Plight: A Dark Paranormal Romance (The Sephlem Trials Book 1)

by Felisha Antonette

“I don’t know if I agree with that, Tracey.”

  “It’s not optional. We’ll talk to Little Nathan about it, and if necessary, handle matters accordingly.”

  “Tracey,” he digresses. “You can hear my family, and you’ve accepted my family. I can’t believe it.”

  “Why is that so hard to believe?” I prop myself up on my elbows. “I love you.”

  “I see.” He looks away from me to the sky. “It’s nice out here.”

  “It is. Why are Scott and Glen moving in with you?”

  He sits up. His troubled eyes and straight-lined lips say he doesn’t want to tell me. “Because I don’t. But someone, or maybe something, broke into Scott’s house one night and tried to kill them. Glen was hurt badly. Scott took care of the person who got in the house, but before he did, he found out more might come. So the outcome is that they stay with us.”

  “Scott healed Glen and cleared her memory, I suppose?”

  “He did.”

  “Why didn’t you tell me this before?”

  “Tracey, you and I had our own things going on. From last night and today, I haven’t had the opportunity. But I found out yesterday morning after I left your house.” I glare at him, irritated. “You’re right. I should’ve told you.”

  “Damn right, Nathan. What the hell? First, we have daddy issues, then we have Jackal Cindy issues, and now we have Glen and Scott being targets of a murder issues. And that probably means, whoever it is, will also try to get us too.”

  “That may. . .” he carries on, “be correct.”

  “I’m tired.” I take a few breaths. Things are happening too fast. Too much we can’t change or control. “So, now what?”

  Laying back down, he takes me with him. “Now we enjoy the weather, stare at the clear sky, and you let me hold you.” He rubs my shoulder. “I told you it would be like this. There’s always someone trying to kill us. We just kill them first.”

  I shake my head at him. “You did tell me. I just don’t know how I feel about it.”

  “You don’t have to feel any way. You’ll be safe at the house, and now Glen will be there. Let us take care of it.”

  “As tempting as that may sound, I’ll be doing whatever you’ll be doing with you.”

  He doesn’t respond for a while. And then suddenly, “You go back to school on Monday.” Again, he diverts away from the topic at hand. “Will you miss me?”

  I sigh and combat the growing burn in my chest by turning onto my back and laying my head on Nathan’s stomach. “I’ll see you in the morning, you’ll visit me when I’m on lunch, and you’ll wait for me to get out. I’ll be fine.”

  “You have it all figured out, huh?”

  “Seems like it.” I turn my head to the right, seeing him looking down at me. “So, we get rid of one problem, like your dad, just to add another.”

  “Tracey, forget about all of that right now. Just for tonight.”

  “Okay. But can you please explain why Scott won’t tell Glen?” I hold up my hand, requesting his. His fingers dance across my palm, and I play along, twiddling with them. “If he did, it would take away one problem.”

  “I don’t know, and I understand, but I can’t tell him what to do. He makes his own decisions. It would be too simple for him to tell her, making life easy. But sometimes, easy is just too easy.”

  “We’re easy?”

  “Well, somewhat, but let us be thankful for that.” He adjusts to sitting behind me and kisses my neck. “Because our relationship could be just as bad.”

  “How?”

  “Doesn’t matter. It’s not.” Patting my thigh, he deters. “Can we forget about everything else and focus on now, us, together? I’m sorry I brought this to you. Making you deal with this and having you obligated to stand by my side.”

  “Nathan, my choices are my own.” He moves my hair over my left shoulder and kisses the back of my neck. “I chose you. I knew what could happen.” My grip on his hand tightens as he saturates me in a kiss with every sentence I speak. “I knew there would be risks. I want you.” A kiss. “Your family.” Another. “You.” And another. “Your life.” A longer kiss. “And whatever else you have to offer me.” I face him. “I have no regrets, and you shouldn’t either. Now accept that and don’t leave me, ever.” Images of him lifeless creep into my mind, and my face burns as I’m bum rushed with havoc memories.

  “Don’t, Tracey, before I do like Scott and make you forget it.” He pecks my lips.

  “You better not ever do that.” I relax my eyebrows and lower my gaze. “I don’t understand those two.”

  “Not tonight, Tracey. Just us, remember. Let me make one of my dreams come true.”

  An ear-to-ear smile squints my eyes as thrill forces me to say, “I’m ready,” facing him. “What was it like?”

  “Like this.” He splays my legs over his. “Some of this.” He takes his shirt off and places my hands on his chest. “And a lot of this.” He grabs my jaw, pulling me to kiss him.

  And this is us, for a long time, sitting under the moonlit sky.

  abhorrence

  It’s freezing. I yawn, pulling the covers of Nathan’s bed further around me. The unpleasantries of haunted dreams and fearful thoughts prevent me from falling back to sleep. Though I’ve tried, I can’t shake Cindy and Mr. Newcomb. Nathan?

  I’m in the kitchen. Come eat.

  I clean up and pull on a pair of jeans to meet him. It’s easier to make it around his house. I almost have the way to the kitchen memorized; down the stairs and to the left, right down the hall from the great room.

  “Hey.” I sit at the island packed with way more food than for him and me.

  “Hey.” He grabs a plate from the cabinet and piles food on it. “Juice, milk, water?”

  “Milk, please?” I take the plate he offers. His slacken shoulder, laxed dispassion, and mellow mood this morning are a clear sign his guard’s back up. I watch him grab the glass and pour the milk from a pitcher sitting on the counter. “There’s something I’ve been meaning to mention,” I start slowly. He hands me the half-full glass, interest in his eyes for me to continue. “Something your dad had said.”

  He makes his plate, asking, “What was that?”

  “He said he was Burdened and Hybrid. How is that?”

  Nathan lifts his head from looking down at his plate and meets my eyes. “Come again?”

  “He said I wouldn’t be able to defeat him because he was Burdened and Hybrid, like he was indestructible.”

  Nathan nods and picks up his plate, continuing to add food to it. “Let’s eat somewhere else. The kitchen will be crowded soon.”

  His lack of concern and the ease in his tone don’t give me an ounce of a clue as to what he may think about this, what should be, news to him. “Did you know you are the hardest person to read I’ve ever met?” He guides us to a family room near to the kitchen. It reminds me of my family room, and I kind of feel at home.

  Nathan sits on a couch across from the fireplace and eats, still having nothing to say. I sit beside him, pushing, “What are you thinking?”

  “To be honest?” I nod. “I don’t care. He’s dead. And that’s the only thing that matters.” I try to interject. “Before you say anything. I know that sounds harsh and what he said may have been true.” He shrugs. “Then again, it may not have been. But my father was like the devil, and I was glad to destroy him.”

  “Just thought I’d mention it.”

  “I’m not ignoring it. It sparked my interest. But, like you pointed out last night, we have a lot going on now. And how it works is. . . Once a problem occurs and is solved, that’s it. We focus on what is, not what was.”

  I get it. I push around my eggs and prepare to scoop them onto my fork when a brooding feeling sinks down on me.

  “Hey, Tracey. What up, bro?” Little Nathan and Cindy join us.

  “She spent the night?” Nathan asks.

  “Yeah, is that a problem?” Absolutely.

  “No, Little N
athan. When you have a moment, I want to talk to you.”

  Why wait for a moment? Just tell him so we can move on to what the hell is going on.

  “Hey, Tracey!” Cindy sits on the armrest of the couch and grabs a slice of bacon from my plate.

  My hands burn as if they were warning me, and I lose my appetite. “Hello.” I force myself to say but refuse to look at her.

  She ignores it, chirping, “Where did you two end up going last night? How do you like being with Nathan? Does it seem weird to you when you speak to them and they have the same name? Do you love Nathan? Oh, do you think he loves you too? Why are you with him?”

  She goes on, and I have to cut in. “I’m sorry, Cindy.” I face her. “You are out of line with some of―” She smiles at me, a Jackal smile but from her face. I scoot closer to Nathan and clear my throat to finish, “You’re out of line with some of your questions.”

  The curling vines burn as they cover my ear and twist around my right elbow. My eyes demand me to blink, forcing me to acknowledge something I may be missing. I hold my eyes open, too nervous to see their reveal.

  Nathan shifts behind me and grips my arm.

  Cindy’s Jackal smile stretches her lips. “My apologies, Tracey. I didn’t mean to be so forward.”

  I blink. Holding my breath, I try to remain calm, but my panic spikes, and I’m on my feet. In full Jackal, she scares me. Jackals are definitely worse than clowns. Her sharper teeth stick into her lips, cutting them, though she shows no pain.

  My hand is burning hot, and I put it behind my back as the vines travel around it. Nathan grabs it. I whip around, ready to heal him from the burn that should’ve scorched his skin.

  Never take your eyes off your enemy. . .

  Jackal Cindy snatches me by my neck and throws me across the small room, all while clawing at my face.

  Everything moves so fast. . . She is fast. Before I hit the wall, Nathan catches me. I scan the room for my attacker. Already next to us, Jackal Cindy grabs me by my shoulder. Her razor-sharp nails scrape down my neck, over my back, to my butt, and down my right leg, as she’s tossing me again.

  I smash into the flat screen TV mounted on the wall.

  Nathan catches me, keeping my hand clutched in his. Blood oozes down my leg, but the abrasions are painless.

  I’ve got no time to recuperate. Like a dance move, Nathan spinning me around to his left side as Jackal Cindy appears on our right. He throws his free arm out and grabs the back of her head. Three times, he slams her against the wall, sending wall plaster crumbling to the floor. With one arm, he twists her around and crooks his arm around her neck. In a single move, as Cindy screeches, he snaps her neck.

  Her head in one direction and body in another, she hits the floor, a haunting and lifeless smile on her lips.

  Nathan spins me to his front and runs his hand down my backside. Where the abrasions opened my skin, the areas tighten. Stripping off his shirt, he pulls it over my head. The length of it falls past my waist.

  He slows when we face each other. His eyes swirl from night-blue as he looks me over. “Your face,” he mutters, worried. After running his thumb over my forehead, right cheek, and bottom lip, he says, “It’s fine. I fixed it. Are you okay?” he asks, touching over my neck and my head.

  “Yeah.” I breathe. “Everything happened so fast.” I look down at Cindy’s dead body. “What the hell did I do to piss her off?”

  Nathan almost growls as he exhales. His gaze darts over at Little Nathan. “Please tell me you had nothing to do with this.” I would hate to kill my little brother.

  I rub Nathan’s arm to help him relax.

  Little Nathan blinks in his own astonishment. Snapping out of it, he vigorously shakes his head. “I swear, Nathan. I had no idea. She had just come around, maybe a few days ago. We did some things, and she was cool. I didn’t even know she wasn’t human. We had caught you two coming in the other day, and she wanted to meet you. Everything was cool,” he says in a rush, hands rising at his sides. “I’m so sorry, Tracey. I didn’t know.”

  Nathan speaks, but I cut him off. “It’s okay, Little Nathan.” I head from the room with Nathan at my back. Not today. I can’t deal with any more arguing or fighting this weekend.

  Standing, eyes wide, brows so high they’re tucked beneath his bangs, and slack-jawed, Little Nathan’s wan expression shows his sincerity and disbelief. I believe he knew nothing about Cindy. “Don’t worry about it,” I say to ease his concern.

  “Seriously, Nathan. I better not find out you had something to do with this,” Nathan follows, without giving his brother a single glance.

  “It’s okay, babe. Let’s just go, please.” I try to calm him down.

  “Clean up in here,” Nathan orders as we leave the family room.

  We walk into the hall, running into Glen and Scott.

  Glen’s eyes buck. “Whoa, Nathan. Good job, Tracey!” she praises with a rapt smile.

  As the words leave her lips, time passes in slow motion.

  Complexion changing to a deep red, Scott’s hair stands up, teeth sharpen, and nails turn pitch-black. He lunges at Glen, only a foot or so away from him, and tackles her, slamming her through the wall. They go straight through the wall.

  Nathan reaches for Scott, just missing him. We dive through the hole after them, but we’re too late. Scott has Glen by her throat, and the side of her face is crushed in with blood draining from her nose and left eye.

  Nathan stills with his fists balled. Scott drops Glen, and I run to her, propping her head on my lap. “What the hell, Scott? You have got to be kidding me.” He’s still alive, so Glen has to be too.

  Nathan’s voice is deep and venomous as he growls, “Scott, what are you doing? Control yourself.” Scott’s trying to fight the telepathic control Nathan has over him. I can’t tell how close he is, but it looks like it’s hurting them both. “Don’t do this, Scott. I don’t want to hurt you,” Nathan says, gaze fixed on him.

  Scott looks similar to the way I saw Nathan yesterday; hard as rock and wicked as hell.

  I sob, looking Glen over. She jerks in my lap, trying to catch a breath. I don’t know what to do. I can’t heal her. I can’t do anything for her. “Nathan, what do I do?” She trembles. “No. Glen, please just hold on. We’ll fix it. Just hold on.” My tears fall on her face, and I try to stop them as I hold her.

  “Tracey, please stop crying,” Nathan begs, avoiding looking at me to hide the pain in his eyes. “She’ll be okay. We need to get Scott together first. He’ll fix her.”

  “Nathan, please fix it.” I grab Glen’s hand. Warm liquid’s soaking my legs and Glen has no grip against my hand whatsoever. “Glen! Please? Please, be okay!” I draw her closer. “Fight this!” I yell, holding my unresponsive friend. I’ve always been able to help her with anything―through anything―and for the first time, I can do nothing. I sit, helpless, rocking us. My chest aches for her life as the thought of losing her becomes more realistic. I lay over her, hugging her to me, and let out my heartache.

  “Tracey. Please?” Nathan begs. “I can’t―”

  A piercing twinge strikes in my shoulder. Nathan’s smashed against the wall with Scott in front of him. Black liquid draining from his neck and shoulder stain the wall and floor. “Scott, you need to…” He struggles to catch his breath. Coughing once, he continues, “you need to get back in control.”

  I gently set Glen on the floor. “I’ll be right back.”

  Scott’s in full demon form. I rush across the floor to him and Nathan, hands heated to the max. I grab Scott by his rock-hard neck, and with all my strength, I yank him away from Nathan and toss him across the room. I don’t wait to see where he lands, hurrying to heal Nathan. I glide my fingers along his wounded shoulder and watch his flesh stitch back together. “This is turning into a bad―” I heave.

  A gut-wrenching pain stabs through my stomach, and Nathan grabs his. I drop to my knees, looking down at Scott’s hand, covered in my blood, sticking out o
f my stomach. He yanks it out, taking something of me with him.

  My vision fades. I gulp at the air and fall over.

  Something stiffening sounds from behind me and soon, my ears are ringing.

  I’m laid flat. Nathan lifts my shirt and places his mouth on my wound. I freeze, body chilling to a negative degree that turns the heat coming off me to fog. I’m flipped over and it gets even colder, but the pain’s subsiding. The air’s breathed back into me and I gasped at it, coughing with fluid charging up my throat. I’m turned onto my side and blood rushes out of my mouth.

  Glen’s bruised fingers twitch. I climb onto my hands and knees and crawl to her.

  “Glen, please be okay. Tell me you’re okay,” I beg, though she can’t speak. Scott’s stiffened by a force that has his fists clenched and muscles straining, similar to what happened to Mr. Newcomb the other night. “Did you?” I ask Nathan.

  “Not yet.” He stands. “But I’m going to.”

  “Nathan, don’t,” I beg.

  “Tracey, he―”

  “Dammit Nathan, I know what he tried to do. You can’t hurt him. He doesn’t know what he’s doing. Glen is on the brink of death. Just, please, try to calm him down so he can save her.”

  Glen’s face is swelling, and both eyes are swollen shut. Blood flows from her, and I refuse to lift her up to see where it’s leaking from.

  “Nathan, please?” I beg, tears blurring my eyes.

  Nathan shakes his head and looks at Scott while shoving his bloody hands through his hair. His face is covered in my blood, and his black liquid stains the left side of his body. He’s conflicted, eyes a mutation of colors, but he says, “Scott, you need to calm down. You nearly killed your mate, and if I weren’t here, you would’ve killed mine. I am not okay with letting you live. But, because Tracey needs her friend, it’s the only reason I’m trying.” He nears Scott. “Let it go and get control of yourself before Glen dies.” Nathan’s expression softens, and Scott slowly loosens up. “Get it together,” he adds, taking Scott by his shoulders.

  Scott eases and morphs to his regular appearance. Whipping around, his gaze lands on Glen and me. I move away from her when he rushes over. He grabs Glen from the floor and cries out in a wounded scream. He kisses over her face, and his sobs grow heavier. They break through the hate I had rising for him, and his anguish tears me apart. My heart cries for him, watching his quick attempts to heal Glen slowing. A knot forms in my throat, understanding why he’s changing.