Glancing at the disappearing sun, he lumbered to the nearby stream to bathe before returning to Sabrina’s house.
Isaac dressed hurriedly, thankful Connor placed the garments in an easy-to-find spot. He preferred not to wander around the woods naked for too long. Appreciative he had worn a sweater today, he pulled it over his head and shivered.
God, it was cold.
He entered Sabrina’s lawn, noticing the whole house had remained cloaked in darkness. Had she gone to bed already? If so, would the door be locked or open in anticipation of his return?
“Everything go okay, sir?” he inquired. Isaac had been so preoccupied worrying over his welcome, or lack thereof, he hadn’t even heard his approach. Luckily, it was friend and not foe.
“Yes, the beast is dispatched. How did the night go?” he asked. Connor paled before looking away guiltily, and Isaac tensed. “What happened? Is Sabrina okay? Did Elijah come back? Tell me, now.”
“If you’d stop asking questions, I could!” he exclaimed. His eyes widened when he realized he had yelled at his ruler, and he met Isaac’s glare a bit more hesitantly than before. “I mean...yes, sir. Sabrina asked why you chased the mongrel, instead of me. I got caught off guard, so I told her it only made sense you would go yourself, seeing as you are the ruler.” The last word drifted off into nothing as Connor stared at his feet.
Isaac’s angry hiss made him snap to attention.
“I’m sorry, I thought she knew.” He shrugged his shoulders and dug his hands into his pockets before rocking back sheepishly on his heels.
Isaac stared up at the moonless sky while attempting to rein in his frustration. Connor hadn’t known what he’d already told Sabrina. He couldn’t be too angry. Sabrina could make a man confess his every sin by batting her eyelashes over her emerald eyes. “It’s okay. But it means there will be more questions to answer tonight. Ones I’d been hoping to avoid. Stay outside and watch for any disturbances. Let me know if anything happens.”
Connor nodded, and Isaac went inside.
Testing the knob, pleasure rolled through him when he found it unlocked. Since the whole house lay bathed in darkness, he crept up the stairs to her room, eager to see her even if she’d fallen asleep. He could watch her sigh in her sleep, her face unguarded in deep slumber. Unless Elijah interrupted, anyway.
He halted as his heart lurched painfully in his chest and stopped beating altogether as he examined the empty bed. Maybe she huddled in the middle? He ripped the covers back and growled when he found the bed empty. The mattress felt cool to the touch, which meant she’d been gone for quite some time.
He sprinted down the stairs and went straight to the front door. Had Elijah taken her? Or even worse, Louisa? Had she broken her promise and left, leaving herself vulnerable to attack?
Or had she simply left him, out of disgust?
His hand on the doorknob, he stopped. If he were Sabrina, would he go to bed, or stubbornly try to stay awake to greet him, no matter how tired he might be?
He crept into the living room and peered at the couch. Sure enough, there she lay. A cold mug of coffee, filled to the top, rested on the table near her head. She seemed to have fallen asleep before she could drink it. It warmed his heart she’d tried to wait up for him, even though she’d been exhausted. But it also terrified him.
He collapsed into a nearby chair as a swell of emotions overcame him. He knew he loved her. For him, that much had been a given from their very first meeting.
But he hadn’t realized the sheer power she held over him, nor how much he needed her. His eyes took in every precious detail about her. From the way she lay on her side with her legs curled up against her chest, to the gentle sweep of eyelashes against porcelain skin. He reached forward to brush her soft cheek and his fingers came away wet.
Had she cried herself to sleep? What other reason would her eyelashes be wet? Allergies?
And more importantly, if she indeed had cried…why? Because she worried about him, or because she couldn’t stand being with someone like him?
His heart lurched at the thought. Cursing under his breath, he leaned in to kiss her forehead. Her lids slowly fluttered open, and her sleepy green gaze met his.
“I’m sorry, Sabrina,” he whispered. Confusion crossed her features until he ran a finger over her cheek.
“No, don’t be.” She let out a big yawn and her eyes drifted shut.
He shook his head and leaned over her to scoop her into his arms and up the stairs. Though she stirred when he picked her up, she quickly relaxed once he assured her he was only carrying her to bed. She let out a soft snore, and he glanced down in surprise. He bit his lip to keep his laughter at bay, barely succeeding.
She’d just love to know she snored in front of him.
He laid her in bed and gently placed the covers over her body. He saw something black sticking out from under the pillow and reached underneath. He chuckled as he retrieved the huge butcher knife. She apparently slept armed now. He rolled his eyes and put it on the table next to her bed. Still within reach, but he didn’t need to worry about her hurting herself in her sleep. After casting one last longing look at her, he spun on his heel and headed for the door.
He planned on spending the night. Downstairs, of course.
“Why are you always taking my knife?” she grumbled. He turned to see her leaning on her elbow, her long hair cascading to the mattress beneath her. Did she know how tempting she appeared? How much she tortured him by making him stay in the same room, when he couldn’t do a damn thing to ease his hunger? Her face was softened by sleep, and her hair tousled as if he had been running his fingers through it.
“I didn’t take it. I moved it somewhere safer. It’s right next to you, still in arm’s reach.” He gestured to her table, and she followed his movement before pinning her gaze back on him. Her eyes glowed in the moonlight. He bit back a groan and shifted on his feet.
“Well, good night.”
“Please, stay,” she whispered. He made it to the doorway, only to stop at her words.
His heart lurched in his chest at the words she spoke, and the feeling behind them. To his ears, it seemed like she asked him to stay by her side forever.
No, only his foolish heart imagined hearing what it so longed to hear. Nothing more, nothing less.
Idiot.
He returned to the bed and cupped her face in his hands. “I am. I’ll be on the couch. I’m not leaving.”
She shook her head. “No, please stay here. In my bed.”
Surprise racked over him at her words, followed by a jolt of lust so strong he thought he might double over from it. He wasted no time removing his shirt and smiled as he noted her swift intake of breath.
It seemed only fair she be as turned on by him as he was by her.
Climbing into bed, he saw the desire burning in her eyes and fought down the answering surge in him. He grew hard as she scooted back against him, her soft buttocks teasing his erection. She wouldn’t turn him away if he persisted, but he knew now wouldn’t be the right time for seduction. She’d been worn down by exhaustion. He couldn’t take advantage of her.
No matter how much he longed to rip her clothes from her body and bury himself inside her welcoming warmth.
Bloody hell, it’s going to be a long night.
She tilted her face to his and whispered, “Kiss me.”
He swallowed past the lump that appeared in his throat and groaned at the answering twinge in his cock at her words. He’d love to kiss her.
Everywhere.
He almost denied her the affection out of self-preservation, but in the end, the temptation proved too much to bear. He crushed his lips to hers and plunged his tongue possessively into her mouth. He briefly enjoyed the sweet taste of her, scared to allow himself more. He tore away from her addictive mouth, closed his eyes, and counted to three before kissing her nose, and turning her away from him. He buried his face in her hair and smiled as her fragrance washed over him.
Mmm…he could spend at least the next fifty years in her hair. God willing, he would.
A little snore escaped her as he lay beside her, keeping watch.
Chapter Eight
The next morning, Sabrina awoke to see Isaac’s blue eyes sparkling as he watched her. Blushing hotly, she smiled before burrowing into his open arms.
Now that was a sight every woman should wake up to.
“Why are you staring at me when I’m asleep?”
“Because I love watching you at any time of day.”
“Oh, please. I’m sure I looked mesmerizing with my mouth hanging open.” She snorted. “What really happened? Did I snore or something?”
“Of course not! You slept quite peacefully all night long.” He was quick to assure her and even shook his head for extra measure.
Perhaps too quick. And too emphatic.
“Humph. How’d you sleep?” she asked against his bare chest. His chest hair tickled her nose, but she didn’t care. It felt too good to move.
“Wonderful,” he quickly said.
“Mmm…me, too. Thank you for staying.”
“Anytime.”
“I have a question.” His groan at her words made her chuckle lightly. “Yesterday when you were gone, Connor mentioned something, and it confused me. He told me you went after the mongrel because as the ‘Ruler’ it was your right and duty. What did he mean?”
He mumbled something under his breath that sounded suspiciously like feeding Connor to mongrels.
“Isaac.”
“It means I am, in a way, a king of sorts. Not by choice, but I have some talents that have relegated me to such. The old ruler had grown corrupt—yes, it happens to Enforcers. We’d hunted him down to exterminate him—”
“You’d kill one of your own just because they were being greedy!”
“It’s more than that. He lived the lifestyles of the beasts we hunt. Somehow, he found a Shine who could mask the treachery under a spell, so none would be the wiser. When the Shine got caught, we discovered the truth,” he explained.
“What’s a Shine? And what happened to it?”
“Picture a witch, but more powerful, and much prettier. They’re extremely rare. They’ve been eliminated one by one. They’re evil, cruel creatures. The old ruler should have disposed of her, but instead got lured by her beauty and promises. They became a team. His perfidy became clear when I caught her in his private quarters. We fought, and I won, at the cost of her life.
“Once the spells broke, I realized what had been happening all along, just in time to turn around to ward off his attempt to kill me. He attacked me from behind.” His face scrunched up at the memory, and he glowered. “Cowardly move. We fought. I won, and got named ruler. Mostly because I discovered his dirty little secret, and also because I have a special skill. I’m one of the strongest and fastest of my kind, but I also have a gift, or curse, of…weather.”
“Weather?” she croaked in disbelief.
“Yes, when I’m angry or upset I can cause storms…thunder, lightning, wind. It can be very dangerous. When I first changed into an Enforcer, I was a menace. Always angry and depressed over having lost Amelia. Tornadoes followed in my wake. Vicious storms took down buildings, and even villages. It devastated me.” He put his head in his hands, and his shoulders slumped.
He could control the freaking weather? Wow, just…wow.
She thought of the fight they had gotten into yesterday, and the crazy storm that followed. The past few days had been unpredictable weather-wise, causing her and everyone else to scratch their heads in confusion.
And it had been him all along. And inadvertently, her.
“Wow,” seemed to be all she could say. “Amazing.”
He flinched.
“It can be a blessing at times, to be honest. I can make the wind blow a certain way to disguise my scent from the enemy. Or cause a storm in the middle of a fight to help beat my opponent. But at the same time, it’s a curse. I can get out of control, if I become too emotional. If I don’t keep a tight rein over my feelings, it gets ugly really fast. It can be dangerous to hang around me.” He stopped and looked at her. “If you’d like me to leave…if the thought of my powers scare you….”
“No, it’s amazing, truly! I don’t want you to leave me.” She threw herself into his arms, and he hugged her. She added silently in her head, ever.
“Well, then, just try to get rid of me,” he joked.
She pulled away from him and bit back a grin. “Besides, this could totally work to my advantage.”
He arched an eyebrow and asked, “Oh? How so?”
“When I’m not sure how you’re feeling, all I need to do is look outside. No guessing involved.”
He laughed, and she joined in.
“I’m so glad to help out.”
“Hey, you men always complain women are moody and impossible to read. I disagree. It’s men who are impossible. But this talent of yours can be my CliffsNotes. I won’t have to ask if you had a bad day, all I need to do is look out the window,” she finished.
He gazed at her so intensely, she asked, “What, what’s wrong? Why are you staring at me?” She quickly smoothed her hair.
“Nothing’s wrong. You’re perfect. Absolutely perfect.” He leaned in and kissed her lips before hopping out of bed and heading to the door. “And now, you need to feed me, or a storm might come. I get cranky when I’m hungry—”
“I need to feed you?” She scoffed. “Sounds a bit bossy, if you ask me.”
He grimaced and nodded. “You’re right. But it’s proof I’m telling the truth. I’m cranky already. How about this? You come down,” he offered, “and I’ll cook you breakfast.”
“Hmm…sounds better. And in the interest of being polite, I’ll even help.”
He beamed at her. “Perfect. A joint effort. I’ll head down and get started. Wouldn’t want a storm to come.”
Eyes wide, she glanced outside, only to see the sun shining. “Humph,” she muttered as she followed him hastily out of the bedroom.
***
The next two weeks went by in a blur for Sabrina. Isaac often remained by her side, leaving only for work. Every night he’d return, and they lived a seemingly normal life—despite the fact Isaac couldn’t be further from normal. They cooked dinner together every night in her kitchen and spent the evenings sharing their pasts. Though his sounded much more interesting, in her opinion. He had such intriguing stories about times she could only imagine. He told her tales of wars, the fights and triumphs of time. It never ceased to amaze her.
There were times when a natural storm came upon them, and she turned to him in her best wide-eyed innocent look, and exclaimed, “What did I do?”
He’d smile at her and say something along the lines of him not being responsible for every storm. Or, he’d teasingly tell her he’d gotten angry because she hadn’t kissed him yet, or she buttered his toast wrong, or other such silliness. When nighttime approached, they went to bed and he pulled her into the safety of his arms, and she drifted off to sleep dreamlessly.
Every couple of days, he left to run after one creature or another, and it disturbed her that so many of the mythical creatures existed. Not all of them were nearby, however. Isaac confessed he ran faster than any car drove, and so he often traveled far distances on foot. Even so, he would sometimes delegate someone else to do the battles for him and remain by her side. She preferred the latter option by far, for she no longer liked being without him.
At all.
She’d met quite a few more of his kind over the past two weeks as well. They never ceased to amaze her. There was Derek, who had quite the impressive ability of being able to vanish into thin air. And Scott with similar talents to Derek, but more powerful. He could appear anywhere he wanted, at any time. If he was in France and decided to go to Sabrina’s house, he could open his eyes and be there. Isaac later told her he was the second-most-powerful Enforcer.
And Sheila, the only female Enf
orcer she had yet to meet. Sabrina didn’t know how many existed, but got the feeling it happened rarely. Sheila read minds. She focused on one person at a time, but could be very useful in battles. Connor and she often sat together, Sheila trying to read his thoughts as Connor attempted to block her out. They’d laugh at each other’s efforts and restart trying to defeat the others talents. Sabrina thought they had something else going on between them, but Isaac laughed when she mentioned her suspicions.
“You women are always matchmaking,” he’d joked.
***
Elijah watched Sabrina and Isaac cook dinner, and his jealousy felt so overwhelming he almost howled under the sheer force of it. All he’d been waiting for these endless years on his own was a chance at love. A chance to have Amelia in his arms once more.
Instead, he watched as Isaac laughed by her side. Kissed her. And though he hadn’t seen it, he supposed Isaac made love to her every night as well. Sometimes he wished the legends about vampires turning into bats were true, for he could fly up to her window and perch there all night long. And Isaac wouldn’t be able to do a damn thing about it, either.
It seemed only fair, since Elijah couldn’t do anything to stop Isaac from screwing his long-lost love.
Argh…it’s maddening!
If only he had gotten to Sabrina first. If Isaac had burned in Hell, instead of him. Or that he, Elijah, were not so broken.
He turned away from the torturous scene of domestic bliss in front of him and melted into the shadows. He didn’t want Isaac to see him, or Isaac would come charging out into the night like a mama bear protecting her cubs.
And he didn’t feel like a fight. Not tonight. His body felt worn down. Beat.
Yet his exhaustion did nothing to keep the memories at bay.
***
Nothing warned him. He heard no one approach. One second he lounged happily in Amelia’s arms, her skirts around her hips, and he inside her, and the next he flew through the air and crashed against an oak tree.
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