I snorted. “No! More like cutthroat. Still are, and lucky you, you’ll get to meet them all someday.” I winked.
“That’s what scares me.”
“Oh, please. They’ll love you.” I kissed my finger and touched his lips. “Anyways, they had to set up the workshop so it was completely dark. And I mean pitch black. Seriously, you wanted to be holding onto something just so you didn’t topple over. Then they illuminated a piece of wrinkled aluminum foil with a dull flashlight. The idea was to shoot from 20 yards out and hit the foil, which doesn’t sound difficult, but let me tell you – it was. They took turns shooting, but none of them could hit within ten inches of the foil. Apparently, if you could hit within six inches of the foil, you could consider yourself an instinctive archer. Well, none of them even came close. Finally, I asked if I could take a shot. They humored me, but I could tell they were laughing under their breath. Not one of them thought I had a chance…”
“Got a pretty good idea where this is going,” Jason interrupted with a laugh. “I bet you stepped up, hit the foil dead center, and completely destroyed their egos.”
“You got it.” I shook my head at the memory. “It was hilarious. And to be honest, I was shocked myself. To this day, they still try and coerce me into going hunting with them, but I always decline. I just can’t kill a wild animal, not even for the meat.”
Jason sighed. “I understand how you don’t have it in your heart to hurt another living creature. But, Alex,” his eyes rounded and he looked deadly serious, “someday you might be in a position where you need to do more than just defend yourself. If your life is in jeopardy, you’ll have to kill in order to stay alive.”
“You’re talking Ray-pacs.”
“Yes, that’s exactly what I mean.”
“I know,” I said quietly. “We’ve already had this conversation many times. And don’t worry, if it comes down to it, I will do what has to be done.”
“Good.” He seemed satisfied and grabbed a few broken chunks of rock and threw them into the canyon below. He turned and looked at me, but his shoulders stiffened. “There’s something else I’ve been wanting to get off my chest.”
I frowned and looked at him suspiciously, because he seemed agitated. “What?”
“I know there’s nothing between you and Ash, but I also know there could have been – or might be, if I wasn’t in the picture.”
“No, I...”
“Let me finish.” He placed a finger against my lips for the briefest of moments. “And even though I know it’s all an act here at the Ranch, it’s still difficult watching you two together. I mean, you really work well as a team. And he’s such a master womanizer. If I hadn’t instigated this whole charades ordeal, I’d be seriously throttling him.” Gnawing at his lips, he paused and bowed his head. Eventually, when he spoke again, his voice cracked. “I guess I always have some insecurities where you’re concerned, Alex. I’m sorry, but I have to ask – I don’t have anything to worry about, do I?” He was wringing his hands and trembling.
My heart melted in that moment. His vulnerability tugged at my soul. But I loved him even more for it, because to me it was a strength, not a weakness. There was no acting here, just genuine honesty inspired by love. I grabbed his face in my hands and looked deep into his eyes. “No, you don’t. Not ever. I love you, Jason Walker. And I miss you.”
He slowly expelled a large breath and smiled. We sat silent for a few minutes before he said, “You’re amazing. You know that?”
I rolled my eyes and shook my head.
“Amazing, dangerous, beautiful, and mine. Please don’t you forget it, either.”
“Believe me, I won’t,” I said. “I am so looking forward to being back in Bellingham,” I continued. “It’s a lot easier when we only have to hide our relationship from a few people. And even if your parents find out, I can’t imagine they’d tell the Council.”
“I know they wouldn’t. They really care about you. But I don’t want to put my dad in a position where he’d have to lie.”
“I know; me neither.” I slumped back down.
“Home sweet home,” Jason murmured. “Can’t come soon enough.”
“That’s for sure. Hey,” I said, ready for a change of subject, “tell me what you’ve been doing all week and what’s been happening around here. And please explain how you persuaded Madison and Ash to stand guard while we met up here.”
He made a face and laughed. “I shouldn’t even tell you that. But I will.”
Turns out Madison owed him big time. Apparently, she’d talked both he and Max into pulling some sort of shapeshifting prank on Dakota that had involved small rodents and lots of screaming. Just listening to his narrative was uplifting and had me forgetting about the complications in our lives – for a little while anyways. He was in rare form. It wasn’t often he got carried away, but soon he was telling me about all kinds of incidents taking place around the Ranch. A few cat fights (literally), some break-ups, and a bit of animated rivalry among some of the Circles pretty much summed up the week’s entertainment.
Since Ash and I were always in the center of our own drama, we rarely heard about other people’s misadventures. Somewhere in the midst of all the Guardian activity, there had been a major rockslide in nearby Missoula. The few Guardians who’d had premonitions of the impending slide, had immediately gathered others and raced to the scene. Luckily, they’d arrived in time to prevent any loss of life, and only a few people were injured. While we Guardians might be immersed in fun and games, life continued and tragedy still struck. It was a good reminder that no matter where we were or what we were doing, our pledge to protect the Innocents trumped all else.
Eventually, Ash and Madison prompted us to say our good-byes. The sun had disappeared over the horizon, but the sky was still on fire. We were grateful they’d been so generous with their time. After a few parting words, along with a brief hug, on my part, we headed our separate ways. I knew I wouldn’t see Jason at dinner, because Ash and I had promised to join Miss Palo and the Houston Circle. We would have enjoyed sitting with the Bellingham Circle more but felt we owed it to Miss Palo after her support. With all the cunning adversaries already plotting against us, we needed friends and strong alliances with people who held a vote on the Senior Council. Building a strong network of supporters could be paramount to our future happiness.
During dinner, I noticed Dakota sitting with the San Diego Circle, chumming it up with Carlos. Immediately, my defense readiness system went from DEFCON 5, normal, to DEFCON 1, nuclear war is imminent. She was up to something, and with Dakota, the fallout could be catastrophic. The way she kept glancing at Madison, though, had me wondering, or hoping rather, that she was planning a retaliation prank. For fun. But when Carlos looked straight at me and smiled triumphantly, my heart formed into a solid lump of ice. Not long after, they left the dining hall together. All I could do was wait and hope I was wrong.
Jessica invited Ash and I to go swimming after dinner, and we accepted. A little down time in the pool with friends might be therapeutic. Besides, no amount of worrying was going to change the future. With the exception of Jason and Madison, who’d accepted an invitation to go four-wheeling, the rest of our friends were there, including Michael, Sienna, Izzy, and the Amethyst twins. The no-expense-spared swimming pool stretched from the indoors to the outdoors, winding its way under bricked archways and cascading waterfalls. Once outside, the pool expanded significantly. The colorful lights, water sprays, and surrounding greenery turned it into something of an enchanted lagoon. It wasn’t long until male testosterone kicked in, bringing out the guys’ competitive natures. Max, Ash, Trevon, Michael, Ryan, and Rob took turns flaunting their diving talents, while the rest of us laughed and applauded.
By the time we turned in for the night, I was in dire need of a hot shower; the heavy chemicals from the pool had me reeking of chlorine. With a dramatic boulder rock for seating, along with earth tones and textured tiles, the shower space was soot
hing. But once I turned on the water, an illuminating rain spa shower head lit up the tiles like a light show. I giggled. Talk about way over the top. As I washed my hair, I pondered over how the next day would play out. The final award ceremony was scheduled in the morning, and all the week’s winners would be recognized. Those who hadn’t received their actual medals yet, would receive them at that time. The rest of Friday afternoon would be left open for socializing, exploring, playing, eating, and packing up, because Saturday morning we were out of here. Thank goodness!
After slipping into my DKNY tank and boxers, I climbed in between the soft Egyptian cotton sheets with my Kindle. Maybe I’d finally get a good start on Cassandra Clare’s fifth novel in the City of Lost Souls series. Having been stubborn, for months, I’d finally converted to an eReader. How could I not when Ally was always waving hers around and rattling off a long list of advantages? Mainly, having my entire library at my fingertips had been the biggest selling point, and the ability to download a new book immediately was awesome.
Not twenty pages into my book, there was a knock on the door that adjoined my room with Ash’s. “I’m in bed, Ash. Go away. Knowing you, you’re up to no good anyways – probably something to do with cowboy hats,” I teased, laughing.
The knock was lighter this time. “Alex, it’s me. Will you let me in?” Jason’s voice was quiet, but uncharacteristically sharp.
His was the last voice I’d expected to hear. I tore out of bed and launched myself at the door. Why would Jason be visiting me at this time of night? And why would he take the risk? My heart rate jumped erratically. I swung the door open and grabbed him by the shoulders. “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine, really. It’s okay,” he said softly, stepping closer – mint toothpaste fresh on his breath, which surprised me, because he was still wearing the same pair of Levi’s and t-shirt from earlier. He didn’t look like he’d even made it to his cabin yet.
I caught a glimpse of Ash as Jason closed the door, but he just shrugged – the expression on his face just as bewildered as mine. “What’s going on? You’re making me nervous?” I asked, but he didn’t reassure me with a smile. In fact, his lips remained set in a grim line, and he was fidgeting. None of which were good signs.
“Alex, I…I’ve had a rough night. I…I don’t know where to begin. But I knew I needed to see you. Talk to you.”
A horrible sick feeling materialized in the pit of my stomach. “Does this have something to do with Dakota or Carlos?” I asked and held my breath, fearful one of them had already dropped a bomb and the fallout had just reached its intended target.
His frown deepened. “Why would you ask that?”
“Because Dakota sat with the San Diego Circle at dinner, and…and I don’t trust either of them.” I started chewing on my fingernail, something I never did but scolded Ally for a hundred times a day. My biggest vice was cracking my knuckles, but I’d just done that and had a good 20 minutes before I could pop them again.
“Just hold me, Alex. Wrap your arms around me and hold me for a few minutes. Please,” he begged. The haunted look in his aqua-marine eyes frightened me. I sensed pain and anger, but something else lingered in their depths. Loss? Defeat? Rage?
“Okay.” Tears rushed to my eyes, but I did as he said and enveloped him in a huge hug. And we stood there together – he with his hands at his sides, and me with my arms wound tightly around him. His chin rested against the top of my head, but only for a moment, because the burn was too much, and he had to break the contact. He was warm, and I could feel his heart pounding against my face. He started trembling, and that shook me to the core. Three times in one day seemed like a bad omen. Somehow though, he still felt solid, and I wondered how that was possible. I gathered my Essence and passed it to him in slow, gentle waves. I didn’t push him to speak. I knew he’d open up when he was ready.
“I love you,” I whispered, fear claiming a place in my throat.
“I love you too.” His voice was warm and husky, like melted caramel on a sundae.
I don’t know how long we stood there. I lost all sense of time. Could have been a few minutes. Could have been an hour. Time was irrelevant. Holding him was all that mattered.
Except, at some point, we startled apart when – what sounded like fireworks – erupted from Ash’s room. The booms, bangs, and crashing noises were thunderous. Surely that wasn’t the sound of furniture flying around the room? The wall shook, and I almost expected something to come breaking through the wall at any moment. Concerned, I broke further away from Jason and looked at him wide-eyed. What disturbed me most was that he didn’t look the least bit fazed.
“Ash, what the heck is going on in there?”
“Umm…nothing you need to concern yourself with. Just some personal issues,” he said as the sound of breaking glass shattered the air.
“With who?” I demanded.
“Mind your own business, Lexi.”
My mouth dropped at the same time something slammed against the door between our two rooms. The door rocked so hard, I thought it might fly off its hinges. Setting my mouth in a hard, impassive line, I grabbed Jason’s arm. A mix of fear and anger fueled the hot flush spreading across my body. “Okay. Do you know what’s going on over there?”
“I have a pretty good idea.”
“Then don’t you think it’s about time you told me?”
Before he could answer, I heard Madison’s voice. Not her voice, actually – just her screaming and raging at Ash with uncontrolled fury. Her words were muffled, so I only caught a few expletives from what sounded like a very one-sided conversation. Nothing made any sense. The chaos continued as the floor shook and more glass shattered. Several loud thuds followed by complete silence sent a chill down my spine. Had she hurt him? Would he be too embarrassed to call me for help? Had she knocked him unconscious? I paused and listened for several seconds, but still, all was quiet. Deadly silent. Deciding it was time to intervene, I ran toward the door. It was possible one or both of them needed Essence by this point.
“Alex, wait,” Jason called out, hurrying after me.
I didn’t listen. Instead, I swung open the door and stepped into a room that had been completely demolished. But, as I drifted a few steps further into the room, it wasn’t the overturned bed or the dismembered fan pieces sticking out of the wall that had me stopping dead in my tracks. And it wasn’t the glass mirror pieces embedded in the ceiling or the deer antlers lodged in the gas fireplace grates that had me gasping in shock. Oh no, those were things I would have expected. In a way they even made sense. But seeing Ash and Madison locked in a desperate embrace, kissing frantically…passionately – now that was pulse-pounding, drop-dead shocking.
She had him pinned to the wall with his hands above his head. While it was obvious she was the instigator, Ash was not fighting back in the least. In fact, his eyes were closed and he looked more than eagerly engaged. I was certain I could see the sparks flying between the two of them; the room felt like it was charged with electricity. Their soft moans of pleasure had me cringing and quietly stepping backwards. Because of all the displaced furniture and the intensity of their embrace, I didn’t think I’d been noticed. Feeling like an intruder, I started to back up a little quicker but bumped into Jason. Swinging around, I looked up at him but could see by his gaping mouth that he was just as stunned as I was. Giving him a gentle shove, I motioned toward the door. We continued tip-toeing across the rug, and I sighed in relief when I knew for certain we were out of their line of sight.
Just as I was about to close the door, I heard Madison gasp and cry out. “What the hell am I doing? We don’t even like each other.”
“Oh, yes. We do.” Ash said firmly.
“No. No. Oh my God! I can’t believe this.” Her voice was emotional. “I don’t even know why I came here?”
“Yes, you do. You came here because you know you can trust me. You know you’re safe here,” Ash said calmly. “And even though you won’t admit it to you
rself, you like me.”
This was none of my business; I had no right to eavesdrop. I took another step.
But then I heard Ash say, “And more than that, while you can’t imagine moving away from your family, you also can’t imagine moving away from me.”
I halted and clutched the door handle a little tighter. What? Why was Madison moving?
Madison’s voice cracked. “I came here because I want answers. What happened in that Council meeting? Why would they do this to Jason? To me? Lexi must have really pissed them off. All I know is this isn’t right or fair.”
My eyebrows shot up and I gripped the door handle so tight, my knuckles hurt. I longed to crack them, but I was frozen in place. Jason, who’d already walked over and sat down on my bed noticed my expression and immediately got back up and came to me.
“What are you–” Jason started to say, but I raised my finger to my lips. I wasn’t about to miss the conversation going on in the other room now.
“It wasn’t Lexi’s fault. Some of the Council members have it in their minds that she and I…”
“Of course, it’s not her fault. It never is. You’re always sticking up for her.” I heard Madison stomp her foot. “I can’t believe this. You’re in love with her too, aren’t you?”
“No, I’m not,” Ash said adamantly. “She is my family and I love her. But I am not in love with her. Look, I don’t want to talk about Lexi. I want to talk about you. Us.”
Madison laughed, hurt evident in her voice. “There is no us.”
“There could be.” He paused and took a deep breath. “Let your emotions go, Madison. It’s okay. Holding it in doesn’t make you stronger, but letting it go just might. I am here for you, and there is no place I’d rather be. Trust me.”
I was expecting her to come back with a few harsh words or maybe start throwing furniture again. But instead, Madison totally broke down. I’d never seen her cry before, and listening to her weep wasn’t easy. She was always so strong – rarely showing a soft side.
Dentelle #3 Guardian series Page 13