“A Moirai bond is when two people are fated to be together. That much is true. I didn’t lie about that. I just left out a few details...” he says looking guilty as hell.
“Like.....?”
“Ok....well, I guess the biggest thing that I didn’t tell you is that if one of us dies, the other will as well.”
“WHAT!” I shout, before taking a deep breath and trying again in a much calmer tone. “What does that mean exactly?”
“Just what it sounds like,” he says with a grimace. “If you get stabbed in the heart or beaten to death, your injuries will transfer to me, and I will die. It does not matter if I am in the same room or a thousand miles away. For that reason, bonded couples usually stay close to one another. Because as much as the whole you die.... I die thing sucks, bonded couples can also heal one another.”
“Huh....” I say, trying to digest this new information. “So... by being close, we could heal each other before we died,” I conclude, somewhat relieved by the fact that I now have something good to offer to Jaxon. It seems like since the moment that he met me all I have done is take from him.
I took his position as a warrior when fate decided to make him my guardian. I took his freedom when the same fate decided to bond him to me.... a half-breed, for eternity. So...yeah. At least I can give him something.
“You give me everything,” he says sweetly as he turns my face so that he can see me better. I gasp, knowing that I did not say that out loud. He leans down, claiming my lips without a moment’s hesitation. The kiss is sweet and soft and everything that I need in that moment. He stays that way for a while, his forehead touching mine with his hand buried deep in my hair, breathing my air....sharing my space.
“You have to say that....you are stuck with me,” I say sadly, but I don’t pull away. I can’t. Hell....Jaxon Lux is the first person that has made me feel anything since Ashlee died, and now that I have found him, I never want to let him go. Still....there is a big difference between someone wanting you, and someone needing you, and Jaxon needs me. He didn’t choose me....He wouldn’t. Not if he had a choice.
“That is a lie,” he says as he softly traces a finger down my cheek. “I might not have chosen the bond Maci, but I did choose you. That moment in the car when I was too late, and you were dying. I could have let you go. I should have, but you...you were so beautiful. Your soul was so bright, and I had a choice. I choose you, knowing the hell it would cause me if anyone found out. Knowing it went against everything that I had been taught, I still picked you. I choose you over my own wings, and given the choice I would damn well do it again. So don’t.....don’t ever think that you are a burden to me. You.....you are the only thing in any of this that makes sense to me. Understand?”
I kiss him. I am not talking about a sweet little kiss like all the ones we have shared so far. I am talking a real kiss. I lean forward, claiming those beautiful lips and those beautiful words with my mouth. He growls into my kiss as my tongue darts inside, taking what I want. He reaches over, gripping my hips and pulling me on top of him so that my legs rest on either side of his muscular thighs. I gasp into our kiss as his hardness presses into me, sparking to life a slow burn that I have never felt before. It starts low in my abdomen, churning with the intensity of a thousand suns as Jaxon shows me just how much he wants me in this moment.
I grind my hips down, greedy for more of the man who stole my heart with one smart ass remark and put it back together with every sweet touch. I gasp as Jaxon bites down on my lower lip, sucking the tender flesh between his teeth before slowly pulling back. He presses his forehead to mine, breathing so hard that each exhale moves my hair.
“Princess....” he growls, and I bite my lip as I hold my breath. Waiting to see what he will do next.
His eyes flash a bright gold, and I smile at the more primal side of Jaxon. I like that he loses control around me. Knowing that I have won, I lean in, tracing my tongue up the side of his neck and suppressing a moan at the salty sweet taste of him. Then I am on my back, and Jaxon is above me, claiming my lips in a punishing kiss that makes me think that there is nothing angelic about him.
His hand reaches under the soft cotton of my tank, and I arch my back.
“Jax.....” I moan, unable to keep his name from tumbling from my bruised lips.
“Yes Jax.......do keep going,” a new voice cuts in with a breathy laugh, causing me to jump up and away from him.
“Ryker....” Jaxon all but growls his brother’s name as he reluctantly turns his attention to him. Ryker is standing in the doorway of the treehouse, doubled over in laughter as he teases his brother.
“Oh....come on Jaxon! Let me have my fun. Besides......” he says standing to his full height and passing a look to Jaxon that I just don’t quite get. A look that is equal parts brotherly love and intense hate, only adding more layers to the complex puzzle of just what the deal is between them.
“You owe me.” Ryker finishes, and something in his tone makes me think that whatever Jaxon owes him goes beyond today. That it is deeper than that.
I tense, expecting Jaxon to lash out at his brother like he has all the times before. Waiting with baited breath for him to throw a huge ball of magic....if that is even what it is....at him, like he did last time. I guess that is why it shocks me a little when Jaxon gives in with an irritated nod.
“Will someone please explain all of this angelic magic voodoo shit to me,” I mumble, brushing a piece of hair from my eyes.
“Didn’t look like you were too concerned with answers five seconds ago. You know...when you were riding my brother like a.......”
“RYKER!” Jaxon yells, and to Ryker’s credit he stops talking.
“Too far?” Ryker says with a laugh, giving me a sheepish nod. His eyes tell me he is not at all sorry for his crude words. That the illusion he gave off that first time we met was just that— an illusion. That the real Ryker is dark, and angry, and broken in ways that I understand all too well. He hides behind his charm, until someone gets too close, and then he strikes. Hitting them in their blind spot. An enemy that wears the skin of a friend.
“You think?” Jaxon says angrily as he watches him closely. It is then that I notice it. The way that he never stops watching him. Jaxon doesn’t trust Ryker....not really. Which makes me wonder why in the hell he asked for his help today.
“Ok.Ok. Mr. Serious pants. Sorry to interrupt. I just came to tell you that I weaved an illusion spell per your request. To the rest of the academy, Maci is sound asleep in her dorm. I also sent a request for C.J. to put in an all-nighter at the infirmary. So.... you have exactly....” he pauses, looking down at the shiny gold watch that sits on his wrist. “Twelve hours to fill in little miss sunshine until mother notices. Twelve hours Jaxon! Not a moment more!”
Then Ryker blinks from the room, causing me to wonder if I have lost my mind. How is that possible? How is any of this possible?
“Talk!” I demand, turning to Jaxon, and trying to give him my best serious face. I do my best to keep a safe distance between us, refusing to get distracted by those damn lips...or those eyes...or that dimple.
Damnit!
I’m doing it again!
Beside me, Jaxon laughs. That fore-mentioned dimple springing to life on his left cheek. “These lips,” he teases, puckering up and sliding closer to me.
“Ok!” I say, holding up a hand to stop his pursuit. “Start with that! How do you do that?”
“Well princess.....I wet my lips, and then I.......”
“Not that you jack ass! I know how to kiss! I meant how do you keep reading my mind?”
“Oh....,” he says with a grin that does nothing to help my concentration. “It is a side effect of our bond. You can do it too. It isn’t one sided. You just have to know how.” He finishes with a shrug, like he didn’t just tell me that he can hear my every thought!
“I have never heard your thoughts before,” I accuse, getting angry the more that I think about all of the potential
ly dirty and personal things that he might have heard while snooping inside my brain.
“First off,” he says, holding up one finger like I don’t know how to count. “I don’t snoop. I have more respect for you than that. Secondly, I can’t hear every dirty little thought,” he says leaning in and nipping my ear. I suck in a sharp breath, mad at my body for being a total traitor.
“Just the ones that have a lot of emotion behind them, or the ones that you really desire,” he finishes while taking my earlobe into his mouth, causing me to forget how to breathe.
“That’s......that’s going to be an issue for me then,” I whisper, my voice cracking at the end.
“and why is that princess?” he laughs, pulling back to get a better look at me.
“because I feel a lot when I am around you,” I answer honestly, and this time it is Jaxon’s turn to take a deep breath. As much as I want to explore this growing tension between us, I force myself to pull away.
I need answers, more than I need to get naked, and that is saying something.
“Show me,” I demand, and he arches a brow at my question.
“Forward....I like it,” he laughs. I reach out, hitting his arm as I let out an irritated sigh.
“No... you ass,” I groan. “Show me how to read you. So that I know you are telling the truth. That you aren’t a liar.”
That seems to get his attention. Something tells me that Jaxon does not like being called a liar. He moves forward, cupping my cheeks and pressing his forehead to mine.
“Close your eyes,” he demands in a gruff voice.
“You never have to close your eyes to read my mind,” I complain, but he cuts me off.
“I am a trained angel warrior prince. My powers are greater than yours. If you want to learn, do as I say,” he grumbles, sounding slightly irritated with me.
“I’m not really good at taking directions,” I admit honestly.
“Maci,” he sighs, and I decide to put him out of his misery. Mostly because I do want to see if I can do it. Sometimes you have to sacrifice your pride for the greater good. I guess this is one of those times.
“Ok,” I say, making a dramatic show of clinching my eyes closed. “Happy now?” I laugh, trying to wait patiently for whatever he wants me to do next.
“Not really,” he whispers, before quickly whispering his next set of instructions. I focus on those. Mainly so that I will not have time to ponder over his answer.
Not really? Why wouldn’t he be happy? And why in the hell does it bother me so damn much that he isn’t?
“Good. Now. I want you to focus on me. Think about me. What I look like. What I smell like. What I feel like. The sound of my voice.”
I do as he says, pulling his storm cloud eyes and golden skin over ripped muscle to mind. In my head, I silently trace the lines of his tattoo. I can smell the faint hint of wintergreen on his breath as he shares my air. I can feel the softness of his skin against mine as we move together. I can hear the raspy timbre of his voice as he says my name.
“Good. Now. Look for my light. My power. Our connection. It should be golden, like the sun. At least that is how it appears to me. Can you see it?” he asks, and I don’t miss the hope that I hear there. The longing that he tries so hard to bury.
I don’t see anything at first. Just blackness, and I don’t know how he expects me to find some mysterious light with my eyes closed, but I try. I try, because I can tell from the urgency in his voice that this is important. That it means something more than I understand.
I take a deep breath, searching through the darkness until I see it. A tiny little star...a soft golden fleck in the distance. I latch on to it, watching in awe as it grows. Until suddenly it is everywhere...he is everywhere.
The tiny speck that was once but a distant star is now my own personal galaxy as it twinkles around me. A cord of white and purple light dances from star to star, connecting each one. I gasp at the beauty of it, somehow knowing that I am seeing Jaxon’s soul.
Just like how I knew that Bianca’s soul was ugly and rotten, Jaxon’s is pure and beautiful. I can hear him in the background.....calling my name. Calling me back. I somehow know that something went wrong. That I went beyond what he asked me to do. That this is part of our bond, but not the pathway to his mind.
This is the pathway to his heart. His essence. His soul.
And it is the most beautiful damn thing that I have ever seen.
I can feel his worry...his fear. I can hear his frantic thoughts as he wonders why I am limp in his arms. He doesn’t know.... he can’t see..... He has no clue what I really am.
I am more than a Nephilim, a fact that was hidden to me until this very moment. More than the half-breed that the world fears me to be. I am one of three, and Jaxon is my other half.
Memories....some my own, and a million that are not, storm into me. Each one taking with it my ability to breathe, as a thousand images from a thousand lives flash into my mind like an old movie. Showing me things that were long forgotten. Un-earthing emotions that were deeply buried. I’m me....but I’m not. Everything is different, except for one thing.
Jaxon.
In every image.... in every life, he is there.
Protecting me......loving me.
I can feel it then. The power that I guard inside of me. Humanity’s best kept secret. A secret that is more ancient than the world itself. A secret that I have died to protect in each life.
I know now what I am, but I don’t know how I know. I just do. It is like the moment that my powers activated, everything came back. I am more than a mortal....more than Nephilim.
I am a fate.
∞
“Maci!!!!!” Jaxon’s urgent voice breaks through the fogginess that has invaded my mind. I try to answer him, but my voice has deserted me. I am trapped somewhere, in the abyss of an ancient memory. I want to beg him not to leave me here....in the dark. I hate the dark. The dark reminds me of death, and death reminds me of her.
I try to stave off the sense of panic that threatens to consume me, and instead I focus on his voice. On the firm, yet gentle hands that try to shake me awake. On the fingers that dig softly into my flesh with a desperation that only someone who loves you can hold. On the fear that trembles beneath the smoky timbre of his usually steady voice.
I focus on Jaxon, because to me, he is the closest thing to home that I have anymore.
“Come on princess. Come back to me. Please.....”
It’s the please that does it. Jaxon doesn’t beg. Ever....
I slowly will my eyes to open, instantly losing myself in the storm of his grey gaze. His eyes churn with worry and emotion, and for once he doesn’t even try to hide it. His hand reaches out, shaking slightly as he tucks a stand of my unruly hair behind my ear.
That one sweet gesture telling me more than words ever will.
“What....” I croak, grimacing when the word breaks into a fit of totally unsexy coughing. I clear my dry throat, trying again.
“What in the hell happened?”
He pinches the bridge of his nose, looking frustrated for the first time since I met him. “Honestly princess....I don’t have a damn clue. That....that was not supposed to happen. One second, everything was going like it should, and then your eyes did this weird white glow thing and you went limp. I tried to access your thoughts, but you blocked me. How did you do that?” he accuses, looking at me like I am the supernatural entity in the room.
“The hell if I know angel boy!” I all but growl at him. I push myself up, mad that he would even suggest that I did anything on purpose. A sudden wave of dizziness almost knocks me back down, but I push through it.
I have spent enough time around Jaxon on my back, and not even in the fun way. I refuse to look weak by playing the damsel in distress.
“Easy,” he says with a laugh, looking at me like he is afraid I might bite him. “I wasn’t accusing you of doing it on purpose.....I just. Well.....I was just amazed that you were powerful eno
ugh to do it. That’s all.” He explains, holding up his hands with a grin.
“Oh..... well. Ok,” I say, my anger deflating with a laugh. “I’m sorry. I guess I am just a little defensive. I mean....my world has taken a trip to insane. I am a little touchy.”
“No apology needed,” he laughs. “Seriously though. What did you see?” he asks, taking my hand and walking me to the futon.
“I......” I start, stopping with a confused frown as I think about how to best answer his question. How am I supposed to explain what I saw to him, when I honestly don’t have a clue what I saw?
“I think....” I try again, getting frustrated with my inability to express myself. A problem that I have never had before. Jaxon lifts an eyebrow at me, no doubt amused by my suddenly silent state.
Speechlessness has never been a thing for me.
“Today Princess,” he growls, and against my will a smile lifts the corners of my lips.
Ahhhh....there he is. The smartass that I have come to know and love.
Wait....love?
Do I love Jaxon? Is that even possible? I barely know him. I mean I could totally see myself loving.....
“Maci,” Jaxon laughs, his eyes twinkling with amusement and his cheeks slightly pink. The way he says my name, soft and sensual.....like it is a delicious piece of chocolate. My gaze snaps to his, confused at why he is looking at me like that. Like he knows what I am .....
Damnit! He totally knows what I am thinking!
Ok. Avoidance. I am just going to pretend like I didn’t just silently tell Jaxon that I am falling in love with him. Beside me he lets out a soft chuckle, and I curse aloud!
Damnit! Stupid-hot-mind-reading-angel!
“STOP THAT!” I say, pointing a finger into his chest and trying to clear my head. Bunnies. I am just going to think about bunnies. There is absolutely nothing sexy about bunnies.
“Bunnies?” he says, quirking his eyebrow at me.
“Do you want to know what I saw or......”
“Jaxon!” a new voice booms, causing us both to nearly jump out of our skin. My forehead slams into his, and I let out a very un-lady like, but very me like word. Let’s just say it rhymes with duck.
Hillcrest Academy Page 10