Shattered Warrior

by Brenda Trim

  Where the hell was her mate anyway? And why didn’t he give a shit that she was making pack history? Her fists clenched as she realized Orlando hadn’t seen the significance of her big day or felt it important enough to take time away from his precious Elsie and the others. It still burned that he considered Elsie’s feelings over hers.

  “You’re right, Em, but it’s not that simple,” Faith replied. Ember loved her best friend to pieces and appreciated that she never told Ember what she wanted to hear, but what she needed to hear.

  “First off, did you even tell him about the induction?” Faith persisted.

  Ember turned around and leveled a glare at the female who stared back completely unfazed by Ember’s irritation.

  “That’s not the point,” Ember snapped.

  “How is that not the point? Unless you can read each other’s minds, how was he supposed to know about today?” Faith stated and cocked her head as her long blonde hair fell over her shoulder. The challenge was unmistakable and pissed Ember off even more.

  “No, we can’t read each other’s mind,” Ember denied.

  There had been a connection between her and Orlando from the moment they’d laid eyes on each other which intensified after the mating was completed. There would be a point when they could communicate telepathically, but they weren’t there yet. She’d been told it varied with each couple and for some took years to develop.

  What she did feel was Orlando’s emotions as clearly as if they were her own. Wherever he was, he was upset and felt abandoned. She couldn’t believe he felt abandoned after everything he’d put her through.

  She had no idea why he thought they would live at Zeum. She’d never once given him any indication she would move in with him. Hell, they’d never spent any time there. It should’ve been crystal clear to him where she wanted to be and he should be there with her now.

  “He doesn’t need to read my mind to know I wanted him there for the ceremony,” Ember continued.

  Faith stood up and walked to the kitchen, grabbing two energy drinks from the fridge then handed one to Ember. Cracking open the can, Faith met her gaze. “He needed to know about the induction to be there, Em. You can’t be mad at him if he had no idea it happened.”

  Ember’s jaw tensed as she realized she hadn’t considered that. Hayden wouldn’t have called to tell him, assuming Ember would. For that matter, none of the C.L.A.W.s would have contacted him. There would be no way for Orlando to have known about it.

  Ember sank into the couch and held up her drink, “I think this needs tequila.”

  “Done,” Faith replied and slipped back into the kitchen and quickly returned, carrying a pitcher of margaritas and two glasses. She loved that her friend always had the cocktail on hand, especially at times like this.

  Joining her on the couch, Faith poured her a glass and Ember mixed in the energy drink. “I’ll take that to mean you didn’t talk to him about it,” her best friend pointed out.

  “I haven’t talked to him since I left last week. He should call me. I shouldn’t have to call him.”

  “How’s that working out for you?” Faith asked.

  “I’m sitting on your couch drinking with you instead of celebrating with my mate. How do you think it’s working?” Ember retorted.

  Faith set her drink aside and swiped up a set of cards from the coffee table. She lived with her parents and two siblings in a large cabin not far from Ember. Shuffling the cards, Faith murmured, “Why is he the only one responsible for reaching out? From what I know of the male, he’s been through hell lately and shortly after he finds his Fated Mate, she leaves him standing in the middle of a room holding their infant son.”

  It irked Ember that her friend was always right. She wanted to hold onto her righteous indignation, but never could with Faith around. Ember hadn’t considered anything aside from her own anger. She had walked out and left him with Brantley. It didn’t matter that Brantley wasn’t their blood, he was their son and she had adopted him the moment she mated Orlando.

  “I really fucked this up, didn’t I?” Ember blurted as she took a gulp of her drink.

  Faith dealt each of them seven cards before she responded. “If I know you, I’m certain you were a stubborn bitch when he asked you to move to Zeum.”

  Ember snorted at her best friend’s way of saying she had really screwed the pooch this time. “I’m not saying what I did was right, but he should have come to me by now. Instead, he is still living in the queen’s home and not even talking to me.”

  “I’m not saying you’re completely wrong about Elsie, but what you need to focus on is why he should come to you. You weren’t willing to discuss it with him so you guys could come up with a compromise,” Faith countered.

  Ember couldn’t focus on her cards as her friend’s words rang in her ears. The Goddess had mentioned compromise. But, did that mean she had to do all the work? She wanted him to show her he wanted her and truly loved her. Ember knew he’d had feelings for Jaidis and she was past that, but Elsie was an entirely different situation.

  “Ugh,” she snarled and admitted, “The Goddess said something to me about courage, compromise and compassion. You suck, you know that?” She took a drink as tears swam in her eyes. “This is actually really good.”

  “It is. You could always get a job as a bartender if nothing else. So what are you going to do about all this?” Faith asked. They were both holding their cards, but had yet to play their hands.

  “I have no idea. I need to know he wants me as much as I want him. I feel like the consolation prize. I guess I need him to show me that’s not true,” Ember admitted as the tears fell. Ember wasn’t an overly emotional female, but she couldn’t stop when she considered Orlando might not try to get her back.

  Faith tossed the cards on the table and pulled Ember into her arms. “You aren’t a consolation prize. That male adores you and you know it. He may have needed time to really embrace what the Goddess gave him, but once he did, you became his entire world.”

  “You really think so?” Ember hated her insecurity. She wasn’t a weak-willed female that needed constant reassurance, but, in this instance, she needed her mate to extend the first olive branch.

  “Have I ever blown smoke up your ass? I’d never hurt you like that. You need to pull your head out and meet him halfway, Em. It will never work if one of you doesn’t swallow your pride.”

  “When did you get so wise?” she asked with a laugh as she brushed her tears away. She didn’t know if she would make the first move or not, but she missed her mate more than anything and would give anything to see him again.

  CHAPTER TWENTY

  “Steeeve,” Ember called out when she saw O’Haire. “Good to see you again. What the heck is going on?” she asked as she glanced around the scene.

  There was yellow tape sealing off a large area in a supermarket parking lot. It was a chain store that focused on health foods and was in the same shopping center as a realm restaurant. She’d eaten there before and loved their wings and burgers.

  She was surprised to see a large group of humans being cordoned and monitored by SPD officers. Each one carried haunted looks and their fear was thick as smoke. She saw why when she noticed the countless white sheets draped over what she guessed were dead bodies.

  Officers shouted and gave directions as they snapped pictures and their CSI unit gathered evidence. The human authorities had a huge number of people working the scene. She’d noticed it at the club scene, as well, and hadn’t given it a second thought. Seeing it again she wondered why they needed so many. Some of it she could see was for crowd control, but the rest seemed redundant and unnecessary. Surprisingly, they worked quickly despite the cold temperatures.

  “Why did you call me to a human crime scene? Was this the demons again?” she asked.

  Steve’s broad shoulders ruffled in obvious irritation. The huge bear shifter was garnering looks. With his larger than normal stature, he stood out in the crowd. The humans wo
uld never believe he was a big teddy bear given the menace he radiated.

  “I didn’t know this involved humans. We got an emergency call about an attack involving sorcerers. We didn’t get much more information as the caller was suddenly cut off so I called you on my way out here. I can’t get more information because these yahoos won’t let me through. Please tell me that your mate is on his way. He has connections to the human officers. By the way, congratulations on your mating. Sorry I missed the ceremony,” Steve said.

  Ember winced at the mention of Orlando. She still hadn’t spoken to him and Faith’s words from the night before rang through her head. She’d finally worked up the nerve to call him but then received the call from Steve and used it as an excuse to put the conversation off even longer.

  “Thank you, it was an amazing ceremony,” she said, focusing on the positive. “I have no idea where Orlando is or if he has been called in. Is that a Harpy?” she asked and changed the subject when she noticed a human lifting the arm of a victim and black wings poked from underneath the sheet.

  Nerves had her itching to get to the body and take custody of it. Her feet shifted and she bounced as she watched humans investigate bodies that were proof of the existence of supernaturals.

  “Oh shit. This is bad,” she murmured. Pushing her glasses up her nose, she contemplated calling Orlando. This could blow up in a major way.

  Steve glanced over at her question and proceeded to curse. “How the hell are we going to cover this up? Look at all these humans video-taping with their cell phones. Goddamn technology. I miss the old days when disguising situations was easy,” he cursed.

  “I usually appreciate modern conveniences, but not today,” she retorted as she shifted her bag higher on her shoulder.

  Of course, the scene was in the middle of a well-lit area of the parking lot giving the humans a perfect view of the mess around them. They might as well have a huge spotlight shining down on everything. They weren’t lucky enough to have it be closer to the burger joint where the streetlights in the parking lot were busted.

  “I’d give anything to go back home and crawl back in bed with Stacy,” O’Haire admitted.

  She laughed and punched his arm. “You’re dating that human?”

  Steve’s cheeks turned pink and he rubbed the back of his neck. “I don’t think you’d call it dating. She’s fun for the time being,” he remarked as his eyes shifted over her shoulder.

  “Thank fuck your mate is here,” Steve blurted before she could harass him more.

  The change of topic made Ember’s heart gallop and sweat broke out over her body, despite the fact, it was so cold she could see her breath. Beads trickled down her back, making her silk shirt stick to her skin as she turned to face the parking lot.

  Orlando climbed out of his car and locked eyes with her. She saw Santiago exit the other side of the car but she was too busy drinking in the sight of her mate. He was sex walking in his tight leather pants and charcoal gray shirt. His leather jacket completed the look and had her panting for him as her chest constricted the next second.

  She missed him terribly and wanted to jump his bones.

  Her ache was intensified when she sensed his pain through their bond. Tears misted in her eyes. She regretted acting so rashly and she wanted to make things right with him, but she didn’t know how. He refused to live with her and she refused to leave the Grove. She was a C.L.A.W. now and had to be nearby for Hayden.

  Orlando and Santi stopped two feet from her and an awkward silence descended between the four of them. She could see Steve gawking from the corner of her eye while Santiago watched his friend. Ignoring them, she focused on Orlando.

  “Okaaay. This is uncomfortable,” Steve muttered. “I’m going to go over there and blend in with the locals. Call me if you need me.”

  “I’ll go check in with the lead,” Santiago added. “Good to see you, Ember.”

  “Good to see you, too, Santi,” she replied. She hated how her voice wavered. She was strong female, dammit. A member of the C.L.A.W. for fuck’s sake. Get it together, she scolded herself.

  Ember watched the males walk away. Santiago ducked under the tape and headed into the middle of the action and Steve veered to the left. The sight of O’Haire standing there with his arms crossed over his chest while he rocked on his feet was comical. The male stood out like a sore thumb among the humans while Santiago managed to blend in. They were both cops, but the difference was remarkable in this setting.

  Once alone, she couldn’t ignore how much her heart hurt standing so close to her mate. Orlando was the one being in the universe she should be most comfortable with and it felt unnatural.

  “Ember,” Orlando murmured, drawing her attention. She gave him a watery smile and had to bite her lip to keep the emotion at bay. “I didn’t know you were going to be here.”

  How did they get to the point where their interactions were so cold and clinical, she thought, as her heart fractured? Could they resolve this and bridge the ever-widening gap between them?

  “O’Haire called me in. I had no idea this involved so many humans. What can you tell me about what happened?” she asked.

  He seemed cool as a cucumber while she was an emotional wreck, nervously smoothing her hair and shuffling her feet. If she didn’t sense his turmoil through their mating bond, she’d say he wasn’t bothered in the slightest over their situation.

  When she looked close enough, the golden chain connecting them appeared tarnished and that was the most telling. There was a massive wedge between them that needed to be dealt with. Problem was, she had no idea where to begin.

  Orlando took several steps closer to her, taunting her body with his heat. She greedily soaked up his masculine scent and leaned toward him, losing track of all thought except wanting to kiss the breath out of him.

  “That’s not how this is going to be between us,” he practically snarled.

  Her eyes flew wide at his words and the anger behind them. His determination was palpable. Was he about to deny their mating? She didn’t think she could live through it if he did. He had become her whole world and she wasn’t complete without him.

  Before she could ask his meaning, he grabbed hold of her upper arm and she found herself smashed against his hard chest. “I need to talk to you where there are no ears,” he told her.

  She closed her eyes as his breath fell against her lips. All it would take was her going to tiptoes and her lips would be pressed against his. Self-recriminations flew through her mind along with every curse word she knew. This male had the power to destroy her world and it seemed she barely affected him.

  “What about the crime scene? I’m pretty sure I saw a harpy being examined a second ago,” she muttered. His eyes glowed bright green and were ablaze. If he wasn’t careful a human could catch it on videotape, but she was relieved to his passion hadn’t died.

  “Fuck the scene. You are far more important that the humans or this case. Besides, Santiago is for damage control. Come with me,” he ordered and tugged her alongside him as he began walking toward the side of the building, away from the crowd.

  Stumbling, she struggled to keep up with him for several steps before she found her stride. She was normally as graceful as her cougar and it was a sign how far off her game she was. He had her all discombobulated and she shook off her reaction, trying to clear her head.

  “Orlando,” she started when they reached an empty alley. There were several large dumpsters, along with broken down cardboard boxes, and wood palettes littered the walkway, but they had privacy everywhere.

  “You’re beautiful,” he murmured pulling her into his arms. As his body surrounded hers, the knot in her gut unfurled the tiniest bit. It was difficult to hold back the hope that wanted to burst forth.

  “I don’t even know where to begin,” he said. “I really fucked things. Even worse, I’ve been a stubborn ass and let it keep me from you.”

  The truth of his admission was confirmed through their c
onnection, as well as, his affection for her. It was the first glimpse she’d gotten of anything aside from anger and frustration from him in over a week and it meant everything to her.

  “I didn’t call you, either. We’re both guilty of allowing our pride to come between us,” she admitted.

  “I wasn’t fair to you. I assumed you’d move in with me without asking what you wanted and that was wrong,” he said as he placed a kiss on the top of her head and ran his hand up and down her back.

  Arching into him, her cougar settled for the first time since she had walked out on him. “I didn’t tell you about needing to stay on pack land, either. I’m new at this and have no idea how to be in a relationship,” she admitted. She’d dated before, but Zeke was the closest she’d come to a serious relationship and that didn’t count for much.

  He chuckled as he laid his hands on her hips. “I don’t want to hear about you being with other males. In my head, you were a virgin when we met,” he growled then leaned in and nipped her lower lip.

  “We were both virgins. And, you never slept with Elsie, just pined after her,” she murmured unable to keep from mentioning her jealousy. “Anyway, me running off didn’t help matters. Faith has told me the folly of my ways.”

  “Elsie is a good friend, but that is it. She is important to the Dark Warriors, but she doesn’t come before you. I wanted what she and Zander had more than I ever wanted her and I realized that when I lost you. You are all I want,” he declared as he held her close. “And you should listen to Faith, she’s a very wise female,” he teased and placed his finger under her chin. He tilted her head back and looked deep in her eyes.

  “I know that I’m a difficult person to live with. I can’t promise I will ever be perfect, but I promise to try,” Orlando promised.

  “I’ve missed you,” she admitted as joy broke through, despite her reservations. She wanted to tell him she wasn’t leaving the Grove and make him agree to move in with her, but she kept her mouth shut. They hadn’t exactly reached a truce and she refused to upset the delicate balance they were striving for.