by Eden Ashley
“And so is he. His fate is your fate. You can never be without him.” She didn’t understand how Cal failed to understand that.
“We’ll have to agree to disagree, babe.” He reached for her, stopping when she pulled away. His brow wrinkled. “Are we doing this or not?”
“You know I have to.”
“Then stop being so cold.”
“I don’t enjoy this.”
“I think you do, sometimes.”
A knife of pain stabbed into Kali’s chest and twisted. Was it guilt? Did Cal’s words hold some truth? She bit her lip. The hurt it brought grounded her thoughts to the task at hand. “Let’s get it over with.”
Cal rolled his eyes. “That’s better.”
She frowned. “This is strictly business.”
“Right,” he agreed, but didn’t sound convinced.
Kali didn’t care if he agreed. She only needed him for one thing. Still, his hands were eager as they beckoned her closer, held her so tenderly against him. His lips closed around her mouth, cool to the touch. He remembered well and sought to please her, stroking everywhere she liked. Her ears, the back of her neck, the swell of her breast—his gentle caresses found the most sensitive parts of her, coaxing Kali into heightened arousal. She had felt more with him than with any other before Rhane. But with Cal there was always darkness. Feeding from him left her with angry thoughts and violent urges almost too compelling to resist. Daily matches against the kin helped channel those powerful inclinations, giving her rage an outlet.
But when Kali reached for his spark…this time things were different.
Threads of light had woven into the darker pitch of his aura. Intense purples and royal blues replaced black and gray emptiness. Something had tempered the savage coldness, cultured his humanity.
Cal was different.
Nearly losing the moment when his hands slipped beneath her blouse, Kali redirected her focus. She had to take the necessary energy hard and fast. The more he touched her, the deeper he fell. The more things got confusing. She needed to get this over quickly for both their sakes.
Pressing her hands on either side of his face, Kali drank deeply, urgently. Cal’s lips grew colder. His fingers chilled against her skin. Still, she drank. His spark dimmed and darkened, almost recoiling from her touch. But she pulled it back, sating her thirst. His fingers tightened, dug painfully into her skin. A tremor rippled through his body. Cal shuddered, sagged against her. Then she released him.
Cal sat dazed for several long moments. Then his eyes cleared and he jerked as if suddenly emerging from deep sleep. He was panting as he stood up, wobbling unsteadily on his feet. “Shit, Kal.” He moved away from her, to the corner of the room. “Did you have to take so much?”
“Sorry. The hunger is getting worse.”
“I can’t say I haven’t noticed. What are we up to, twice a week now?”
“Sometimes three.” Her reply was absent. She straightened her clothes, busy considering something weighing on her mind for a while now. “I need to figure out how to do this without making out with you. I’ve fed without intimacy once before. I know it’s possible.”
“You don’t have to.” Though he still sounded a tad breathless, Cal moved close to her again. “I prefer things this way.”
“And you know I don’t.” Hurt written plainly in his expression, she regretted her words. There was no sign of the arrogant and selfish boy she dated a year ago.
“He left you, Kali.”
“He’s coming back.”
His fingers squeezed her wrist, and those piercing blue eyes locked onto hers. “But what if he doesn’t?”
“Callan, don’t.” Fearing what holding that gaze would to do him, she pulled away to gather her things. It was time to go.
But Cal wasn’t ready to leave yet. “If things were different…we could have a chance.” His face was hopeful, imploring for something Kali couldn’t give. “I can make you happy this time. I know it.”
“I appreciate all you’ve done for me…everything you keep doing.” She averted her eyes, unable to look at him. It seemed that she was destined to hurt him. Her very design made it unavoidable. “But Rhane is my soul mate. I will find him. And I will bring him home.”
Chapter 3
Kali strode away from the locker room at a hurried pace. It was past time to meet Rion and Matthias. If she didn’t rendezvous with them soon, they would definitely come searching for her. The very last place they needed to find her was in Cal’s arms or anywhere alone with him. Sure, Gabriel and his reapers had taken on a vital role as part of her protection detail. But by their own admission, the kin didn’t trust Gabriel as far as they could throw him. And for good reason. If York or the others had any idea of the secret meetings she shared with Cal or the purpose of them, Kali would have a lot of explaining to do.
Or possibly not.
York knew about her dietary needs. He also knew she hadn’t been able to take from him or any of the others. Not only was it weird because the kin were like brothers to Kali, but raising enough energy from them to satiate her thirst was simply impossible. Taking from Rhane’s spark had meant drawing on the life force of an immortal. The others weren’t strong enough to endure a feeding rigorous enough to provide any sustaining nourishment that the siren within her needed. Kali’s survival would have equaled their deaths. Certainly York understood that…especially after the last time.
York was a smart guy. He had to know she was getting energy from someone. He just didn’t know who. And if he suspected that someone was Cal/Gabriel, he sure didn’t act like it.
Smoothing her curls one last time, Kali pushed through the double exit doors and crossed the courtyard to where her constant guardians waited.
Rion greeted her with a smile. “LIVE LAUGH CHASE CARS” adorned the front of his white t-shirt. “We were starting to get worried.”
“I figured. Sorry.”
He opened the car door. “No problem. Let’s get moving.”
Kali barely contained a sigh of relief. That was way too easy. “Why don’t I ever get to drive?”
“Because your driving sucks.”
“Hey! Not nice.”
“Neither was almost hitting an elderly woman while attempting to park.”
“That old bird was trying to take my spot.”
“That old bird was walking, Kali.” Rion shook his head. “With a cane. I don’t think her short term plan involved parking.”
“Whatever.” Grinning, Kali shrugged. “I think you’re picking a fight with me on purpose.”
Rion winked. “It’s the only way I get to see your real smile.”
A spike of guilt pained Kali, faltering the very expression Rion had teased out of her. She ducked her head, hoping he wouldn’t notice. But he did. Darting a glance to his eyes, Kali saw they were a bit sadder. “I’m sorry, Rion.”
“It’s okay. I get it. You miss him. We all do.”
“Yeah,” she agreed softly and settled into the backseat.
Since Matthias didn’t actually have a license, he usually rode shotgun while Rion took the wheel. Rion adjusted the mirror, studying her reflection. “Still going to your parents’ house?”
“They’re expecting me.”
“How long do you think you’ll need? Me and Matt can drive around and come back.”
“You guys should come in.” She stared out the window, looking but not really seeing anything. “We have cable and video games. Your pick.”
“Cool. Greg won’t mind?”
“No. You’re practically family,” she said, and meant it.
#
The drive from school to the subdivision where her adoptive parents lived was a short one filled with small talk and odd questions from Matthias as he persevered in his struggle to understand human behavior. Greg and Lisa welcomed him and Rion with open arms, though the kindred’s behavior garnered more than a few odd looks from Kali’s human parents. Only five settings occupied the table. Rozzy was awa
y at college. After a four semester hiatus, she had been struck by a bolt of spontaneity to return to school.
Like Orrin, Rion seemed to be instinctively attuned to Kali’s emotional state and must have sensed the “talk” coming because as soon as he finished eating, he grabbed Matthias by the collar and hauled him up from the table. The two quickly headed downstairs to the TV room.
Greg cleared his throat once the boys were out of sight. “Kalista, honey, we’re worried about you.”
“Is this about the tattoos?” She shoved a few rejected peas around her plate. Lisa had prepared a wonderful dinner starring a baked vegetarian enchilada casserole with a chilled pea salad on the side. The casserole tasted amazing. The pea salad was so-so. For dessert, a lemon-blueberry cobbler sat waiting on the countertop. Kali couldn’t wait to dig her fork into it, positive it was going to be awesome.
“This isn’t about the tattoos.” Greg massaged his brow, visibly wrestling for the right words. An ironic problem for a lawyer to have. “Okay. I’m not happy about those either.”
Kali glanced at her left hand. Three thin bands encircled both her middle finger and wrist. “They are like his. York helped with the design. He said it was common for men and women of the Golden plains to bear almost identical markings. Tattoos represent unity in a bonded pair.”
Exhaling as one, Greg and Lisa turned to each other. Lisa’s lips parted as if to speak, but Greg shook his head. In their silence, Kali stood up and began collecting the plates. “Dinner was great. Thanks, Lisa.”
“You’re welcome, baby.” Lisa held on to her plate as Kali tried to retrieve it. “Sit down. I’ll take care of these.”
“It’s okay. Just because I don’t live here anymore doesn’t mean I can’t help with chores.”
Greg chuckled. “Now remember you said that.”
“Can’t make any promises. My memory hasn’t exactly been spot on for the past year.” Kali smiled grimly at the self-disparaging quip.
But the remark dissolved Greg’s laughter and incited sympathetic noises from Lisa. “I’ll serve the cobbler,” she said abruptly. “Greg, you can only have a little. At your last check-up, Dr. Earnest was concerned about your blood sugar.”
“Yes, dear.” Greg obviously perceived the wisdom in fighting only one battlefront at a time. “Kalista, leave those dishes in the sink and sit down. We really need to talk about this.”
“The ink is kind of a permanent thing.” She couldn’t see a point to the “talk” but took a seat at the table anyway. “Don’t worry. I won’t get anymore.”
“That’s what everyone who gets tattooed says. Then before they know it, their bodies look like a graffiti version of the Sistine Chapel.” He rubbed his forehead again. “But this isn’t about the tattoos.”
“Okay.” Kali took a big bite of the dessert Lisa had set in front of her. “So what do you want to talk about?”
“Rhane.”
Already going in for more cobbler, her fork stilled. The food in her mouth suddenly tasted like sawdust. “Okay.”
“We don’t want to upset you, but you seem so unhappy.”
“You hardly smile anymore,” Lisa anxiously chimed in. “And I haven’t heard your laugh in months.”
“I know I’m different.” Kali worked her throat, forcing down the lump of food. “I’m sorry,” she whispered.
Greg’s hand whipped across the table to clasp hers. “Honey, you misunderstand us. We didn’t call you here for an apology. Your mother and I want to know how we can help.”
“Even if it’s just talking about it,” Lisa said. “You were a bit reserved, growing up. You shied away from other children, but with a little coaxing you’d play. As a teenager you seemed to fold into yourself even more. You were a full blown loner…and then you met Rhane.
“Kalista, you’ve blossomed so much, finally coming into your own and understanding who and what you really are. You let us in more. You became more affectionate. You trusted. You laughed. You cried. You smiled all the time. But now…it feels like we’re losing you again. Please let us help.”
“Oh.” Kali blinked back a flood of tears. From day one, they had been so good to her, taking in a strange girl they knew next to nothing about and truly making her a part of their family. But the bond Kali shared with them had always been limited by the dark secret she kept hidden. Last year all that changed when Kali discovered Greg and Lisa had known the truth from the beginning. Even after accidentally setting Lisa’s antique dining table on fire, the love in their eyes had not wavered.
Things were no different now.
She could talk to them.
“I miss him so much.” Her voice shattered. She dropped her head, possessed by a fit of uncontrollable sobs. Lisa was around the table in a flash, encircling her with both arms. “I don’t know how to be without him. Everything I do, I feel like such a huge fake. I don’t know where he is. I don’t know if he’s hurting. All I know is he’s gone and we’re not helping him. I need to find him, Mom. If it were me missing, Rhane would let nothing stand in his way.”
“Kalista, look at me.” Greg’s voice was gentle. “Look at me.”
She finally did so at his repeated urging.
“I don’t think I’ll ever know Rhane as well as you. But there’s one thing I can be certain about: Rhane is a young man who can take care of himself. And I’ll tell you something else I’m sure of.” Greg stood up, joining Lisa at Kali’s side. “Rhane is not the type of man who would have bonded with someone who couldn’t take care of herself. His kind of strength admires strength in others. You’re not a lost little girl anymore. You know what to do.”
“I do. I just don’t think I know how.” Drying her eyes, she dammed a torrent of fresh tears, determined to show the fortitude Greg was so certain existed within her.
“Why is that?” Greg asked, sounding every bit the lawyer now, leading a witness to the correct conclusion. “What stands in your way?”
“I think he’s being held prisoner by his own people. They are called Primes. They want to punish Rhane for something that happened a very long time ago. They’d kill him if they could.”
“Rhane’s friends can’t help free him?”
She shook her head. “Primes are too strong. I have some memories of them. They are ruthless, and they are powerful. Warren was taken to lure Rhane home. He’s collateral now. Moving against them could risk his life.”
“Okay.” Greg leaned his palms against the table. Creases wrinkled deep in his forehead as he deliberated. “You’re just going to have to find out what those Primes want more than Rhane.”
“What do you mean?”
Lisa smiled. “What you described sounds like a good old-fashioned hostage situation. No matter who the players are and their motives, there’s always a chance it’s not really about the hostages. Maybe these Primes want something else.”
“You think they want to trade?”
Greg nodded. “It’s possible.”
It sounded like a long shot. But her parents were well-versed in the psychology of sociopaths and the criminal mind. And they were two of the smartest and most successful attorneys on the east coast. Kali knew she could trust their judgment. A glimmer of hope, the most she’d felt in a long time, sparked within her chest.
“But how could I find out what they want? I can’t just go to Golden Mountain and ask. The Primes aren’t very fond of me.”
“I know someone you could ask.”
“What?” Kali scrunched her face in confusion. Greg and Lisa had locked eyes, watching each other silently. Their expressions mingled between uncertainty, resolve, and fear. “What do you know? Tell me.”
“Rhane never disclosed the identity of the man who brought you to us, did he?”
“I didn’t think he knew. What does it have to do with anything?”
“He wasn’t human, Kali.”
“Huh?”
“Your adoption never went through any legal channels. He told us how special you were an
d that you would be safer if there was no legitimate paper trail. With Lisa’s and my standing in the legal community, we were able to forge all the right documents, including having your name changed, acquiring a birth certificate, and fabricating adoption papers.”
“Oh jeez. I don’t think I can handle this right now.” She reeled away from them, folding her arms around her head as if to block out the sound of their voices.
“Keep listening, Kali. It’s important.”
“He told us it was the only way we could keep you.” Lisa wrung her hands. “We raised you, gave you the best home we knew how, all the while knowing one day someone—Rhane—would come for you.”