by Lexi Ostrow
He wasn’t certain he believed in a higher power. Having met one that was a real asshole, it didn’t seem likely the idea of a god, or multiple gods would be enjoyable. However, there must have been one watching over Nala.
“Mommy, I want that one!” a small boy shouted enthusiastically and pointed directly at Nala as they walked back inside.
Marie was with them, likely having to help them out since Sadie had been assisting him. Her face paled slightly, and when her eyes met his, he gave a brief nod. Relaxation washed over her as she approached him and took the leash from his hand.
“Thank you,” she whispered in passing and turned back to the mother and son. “My friend here was just giving Nala a good run. She loves little boys and has just the right amount of energy to keep up with them.” Marie laughed, and it was a warm sound that was so unlike the frigid woman she could often be.
He watched as she made certain the little boy felt confident he could handle the big animal before passing over the leash. Nala didn’t hesitate to slobber her love and affection all over the young child, and he giggled and squealed in appreciation. Sean crossed his arms over his chest, a smile lingering on his lips as he watched Marie interact with the family.
She belonged in this world, doing the good deeds she did. Sean’s heart felt a little heavier knowing someone like her felt the need to hide under an armor of ice, but knowing she had a piece of solace here at her work made him reassured that, one day, she would be ready to move on.
“One day, that isn’t going to include me.” The words were disheartened, but he understood. He’d had years to mourn Stacey and see the gift Marie had opened up for him. She’d had less than a year.
“Oh dear, it looks like your dog has been puppy snatched!” Sadie said with a big laugh as she stepped up beside him. “That was a very nice thing you did.” She offered him a small smile and gestured toward the cages. “Does anyone else catch your eye?”
He wanted to tell her any dog would be a well-deserved companion, but he knew being honest with his capabilities was important for the animal. He had come there to fill a hole, and a dog was the perfect choice, but not the wise one.
“I realized something out there, playing with Nala. A dog needs more time than a single man in the military can promise. I know you’re not supposed to judge a book by its cover, but I hear great things about cats and independence. Any shot you have a disgruntled cat, or under-loved kitten I can bring home?”
Sadie chuckled. “I think I’ll let Marie help. She whispered to me that I should show you a cat instead. I think she knows you better than she was letting on. Best of luck, and thank you for your service!”
After a brief exchange with Sadie, Marie walked up to him hesitantly. Her warmth and the glow she’d had with the family was gone, and her armor of ice seemed to fit snug against her. She regarded him as coolly as if he were nothing more than a stranger.
“Do you mind if I help? I actually think a cat is a perfect choice for your lifestyle.” Her words were clipped, matching the distance he saw in her eyes.
It bothered him, and he felt his muscles clench as he forced himself to not employ the same emotionless demeanor she was using. “I think I’d trust your expert opinion.” He let it hang in the air for her to decide if he meant him or the pet.
She scoffed, but he didn’t miss the smirk of amusement dancing in her eyes. Rather than comment on it, he held his tongue and simply followed her back into the reception area and through another door to an area that could only be described as a cat condo in paradise.
There were ten climbing posts that he could count, all with multi-levels and many with toys strewn about. Toy mice littered the floor, and he’d bet his left nut they were loaded to the gill with catnip to keep the cats entertained. There were fewer cats than dogs at the shelter by far, but he could still easily see eight lounging about, all kittens.
“Can you promise me something?” Marie asked out of the blue as she unlocked the glass door leading into the kitten’s area.
“I can try.” Skepticism marked his words.
“You’re here for the proper reasons, right? Not to see if you could get me to talk to you?”
His bark of laughter must have seemed harsh because she flinched backward.
“I promise you, Marie. I picked the shelter because of you, but I would have gone to a local Petsmart and checked out their adoptions this weekend otherwise.” He softened his tone. “It’s because of you that I’m here, that’s true.”
“Sean—”
“Jesus, let me finish. When I was approached, I wanted nothing to do with you. Nothing personal, I just wanted to focus on my career and get through each day by being useful. Then I find myself ridiculously fucking attracted to a strong, confident woman who wants less to do with me than I ever thought possible. I wanted you, fuck I want you, Marie. In my bed sure, but in my life too. You walking out was the best damn thing that could’ve happened to me. It made me realize I wasn’t living. I wasn’t sticking to myself because I wanted to honor my Word Speaker’s memory. I was doing it so I wouldn’t have to pretend to be something I’m not — human.”
“You are human.”
The words were so quietly said, he almost missed them, but the look in her eyes spoke volumes of her personal struggle to be where she was not normal.
“I’m not free in this world. That makes me just as much an alien as your gifts make you a demon.”
She closed her eyes and turned away from him. He hadn’t expected to ever get to have this particular conversation with her, but now he was, he wasn’t letting her off the hook. They started it, fuck she started it really, he was going to finish it.
His hand reached out to her shoulder and gently tugged her backward, forcing her to face him. “Damn it, Marie. You asked this question. The least you can do is let me finish.”
She said nothing, but her eyes opened and stared into his.
“I admire you, Marie. We don’t know each other well, but what I learned impressed me. You’re a warrior, and you're one of the most determined people outside the US Air Force I’ve ever met. If looks could kill, you’d have surely destroyed me at least ten times over. Yet, you’re kind and gentle with the animals. You cared about me, you even fucking went to a bar I could tell was driving you batshit. You saved me from myself when my brain got stuck in my ass. But then you walked away from me. After giving me so many reasons to grow to care about you, and the knowledge I could truly be myself with you, you kicked my ass to the door like I was nothing, and it woke me up. I wasn’t going to chase after you. I got the hint after the few ignored calls. You showed me I didn’t want to be closed off any longer, and I thought the perfect way to start would be with a pet. Unconditional love when you’re a little fucked up doesn’t seem like a bad thing to me.”
By the time he finished speaking, his chest was heaving with heavy breaths. He’d gotten worked up without even meaning too. His hand had tightened around Marie’s shoulder, and it took a conscious effort for him loosen his grip.
She was standing before him, utterly unfazed, as far as he could tell, by what he had said. Moments passed, and all that came from her direction was the subtle sound of breathing and the small crackle of ice. Flurries floated around her fingertips—as beautiful a sight to see as she was.
“Marie, fucking say something.”
He watched as she swallowed hard and took two deep breaths. “I’m glad you’re here for the right reasons.”
“Are you fucking kidding me?” he snarled. As he turned to storm out a small gray ball of fur landed on his chest. “What in the fuck?” Fury vanished from his words replaced by amusement as he plucked the small gray cat off his chest. The creature either had huge balls or a terrible judge of character to pounce a Special Forces' agent at the height of anger.
Looking down at the kitten, he realized it was scarcely bigger than his hand. With a tiny mewl, it blinked up at him, revealing blue eyes nearly as white as Marie’s. “What is…
” He lifted the cat up to look underneath. “Her name?”
“She doesn’t have one. She was brought in this morning and cleared the medical inspection a few hours ago. The vet has her at about seven weeks. She’s a British Short Hair, and that’s really all I can tell you about her.” Emotion poured from Marie as she reached out to take the kitten from him and snuggled it under her chin.
He felt the breath leave his body as he watched her. Marie was a challenge, but she was hands-down worth the fight. Watching her, seeing the emotion she could wield when she wanted too, only made him want to be the one to help her the way she helped him.
“Marie,” he started.
“I’m sorry, Sean. I didn’t mean to cause a fight. Now or the other night. You’re an amazing person, whether it’s your author’s doing or your own. You certainly deserve a little companionship while you look for the next adventure you’re bound to have before this war we’re meant to fight in begins. If it begins for you.”
“Are you immortal?” The question slipped out, completely off topic, before he could help himself.
“I am not immortal, no. Though it would take a great deal to kill me and I cannot die of natural causes. So I anticipate being around for the battle. Whenever it is to come.”
“So you always knew you’d lose your Word Speaker then. Did you just plan on ending your life too?”
“I don’t know what I’d intended. I guess I assumed we would both die in the war if it came, and worry about the rest of my life after he’d lived a full one.”
That was when he realized it. Marie had walked away from him because she was scared. She might have left her heart encased in a block of ice, but the rest of her emotions were free and working. Whatever she felt, he knew it was just as strong as what he was experiencing for her. Not love, it couldn’t be love with what little time they’d had with one another. The connection was strong, and it was partially from being Guardians, but it was more because of who they were as people. She’d left because she didn’t want him to leave her, the way Zach had. Her icy facade was shattering, or maybe it had entirely. He would never know if he didn’t try.
“Meet me tomorrow. I can see past your ice, Marie. You’re one of the most passionate, caring people I’ve met since being released. I’d bet my career that you walked away because you’re feeling exactly what I’m feeling. Right down to the hurt at thinking you’d never see me again.”
“Sean, I don’t think—”
“I didn’t ask what you think. And thank you for not denying what I said or acting like it’s just lust a second time. I don’t think my manhood could’ve taken another blow from you.” He watched her expression soften, and he carefully took the kitten back from her when she offered. “I’m going to need someone to show me the ropes of caring for such a fragile little life.”
The tension between them dropped ever so slightly with his joke, but more importantly, a small smile appeared on Marie’s lips.
“I’m going to regret every second of this.” She snorted and shook her head. “But something tells me I might regret it more if I don’t. That little cat needs a protector from you, should you screw up.”
“I’ll take it. Now, if you’ll pass me the paperwork for darling little Luna, I’ll get out of your hair.”
“Luna.” Marie grinned. “I think it suits her perfectly.”
14
“It’s even worse now, Duke,” she said after spitting a mouthful of toothpaste into the sink, not even remotely caring that she was once more talking to her dog. “I thought nothing could break me. In fact, I don’t even understand how he knew before I did,” she said indignantly as she turned on the water to flush the mess down the sink before turning to look at Duke who was happily wagging his tail while lying on her bed. “I’m talking to my dog.” Her lips twitched into a smile.
Flicking the light switch off, she refrained from looking at herself in the full-length mirrored door of her closet. Something she’d never been back in her book had been vain. Looks hadn’t been important. Yet, when she’d arrived in Zach’s world, it was all too apparent how beautiful she was, and how important that was to people. Men chased after her in an unwanted fashion, women made jealous comments, and some flirted with her too. She’d never cared though because she knew what Zach saw in her went beyond her exterior. He’d loved the demon within, and that had been all that mattered.
“So why do you seem to want Sean to think you’re as beautiful outside as he appears to see you are on the inside?”
Duke let out a small growl, one that sounded distinctly like he was chastising her. Laughing, she turned to see him on his back, begging for a belly rub. Smiling despite herself, she dropped down beside him on the bed and vigorously rubbed his warm stomach.
“You couldn’t care less about any of this? Could you, Duke? I’m the only one worried about falling in love with a handsome special ops agent, aren’t I?” she asked with a grin as she found the right spot on his chest and his leg began to twitch. “Just so long as you get your cuddles in!”
“I do so love to come in on charming moments such as this.” A voice reached out from her bedroom door.
Her hands flew off her dog, ice shards shooting from her fingertips before she’d even fully turned around. She hadn’t needed to in order to know who was there. The dark brother. He’d fooled her previously, but there was no mistaking the malicious undertone to his words. Her ice attack didn’t make it, despite its quick launch.
With a bored wave of his hand, the man sent the shard crashing into the carpet where some shattered and others helplessly dropped where they would melt into nothing. His lips curled into an ugly grin, one that no doubt matched the darkness of his soul.
“You,” she hissed as she started to raise the temperature in the room. Duke’s almost instant whimper made her pause as she realized her pup couldn’t handle the freeze.
“Amusing, really,” the brother said as he propped himself up against her doorframe, his golden eyes lit with mirth. “The one thing that could’ve slowed me down enough to actually inflict a little harm is unusable unless you want to kill your pet.”
His chuckle sent a chill through her.
“To think, less than a week ago, you couldn’t feel much of anything. Now you’re losing your opportunity to get in at least one good attack because you’ll lose your only companion.”
Anger burst to life over every inch of her being. She could feel her blood running cold as the ice weaved and raced through her veins, begging to break free, to destroy the man before her. Only the partial visual she had of Duke in her peripheral vision halted her attack.
“I’ve already told you no. If you’re here to kill me, get on with it.” The words were the last she was able to speak. Just as she’d felt the ice take hold of her body mere seconds before, she felt paralysis grip her body. Only her eyes could move, and they darted to the man in leather.
His golden eyes were darker, nearly amber, and his grin caused bile to rise in the back of her throat.
“Are you sure you don’t want to rethink my offer? A lifetime living as you’d wish, a new Word Speaker—”
The words she didn’t want a new one burned in her mouth, but she couldn’t force her mouth to move. Sweat lined her brow, a sensation she was decidedly unused too, but the words would not come, and the brother had kept right on speaking.
Without warning, the man jerked forward, his body nearly crashing into hers. Whatever hold he’d had over her vanished. She turned toward Duke, determined to grab him and shove him out of the room so she could at least go down with a fight, but she saw the other brother standing in the doorway, silver eyes glowing with fury.
“You have become a pain in my ass, brother.” His voice was quiet but held a lethal tone.
“My, my, that was unexpected.”
“You made a mistake.” A crack sounded in the air, and his brother screamed. “When you killed my Word Speaker to change your name, you removed the spell Huracan placed on us.�
�� He sneered and created a ball of something plasma-like in his hand. “I can track you, and I can hurt you again.”
Marie’s head spun as she looked back and forth from brother to brother. If not for their jackets, she wouldn’t have known whom she fought against. Even their eyes were beginning to shift and mutate to a similar color just before her leader threw himself across the room, slamming into his brother and knocking them both into the wall.
Duke leaped off the bed, racing up to her and whimpering as he sat in front of her, protecting her.
“Duke, get out!” The words were harsher than she’d meant them to be, but the dog obeyed, slinking out of the room.
Whirling, she whipped up an icy breeze, slamming the door shut and making certain Duke would be safe from most of the cold. White flakes began to swirl in the air, landing on the floor and doing their job to lower the temperature of the room so she could take full advantage of her demon nature. Turning back to the scene before her, she watched as the brothers slammed together in a soundless battle. For a moment, she was stunned, watching in awe at the pure grace of the fighters. A splatter of blood landed on her tan comforter and snapped her back to reality.
“Do it! Now, Marie!” the brother she served shouted.
She wasn’t certain how he knew what she had been planning, but she wasn’t about to question it. Flakes of snow danced over her fingers before hardening into ice. With a thrust of her hands outward she shot the shards at the brothers, not caring who she hit anymore.
“I’m done being your pawn! Either of you!” she shrieked over the scream of the snowstorm she’d unleashed inside her bedroom.
One after another, she sent waves of ice, relishing in the small noises it drew from both brothers as they were assaulted. Her eyes were closed, guarding her vision against the fury of snow swirling in the tiny room and stopping her from truly seeing what was going on. Over and over, she blindly attacked, using nothing more than her gut to know if she’d succeeded and he was slowly worrying the pair would team up and take her down before she was able to tell Sean the truth.