

I nodded and shut the car door. He handed me one of the huge rolling suitcases, while he tried to juggle the others so that they wouldn’t fall out on top of us. I leant a hand, propping up an air mattress bag, while wheeling the suitcase out of his way.

“Thanks,” Micah said, deftly plucking out the rest of the luggage and other paraphernalia and setting them on the ground.

“We’re early, are you sure they’re going to be ready for us?” I asked, glancing back at the front door which was made of glass. Obviously the Callahans didn’t have gunmen shooting at them from time to time like I did or their door would have been solid oak.

Micah looked around the car at me and grinned. “Mom probably has six different meals ready to go depending on what time we arrived.”

“Would she really?” I asked, turning back to face him.

The incredulous look on my face made him laugh as he shut the trunk and slipped his sunglasses back down his nose. He grabbed most of the stuff on the ground and I took the rest. He could have carried it all, but it would have been suspicious.

Micah was a lycanthrope and not just any kind. He was a wereleopard; more exotic than a werewolf because large cat lycanthropy was harder to catch. On top of all that Micah was also king to my queen of our combined pards, not that I myself am a wereleopard. I’m queen through metaphysical means from a power-sharing triumvirate and because all of the leopards have acknowledged me as dominant to them.

So as you can see, he has muscles where most humans do not have muscles. As such he could have bench pressed a two ton truck with ease. It was the balancing of it that would have been the problem. That, and humans get twitchy around monsters.

We hobbled up to the front door where I shifted what I was carrying to free up a finger. I pressed the doorbell and listened to it echo inside the house. I saw movement in the back and suddenly I was nervous.

“It’s all right, Anita,” Micah said softly, turning his head to look at me. “They’re going to love you.”

I nodded. I hate it when my boyfriends know what’s going on inside me. Stupid supernatural senses. It really wasn’t fair. A girl has to keep some secrets to herself, doesn’t she?

“Why are you so unnerved?” Micah asked, slipping up his sunglasses to look me in the eye.

Unnerved? Who, me?

I mentally sighed. I didn’t really want to go into this. It was suppose to be a happy weeklong vacation with Micah’s family. His younger brother Jerry, short for Jeremiah, was getting married to his college sweetheart. I was Micah’s date.

My real issues seem to always go back to Richard, my ex-honey, and to the car accident my mother died in, but I think I’m slowly learning to let that last one go. Very slowly. Since my mother’s death and my father’s remarriage I haven’t really had family. Judith, was not an ideal stepmother, but at least she wasn’t like the wicked one in Snow White, no matter how many times I claim otherwise out loud. At least she wants me to be prettier.

I met Richard’s family and found with them what I always wanted; instantaneous warmth and acceptance, love, and approval. I still love them, but now his mother hated me in a way only a mother could. I’d broke her baby’s heart. I dumped Richard for another man and for that Mrs. Zeeman would never forgive me. She no longer liked me; I knew this. I couldn’t blame her. Even now, she warred with her disgust for me and her gratitude for me at saving her and Daniel from vampires in Tennessee.

I swallowed past the nausea rising in my throat. I suddenly didn’t want to meet Micah’s family. I didn’t want to fall in love with them like I did with Richard’s parents and siblings. It would hurt too much to find a family that accepted and loved me like that again.

But it was too late, the door opened and suddenly everything was chaotic. Micah and I were ushered into the house by his smiling sister, Beth, and being relieved of our luggage by Jerry and Mr. Callahan. I was greeted and hugged by them all. Micah’s mother, Cathy Callahan, was calling from the aromatic kitchen that lunch would be served as soon as we had settled into our room.

Mr. Callahan, Jonathan as he preferred to be called, directed us to Micah’s old bedroom. Jerry followed behind us and dropped his armload on the bed. As he walked out, he paused to kiss me on the cheek and tell me how glad he was that I was there with Micah. I was part of the family already and I was scared shitless.