章 22: Ch.22

(Matt Pov)

On the drive, over we talked about our clan, and what my father was like growing up, and Eva got to know Alice better. After them talking about many things it would seem they both get slightly closer together and that's thanks to Alice and her personality of getting along with everyone. Arriving at Kiruna we can see that it is a small mining town, though driving through it and going down a side road into the forest. After about another hour of driving deep into this off-road, we arrive at this huge modern-style log cabin mansion. There also appears to be a huge pool in the back giving off steam, possibly heated. We got out of the car as Eva's personal driver took our bags inside and two people were standing outside waiting for us.

"Mom, Dad, been a while since I've seen you. How've you been?" Eva says to them with some strain in her voice.

The old man was tall about 6'6" (198cm) with white long hair braided on one side and a long beard that was also braided. He eyed Eva for a minute at her greeting, then eyed me as if judging if I am worthy of being in their presence, and then gave a glare at Alice. Seeing his glare Alice got a little nervous grabbing my arm tighter and making me get on edge ready for a fight to break out. Seeing my reaction to him, I saw a quick smirk lace his face before quickly returning to his neutral face of no emotion. The older woman smelled like a normal human and was shorter than us all except Alice, maybe 5'4" (162cm). She had white hair also that was braided in one ponytail-like fashion. The old woman gave us all a grandmotherly smile, while her husband was staring at us emotionlessly. They both appeared to be in their late sixties maybe early seventies.

"Eva! My little girl, you should call us more," the old woman says as she walks over to us and they hug while the old man is still staring at me and Alice.

"Dad, stop being a jerk! That is your only grandson," Eva says seeing him still staring at us.

"Can I hug you?" the old woman says turning to me and seeming to have tears threatening to come out of her eyes.

"Uh...sure," I say while still on edge as the old man is staring at us. Having a somewhat awkward hug on my end as the old woman gives me a bear hug.

"You look so much like your father!" the old woman says breaking our hug and brushing back some of my hair that was loose. I can now see she is crying slightly now.

"Ivar! Knock it off!" the old woman says seeing that he hasn't moved and is still staring at us emotionlessly. Then in Swedish, the old woman yells at him, making Eva wince and him break the stare to look at his wife in regret and nods to her.

"I'm sorry Ingegärd, your grandmother is right. I'm glad you finally came to visit us," Ivar says to me walking over to us and giving me a small regretful smile.

"Eva told me you came here to learn more about what you are. How much do you know?" Ivar asks me as Alice is still holding onto me tightly as we all are walking inside the house.

"When I turned eighteen, my Uncle gave me a key to a safety deposit box that had my father's journal. After reading it, it explained what it was like turning for him and that we each have to find our own paths to control the beast. That if I came here you would welcome me and help me, though I'm not too sure about that last part," I say to him still on the defensive since Alice is nervous and as he has been staring at her for a while like he wanted to kill her. Hearing what I said made Ingegärd scowl at him and Eva sigh in understanding. Ivar seemed to have more regret now on his face.

"I apologize for my husband's attitude since you arrived, though please don't leave just yet. I wish to know my only grandchild more before I die," Ingegärd says looking at me pleading for me to stay, as more tears threaten to fall and holding my free hand.

"....We will stay, though only if my mate Alice is ok with it," I say to them pulling Alice closer to me and they all turn to Alice with different expressions. Ivar had quick hatred show but hid it just as quickly it showed. Eva looked curious about what Alice would decide. Ingegärd looked at her with the same pleading look she gave me.

"....I want only want Matt to be happy and I think he needs this," Alice says relaxing a bit and getting more confidence back while giving a glare back to Ivar. Eva smirked seeing the glare, Ingegärd sighed in relief and Ivar showed a quick smile before also making it disappear.

"Then Eva show them to their rooms, I need to talk with Ivar," Ingegärd said now turning to Ivar and having an angry look on her face. Eva nods and motions for us to follow her upstairs. I can see Ingegärd walking to another room as Ivar sighs following her.

Walking upstairs, Eva shows us a room. That is huge, bigger than anything I've seen before. With a king-size bed, walk-in closet, full master bathroom, enough room for a 40" (101cm) flatscreen tv with a love seat and coffee table.

(This takes place in 2005, so this is the best TV they could offer back then.)

"This was your father's old room, now yours," Eva says to us after we enter the room and look around.

"The family is more loaded than I thought," I say looking around.

"The Clan has several billion in USD, in our savings, and even more in the vault under the house in precious jewels and metals. Though only the clan head has access to that. As part of the clan, everyone is entailed to money each month from the various businesses we own, and being part of the head family we get even more. Your father though didn't touch what he was given and only took enough to leave us and invest for himself...He wanted to cut ties with us, though I would talk with my dad to know more about why," Eva says to me with sadness lacing her voice and on her face.

"I see...." I say to her not sure how to take this all in.

"Well, I'm sure mom will want to cook personally for us a big feast as a welcome party, so until then, you're welcome to explore and do whatever. My only suggestion would be to not leave the current residence with Alice, as some of the clan might rush to attack her after smelling a vampire on our territory. Until we can tell everyone that you are here and your mate is a vampire, I wouldn't leave the house," Eva says to us and then turns to leave.

"I'm sorry for dragging you in a den...of bears," I say to Alice sighing and sitting on the bed, worried that I made a mistake bringing her.

"Matt, I will always be by your side. Even in the toughest situations, don't forget that. Plus I'm sure my teddy bear will protect me," Alice says sitting in my lap facing me with her legs wrapped around my waist and forcing me to face her. Looking at her I can see the nervousness in her eyes, but the resolve to not leave my side.

"I will die if it means protecting you," I say to her hugging her.

"That's not allowed! Either we die together or no one dies at all!" Alice says grabbing my face with her hands and giving me a look that leaves no room for argument.

"Alice…..I–" I try to say that I can't lose her, but then realize she feels the same about me and before I can she interrupts me by kissing me. The kiss then became quickly heated as I lied down on the bed with her on top of me and pushed her tongue in my mouth. As we both lie on the bed making out and exploiting each other's bodies with our hands, we jump as someone clears their throat.

'We should really learn to not lose ourselves so easily,' I think to myself and see Eva standing in the doorway smirking at us.

"Sorry to interrupt you both, but the dinner is ready," Eva says laughing as she leaves the room. Looking at the time I realize we were making out for over an hour.

Picking Alice up in a princess carry, making her yelp in surprise. Smiling at me she wraps her arms around my neck as I carry her downstairs to the dining area. Walking in I see my grandfather at the end of a large table, enough to seat twenty or so people. My grandmother sitting next to him on his right and Eva sitting on his left. Seeing us Eva smirks, Ingegärd smiles at us, and Ivar's eyebrow twitches in annoyance. The amount of food is insane, enough to feed the whole table of people if there were twenty people. Though I assume they eat as much as I do, seeing the whole roasted pig in the center, fish, lobster, and many other foods.

"Ah young love," Ingegärd says while smiling at us and motioning for us to sit down. Alice jumping out of my arms sits next to Eva and I sit next to Ingegärd who is smiling at us still.

"We don't have any human blood to offer you, but we do have fresh cattle blood if that suffices," Ingegärd says looking at Alice hoping that is ok.

"Yes thank you! My family are vegetarians so to speak, atleast according to vampire standards. That's why my eyes are golden and not red," Alice says sipping the blood they put in a wine glass for her.

"Didn't know that," Eva says with a thoughtful look, Ivar grunts, and Ingegärd smiles at her nodding happy that she is fine with the cattle blood.

After eating our fill and surprisingly eating everything. Some maids and butlers come in to clean up the table as we go back to the main room. The main room has a fireplace with three large couches, one facing it, the other two next to the one facing it, but are facing each other. There are also large windows to view the outside, being able to see the beautiful view of the woods. The large coffee table between the couches and a large rug underneath. The fireplace has a very large stuffed moose head above it. Sitting on the couches in silence for a few moments, before Ivar speaks up.

"Have you turned after the first time? Are you able to control yourself?" Ivar asks me as he sips on some mead the butler brought out and poured several glasses for us all, except Alice.

"Yes, I've turned several times since the first and am able to control it to a certain degree. Though whenever I get too angry, I lose myself to the anger," I say to him sighing and Alice grabs my hand giving me a reassuring smile.

"That is something all us bears deal with, the rage inside of us is the first thing we must tame. If not then we eventually lose ourselves to the bear and truly become a bear," Ivar says giving me a sagely nod.

"What do you mean by truly becoming a bear," I ask him worried about what he means.

"There have been accounts in our clan, that if some members don't learn to control their rage. Then after turning and fully losing control sometimes lose their humanity and become stuck in their bear form," Ivar says and sees my very worried look, Alice now has fear on her face.

"Though that is very rare, it has to be something extreme to lose control fully. Like if your mate dies," Ivar says trying to calm me down, though that is not very reassuring.

"In my other form it's even harder to control myself like the smallest thing will set me off," I say to him thinking about the hulking bear form with ice.

"Other form?! You have two wells of power!" Ivar says standing up and looking at me with a look of excitement.

"Yes....." I say to him and now see he is looking at me with even more excitement.