Lydia rode back to the manor with Amanda, using the trip to fill her in on everything that had happened at Angelo's. Afterward Amanda informed her about the attack on Shade at the manor. They weighed each other's stories carefully, searching for details and links that might point to the perpetrator of the attacks, but ultimately they reached no revealing conclusions.

    As Amanda's roadster followed the borrowed moving van up to the manor's entrance Lydia spotted the dark blue sedan still parked outside the manor and noted to Amanda that the masked men at Angelo's had driven an identical vehicle. Once the roadster stopped behind the parked moving van she hopped out of the car and hurried over to meet Shade at the rear of the van, eager to check on her brother inside the cargo box. Amanda got out, scanning the manor's grounds with her perfect night vision for any more possible dangers, then joined them.

    Shade released the latch on the door and pushed it up to find Corbin's illuminated purple eyes peering at her from his curled-up beastly form. As he unfolded himself to stand, a sense of relief washed over those waiting for him to step out of the cargo box, each one glad to see him in the form of the Protector which would keep his gunshot wound at bay until Gale could heal him. He eased out of the confining cargo box, acknowledging everyone with a sweeping glance before he too, with tensing fists and a defensive growl, noticed the ominous sedan.

    "Easy little brother,"Shade soothed. "Amanda and I have already taken care of them,"she assured.

    After a firm look at the devilish half smiles worn by Amanda and Shade, which confirmed Shade's words, Corbin relaxed his huge fists. Lydia wrapped her small hand around two of Corbin's fingers with the intent of leading him inside the manor, but Amanda intervened with thoughts of the bodies, alive and not, littering the manor.

    "Um, maybe you and Corbin should wait out here for a few minutes while Shade and I clean up the, uh...mess inside."

    Before Lydia could respond Shade added,"Yeah, she's right. We need to um...put some things downstairs before you come in."

    Lydia frowned, mildly agitated at their concern for what she might see inside, then she looked up to Corbin for his support only to find him nodding in agreement with Amanda and Shade, who walked quickly off to the manor.

    She pulled her hand back and crossed her arms with a slight huff as Corbin stared down at her. "I'm not a little girl anymore,"she said openly for anyone willing to listen.

    A short time later as the midnight hour enveloped the manor Ethan's hatchback turned onto the drive with Gale behind the wheel, while Gideon soared high above in the night sky where he kept a vigil against any more unwelcome surprises during their journey from the cabin. Gale parked the car near the collection of different vehicles gathered at the manor's entrance and Ethan watched as Gideon swooped down to the manor's pillared stoop, changing back effortlessly into his more presentable form as he strode through the front door.

    The trip from the cabin, made longer by light winterly conditions that covered the roads with a thin veil of snow, afforded Gale plenty of time to disclose everything about herself and her family to Ethan, who remained unusually silent with a glazed expression for most of the drive, trying to wrap his head around everything Gale told him.

    Gale sat in the car, patiently waiting for all she revealed to settle on Ethan who was still staring off in the direction where Gideon had landed. After a long moment of thought he turned to her with a look that was both lost and contemplative.

    "So...Gideon and Amanda are vampires, who have watched over your family since meeting your grandparents, who themselves were descendants of a people known as, Vandor..Vander.."

    "Vandarmensen," Gale gently corrected.

     "Van-dar-men-sen. Yes, thanks," he accepted, then went on. "Descendants of the Vandarmensen people who could endow their children with special gifts."

    He paused to look at Gale for positive confirmation of his facts so far. She nodded and he continued.  "And your mother, who had no gift of her own, gave you the Gift of Healing, Shade the Gift of Fleet, Corbin the Gift of the Protector, and Lydia the Gift of Communion. Right?"

    Gale nodded again, this time with a delicate smile she hoped would favorably steer his opinion of all that he was considering inwardly, then Ethan rested his head back against the car seat, exhaling a deep breath as he stared out through the windshield but was oblivious to the night-drenched scenery. His world was changing all around him and his eyes darted back and forth at the thoughts running through his mind. His conflicted demeanor gave no hint as to how he would ultimately respond to everything Gale had laid bare before him.

    She knew she was needed inside, so Gale unbuckled the seatbelt and reached for the door handle. "Ethan, Corbin's been hurt and I have to go help him now," she uttered in a voice pleading for understanding.

    Ethan snapped out of his overloaded haze quickly to reply,"Oh, sure, of course."

    With a fragile expression that would surely convey hurt if he refused, Gale asked,"Will you come with me, inside?"

    Ethan held his breath at the question as he studied Gale's frail disposition for a moment, realizing that all she'd told him had not changed how he felt about her, only what he knew about her. He gave her a sincere nod full of his devotion that strengthened the life in her blue eyes. She smiled carefully as she got out of the car and met him in front of it where they reached for each others hand. He looked toward the looming manor with a hard swallow at the secrets it kept, then followed Gale's pull as she headed for the door.

    Gale led Ethan straight to the dining hall where she knew her family would be assembled, like they usually were when there were matters of importance to be discussed openly. The rise and fall of familiar voices in conversation could be heard clearly just outside the grand room, but as soon as Gale entered with Ethan he caught sight of Corbin's mammoth presence towering over those gathered at the long table and tore away from Gale with a terrified gasp.

    In his attempt to scramble away Ethan tripped over his own feet and fell down to the floor where he continued his escape with a scooting effort toward the door. The room fell silent as everyone turned at the spectacle and watched Gale quickly stoop down to calm him.

    "Ethan, it's okay!," she said, taking his hand to convince him. "It's okay, that's Corbin. Remember what I told you?"

    Ethan froze with panting breaths as his ears heard her words but his eyes remained wide and fixed on Corbin's beastly appearance. Rubbing his shoulder to soothe his fears, Gale turned to everyone and revealed,"It's alright, I've told him everything."

    Corbin left his standing post at the table to walk over to the huddled duo of his oldest sister and her disheveled suitor. Gale and Ethan watched him keenly as he approached, as did everyone else in the room as they waited to know Corbin's intention. He stopped at Ethan's feet, studying him with his muzzled face lowered and tranquil. His burning purple eyes considered Gale for a moment, then returned to Ethan's awestruck features.

    Leaning forward just a bit, Corbin extended his large clawed hand to Ethan, who looked over at Gale as if to make sure taking it was okay. The warm smile on her regal face answered all his concerns. He turned back to Corbin with a trusting stare, placing his hand in the swallowing palm extended to him, and receiving an accepting nod  from Corbin as he was gently pulled up off the floor. Gale rose beside Ethan, placing a hand lovingly on his back as he stared unbelievably into Corbin's fur-covered abdomen, feeling so very small under the imposing presence of the Protector.

    Gideon broke away from the table as well, leaving Shade, Amanda, and Lydia sitting there with following stares as he rounded the table and stopped near Ethan who was flanked by Corbin and Gale. Turning his attention to Gideon, Ethan noticed he was fully dressed now, wearing a random T-shirt that looked more unnatural on the usually dapper Gideon than the bat-like wings Ethan had seen earlier; but Gideon's clothing did not detract from his stately posture as he addressed Ethan with his assuring, confident tone.

    "Ethan, I am truly sorry that in the midst of this night's unfortunate events so much has been thrust upon you. I know Gale intended to use this weekend with you to enlighten you concerning our secrets," Gideon paused with a loving glance at Gale, then went on.

    "She had all our blessings to do so because in the years we have known you through her, we have come to be quite fond of you and appreciative of your feelings toward her."

    A round of affirming nods from the heads of those gathered at the table behind Gideon assured Ethan of Gideon's sentiments on their behalf. As Ethan noticed them he remained attentive to Gideon's speech.

    "What I am attempting to say here Ethan is this: I hope you will see the hand offered to you by Corbin as a gesture from each of us. You are welcome here among us, and I hope we shall remain welcome with you, secrets and all."

    Ethan witnessed another round of agreeing nods at the table, then he again considered the giant creature beside him with an upward glance that swung away to Gale's hopeful blue eyes. He swallowed calmly, straightening his shoulders with resolve as he stayed locked onto her enlivened visage for a moment before turning to step toward Gideon.

    "As, uh...as always Gideon, I consider  myself privileged and honored to be among those associated with the woman I love...secrets and all," he declared soundly, reaching toward Gideon for a consecrating handshake.

    Gideon's formal expression broke with a proud smile as he took Ethan's hand firmly, creating a union that brought an assortment of pleased smiles from everyone in the room, especially Gale.  

    "Now then, back to the dubious matters at hand," Gideon instructed regretfully, turning back to the table as Gale wrapped herself tenderly around Ethan's arm in order to bring him along as she followed Gideon to the table, where discussion of the masked men continued. 

    Corbin stood back for a moment, taking an inward delight in Gale's obvious happiness as she made her way to the table with Ethan. Then Lydia turned in her seat, beckoning him to come and stand near her. He didn't make her wait.