Evelyn

He wiped at the tears as he pulled away. "Sorry, Little Bird, your words made me very happy."

A throat cleared behind me, and I turned to find my father and brother watching us.

"Good going, sister; you have turned Clay into a blubbering idiot. You guys get more and more disgusting every day." Said Asher

I was shocked at the anger that rose up inside me. I walked over and kicked Asher in the shin with a growl.

"Ow! What the hell? I was just joking!" complained Asher.

"Come on, kids, playtime is over. I want to introduce Evelyn to Loretta." Said Father

I took a second to take in the beauty of my Father's home. It was a large two-story log cabin with a wrap-around porch and a walkout basement. The inside had tall ceilings with beautiful orb lights that hung on thin chains. When stepping through the front door, you enter through a foyer that leads to a large living room with a large black leather sectional, a massive fireplace, and a large tv mounted to the wall. The living room was a large open concept; I saw a massive kitchen with all modern appliances. A staircase that led upstairs, and a dining room off to the back.

"I can't imagine what it would be like to live in a place like this," I whispered to Clay.

"Oh, there's Loretta now. Come, Eve, meet your stepmother." Said, Father.

Sucking in a deep breath, I looked up at the stairs to find a gorgeous and tall woman with a diamond-shaped face, long black hair that fell to her waist, dark tan skin, high cheekbones, and dark brown eyes.

"Loretta dear, I want you to meet Evelyn, my daughter." Said, Father

She looked down her long elegant nose at me, lip curling slightly in a snarl. I stepped back, bumping into Clay, who stepped beside me, lacing his fingers with mine.

Ignoring his wife, my father motioned me to follow, "Come, daughter, and let me show you around our home."

After a quick tour, we entered the dining room.

I tried not to groan when I spotted Harmony sitting next to Shelby.

Not wanting to make a scene, I lifted my chin, then sat down in the chair Clay had pulled out for me. Clay took the chair to my left while Asher took the one on my right.

"Shelby here told me you used to be in theater and even sang. Is that true?" Father asked as we piled our plates with food.

I had been drinking when he said that and inhaled the water, throwing me into a coughing fit.

"Are you okay, Little Bird?" asked Clay, rubbing my back with a frown.

I nodded," Im okay; it went down the wrong pipe."

I glared at Shelby and Harmony, who were trying to hide their smirks.

"Sorry about that," I said to my father," and yes, I used to love the theater. I was obsessed with fairytales as a kid. My mother went to every play. But I haven't been to one since the accident."

After dinner, some of us congregated in the living room; thankfully, Loretta and the hag bitches disappeared somewhere.

I was cuddled up next to Clay on the couch, and ten minutes later, there was a knock on the door.

Father got up to answer it and returned with an older man with mismatched eyes similar to Clay's, dark skin, and long gray hair that was split into two braids that hung over his shoulders. He was wearing his regalia and had a necklace of bones around his neck that rattled together as he walked.

Clay smiled and rose to his feet to greet his Grandfather. "Eve, this is my papa Alo Branham. Grandfather, this is my girlfriend, Evelyn Monroe." He had the same gentle eyes as Clay when he looked at me.

The old Shaman walked over to peer into my eyes. Clay squeezed my hand when a sudden pressure in my head made me groan, and the pressure receded when the Shaman looked away.

"I sense her Guardian spirit, but since she is only half Guardian, her Guardian didn't wake up until she met Clay. It also seems to be a little traumatized. Her Guardian should appear within a week or two with a proper cleansing of her spirit."

"Why would meeting me cause her Guardian to wake up?" Clay asked

Alo looked between us, smiling, "That is because you are true mates. Finding the other half of her soul woke her up, and with some help, she will rise to be with her mate."