Meeting Elijah had been a blessing, a way for her to move on with her life.
“You mean the world to me, too, Elijah,” Jasmine said. She wanted to tell him how much she had fallen in love with him but she felt unsure that he felt the same. The thought that he didn’t hurt but now was not the time to dwell on it.
Jasmine continued to pace as she thought. “You said that someone called you and told you to protect me, but you don’t know who it was or where they called from. Maybe he knows about what’s in the scriptures and knows how I’m somehow connected.”
Elijah watched her pace up and down as he tried to figure out where she was going with this.
“If he does, then he knows about us and who we are. We haven’t found any of our kind for a while and we have the scriptures in our possession. If he does know then he must have known about them for a long time.”
“Do you think this person could be a Mist, the one who is coming after me?” She was picking up on his idea about his kind.
“I don’t know but it seems strange that he would ask us to protect you if he wanted to take you himself? Either he wants your information or he knows who does,” Elijah stated, taking his phone out of his pocket, and typing a message to Jenson.
“What have you learnt from the scriptures so far? How much did they tell you about the King?” she asked.
“Jenson has found parts that relate to the King being found by his mate. He cannot seem to decipher much more than the fact that the symbol points to a female,” he replied.
Jasmine thought for a while.
“Why did you come to me then? There might be someone else in Swane who holds the information about the King.”
“When I arrived I was drawn to you. I can’t explain but I felt a pull as if we were connected. I know it’s hard for you to understand but the moment I saw you it was as if my whole world turned upside down. You became all I could think about and my need to protect you was stronger than anything I had ever felt before.”
Jasmine could understand perfectly. She had felt the same magnetism between them instantly. But it still didn’t explain how the scriptures gave direction to her.
“But how did the scriptures know that I would be there?” she asked.
“Maybe if we have your scripture here then we can figure that out. We may be able to try and see if we can understand your connection to the King, too.”
Elijah stood and walked toward to kitchen. She hadn’t eaten in ages and he didn’t want her hungry. He had heard her stomach growling and knew that she needed to eat or it would only get louder. He returned with some orange juice and a sandwich for each of them and placed them on the table as Jasmine sat down on the couch.
She wasn’t feeling that hungry but didn’t want to offend Elijah’s kindness. He was so attentive to her that it made her heart melt.
“How far away are the others?” she asked, taking a small bite of her own food.
“Less than an hour away. Hopefully they will get here before dark. I’ve asked Jenson to bring the scripture and when he gets here we’ll try and find some answers,” he replied as he drank his juice down in one hit.
Jasmine placed her sandwich slowly back onto her plate as a strange feeling crept over her. A cold trickle began to shake down her spine as she turned and looked out of the window.
“Elijah,” she said as she turned to see him take another huge bite of his sandwich.
Elijah looked at her and watched as her skin turned pale and fear spread deep into her eyes.
“He’s here!” she whispered as she sensed someone standing in the cold, snow-covered woods.
“Who’s here?” Elijah asked, worried at the sight of her eyes wide with fear.
“Someone is out there. I can feel him and it’s not Luca!”
Chapter 18
Tyler had his rifle aimed directly at her. She was stunning with her auburn curls wrapped around that cute little face of hers and he couldn’t wait to get his hands on her. She had looked so tempting at the boathouse, her long exposed legs teasing him and those pert breasts of hers demanding to be caressed. But here, sitting on the couch in that high neck jumper, she looked good enough to eat, and he was definitely going to get a taste of that tantalising pussy as soon as he had her held firmly under his body. Thoughts of taking her forcefully had his cock tingling and his balls clenching. He imagined she would fight but wasn’t that going to just thrill him even more. A predatory smile spread across his face at the thought of taking her against her will. He had plans for her and that didn’t involve the two men that he’d seen her with. He had missed hitting the tall dark-haired one back at the beach when he’d tried to shoot him. It gutted Tyler that the man had been too fast for him and that he’d managed to get her away. James had been really pissed but Tyler hadn’t given a crap about how he felt. Things had changed now. The woman was fair game and soon, would be his to do what he wanted with.
He hadn’t planned for the situation back at the Headquarters though. Harvey was dangerous. He was much bigger and stronger and had almost chocked him to death. The thought of going a second round with him had a shiver travelling down his spine. His throat contracted at the thought of how Harvey had grabbed him, nearly cutting off his air supply, and the impact of the wall against his head had almost knocked him out cold. Harvey would be here soon so he didn’t have much time. Tyler knelt down on the hard snow-covered ground. Bitter cold coursed through his knees, reminding him of the coldness in Harvey’s eyes as he’d stared at him in fear back in the office. Harvey’s voice had been so threatening that he knew if he suspected anything, he would kill him outright. The man was completely devoid of emotion and wouldn’t hesitate to destroy anyone who stood in his way.
He’d had to call Harvey to tell him the tracker had stopped working and had given him the location coordinates of the woman. Harvey had instructed him to wait for his arrival so knew he would need to be quick in getting the woman away. Driving here had given him time to think. What did Harvey really want with her? He had a cold heart so it wasn’t for love, but she must be very valuable to him going by his reaction at the Headquarters. Would he pay money for her? The thought excited him. Maybe he would pay a lot of money for her. She would be worth a small fortune if he played his cards right. The problem now lay in getting the men she was with out of the picture. There was only one way this was going to go down and that was by him shooting them. Adrenaline ran through him as his muscles twitched with anticipation.
He had seen the two men in the cabin with her as he’d watched their movements but only one remained with her now. The other must be out either getting food or on scout duty. His heart sounded like a constant explosion in his ears as he watched the cabin. The darkness crept around him, making the air dense as he looked around through the sight of the rifle. He had taken a beating because of them and the desire for payback had his blood racing. It would be fun to see their faces as he pulled the trigger but if he failed, he would be totally screwed. He searched the area but there was no movement except his breath in the silent hollow of the trees.
Movement inside the cabin caught his eye as the man stood and leant forward to place something from the table. It was now or never as he carefully aimed the rifle. He pulled the trigger and a loud bang sounded throughout the forest. A bullet shot from the end of the rifle. Hopefully he’d hit his target but before he had a chance to see, a large hand grabbed him by his throat and slammed him into a tree. He gasped, and gazed into the grey eyes of the dark form that stood before him. His legs dangled above the ground as the man lifted him clean off his feet. Choking, he clawed at the strong arm that held him secure against the thick bark of the trunk.
“You really shouldn’t have done that!” Luca spat as he raised his hand and punched Tyler straight in the face, sending blood streaking across his face and knocking him out cold.
* * * *
The echoing sound of the shot made Jasmine jump and she screamed out in terror as the glass from the wi
ndow shattered and flew into the cabin. She fell against the table as pain seared through her shoulder and cried out Elijah’s name as she hit the floor. The excruciating agony that travelled across her shoulders had her gasping. She tried to focus past the waves of intense pain shooting through her. She could feel herself becoming ice cold as Elijah kicked the table away from her. Blood soaked through the jumper and she held her hand tight on her shoulder, pain throbbing from the impact of her fall. Elijah stared at her in horror. His face was red with fury as he dropped to his knees and gently lifted her into his arms. She was deathly pale as tears streaked down her cheeks.
“I have to see how badly you’re hurt, sweetheart,” Elijah spoke as he pulled the jumper to the side to take a closer look at her shoulder.
Jasmine cried out at as the jumper pulled at the wound.
“Luca,” Elijah shouted, so loud it made Jasmine jump from the drowsiness that was beginning to cloud her mind.
Luca almost took the door off its hinges as he stormed through and into the living area. He stopped dead in his tracks as he stared at the horrific sight before him.
“I need you to help her. Take the pain away and help with the wound. She’s been shot,” Elijah said as Luca ran behind the couch to reach Jasmine.
“I will need to touch her. You okay with that?” Luca asked.
“Do whatever is necessary to take the pain away and help her,” Elijah said, thanking the stars for Luca’s gift.
Luca gently laid his hands on Jasmine’s clammy, shaking body.
Her sobs tore at Elijah as panic slashed through him.
As Luca’s warm hands began to glow gently, Jasmine felt a gentle calm float through her as she felt the pain begin to dissipate and her body gradually begin to relax. She closed her eyes as she savoured the relief until she could no longer feel anything and her mind blacked out.
“What the hell happened, Luca?” Elijah held Jasmine close as Luca continued to heal the wound.
The shot had gone straight through her right shoulder but had luckily not hit any bones. The wound slowly closed as Luca moved his hands over each side of the wound.
“There was a shooter out in the woods. He had a rifle and fired off a shot before I could get to him. I’m so sorry, Elijah,” Luca replied.
“She knew he was there. She felt him,” Elijah stated as he stared at the paleness of her skin. She was so small and fragile and the thought that she may have been killed made his heart cry out.
“Did you kill him?” Elijah asked as Luca moved his hands away, the shimmering glow dissipating.
“I hit him pretty hard but I’m not sure that he’s dead. Bloody hope so, the fucking bastard deserves to be.”
“We need to get the males here now. If more of them arrive then we need to make sure they don’t get a second chance. She’s everything to me and I will not live without her!” Elijah could not imagine a world in which she didn’t exist. He loved her with all his heart.
“I understand. I’ve called Jonah and they are on their way. I need to fix the window, though. She’s cold and that gaping hole will only make her worse. Keep her warm and I’ll go get the duvet from the bedroom and you can wrap her in that.” Luca ran up the stairs two at a time, grabbed the duvet from the bedroom, and returned, handing it to Elijah.
“We have to find out who they are. It’s the only way to keep her safe. Once we know who we’re dealing with then we will go out, find them, and destroy them,” Elijah said. He was struggling, trying to control the anger that was growing out of control as he stared at her long eyelashes that framed her beautiful closed eyes.
Elijah lifted Jasmine and gently laid her on the couch. The blood from her wound soaked his hands as he pulled the duvet over her and placed a cushion under her head. “Go out and make sure that bastard is dead. Then try and find some wood to fix the window. I’ll stay here and make sure she’s warm. Thank you, Luca, for saving her.” He was utterly in debt to the male.
“She’s your female and we would all protect her with our lives. She is part of our world now and one of us,” Luca replied. There had never been a female at the compound and he had liked her from the moment he’d met her. He’d been glad that he’d been able to help her as he smiled at Elijah. He was a lucky man. He turned and walked out of the cabin, closing the door behind him. Maybe one day he would have a female of his own to love and care for. The thought made him smile as he ran into the cold dark forest.
Elijah turned to look at Jasmine. He was glad that she could not see the pain visible in his eyes as he watched her sleeping peacefully, curled up under the warm, soft duvet. He stared at the beautiful features of her face and saw some colour return to her cheeks, making them glow a pretty pink colour. The cool air floated through the exposed hole from the fragmented window, making him shiver as he thought of the moment the bullet had careened into the cabin. God, if she had died, he would have died along with her. He sat on the floor beside her, listening to her inhale gently. She had known that the shooter had been out in the woods, known that it had not been Luca. It was strange how she’d been able to sense his presence but he’d not been quick enough to move her out of the way before the bullet had hit her. He lowered his head and felt devastated that it had been her shot and not him. He would take a bullet for her always. She had been through so much that his heart ached for her. When she woke he would tell her how he felt, tell her that how much he loved her. When she woke he would ask her to be his mate. Now and forever.
Chapter 19
The Mist arrived at the cabin as Luca was nailing a large wood sheet to the broken window. Luca nodded to Jonah and Jenson as they exited their vehicle and walked up the icy steps to the veranda. As they walked into the main living area, they saw Jasmine asleep on the couch.
“What’s happened?” Jenson asked as he stared at Elijah sitting on the end of the couch rubbing gently up and down Jasmine’s calf.
“The bastard shot her!” Elijah couldn’t take his eyes off her. She was still pale but at least now she was sleeping soundly.
“Bloody hell! Is she okay? Is he still here?” Jonah asked as he moved across the room and dropped his bag at the base of the stairs.
“Luca dealt with him but he’d gone when he went out to check,” Elijah replied. “Are the others here? We need to surround the cabin in case he returns.”
“Lucian and Carrick are checking out the surrounding area and Luca will join them as soon as he’s finished. Tobias will be here soon so if he does decide to try again he’ll have to go through all of us,” Jonah stated as Luca walked in through the front door.
Jasmine began to rouse from her sleep and heard voices fill her ears. She winced as she turned onto her side as she gently opened her eyes. The room began to focus and she blinked, looking around the room at the males that towered above her.
“You okay, sweetheart?” Elijah asked as Jasmine looked at him. His eyes were full of sadness. She placed her hand on his.
“Yeah, okay.” She lifted her hand and placed it on her shoulder and felt a large padding, presumably from the injury she got when she hit the floor. “What happened?”
Elijah sighed as he looked at her. “You were shot from whoever was out there. Luca had him but he’s gone. We’re not sure where.”
Jasmine sat up, shocked at what Elijah had just said. “Shot! Oh my god.” Fear travelled through her as she stared at Elijah, her eyes wide.
“It’s okay. Luca managed to get to him before he got anywhere near the house but he managed to fire a shot before Luca knocked him out cold.” He was desperate to alleviate the distress he could see in her eyes.
“Has he gone?” Jasmine asked, staring at Elijah questioningly.
“He’s gone. Don’t worry. I hit him hard enough that I don’t think he will try anything again. I’ve got his rifle anyway, so I’d like to see him try,” Luca replied.
Jasmine pulled the duvet around her and flinched as an uncomfortable feeling shot through her shoulder. It didn’t hurt as
much as before and she remembered the moment that Luca had touched her.
“Luca, you’re bloody good with your hands,” Jasmine said as she stared across at the man that had helped take the pain away.
“In more ways than one!” Luca laughed.
“Crass!” Jonah spoke, making Luca laugh harder.
“You’re just jealous because she said I’m skilled,” Luca replied as he waved his hands up to Jonah.
Jonah looked at him and raised his eyebrows. The kid was always being immature. Even in the face of adversity he still behaved like a child. He admired his gift, though. The male was skilled when it came to healing and that was useful.
Jasmine sniggered as she listened to them trading insults, making her wound hurt a little more as she turned back to Elijah. He looked like he had the weight of the world on his shoulders as she stared at the crease that had formed between his eyebrows. She knew he felt responsible for what had happened. Being close to him made her relax a little as she turned and spoke to Jenson.
“Jenson, did you bring the scripture? We need to try and find out what they want to know from me.” Jasmine was getting a little tired of running from something she didn’t know about as Jenson picked up the long wooden cylinder and carried it over to the table that had been put back in front of the couch.
Elijah opened the gold latches, took out the rolled up parchment that was inside, laid it on the table, and pulled at the red satin ribbon to unroll it.
“This is the symbol that led us to Swane,” Elijah stated as he pointed to the corner where the elaborate S lay entwined in golden swirls.
Carlisle, Abbie - Elijah's Vow [The Order of the Mist] (Siren Publishing Classic) Page 12