Pillar of Light (The Lost Princess Book 1)

by A. Mashburn

  Mo walked over after she saw that her friend was no longer angry. The fierce warrior Gretchen had molded into suffocated behind a weird calm that came over her when her eyes settled on the building beyond. Instead of flames in her eyes, they now appeared a bit of yellow and green; they were still bright, but with intrigue rather than fury. Mo followed her gaze and saw nothing but shadows.

  “You okay, Sweets?” she asked Gretchen.

  Mo stood patiently as her friend shook her head as if to clear the fog. “Yeah,” Gretchen smiled. “I’m great, actually. I know it sounds strange to say after a year of being with him, but that was a long time coming. I’ve tried to hold on for so long to something that just wasn’t working, it was time to cut ties and go our separate ways.”

  Mo wrapped an arm around Gretchen and ushered her inside. “What were you looking at?” she asked.

  Gretchen cocked her head to the side in thought. “What do you mean?”

  Mo squinted her eyes as she tried to figure out if Gretchen was being serious or just vague. “While you were on the phone with Jeremy, something on the rooftop across the way caught your eye and your whole demeanor changed.”

  Gretchen shrugged her shoulder. “Yeah, I don’t know. I thought I saw something, but I must have been mistaken.” Mo looked at her quizzically but stayed silent and Gretchen continued, “I’m good, really, I am, but I’m about to go get dressed and head to the gym. I’ve got to get some of this excess energy out; I’m feeling a bit restless.”

  Once Gretchen arrived at Shyfters parking lot, she couldn’t help but pause a moment to take in the view. She loved this place, it was on the outskirts of town and much further than some of the other gyms she could have gone to, but something about this place just felt right. It was private, some would even say secluded from the average city dwellers with the way the trees surrounded the property. She took a deep breath of fresh air and went inside with a smile on her face.

  She walked briskly through the entrance and scanned her badge. A few people she knew waved and a trainer she knew well approached her. Boomer, she thought and grinned as fond memories of their times together flashed through her mind. Boomer was like a big teddy bear and they had spent a lot of time together, both at the gym and out, on occasion.

  “A little early for you, ain’t it, Red?” Boomer flashed his charming smile.

  “Yeah, just a bit. It’s the offseason for work and it’s been a hell of a day so I decided to get my workout in a little earlier.” Gretchen gave him a half-hug and he kissed the top of her head, which was an easy task because he towered over her at about six and a half feet tall. His black hair, tanned skin and a barrel chest, reinforcing his teddy bear image in her mind. They went out a couple of times but they both made it clear it was just a physical thing; they were never serious. Once they both met someone, it was an easy transition to being strictly platonic. But man, she thought, he was an animal in bed.

  “How’re things with you and the beau?” Boomer asked.

  She smiled tightly. “Nonexistent as of just a few hours ago, actually.”

  Boomer wrapped her in a bear-hug. “I’m sorry Red, are you alright?”

  She leaned back, looked up into his brown eyes and flashed a cheeky grin. “I think he’s the one that needs the comforting hugs. Would you like his number?”

  Boomer’s broad shoulders heaved as he laughed, “He’s not my type.” He shook his head as he continued grinning at her impish behavior. “You need someone to spot ’ya?” he asked as he wiggled his eyebrows, causing her to laugh. “What? I’ve missed my workout partner and since you’re no longer attached, I don’t feel so bad asking.”

  She continued her laughter as she stepped back and bumped him with her hip. “Nah, I’m going to do some stretches and warm up, then hit the treadmill for a few miles.”

  Boomer’s body stiffened and he looked away abjectly. “It’s better that way, you know. You guys were too different from each other, almost like a different species.” His intense stare bored into her as if she should’ve known something that she didn’t.

  Gretchen shrugged and raised an eyebrow at Boomer. “Yeah, we were pretty different.” She paused for a moment and then decided to ask, “Uhm, Boomer, why are you looking at me like that?”

  “Huh?” His head jerked up as his brown eyes bored into hers, “what do you mean?”

  “I don’t know, like you wanna have me for dinner.” She winked at him playfully, but as his intense stare consumed her, she noticed the forest green around the edges and the way the brown lightened in the middle to a near yellow color. “Boomer? Your eyes…” she whispered as her heart picked up pace.

  A frown formed between his eyebrows as he closed his lids as if trying to regain control. “Sorry, Red, I kind of went somewhere else for a moment. You wearin’ a different perfume or somethin’?” He still sported this look of intensity that, combined with his dark skin, dark hair and eyes, made him look less like a teddy bear and more like a grizzly.

  “Uhm, no,” she answered honestly.

  Boomer frowned and scratched the back of his neck. He looked back at her and then away again, but not before she noticed his nostrils flare and his pupils dilate. If she didn’t know better, he seemed, for the first time ever, a little uncomfortable around her. “Anyways,” she paused as she felt the tension in the air, “I’m going to head to the back and warm up.”

  “Alright, if you need anything, just holler. I won’t be far away if you want some help or change your mind about a sparring partner or uhm, whatever.” He smiled tersely and quickly walked away.

  She shook her head as she turned towards the back and thought, what was that about?

  Boomer watched Gretchen as she walked away with her scent still in his nose, he had to adjust himself discreetly as he tried to calm his inner beast. He knew something about her was different; he’d always known it. He figured she had some shifter blood somewhere in her DNA, but he never had issues controlling his animal instincts around her before. Yet, as she approached him today, her scent threw off all kinds of come get me vibes that were not normal for her, which caused his animal counterpart try to claw his way out to get to her. There were only two ways to relieve the ache he felt between his legs at the thought of her athletic, curvy body wrapped around his—one to find the female, the other to fight.

  He growled in frustration and looked around for a worthy sparring partner and his eyes landed on Joel, another shifter and his second.

  “Yo, Joel,” he yelled to get the male’s attention.

  Joel looked up from the leg press machine with a boyish grin. “What’s got your panties in a twist, my brother?”

  Boomer just grunted in response saying, “You up for a little sparring?”

  “Always.” Joel got up from the machine and clapped Boomer on the back. “It’s the unmated female that’s here, isn’t it?”

  Boomer glared at him, as his eyes narrowed and grunted again at his den member, who just laughed it off. “Don’t be like that, man. The whole gym smells like her. If I weren’t already mated, it’d be driving me crazy too. Let’s go work off some of that, uh, frustration in the ring outside, so you can get some fresh air, too.”

  The males walked to the ring in the back of the building and Joel asked, “Gloves or bare-knuckle?”

  Boomer grumbled and responded with a jab to Joel’s jaw. “Bare knuckles, it is my man,” Joel laughed.

  Once Gretchen finished stretching and warming up her muscles, she went straight for the treadmill. She ran three miles increasing the incline gradually, then worked on her midsection and did some free weights. The whole time though, she couldn’t stop thinking about Boomer’s strange behavior. He’d never seemed uncomfortable with her before, and that just added more tension to the ever-growing knot in her stomach.

  She walked across the gym using a towel to wipe her sweat away and worked her way from one end of the facility to the other. Several pairs of eyes raked over her, making her skin prickle wi
th awareness. When she’d look, some of the owners of those stares would quickly avert their gazes, while others gawked so intently it sent chills up her spine. She felt more frustrated now than she did before she worked her ass off for the last two hours.

  The pent-up energy was driving her crazy. Which, of course, made her think of Boomer and the heated sessions they’d had in the past. She started to wonder if she should go ahead and take him up on his offer for a sparring session after all but pushed the thought aside as she noticed that there was a kickboxing class starting up.

  What the hell, why not? She thought to herself.

  Gretchen entered the room and noticed other people stretching and warming up in preparation for the class to begin. She bent over and reached for her toes when a pair of tennis shoes appeared behind her. Before Gretchen had a chance to right herself, heat speared her belly and her fingers began to itch as the familiar scent of lemon and pine overwhelmed her senses.

  After he left the rooftop where he nearly jumped Gretchen, Nicoli had to get home to relieve himself to take the edge off. He glanced at the clock and noticed that he would be late for the class he was scheduled to teach today. Shit, he thought. Gretchen was a huge part of his life, but the attraction towards her was growing and quickly becoming a problem. He had to focus on the task at hand, get to Shyfters and teach the kickboxing lesson. He always looked forward to the gym because when he wasn’t watching over her, he enjoyed teaching others self-defense.

  He threw a change of clothes in his bag and left. The moment he walked through the doors of the gym, all he could smell was her. Fuck, man, this is not good. Why can’t I just catch a break? He rushed into the back room where the classes took place and was assaulted by the fragrance of lavender, vanilla and sweat. His eyes quickly scanned the room and landed on a perfectly plump ass that was bent over. Instantly he felt his cock lengthen and instinctually drifted towards her without even realizing his feet were moving. Suddenly, he was inches from those luscious globes of flesh. She must have spotted him behind her because soon after, she turned around. Nicoli heard a slight gasp as her lips parted and instant arousal flared between them.

  He couldn’t help the grin that spread across his face as she stared up at him with her eyes wide and mouth agape. He brushed his hand through his hair and took in his surroundings. He noticed that she was the only newbie in the room as he quickly came up with a reason as to why he was standing behind her.

  “Hi, I’m Nicoli—you’re new, right?” He held out a hand in an attempt to introduce himself. Fucking brilliant, he thought to himself.

  “Huh?” Gretchen cocked her head to the side, with a small frown between her eyebrows.

  “To the class?” he clarified.

  “Oh,” she exclaimed, finally understanding what he was trying to say, “oh—yes, I usually work during the day, so when I saw the class I, uh...” Gretchen shook her head at herself, internally rolling her eyes at how intelligent she sounded.

  Hand still held out, Nicoli smiled and nodded. “Well, welcome to the class. It’s just an introductory course, but I think you’ll find you like it well enough.”

  Gretchen bit her lip and nodded. The slight dimple on his cheek caught her attention as he grinned at her and walked away. She couldn’t stop herself from doing a once over as he strolled towards the front of the room, muscles rippling with each step he took. He wore a sleeveless shirt and gym shorts, but she could see tattoos on his torso that peeked out from the side up to his neck. Everything about him screamed power, from his intense stare to his massive height and muscular build.

  Good God above, Gretchen fanned herself and breathed deeply, as she tried to slow her rapid heart rate that had nothing to do with the workout she had previously finished and everything to do with the man-candy at the front of the room.

  Throughout the lesson, Nicoli taught them some basic stances. He explained that this class would assist with improved metabolism, techniques and endurance; the way he moved, though, made her think his endurance was in no danger. She watched how his body moved with fluid motions and noticed that he didn’t even break a sweat. Nope, she thought, endurance wouldn’t be an issue. She smiled inwardly at the turn her mind seemed to have taken. She couldn’t help but admire him as he explained each stance and movement; he was knowledgeable and hot as hellfire.

  “Hands up, fighting position,” he said and pulled his hands to protect his face. “One foot back to keep your balance.” He moved to show the class, and they mirrored his stance.

  “Alright, good. Jab out while you take a step forward. When you bring your jab in, bring your foot in.”

  Gretchen mirrored his movement, as she continued to protect her face with one hand as he had shown them. He walked behind her and said, “Let me help,” as he touched her thigh to pull her leg back a little further. Each place his touch grazed; heat radiated from his body to hers. She gasped as the fire ate its way to her core, her stomach clenched as sparks danced across her skin.

  “Try to keep your weight evenly distributed,” Nicoli murmured in her ear and stepped back. “Good, like that.”

  The rest of the session went on just the same. Nicoli, walked around and helped with positions, and somehow, Gretchen knew right where he was in the room without having to look. Every time he touched her, her breath caught and her stomach seized.

  Nicoli found it exceedingly difficult to concentrate on the other people in the room. Gretchen’s presence was all-consuming and he had to force himself to walk away from her each time he came near to help with her positions. As the class ended, everyone began to file out and he noticed that Gretchen lagged behind and sent covert glances his way.

  He watched as she walked out of the room, her long red ponytail trailing halfway down her back as it swayed from side to side as she strode towards the women’s locker rooms. He knew he had to put some distance between them. Her scent engulfed him everywhere he went and was driving Xander crazy. As unease crept up his spine, he scanned the area and found nothing that was an immediate cause for alarm; something was wrong though. Leaving right then wasn’t an option, damn it, I need some fresh air.

  Nicoli walked outside and leaned back against the building as he lit up a cigarette. After a few minutes, Gretchen’s sweet scent permeated the air around him, and he saw her exit the building. Wow, he thought to himself. She had on a tight sweater that showcased her full breasts and jeans which she wore like a second skin, hugging her in all the right places. As if she could feel his eyes raking over her body, she turned to look at him.

  Their eyes locked for a moment, “Do I know you from somewhere else?” Gretchen asked.

  Nicoli cleared his throat, “Well, I’ve seen you around. You never really noticed me, or at least I didn’t think you did.”

  “I think I would have noticed you,” she scoffed, giving him an incredulous look before she realized what she said and turned bright red. “I mean, I umm...”

  Nicoli laughed and cocked an eyebrow at her. “Yeah? You like what you see?” He stepped away from the brick wall towards her. He knew he was pushing her boundaries, but he enjoyed the effect he had on her.

  “I mean,” she stopped at a loss for words, and he grinned. “Oh, come on,” she said exasperated, “you really don’t need me to say it. I’m sure you have a mirror and if not, you’ve seen yourself in the ones here.”

  Nicoli’s eyes roamed over her curvaceous frame as he flicked his cigarette in the container next to the door.

  The blush that crept across Gretchen’s fair skin as she tried to regain her footing in her head had Nicoli inwardly groaning and her breath hitching in her throat. There were very few instances she could remember where she had been so flustered. With Nicoli looking at her, eyes hooded and a barely noticeable grin, she recognized a feeling of familiarity. As abashed as she felt with him at this moment, she had an overwhelming sense of safety that was impossible to ignore. Something about his presence was comforting; she just couldn’t put her finger on why.


  As Nicoli looked at Gretchen, he took pride in how he made her body react; how much of that was him and how much was Xander, he decided not to question. He could smell the arousal in the air and fought to keep himself in check. Minute by minute, her scent flared more strongly, and he knew the effect he was having on her. As he took a step closer, her eyes came to life, a beautiful swirling color of green, blue and gold. She was mesmerizing, indeed.

  Nicoli found himself admiring the way she didn’t cower away from him. She was a confident woman and from what he’d seen over the years, he knew she wasn’t one to back down or run away from the hard things. As he thought this, his mind wandered to the hard things he could give her and how he could rise to any occasion for her.

  He shook his head to clear away those intrusive and inappropriate thoughts as another scent hit his nose, male, fuck. It wouldn’t be so bad if it were a man he smelled, but of course, he would have to cut this conversation short because that particular brand of stink was familiar and she couldn’t be around when he took care of it.

  “Can I walk you to your car?” he asked, “I mean if you drove, that is.”

  She cocked her head to the side and a confused frown crossed her face at the sudden atmospheric change, but smiled politely nonetheless. “Sure, I drove, I’m over here.” She pointed to the side of the building, opposite of where the scent stemmed.

  Thank the Goddess, Nicoli thought to himself.

  He had to remind himself to let her lead, that he wasn’t supposed to know what vehicle she drove. As they approached the nineteen seventy-six Cj7 soft top Jeep, he smiled as he appreciated her choice in wheels. Most of the people in the city had new, shiny cars that were top of the line. But her Cj7 was powder coated, keeping its vintage look and in immaculate condition.

  “Nice Jeep,” he stated as she unlocked the door.