by Sienna Aylen
Emma met his golden stare and nodded. “Always. She can go on for hours. Just wait until she starts reciting statistics.”
Hearing the conversation about music, Stella smiled. “So, do the three of you know how to dance?”
Emma chuckled and leaned her head against Damien’s shoulder when Gwen turned in her chair to face the unspoken matriarch of the Clan. “To which form of dancing are you referring? Salsa, rhumba, hip-hop, Indian, classical, ballet, jazz, alternative or one of the more traditional line dances?” As she talked, she ticked them off on her fingers one by one.
Of all the sisters, no one would expect Gwen to know how to dance. She was the self-proclaimed ‘nerdy’ one. Information and books were her entire world. It had never surprised Emma, though. Gwen was a knowledge junkie so of course that would extend to other areas besides just books. It encompassed everything from languages to dance and customs.
Stella blinked. “Well, any and all of the above, I suppose. We aren’t very particular about it. I asked because the Annual Bear Games are coming up in a week and the celebration is full of dancing and different activities. Since the three of you will still be here, I wanted to formally invite you myself.”
Stella stared at Damien as she made the invitation. From where her head rested, Emma could see the faint flush that was working its way up his neck.
“I just hadn’t gotten around to it yet, Mom. We were busy. I was going to tell them.”
“Mhmm,” replied Stella with one eyebrow raised.
Suddenly standing up, Augustus bent down quickly and plucked his mate right out of her seat. Striding for the door, a laughing Stella hanging over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes, he called to the others, “Come on, let’s go outside and have some of that chocolate cake Lysa’s been tempting me with.”
The rest of the evening passed in a dream, with everyone sitting by the fire eating s’mores and cake. Stella sat perched in Augustus’ lap. Even after forty years together they were still exceedingly affectionate with each other. Emma sat next to Damien on one of the wooden gliders and rested her head in the crook of his shoulder. Even her sisters were enjoying themselves. She hadn’t seen them this relaxed in ages. Tessa was alternately irritated and amused by the random jokes Hunter spouted and Gwen was deep in conversation with Bleu on the opposite side of the fire.
Emma watched as Bleu made a s’more and handed it to Gwen. Gwen turned it in a circle, studying every angle before grimacing. A second later, Bleu snatched the s’more back and ripped off a piece, shoving it into Gwen’s open mouth. Emma snickered when instead of spitting it out, Gwen grabbed the s’more back and stuffed the rest into her mouth.
She hadn’t laughed this much in ages. No unwanted memories disturbed her. No weariness assailed her. Emma felt alive and energized by the way things were turning out. She was boneless when Damien brushed a kiss against her forehead.
“You want another slice of cake, Em?”
Emma snuggled closer, moving her thigh to touch his. “Nah, I’m good. You trying to fatten me up?”
Damien’s fingers moved over her arm in a gentle caress before pinching her forearm. “A few pounds wouldn’t hurt. You’d still look good either way. So, about the one-night stipulation…”
Emma sighed, content in the moment. “Don’t worry, you’ve earned yourself another. I’m really enjoying myself. Your parents are nothing like I pictured them. They’re hilarious. They act like lovesick teenagers but it’s adorable.”
They both watched as Stella strutted back to Augustus after putting her plate on the porch. Right as Stella was about to sit down, Augustus grabbed the back of her neck, tumbling her onto his lap, and pulled her in for a sizzling kiss. When they parted, Stella slapped at his chest half-heartedly with a mock scowl.
“Can you see yourself like that in fifty years?” Damien’s voice was a gruff whisper that made Emma’s insides melt.
“Perhaps.” Emma could see it and she wanted it. With Damien snuggled next to her, she let herself fantasize what it would be like to still be with him in fifty years.
She wrapped her hand around the back of Damien’s head and brought his lips to hers for a quick kiss.
Living in the moment, life was good. Really good.
Tessa came up behind her and leaned down to whisper in her ear, “Can I steal you away for a minute?”
“Sure.” Disentangling herself from Damien, she then followed Tessa back into the house. In the kitchen, Tessa reached for another slice of cake. Taking a hearty bite of the chocolatey bit of heaven, she closed her eyes and utter bliss lit up her features. Lysa was a magnificent cook. Even better than Tessa was, though Emma would never say it aloud, and that was no small accomplishment. That girl has mad skills.
Emma felt a bit guilty for neglecting her sisters all evening, but when she had snuck glances at Tessa and Gwen, both seemed to be enjoying themselves. The whole evening, she had spent practically glued to Damien, prying herself away from him only for cooking with Stella and now for a bathroom break and cake refill.
Swallowing her bite of cake, Tessa gave Emma an innocent look and sighed. “I was right. He’s your Fated, isn’t he?”
Swallowing, Emma put her plate down and faced her sister. “He is. I would have told you sooner but I just started to come to grips with it myself.”
Tessa leaned back against the counter. “I know you better than you think. You’ve known he was yours since the first day here and you’re finally giving it some thought now. Had to have all the evidence first, didn’t you?”
Emma scratched her forehead and avoided Tessa’s gaze. “Yeah. I couldn’t believe it without tangible proof. You know that.”
Tessa tsked. “Thousand bucks says you haven’t told him about it yet.”
Emma stacked the empty dishes in the sink. “Not yet. I will. Soon. Just not right now. We’re just getting to know each other. I don’t want to spring that sort of news on him. He thinks we’re dating and I don’t think either one of us is ready for a lifetime commitment at the moment.”
“I don’t blame you. Who’s to say I wouldn’t do the same if I were in your position? At the end of the day, it’s your decision when to tell him, but I wouldn’t wait too long. As far as our gifts go, the sooner he knows the better. He’s the protective type so he isn’t going to like knowing that he could’ve been helping you this entire time.” Tessa walked over and pulled Emma into a tight hug. “I’m so happy for you, though, Em. I was hoping he would be the one for you. One down, one to go, right? Now you just have to find your Next Generation and you’ll be all set.”
“Once things are more settled with Damien, I’ll start the search. I kind of want some time with Damien first. Everything is new and I want things between us to be stable before bringing up that topic.”
Tessa sighed wistfully. “I know what you mean. New relationships can be exciting and yet frightening at the same time. Take time and just be in the moment, get to know him, maybe have some crazy monkey sex. Your Next Gen will still be there when you go looking.”
Emma giggled before sobering. “You know, Tess, for someone who’s outrageous and wild most of the time, you still give some great advice.”
Her gaze was drawn to the row of pictures hanging on the wall. It was a visual timeline—the first photo had Damien, Bleu and Lysa as toddlers hunting for Easter eggs. The second must’ve been taken a few years later, the whole family posing for a picture in front of a wagon full of hay. Then there were graduation pictures, and finally a simple snapshot of the men laughing by a fire. Emma ran one gloved finger over the edge of the first picture before stuffing her hands back into her pockets.
The screen door creaked open and Damien’s head poked through the doorway. “It’s about time to head back. You girls ready?”
* * * *
Emma’s hand was firmly clasped in Damien’s as they left his parents’. Leaving the others to find their own way back, he led her away from the others to a narrow footpath that disappeared in
to the woods. The sun had set hours ago and Emma couldn’t see her hand in front of her own face but she trusted Damien to lead the way.
They walked in silence for over ten minutes before Emma could hear the soft roar of running water. A faint dampness permeated the air and tiny droplets of mist clung to the tips of her eyelashes. Damien stopped at the edge of the water and drew her in front of him, her back to his front. Enfolding her in his arms, he whispered, “We’re here. I thought we could go for a dip.”
“Isn’t the water cold this time of year?” The beauty of the spot was enchanting. The thick canopy broke right above them, meaning Emma could make out the scenery in the soft glow of the moon. At their backs, a thick curtain of trees shielded them from prying eyes, while in front towered a steep, moss-covered cliff whose rumbling waterfall tumbled into a small lagoon. Where the water struck the surface, a steamy vapor rose and swathed the area in secrecy. The perfect hideaway.
Tonight, she just wanted to enjoy herself. Not worry about the past or the future. Just the present. Today had been perfect. A dream. No matter what happened next, she would always have the memory of today.
His rough voice licked along her neck. “It’s a hot spring. The waterfall is fed from a stream farther up the mountain. It’s pretty chilly, yeah, but it warms up once it reaches the lagoon. Not exactly a hot tub but it won’t turn you into a Popsicle either.” Damien gently ran his fingers back and forth across her stomach. Emma could feel the heat of his fingers like a scorching brand through the fabric of her shirt.
Twisting out of his embrace, Emma turned to face him. With unsteady fingers she stripped off her jacket and sweater, leaving her bra in place. Lacy and ruffled, her underclothes were delicate and feminine, her one frivolous expense. The bra she’d picked because it molded her curves like a second skin. It showed off the girls and made her feel sexy and alluring. Judging by the look on Damien’s face, he liked them just as much as she did. “I’ll swim with you, but I’m not skinny-dipping.” With that parting remark, Emma stepped out of her jeans and dove into the balmy water.
It felt like many pairs of warm hands caressing her flesh, kneading and working her muscles until they liquefied. Kicking off the bottom, Emma surfaced and pushed the wet strands of hair out of her eyes.
Leaning back, she floated and watched Damien disrobe down to his boxers, throwing his clothes on a nearby rock before diving in next to her. He had a physique she could explore for days. It reminded her of ancient warriors, Roman and Celtic soldiers with bodies made of pure steel and determination. Each indentation and hollow of his chest drew her until she had to remind herself they didn’t know each other well enough to go down that road. Not yet.
But, oh, how she was tempted to.
When Damien finally surfaced, he was ten feet away. A pained look crossed his face. Emma swirled her hand in the water by her side and whispered, “What are you doing all the way over there?”
Furrowed eyebrows met her question. “I’m trying to be a gentleman, so just give me a few minutes.”
Her soft laughter echoed across the surface of the water. “Okay, I’ll just be over here floating. All by myself.”
Cursing, he took long, languid strokes back to her side.
Emma relaxed in the humid haze of the water and felt herself softening even further toward the giant hulk of a bear next to her. Damien could crush her without a thought but he was incredibly gentle with her. He could have said to hell with it and stripped off everything, undoubtedly used to swimming buck naked, but he’d kept his boxers on to please her.
Damien was her Fated. There were no longer any doubts about that. She didn’t get any readings at all when she touched him or his clothing. Nothing about how they were made or where they had been. She only felt the texture of the fabric and the heat of his body. He captured her attention, with no memories able to intrude on their time together.
His presence was starting to balance her.
Emma couldn’t even imagine how he would react to the news he was her Fated. It would kill her if he only stayed with her because it would help balance her gifts, because he felt sorry for her. You won’t know how he’ll take it until you actually tell him.
She would tell him. Eventually.
Emma let out a small sigh and went into her mind to find a good memory she could share with Damien. He had trusted her enough to let her into his home, to meet his Clan and family. She wanted to reciprocate the gesture. She would trust him with something she rarely shared with others, bits and pieces of her past. Memories.
Clearing her throat, she tilted up until she was treading water. “When we first started our Council training, our mentors split our time between individual and group training. The first group session the nine of us had was dreadful. We were all different ages at the time but most of us were teenagers. Half of us were on our periods then, too…can you imagine? There we were, nine girls from different parts of the world who didn’t even understand one another’s languages, trying to solve this giant puzzle without tearing one another’s heads off.”
Emma waved her arms. “It was a huge contraption, bigger than a house. We were tasked with unraveling it. A giant wooden Rubik’s Cube but without the helpful colors. We each thought we knew the best way to go about it, of course. All of us were there for hours and hours, arguing and trying to figure it out. But we couldn’t understand one another, so it just looked like a bunch of crazy women doing some sort of weird interpretive dance.” She laughed softly at the memory.
“Finally, Jade took over. She’s our eldest sister. Anyway, I guess she’d finally had enough of our bickering, because all of a sudden, we heard her voice, clear as day, in our heads telling us to be quiet. With the telepathy link it still took us three days to pull the pieces apart. Three whole days where we still argued, but now we could understand one another.”
Emma shook the hair out of her face. “We all were suspicious of one another at the beginning, but by the time we finished we had a grudging respect for one another’s abilities. Which was the entire point of the exercise, as we found out later. Jade became our unofficial leader that day. She never lost her temper with us, even though she was frustrated by our stubbornness. She was the calm in the center of the storm. She brought us together.”
Switching positions, Emma leaned closer so she was face-to-face with Damien. “She’s the reason all of us are still alive today. Without her, we wouldn’t have lasted as long as we have. I worry about her, though. She takes on so much and never complains, even though we can see her slowly fading away with each passing year.” Emma blew out a hasty breath and forged on, “That’s why I got so mad at you the other day. You told me to quit my job, but I can’t. If I stop doing my job, I know she’ll understand but she’ll take it upon herself to pick up the slack. I won’t be the one who tips her or any of the others over the edge.”
Snaking out an arm, Damien tugged Emma into his embrace and kicked his legs harder to hold both of them up. He hadn’t expected an explanation from her about their argument at all. She was entitled to her own opinions about things. He would’ve been disappointed had she not stood up for herself when he had pushed her.
Emma projected this image of a confident and competent woman in every situation except this one. Here she was hesitant, as though feeling her way through unfamiliar territory. His first reaction was to tell her that she had to give up her job and let her sisters take over her position. To protect her and wrap her in a safe cocoon where nothing could get to her. Tempering his instincts, he thought about what she’d said. Without her sisters, Jade in particular, he wouldn’t have ever met his mate. Wouldn’t have the pleasure of holding her in his arms, or just being with her.
Emma was protecting her sisters, the same way he was protecting his own sister by bringing the Council into his territory. He couldn’t fault her for that. Could he hurt Tessa, Gwen and the others just to protect his mate? It would make him a hypocrite if he tried to stop Emma from helping her family. “I
get why you want to help your sister, but I can’t just stand by and watch you suffer. Is there any way to lessen the impact to yourself?”
Clearing her throat, Emma glanced up at the crescent moon overhead before resting her forehead against his. “My sister Aslynn is a healer. About five years ago I felt a sharp pain, right here.” With her hand, she pointed to a spot behind her ear. “I asked her to see what it was. She found a lesion. A part of my brain tissue had ripped. I’ve gotten more since then. The last time she checked there were a dozen of them, each about half an inch long.”
When he would have spoken, she put a finger over his lips. “She says the only way to fix it is to let them heal naturally, but it would involve not using my gift for months or even years. Right now, I can’t afford to be out of commission for that long. The rest of my sisters don’t know about this. They have their own problems with their gifts, some much worse than mine. I don’t want to die, but I can’t live peacefully knowing I’m condemning my own sister in the process.” Emma brought her finger back down and wrapped her arms loosely around his neck. Instead of responding right away, he leaned in and brushed his lips against her forehead, his arms tightening around her waist.
Damien blew out a harsh breath. Lesions. His mate was in danger from something that he couldn’t fix. Couldn’t even see. Bright-green eyes met his own, moisture filming them as she awaited his judgment. “Then we’ll figure something out. There’s always a way. Until they make their next move, though, you can rest and heal,” Damien conceded.
Framing his face between her damp hands, Emma touched her lips to his in a gentle caress. When he opened his mouth, she took the hint and deepened the kiss, exploring his mouth at her own pace. He didn’t rush her or push for more. She was in control. When his hands tightened at her waist, she nipped his lower lip, and he reveled in the knowledge she was affecting him just as much as he was affecting her.