Balance (The Balance Series Book 1)

by Janelle Stalder

  I realized now how angry I was from his little warning about Brian Connor. There was just something not right about the man. Caleb could see me slowly breaking down, but didn’t move.

  “What did he say to you tonight?” he asked, his voice as sharp and cold as a blade of ice.

  A chill ran down my spine. I had never heard someone sound like that before.

  “Forget it, I don’t want to talk about this anymore.” I got up and headed toward the balcony to get some fresh air. A headache was forming behind my eyes, probably from the wine and the emotional outburst I’d just had.

  As I walked by Caleb, he reached out and grabbed my arm firmly. I looked down at his hand, surprised. When I met his eyes again, they were just as cold as his voice had been, and suddenly I was scared. “Let go of my arm,” I said slowly.

  “What did he say to you, Vivian?” he asked, eerily calm.

  I clenched my teeth. “He thought it would be a good, neighbourly thing to do, to tell me that Brian Connor should probably be getting out within the next week or so. He made a point to remind me not to wander off anywhere all by my lonesome.” I could see each word sinking in as he realized what his father was really saying. “Then again, maybe he is just trying to be helpful, and not scary at all.” I wrenched my arm from his hold and walked out to the balcony.

  Brian tried to keep his breathing even as he saw the figure approaching his cell. He didn’t know what this was about, but he figured it had to be something important if He had sent this one to see him.

  Something in the air though was strange, more so than usual. That was when he noticed his eyes as he stepped into the light.

  Brian backed away instantly and felt himself start to hyperventilate. What was happening? He had promised them everything, had given all he had over to them, and had been promised to be kept alive and safe. Something in these eyes told Brian that had changed, and he didn’t understand why.

  He tried to plead, but couldn’t find his voice. Instead all that came out were helpless whimpers, similar to those his victims had made. How ironic, he thought as he felt himself wet the inside of his pants.

  Never trust the Devil.

  He laughed wretchedly, tears falling from his eyes for the first time since he was but a child, when suddenly the lights went out all around him.

  I took a deep breath of the night air to try to clear my head. I didn’t know what Caleb was doing back in the room, but I was thankful for the moment of peace. This night had not turned out the way I had imagined. Fighting with Caleb was the worst. Standing out there, for what felt like hours, I watched as the other people of our town went about their lives, their laughter sometimes faintly reaching me from my perch atop the world.

  When I could feel my eyes closing of their own accord, I realized it was probably time to ask Caleb to take me home. I really didn’t want to go back into the room, but I figured the least he could do was call down for a cab to drive me home.

  When I walked back in, the bedroom was empty. I hadn’t heard Caleb leave, but he was nowhere to be seen. Now what was I going to do? I thought, looking around. The bed at the other side of the room was quietly calling my name, so I shrugged and walked over to it.

  Shoot. I looked down with a sigh. The dress I was wearing would definitely not be comfortable to sleep in. I glanced around the room again, freezing on the dresser against the far wall.

  Was this super invasive? Probably.

  The top drawer was full of socks and underwear – I shut it quickly, glad that he was not around to see me snooping through his private things. I found a pair of grey sweatpants and a plain black t-shirt in the second drawer that would work nicely. After carefully hanging my dress over the back of one of the chairs, I changed into my makeshift pyjamas, rolling the pants at the waist, and climbed into the massive bed. It was like lying in a cloud. I wiggled down under the covers until I was comfortable and immediately fell into a deep sleep…

  The alley I was standing in was dark and smelled of garbage. The only sounds were the scurrying feet of the rats in the puddles along the walls. I didn’t know where I was, or how I had gotten here. Behind me was completely closed off, leaving only one way to escape. I started walking, my feet coming to a halt when I noticed a man blocking my retreat. From a distance I couldn’t make out his face. There was a light illuminating him from behind, casting a shadow across his upper body.

  No matter how hard I squinted, I couldn’t see him. I didn’t want to walk closer to him, but he was standing in the only exit, leaving my options limited. Suddenly he lifted his hand up and stretched it towards me, calling me to grab on. Something in my gut told me this was not my saviour. I glanced at the garbage piles around me, searching for anything I could use to fight with, but there was nothing.

  Slowly the man began to walk toward me, and as he came into the light I saw it was Caleb. Instantly I let out a huge sigh of relief, but before I could move he morphed into Dermot, who’s smile went from comforting to sinister in a matter of seconds.

  My sigh turned to a gasp as I realized I had nowhere to run from him. I tried to look harder for something I could fight him with, when I saw the figure morphing again into Brian Connor.

  My panic increased as he drew closer and closer. I backed up until I stood against the alley wall, closing my eyes as I prayed he would go away. When I opened them he was right in front of me with that same look in his eyes I had seen before. The same sinister smile Dermot wore only moments before stretched across his face. He reached out to touch me just as I opened my mouth to scream.

  Caleb looked down at Vivian. She was tucked into his bed, and there was something about seeing her there that made his chest swell. He liked having her in his space, his scent around her. Throwing his jacket on a chair, he took notice of her dress there, his eyes flickering back to her small form beneath the blankets.

  He fingered the delicate fabric, remembering just how beautiful she had looked tonight. No one could compare to Vivian in his eyes.

  Unbuttoning his shirt, he took it off, changing into comfortable pants before heading out to the balcony. He needed a moment before he tried to join her in bed. If he was being honest with himself, he wasn’t sure he’d be able to lie next to her without wanting to touch her.

  Needing to touch her.

  At that moment, it didn’t feel right. Not after what had just happened. He leaned against the railing, looking down at the city.

  Devon, one of their human workers, had given him a message from Cain at the ball. Apparently the Scouts were only in town to watch the Brotherhood. There were rumours that the human faction was up to something big, but no one knew just what.

  It didn’t surprise Caleb that Cain had been able to make one of them talk. They’d been trying all week to figure it out. He was just glad it was over.

  It always made him laugh that the humans had created a society to watch over his father and their family, in an attempt to stop their evil, and yet the angels themselves very rarely intervened. They never had contact with the little human group. He could only imagine how a human would react if an actual Soldier showed up.

  He could still remember the first time he’d seen one. He’d been young still, living in the old farm house they’d had a couple of hours away from the city. Back before they had moved to Ireland again.

  An angel had shown up to speak to their father, for reasons Caleb still didn’t understand. He could still remember the way his eyes almost burned while gazing upon the man. While his aura was brighter than theirs, and he was just as strong and warrior-like as his father was. It was then that it had really hit young Caleb that his father had once been one of them.

  Of course, the biggest difference had been the large, white wings that protruded from the other man’s back. They had been glorious, the feathers the white beyond his imagination. They had looked so soft, his fingers had ached to reach out and touch them. He’d hidden in the library, watching them from the window as they stood outside on the dri
veway. That was the first and last time he had seen one of them up close. The memory was still as clear in his mind as though it had happened only yesterday.

  Would he be a better fit for Vivian if he had been one of them?

  If you were, your love would be impossible, his inner voice pointed out.

  It was true. The Soldiers were forbidden to lie with mortals. Still, Caleb couldn’t help but wonder what it would be like to have a clear conscious. How could he measure up to Vivian with all the blood that stained his hands?

  He looked down, as though expecting to see them crimson even now. All week he had abstained from dealing out any deaths. It was unheard of for him, but for the first time in his life, Caleb was starting to question his actions. For the first time, he wasn’t blindly doing his father’s bidding. He was second-guessing his decisions, and that was confusing him more than anything.

  What was Vivian doing to him?

  I found myself sitting up in the middle of Caleb’s bed, sweating in the summer night’s heat. The clock said it was three in the morning.

  I had only been sleeping for a couple of hours.

  I felt utterly exhausted, but my heart was still racing from the dream. There was no way I’d be able to go back to sleep now. Not until Brian’s face disappeared from my mind.

  The breeze cooled my face from the open doors of the balcony. I hadn’t remembered leaving them open. I looked outside, noticing that someone was there, their back to me as they stared out at the city. Unlike in my dream, I knew exactly who it was.

  Caleb was standing in just sweatpants, his bare shoulders hunched over as he gripped the railing. Every muscle in his arms and back was tense. I considered just going back to sleep and dealing with our fight in the morning, but decided I didn’t want us to stay mad at each other for that long. Throwing the covers off me, I walked silently across the room, joining him out in the fresh air. He turned as I approached, his eyes taking in my attire.

  “Uh, I hope you don’t mind,” I said pulling on his t-shirt.

  “Not at all,” he said. He closed what distance remained between us, pulling me into his chest. I instantly melted against him, his skin warm despite being bare, his masculine scent surrounding my senses. Releasing me, he took my face in both his hands as his eyes roamed over every inch of my skin. “I’m so sorry for what my father has said to you. I never want anyone or anything to scare you.”

  I opened my mouth to speak, but he quickly interrupted me.

  “No, don’t make excuses or say its okay, because it’s not. My family isn’t really like other families, and I should have known to be more cautious.” He let my face go and turned to look back out at the city, pulling me to stand beside him.

  I didn’t know what to say, so I remained quiet hoping he would continue. After a minute he looked back down at me and said, “I’m not the type of person to become emotionally involved with someone, as I’m sure people warned you about in the beginning. I have a hard time relating to people. I don’t think my father, or my brothers for that matter, thought I was even capable of liking other humans.” He softly brushed a piece of hair out of my face, tucking it behind my ears.

  Turning his body to face me, he slid his hand down my arm to take hold of my right hand. “You mean a lot to me, more than I know how to express, and this is what confuses my father.”

  He stepped even closer, putting his other hand on the side of my neck. I could feel myself holding my breath in anticipation for what his smouldering eyes promised.

  My head was so dizzy, it felt as though I was dreaming again. I prayed I wasn’t. “Please know, Vivian, that I would never let anyone hurt you. What you told me tonight made me realize the sort of situation I have brought you into, but I will do everything I can to make sure that nothing ever happens to you. No one will threaten you again, do you understand?” he asked urgently. I nodded, still unable to conjure up proper words.

  He slowly bent his head down to me and paused with his lips only inches away from mine. I thought my head and heart would simultaneously combust. “You’re mine,” he whispered before his lips urgently found mine.

  I moaned against his lips, crushing my body against his as I kissed him back just as intensely. Suddenly my feet were off the floor as he swept me up and carried me back inside, never taking his lips from mine. My hands ran along his shoulders, feeling every line and every muscle as though trying to commit it to memory. His bare chest was hot against mine, even through the t-shirt I wore.

  The softness of the bed was abruptly beneath me as he lay me down. My shirt came off quickly, followed by my pants. The heat from both our bodies intensified as he pressed against me. His lips explored the rest of my body and neck, as I desperately tried to catch my breath.

  Every spot he touched broke out into flames. I didn’t know if this was normal. There was a wildness erupting throughout my body, causing me to claw at his back and thrash my head from side to side under the wave of need washing over me. The same word repeated through my head – mine, mine, mine.

  I felt crazed, impatient as I pulled Caleb closer. His mouth enclosed around a nipple causing me to cry out is name into the dark room. He pulled my skin taunt, before releasing it, the cool air brushing across the now sensitive peak.

  “You’re mine,” he said, his eyes brighter than I had ever seen them before. They glowed, filled with the same inexplicable need that filled my own. His face bent forward, his lips closing around the spot where my pulse raced just beneath my skin. I laced my fingers through his hair, begging him for – something. I wasn’t sure what, but my body was aching in so many places I felt as though I would go insane.

  “Mine,” I heard him growl against my skin. “My mate.”

  His mouth covered mine, our tongues melding as our moans blended together. He rubbed his hardness against me, sending shocks of pleasure throughout my entire body.

  “Please,” I said breathlessly against him. “I need you, Caleb.”

  “You have me.”

  He entered me slowly, the width of him stretching me until there was a slight prick of pain. I sucked in a breath as he continued to ease in, until our hips met and he paused, his eyes watching me from where he held himself above.

  Just as slowly he began to pull out, before pushing back in, this time faster. A wave of pleasure took place of the pain. At my silent urging, he continued to pick up his pace, pushing us both over the edge into sheer bliss.

  As his face came back to meet mine, I stared deep into his blue eyes, and knew that I would never be the same after this night.

  “So this is what heaven feels like,” he whispered softly. “I never thought I’d be allowed to feel it.”

  His lips found mine again, and we were both lost in each other for the rest of the morning.

  Artem hung up the phone and walked to the bathroom of his hotel room. It was only seven in the morning, but he hadn’t been able to sleep. He’d given up trying and decided to get an early start to the day. A hot shower was sure to refresh him.

  As he stood under the running water, letting it warm up his stiff muscles, he started to think again of the girl. She was beautiful, he could admit that. Her hair was long and thick, and her wide, green eyes pierced through you when she looked at you.

  She had fit perfectly in his arms during their dance. The memory of how she felt against his chest hadn’t been far from his mind since. She was extraordinary really, but he still couldn’t understand why Caleb Banks had chosen her.

  Artem was just an ordinary man, he admitted reluctantly. It was normal for him to be attracted to a woman such as Vivian French. Caleb was more than that. There had to be something extraordinary about the girl to elicit such an unmistakeable response in him. There had been sheer jealously on Caleb’s face as he approached the two of them on the dance floor. This was unusual for their kind. They didn’t normally have such blatantly human emotions.

  He had told his superiors about it, and they too had seen cause for concern. They to
ld him they would discuss his findings so far, and phone him later that evening. He’d gotten the impression that there was more to their alarm than they were telling him.

  As he stepped out of the shower, he could hear the phone ringing in the other room. “Damn,” he muttered as he grabbed a towel and ran out of the bathroom, dripping on the carpet. He reached it just in time. “Hello,” he said trying to balance the phone on his shoulder as he tightened the towel around his waist.

  “Artem, it’s Alan. We have a big problem.”

  He could hear the panic and anxiety in Alan’s voice. He preferred to deal with Murray, because of the old man’s calm approach to every situation. Alan was always overreacting. Just as he had the day he had gone by Vivian’s house. What had possessed him to spy on the girl?

  “What kind of problem?” It had better be good, he thought to himself as he shivered in the cold air of the bedroom.

  “He’s gone missing,” Alan practically yelled into the phone. “Jesus Christ, Artem. What are we going to do?”

  “Jesus Christ hasn’t been missing for quite some time, Alan. I think you can stop worrying about that now,” he replied, taking a seat with a sigh. There was no point in reacting to his outburst; it would only make him worse.

  “Stop kidding around, boy. This is a serious matter! The damn man has completely disappeared from inside his cell.” He was talking quickly now, but Artem realized the severity of the situation after all.

  “Wait, slow down,” he said trying to understand. “What are you talking about? Brian? Brian’s gone missing?”

  “Yes! That is what I’ve been trying to tell you. The guards went to his cell this morning and found it empty. He has completely vanished, and they are saying there is no way he could have escaped. At least, not on his own,” he added. “They are searching the inside of the prison now, but something tells me they won’t find him.”