“You’re forthright. I like that.” I narrow my eyes, and he chuckles, the sound sending tremors of fear tiptoeing up and down my spine. He floats in closer to me, and I try to rear back, but an invisible force holds me in place. He stops about a foot in front of me, reaching out a hand and gently cupping my cheek. His skin is ice cold, and I’d shiver if I wasn’t paralyzed in my body. “You’re everything I hoped you would be and more.”
“I’m kinda disappointed,” I deadpan. “You certainly don’t live up to your reputation,” I lie. He chuckles again, and it pisses me off. “I’m glad I amuse you.”
“Oh, you do more than that.” He peers, almost adoringly, into my eyes, edging closer, and I push against the force holding me in lockdown mode, thrashing a little as the hold starts to break.
The chamber vibrates, shuddering perceptibly, and small shards of debris rain down on us. The amused, adoring glint in his eyes disappears, replaced with frustration. “We will speak again, Alinthia, but I want you to look inside yourself to find the truth. Those who seek to protect you are not always truthful. Your enemies are not always out to hurt you. Allies aren’t always loyal. People are not always who they appear to be.”
The chamber shakes, and a sharp, keening sound echoes around the confined space as a distinct crack appears in one of the columns. Plumes of smoke fill the air, restricting visibility. General Arantu blurs in and out, and the invisible hold on me shatters. My body moves overhead, soaring away of its own accord.
“Don’t deny who you are, Alinthia,” he calls out after me. “Trust your instincts and little else.”
I don’t hear the rest of it as I’m sucked out of the chamber, flying at the speed of light back through the dark, foreboding tunnel, my limbs weightless as I’m pulled back to the land of the living.
I bolt upright, exhaling noisily as I drag large gulps of air into my lungs. My chest rises and falls, and a high-pitched squeak emits from my mouth. I grab a hold of Cooper, burying my face in his shirt. His strong arms go around me, and he whispers soothing words in my ears while I attempt to restart my pounding heart. Blood thrums in my ears, and all the fear and panic I’d been holding at bay rushes me, causing a heavy pressure to sit on my chest. I cling to Cooper, refusing to lift my head, siphoning his warmth and his strength until I’m ready to face my two protectors.
Coop and Beck quietly converse over my head, but I don’t hear the words. I’m still too panicked over what just happened.
“Tori.” Coop runs his hand up and down my spine. “Talk to me, beautiful. What’s going on?” He nudges my head up, and I peer into his worried eyes. “You were thrashing about in your sleep, and then you were whimpering and crying out. It took me ages to shake you awake. And you were so, so cold.” He rubs his hands up and down my arms. “You feel warmer now. Are you okay?”
I nod, gulping back my panic, willing my heart to recalibrate in my chest. Beck kneels down in front of me, reaching out and taking my hand. The gesture touches me, and I squeeze his fingers, drawing strength from his quiet comfort. I straighten up in Coop’s lap and clear my throat.
“It was General Arantu.” My gaze jumps between them. “He’s found a way to get to me.”
CHAPTER 8
I tell them everything that just transpired, watching as the whole gamut of emotions flickers across Coop’s face. I look down, eyeballing Beck. “How is he able to do this? And what is this realm he took me to?”
I move off Coop’s lap, reclaiming my seat, and Beck sits down in the chair beside me. “I’m not sure, but if I had to guess, I’d say the curse has opened a channel which enables him to reach out to your unconscious mind.”
“Please tell me you have something you can give me to keep me awake all the time? Or something to close the channel?” I attempt to smother the rising hysteria in my tone, but it’s challenging.
He looks apologetic. “Afraid not.” His brow creases in a familiar tell, and Coop and I remain quiet while he thinks. “Maybe there is some kind of precautionary plan we can put in place to drag you out of the dream realm before he can get to you again,” he muses.
“The dream realm? That’s what that place was?”
“Yes,” Beck confirms. “It’s a form of old magic that is all but extinct now. Modern methods of communication within the galaxy are centered largely on telepathic communication, so there is little use for the old ways, although, it’s not really a surprise that he’d resort to this. If there’s one positive to the delayed activation of your telepathic ability, it’s this.”
“Because if I was able to telepathically communicate he’d just use the channel to connect to me like that?” I surmise.
“Correct,” Beck says, bobbing his head. “And there’d be no stopping him from contacting you. At least this way, he can only reach you in sleep, and if we can preempt it, we can wake you up. That’s if it was Coop shaking you that dragged you back.”
“I definitely think it was,” I say, reflecting on it. “So, if I can somehow make you aware when it’s happening to me, then you can just wake me up before I reach the dream realm.”
Coop slings his arm around my shoulders, pressing a tender kiss to my temple. “Try not to worry, beautiful. We’ll get to the bottom of this.” He levels a stern look at Beck. “We need to get rid of that curse, dude.”
I place my hand on his chest. “Don’t. Beck is doing all he can.”
He sighs. “I know. Sorry, bruh. I’m just frustrated.” He briefly clamps a hand on Beck’s shoulder. “It’s not supposed to be like this, and all this unexpected crap makes me nervous because we don’t know what’s happening or how to stop it, and that’s freaking me out.”
“You and me both,” Beck says, standing up. “I’m going to head back and see if that dude has made contact yet.”
I rise, curling my hand around his arm. “You don’t need to do that now. It’s late, and we’ve got school tomorrow.”
“It’s fine. I’m not overly tired, and I want to find a cure for you. You’ve enough to be dealing with without all this.”
I kiss his cheek. “Thank you. I appreciate it.” His cheeks flush, and I want to hug the shit out of him, but I’m determined to let him make all the first moves, so I keep my arms at my sides. When he shuffles down the row, I reclaim my seat on Cooper’s lap, snaking my arms around his neck.
I barely sleep a wink all night. As soon as I fall asleep, I wake myself up through sheer terror, consumed in a cold sweat as rampant fear does a number on me. Coop holds me close all night, but even his soothing warmth isn’t enough. I wonder if I’ll ever be able to sleep through the night again.
When Dane hasn’t returned the next morning, the four of us leave for school without him, and I’m grateful it’s Friday and that I only have to survive one day pretending like I give a crap about school. It all seems so pointless now, but I know I need to keep up appearances if I want to stay around here. Right now, leaving town is the absolute last thing I desire. I may not be living with Mom anymore, but she still needs me, and I’m going nowhere.
My nerves are frayed as I step into the cafeteria at lunchtime, flanked by Maddox and Beck. My appetite disappears the instant I spot Jack sitting at my old table, chatting away to Jensen like he hasn’t a care in the world. He glances briefly at me, before resuming his conversation, acting as if he isn’t concerned with me at all. I’d like to trust that, but I can’t.
“You’re sitting with us,” Cooper says, appearing at my side with a tray laden down with food. “I grabbed lunch for you too.”
“You’ve enough food there to feed a small army,” I joke, trying to lighten my crummy mood.
I stop at my usual table to talk to Zara and Kylie while the guys take seats at their regular table in the back. “I’m going to sit with the guys from now on. Will you join us?”
“Sure.” Kylie’s voice bubbles with enthusiasm. “You won’t hear me complaining about being surrounded by so much hotness.”
I laugh. “You’re so predict
able.”
She stands, grinning. “You can’t hog them to yourself all the time.”
Zara drags her lip between her teeth, rising slowly in her seat. She looks unsurely in the direction of our old table, where her boyfriend Ethan watches her with narrowed eyes. I understand her dilemma instantly, and I don’t want to cause issues in her relationship. “It’s okay, Zara. You should sit with Ethan. I know he wouldn’t be happy with you sitting with the Roths.”
“I want to support you, Tori, but things are already pretty tense between Ethan and me, and I don’t want to push him too far.” A faint hue stains her cheeks. “I love him too much to lose him.” Zara doesn’t openly admit her feelings very often, and I know it’s taken a lot to admit that.
I hug her quickly. “As long as we’re still friends, I’m cool with this.” I ease back, holding her at arm’s length. She still looks uncertain. “Honestly, go sit with lover boy.”
“Besides,” Kylie cuts in, casting a momentary glance over her shoulder before whispering, “you can keep an eye on the prodigal son. Tori and I don’t trust Jack at all. You can be our spy.” I’d called her last night before I got into bed, filling her in on everything that had gone down with Jack after we left school yesterday.
Zara’s face brightens. “You know I’ve never been fond of Jack. Consider it mission accepted.” She snatches her tray up. “I’ll catch you both later.” She wiggles her fingers at us before walking to our old table. Kylie and I turn around and walk to the back of the cafeteria.
Cooper holds out a chair for me and then Kylie, only sitting back down when we are both seated.
“What a gentleman,” Kylie croons, resting her chin in her hand as she swoons across the table at Cooper.
Maddox, sitting beside me, almost chokes on his wrap. “Wow. Guess there’s a first time for everything. Not sure any girl has ever called Coop that before. It’s usually the opposite.”
Coop shows Maddox his middle finger, and we all laugh. “Have at it,” Coop says, sliding the tray over to me. I pick out a couple pieces of fruit, a bottle of water, and a packet of oat crackers, sliding the tray back to him. He frowns when he notices. “You need to eat something more substantial.”
“I can’t,” I protest, jerking my head behind me. “I can’t relax with him over there. The whole situation stinks to the high heavens.”
Beck glances at Jack. “I know, but Dane has been in touch, and he’s succeeded in organizing an asset. Everything should be in place by tonight.”
“Jack won’t be able to piss without us knowing about it,” Coop supplies. “The asset will be watching him full-time, and Dane and I will also check in on him periodically, listening and watching for anything out of the ordinary.”
“Besides, he didn’t step foot outside his house last night,” Maddox confirms. “And he didn’t appear to be up to anything suspicious.”
“I infected his laptop with a virus, and now I have eyes on all his online activity, too,” Beck says. “He’s not getting near you anytime soon.”
I gulp over the apple-sized lump of emotion in my throat. The guys look after me so well, and I love that, but it also raises painful memories of my dad to the surface. He was the one who looked out for me before the guys showed up, and I still remember how he threatened to kick their asses if they did anything to hurt me. I look down at my lap, grappling with my emotions. Maddox’s hand lands on my knee, and he gives me a reassuring squeeze. His emotions filter through our connection, and his indisputable concern almost undoes me, but I hold it together.
I can’t afford to break apart. Not now. Not ever.
Too many people are counting on me.
CHAPTER 9
Maddox meets me after school, and we make our way together to Coach’s office to grovel at his feet. We both missed training last night, and I know he’s going to chew us out for it. Sure enough, ten minutes later, we are both sitting in his office, rigidly still, taking the abuse as he rips us a new one. We offer up apologies and assurances it won’t happen again before he kicks us out.
“Man, that dude needs to get laid,” Maddox says, taking my backpack as we walk through the quiet corridors.
“He demands commitment and dedication from everyone on the track team, so I don’t blame him, and he’s not used to it from me. Before all this stuff started, I don’t think I’d ever missed practice or had even been late.”
“How long have you been running track?” he asks, opening the main entrance doors for me.
I step outside into an unseasonal burst of sunshine. While the air still carries a distinct chill, I tilt my head up to the sky, soaking up the golden rays. “Since I was eight. I’ve always loved running.”
“Want to head out for a run around the house when we get back?”
“Do we have time?”
Dane has an action-packed schedule on the agenda for me today, and we all need to have a catch up with him when he returns too.
“Of course. I’ll factor it into our session.”
“Okay. It’s a date.” I shove him in the shoulder, and he shoves me back, and we’re both jostling one another and laughing by the time we reach the car.
I dump my bag on the floor in my bedroom and quickly get changed into my Soffe shorts and long-sleeved top. I brush my hair back, tying it into a neat ponytail. Then I lace my sneakers and make my way outside to meet Maddox. Coop blows me a kiss as I walk through the living room, and I jump up, grinning, as I pretend to catch it in my hand. Beck is nowhere to be found, so I assume he’s out in his lair.
Maddox is slouched against the fence waiting for me. He’s wearing a sleeveless light-mesh running top that showcases his muscular arms in all their magnificent glory. His gray track pants are indecently low on his hips, exposing a strip of tan skin and defined V-indents that I’ve only ever seen on models in magazines before. Saliva pools in my mouth, and I ache down below. Maddox exudes this potent, raw masculinity that far exceeds his seventeen years. Thoughts of being intimate with him both thrill and terrify me. Maddox is all man, and I’ve no doubt being with him would be unlike any other experience I’ve had to date.
I lift my chin, catching him raking his gaze over my bare legs. Electricity crackles in the air, and when he meets my eyes, the hungry look on his face has my core pulsing with need.
“Ready?” His voice is hoarse as he pushes off the fence.
“Yep.” I hop from foot to foot, stretching my legs and arms out as I attempt to banish all lustful thoughts.
We start off at a light pace, not speaking, that same sexual tension lingering in the air. Maddox pushes forward, and I extend my stride, easily keeping up with him. He looks sideways at me, his lips tipping up. “Up for a little challenge?” His tone is teasing.
“Always.” I crack my knuckles. “Bring it on.”
“Catch me if you can,” he shouts, striding ahead of me. He’s not using superspeed but he’s running fast, pushing his limbs to extremes. My competitive juices kick in, and I charge after him, forcing my body to race faster and faster. Blood rushes through my veins, and I welcome the surge of pure adrenaline coursing through my body. The air is crisp, the sun still casting lukewarm rays on the ground below, as we enter into a battle of wills. I’m keeping pace with him, but it’s definitely a challenge.
“Let’s crank this up a notch.” He winks at me before engaging his superspeed ability and disappearing in a spiral of dust. I loosen my arms, don’t overthink it, and will my body to move at the same speed. Then I’m racing after him, the landscape blurring as I zip past. The adrenaline rush is like nothing I’ve ever experienced. I dash after Maddox, following the cloudy trail he left in his wake, but I can’t catch him.
A hand snakes out, closing around my waist, and I shriek at the unexpected contact. Maddox’s deep chuckles send shivers down my spine. “Too slow, princess,” he murmurs, his breath warm against my neck as he pulls me back against his body. His brawny arms envelop me, and he nuzzles my neck from behind. Every nerve endi
ng in my body sits up and takes notice, and my heart is trying to beat a path out of my chest.
“Hmm, you smell so good, Alinthia,” he whispers, running his nose along the column of my exposed neck. My answering gasp is embarrassing as fuck, and he chuckles again. “You feel that?” He thrusts his pelvis against my lower back, and there’s no mistaking the solid erection prodding me.
“Yes,” I say in a raspy voice.
“That’s what you do to me. I only have to look at you and I’m hard.”
Without warning, he spins me around, holding me by my upper arms. “I need that kiss now, sweetheart. I haven’t been able to think of anything else since yesterday.” His eyes are almost black with desire, and it’s just as well he’s holding me up because my legs feel all wobbly and like they might collapse. My chest heaves up and down, almost painfully, and his gaze lowers. My nipples pebble through the thin material, and he growls.
“Fuck.” Removing his hands from my body, he adjusts himself in his pants before taking my hand in his much larger, much warmer one. Silently, he leads me into the edge of the forest—the private one that borders the rear of this vast property—and my anticipation rises with every step we take. He stops at a large oak tree, running his hand up and down the bark at lightning-fast speed until he’s smoothed it out, and then he pulls me forward, pressing me up against it. His large palms rest on either side of my head, caging me in. I gulp, and a painful ache throbs down below. My panties are already damp with need, and if he doesn’t kiss me soon, I might combust.
“Alinthia,” he whispers, caressing one side of my face. “The things you do to me.” He shakes his head, and my tongue darts out, wetting my lips in expectation. He emits a primitive moan that seems to come from deep inside him, and I squirm uncomfortably as my arousal spikes. He leans in, trailing his tongue up the side of my neck, and I gasp. “The things I want to do to you.”
The Secret Heir (Alinthia Series Book 2) Page 6