by Sienna Aylen
Sighing dramatically as she walked out into the bright sunlight, Tessa deliberately ran a hand through her hair, slowly, and flipped it over her shoulder. Looking back at him, she blinked her long eyelashes innocently at his increased breathing and answered, “Hmm, I wouldn’t know if it was your bed or not since I’ve never seen the inside of your room. Let me see, there were sheets and pillows, but no face, so I’m not entirely sure where it was.”
“Well, that’s something we can fix real easy.”
Tessa walked next to Hunter and lifted her face to the bright sunrays. Smiling, she soaked up the rare moment. No visions. No immediate danger. Just a gorgeous and ridiculous man. A beautiful day. She loved being in the more wild regions of North America. It was home. Traveling the world many times over, she had seen the wonders of each continent, but she always kept a residence in this region.
She knew these lands like the back of her hand. They had changed over time—cities came and went, as did buildings and such—but the bare bones were pretty much the same. Land had been cleared and trees felled but Mother Nature always had a way of taking things back and making them green again.
Tessa couldn’t stop her smile, especially since it made Hunter speechless. He cleared his throat before waving to a couple of teenagers as they strolled past.
“So, Hunter, if Damien is Alpha and Bleu is the tech and business wizard, what exactly do you do?”
Hunter shrugged his broad shoulders. “I handle the day-to-day stuff, a lot of random odds and ends Damien doesn’t have the time to get to, but mostly I train the older cubs. We teach them how to fight, hunt, track and how to cover their own tracks if they’re in any danger. You know, basic skills.”
“Like how to be a flirt and get girls?” Tessa suggested with a wink.
“Something like that.”
Tessa heard the love in his voice. He downplayed his importance but she would bet her last dollar he was the go-to guy for the cubs. Just as she was thinking about asking him another question, they arrived at a striking sky-blue cottage nestled back in the trees by the north edge of the lake.
The sunlight rippled over the pristine waters. Reds, pinks, purples, yellows and greens dotted the ground. Spring had always been her favorite time of year. There were daisies growing in bunches along the dirt path to the cottage and the smell of lavender permeated the air.
A shallow dock stuck its neck out into the water, and tied to it were three wooden rowboats. The Rainbow, the Growl and the Explorer. Strange names but she had expected nothing less. The cabin itself had a rustic white porch swing strewn with bright blue pillows, and bunches of thyme and rosemary were sprouting in planter boxes underneath each windowsill.
As they neared the porch, the screen door creaked as it swung open and a beautiful woman sauntered out. Inky-black hair hung to her waist in gentle curls, framing a face that lit up the whole valley. Standing at about six feet, she topped Tessa by almost half a foot. She was radiant in a long white skirt and matching tank top, her painted toes completely bare without her shoes. The only thing out of place was the remains of a green and yellow bruise on her left temple. Smiling, she came down the porch with a skip and wrapped Hunter in a warm hug, her bandaged wrist resting on his broad shoulder.
“Contessa, this is my baby sister, Lysa. Lysa, Contessa is one of the Council members. She and two of her sisters are going to be staying at the main house for a while.”
Lysa surprised Tessa by wrapping her in a friendly hug. “It’s so nice to meet you. Why don’t you both come sit on the porch? I just took some cranberry muffins out of the oven and have a pitcher of strawberry lemonade already made.”
As soon as Lysa leaned back to disentangle herself from Tessa, Tessa could feel the vision taking over. The long, winding tentacles of scenes wrapped themselves around her like a snake about to devour its prey.
Lysa, standing on the porch of her cottage, rubbing one hand lovingly over the curved mound of her stomach. Four cubs roughhousing in the grass, tumbling around with little roars coming from their fuzzy throats. Lysa smiling affectionately while settling herself in one of the brightly colored chairs. A man, a very tall man, coming out of the house behind her and placing a gentle kiss on her cheek. Using strong hands, he eases the knots out of her shoulders…
Tessa blinked. The vision dispelled and left only a headache and a racing heartbeat in its place. She absently noticed that no one had seen her slip. The visions had always been quick to come and go. She never missed a beat. One second they were there, the next they were gone. It wasn’t often that anyone could even guess when she’d had one.
Hunter frowned at Lysa as they made their way up to the porch. “You should be resting that wrist, not slaving away baking.”
Lysa waved a hand airily. “I’m perfectly capable of making muffins by myself. I use an electric stand mixer, so I don’t end up using my wrist that much, anyway.” Turning to Tessa, Lysa rolled her eyes and grinned. “The way he acts, you would think I was laid up in bed with broken ribs and a concussion. I’ll be right back with the muffins.”
Tessa watched Hunter walk inside after his sister. She could see why the men were so protective of her. Lysa was a nurturing soul, just like Tessa’s sister Rachelle. They both had an air of innocence about them, as though the evils of the world never touched them. Without their gentle spirits, the more hardened warrior souls, like her oldest sister Jade, wouldn’t have a purpose. The mellow ones were the glue that kept everyone together.
Settled on a bright-yellow porch chair, Tessa reclined as the screen door squeaked. Hunter carried the pitcher of lemonade and three cups while Lysa held the lighter basket of muffins. Lysa handed a muffin to each of her guests before taking one herself.
Tessa took a healthy bite and before she knew it had eaten the whole thing and guzzled it down with a big gulp of lemonade. “Oh, my God, I’m in love. These are amazing. I’ve tried a million times but I’ve never been able to bake muffins like this. You have to share your recipe.”
Tessa devoured her second muffin like a starving man would a large pizza. Refilling her glass with more strawberry lemonade, she turned her gaze to Lysa. “All right, before I inhale any more of your amazing muffins, I came here for a reason. I need you to tell me everything you remember about your accident, starting with before you got into the Jeep, and don’t leave anything out. Even the smallest detail can help.”
Lysa took a calming breath and gazed off into the distance past the lake. “It was a Tuesday. Tuesdays, I always drive over to Cranston. I volunteer at the shifter-run school there. I normally never use the Jeeps, but my car was in the middle of repairs so I went over in the morning to the main house and asked Hunter if I could borrow his Jeep for the trip. After he said yes, I went out the front and came back to my cabin to grab the basket of croissants I had made for the kids. I said hi to Rosalind and Jeff in passing. They both asked how I was doing. Once I got here…I didn’t realize it before…but the window was cracked, I thought I had closed and locked it before going over to see Hunter…” Looking distressed, Lysa trailed off.
Tessa rushed to reassure Lysa. The poor girl had gone white as a ghost with the memory. “That’s great you remembered that small detail. Keep going. What did you do when you realized it was open?”
“I closed it and locked it, then knew I’d be late if I didn’t get moving so I grabbed the basket and my jacket. I walked over there,” Lysa pointed to a large building that had garage doors across the front, “to the garage and got in Hunter’s Jeep.”
“Was anyone else in the garage when you were there?” Tessa asked curiously. Hunter seemed tense, white knuckles gripping the arms of his chair. Tessa appreciated the fact he didn’t butt in while she asked Lysa questions.
“Yes, Damien drove into the garage right as I was about to back out. Gene, the mechanic, and Rafe were there, too. They both are normally in the garage when I leave. Rafe is Gene’s apprentice. After that I backed out and turned onto the main road. Presley
and Max were right outside the garage as I pulled out. I waved to both of them and then drove down the road before turning onto the switchback that leads past the mountains to Cranston. Everything seemed fine until I tried to slow down before the pass and the brakes wouldn’t work. The emergency brake wasn’t working either so I pulled onto the side hoping the mud and grass would help slow the car down. It worked, until the steering wheel went out and I lost control. I ran into the rocks right before the ledge.”
Staring out at the calm waters, Lysa raised a trembling hand to her throat. “Three feet…and I would have gone over the edge. The air bags didn’t deploy. They should’ve but they didn’t. I bumped my head pretty hard against the door and my wrist was thrown against the steering wheel. I broke it. After I got my bearings, I called for help on my cell and that’s it. I didn’t see anything else. I’m sorry I couldn’t be of more help.”
Tessa got up and walked over to pull Lysa into a quick hug. “You did great. You’re safe now.” Clearing her throat, she pointed at the muffin basket and beamed. “Is there any way I can bribe you for a few more of these muffins before I go?”
Chapter Six
#xa0;
Emma knew Damien would follow her. That big head of his would demand he have the last word in their conversation. She didn’t need a lug like him questioning her entire reason for living. As though he knew what was best for her… He was being a complete ass, telling her that she should quit her job. As if he had a clue!
Ha. Two thousand years. Two thousand.
That’s how long she had been taking care of herself, and she had done a pretty good job of it. On her own.
Now he wanted to barge in and take over? What a Neanderthal. She could see him picking up a woman and throwing her over his shoulder to take back to his cave. He would say something along the lines of ‘Me big man, you little woman. Sit still, I’ll do the talking’. Even thinking about it aggravated her further, turning the pounding in her head to an outright stabbing assault on her brain.
So what if Damien was her Fated? She wasn’t going to up and change her entire existence, not even for him. Fate could bitch all she wanted but Emma wouldn’t fall into line. She wasn’t the type to accept something just because someone decreed it, and he would. He was the overbearing type, protective and relentless. He would demand she change her entire life and give up the only thing that ever gave her purpose.
Emma just needed a few minutes to pull herself back together. Time to rein in her temper and rising emotions she had thought long dead. She had gotten ahead of Damien a quarter-mile back. Now it was time to disappear. Using a trick she’d learned in Council training, she flicked her wrist, obscuring her trail and making her scent dissipate. Even his royal Alphaness wouldn’t be able to track her now.
This old dog still has a few tricks up her sleeve.
Making sure to keep off any used foot trails, Emma followed a shallow, meandering stream through the forest. Up the steep path, she made her way to an overhang partway up the mountainside. The air was cool and crisp at the higher altitude, soothing the raw edge of her headache.
From her vantage point, she could see the entire valley, but it was high enough that she would be hard to spot through the trees. Sitting a mere foot from the edge, she stared out at the horizon. She wrapped her arms around her knees, hugging them to her chest. Leaning her head down onto her arms, she observed the valley below.
In the clearing, a pair of cubs were wrestling while neighbors smiled and waved at one another. Then there was an older couple. They caught her attention because they looked so comfortable with each other, swaying on their porch swing with the woman’s head resting on the man’s shoulder. Every now and then he would press a kiss to her forehead while they watched the cubs in the yard. The older woman leaned her head back and rewarded him with a smile, a smile so full of love and memories it brought tears to Emma’s eyes. It was peaceful here, full of life and joy…and one overprotective, obnoxious Alpha male.
Okay, so Damien might be her Fated.
Maybe.
Perhaps.
All right, it was more than likely that fate had decreed they would be together.
The touch he had given her had sent the memories ducking for cover. It was one tiny shred of evidence in fate’s favor. He’d done it not just once, but twice. First just by standing next to her, then the second time after the reading. If he balanced out her gifts, he was her Fated. It was as simple as that. But what constituted balancing? Just pushing the memories back for a moment, or would it have to go further?
Questions without answers.
Added to that, Emma had never had these reactions to anyone, ever. The past millennia or so, her emotions had been rather dim. Faded until she was unaffected by scenes that would have previously sent her into a rage or tears. Now they were coming back with a vengeance. Irritation being the most visible one.
So much so that she had raised her voice. She never raised her voice, on principle. People were more affected by those who stayed calm and serious. Yelling at him was not the answer, she knew that. It only proved to him that what he had said had gotten to her. That he had a valid point. It was just unfortunate for him that her point was better and more logical than his.
One thing was for certain, she wasn’t going to tell him about her suspicions. What could she do, walk right up to him and say, ‘Hey, I still suspect that you might have something to do with the accidents and I’ve known you for less than a day. But fate said we’re going to be together, so let’s go get hitched’. Oy.
She knew he wanted to get into her pants. That much was obvious. What if he was already in a relationship though? What then? He could be a two-timing prick for all she knew and she couldn’t read any of his things to find out. Even Morighan had been suave and charming in front of everyone else, and most had thought he was a righteous man. Without her abilities, she wouldn’t have even known about his sinister side.
Putting all that aside, if he was her Fated, and she took the time to get to know him…there was still a chance he wouldn’t be hers.
She dreaded it with every fiber of her being, the one thing that could ruin everything. He was a shifter, and it was possible he had a mate out there. A mate who wasn’t her. A mate who could give him everything she couldn’t. A home. A normal life. A family.
She couldn’t compete with that.
Then there were the memories. Was it fair to him to heap all her problems at his door?
With each pounding spike in her head, she could feel the edges of the raw, open tears that were making their way through her brain. Lesions, Aslynn had called them. Aslynn, their healer, had scanned Emma’s brain a few years before and confirmed what Emma had already suspected. Her brain was tearing apart from the inside, and every time she touched another object, those tears got larger. Wider.
It could take a few decades for them to heal enough that they wouldn’t cause her pain anymore. But with the constant use of her gift, they didn’t have time to heal before they were ripped open farther. Soon they would cause irreparable damage. Everything from her ability to talk to her ability to reason could be damaged.
Would be damaged. It was only a matter of time.
Rubbing her arms, she puffed out a cloud of breath. Her teeth were chattering and her face felt frigid. Looking down at the quiet valley below, she saw all the cubs and couples had retreated into their cabins for the evening. She had been sitting up there for hours and the temperature was dropping fast. Spring had sprung in the mountains but it still got cold early in the mornings and in the late afternoon. It was the thought of Damien’s oversize fireplace that had her standing up and racing back down through the forest toward the main house.
* * * *
Damien searched for Emma for over a half hour in his bear form before realizing she hadn’t left a trail at all. No scent. No footprints. Nothing. It was as if she had just disappeared. He feared she’d just up and left their territory, but he went back to the house and
found Tessa and Gwen arguing while fixing dinner in his kitchen. If they were still there, then Emma had to be around somewhere.
They weren’t even concerned that she’d just up and vanished, shrugging and saying she’d come back when she was ready. That this was normal behavior for her. As though waltzing around in the forest without a weapon, or even a coat, was acceptable.
There were a few packs of natural wolves, as well as other predators that roamed within their territory. What if one of them found her? Or better yet, what if she came across whoever was trying to harm the Clan? What would she do then, stab him with her boot? None of his concerns even seemed to faze her sisters, who simply said she could take care of herself.
In the back of his mind, he knew his reaction to her disappearance was a bit much for having just met her that morning. He was being ridiculous. She had been living and taking care of herself longer than he’d been alive, but he couldn’t shake the feeling that she needed someone to watch her back. Someone to balance her out. To keep her safe when her own safety obviously wasn’t on the top of her priority list.
His bear paced back and forth as the minutes ticked on. When the sun started to set, he couldn’t make himself wait any longer. Determined to go find her and drag her delectable behind back, he yanked on his coat and threw open the door.
Emma’s frozen form was standing there on the porch, a delicate shiver working its way over her body. Her cheeks were chapped and her lips turning a dull shade of blue. Dammit, he should have gone for her sooner. As thin as she was, she wouldn’t last long in the cold.
“Where the hell have you been? Get in here and shut the door before you catch your death—you don’t even have a coat on,” he snapped.
Ignoring her weak protest, Damien scooped her into his arms and shut the door behind them. Striding to the couch, he then sat down with her in his arms, propped his feet up on one of the ottomans and pulled a fleece blanket over them both.