He whispers something into Laithe’s ear. Laithe begins struggling against Kole, but it is useless. By the time my breath finally evens, Laithe stops and the Headmaster falls to the ground beside me. The sprinklers were off when I awoke and my tail transforms into a pair of human legs. I realize I must have been out far longer than a few seconds if the water managed to drain so quickly. As a mermaid, my body absorbs any water near me and I dry far quicker than average, so it would have only taken a few minutes to switch back into my human form.
Kole drops Laithe to the ground and runs to my side. Domino follows closely behind. He falls to his knees and pulls me into his lap, holding me as close to him as humanly possible. No words are spoken as Domino grabs my hand and we accept one another’s comfort. It takes me a moment to realize that Kole’s shirt has slashes and holes all throughout, so there is one less barrier between us.
“I almost lost you,” he whispers into my hair, kissing the top of my head affectionately. I curl into him and allow the warmth of his body to seep into me. As a mermaid I am cold blooded. Vampires are more cold blooded than most, but their body temperature is still rather warm in comparison to ours. And after they feed on human blood, which they do only a few times a year, their body temperatures rise exponentially.
I almost forgot about the other presence in the room and I turn to Domino. “Honey, are you all right?” I ask, looking into her nearly black eyes. Her dark brown hair falls over her face and she nods. She will undoubtedly be scarred by this situation, but at least we are all alive.
“I heard him say that he doesn’t like mirrors, so I went and found one,” she says. I guess it distracted him long enough to save you,” she smiles.
“I see you three have stopped the assassin,” the Headmaster says proudly.
We nod and I pull myself to my feet, Kole’s arm never leaving my waist. “Did you know it was you? Why did he do this?” Domino asks.
“I did not know it was me, Miss. Elvy. Will you all follow me back to my office?” The Headmaster asks kindly. I take a peek at Laithe, who is still unconscious on the floor.
We each step over his body and the Headmaster whispers an incantation to Laithe’s body and it disappears. I don’t bother asking where the monster had gone. The wooden paneled hallways look completely different after everything that had just happened. I push myself further into Kole, knowing that my fears will subside if he is close enough.
We enter the Headmaster’s office and I take a seat. Kole remains standing and peels his shredded shirt from his body, still facing me. Domino stands directly behind him.
“So did he not mention his motive?” The Headmaster asks. We all shake our heads. “Well, if you haven’t heard by now, I am leaving Edmund’s Academy for a few years to assist in building another academy just like this. This year, I was planning on choosing an Elite to temporarily take over as the Headmaster or Headmistress. I don’t know how Laithe heard about the opportunity, but the power drove him to madness,” he says. I notice that the Headmaster called Laithe by his actual name. He stripped it of any form of respectful title. “But because of your accomplishments, each of you will run your own sectors of the academy while I am gone. If you accept, you will all three be in charge and can remain with us for as long as you would like.”
“Of course,” I answer immediately.
Kole merely nods and Domino jumps up and down excitedly. It is a great honor to receive this position, especially as a twelve-year-old.
“Spectacular,” the Headmaster says. He turns away and walks toward his desk.
Domino tilts her head and looks at Kole curiously. “How did it get shredded?” She asks, referring to the shirt he stripped. She still looks excited, but the distraction calms her. Kole turns in her direction.
“Laithe thought a knife would do damage to my skin,” he begins. I miss the rest of his statement as I look at his marking. The intricate drawings are clear and beautiful with two faceless souls connected in the center. Because I see only the part of his destiny most relevant to myself, I furrow my brows in confusion. What does this have to do with me? I widen my eyes in realization.
“I’m your soulmate,” I mutter, not trusting my voice. Kole turns to me and smiles. His white teeth and dimpled smile are gorgeous and I stand, staring at him.
“I’ll leave you two alone,” the Headmaster says, understanding the importance of finding a soulmate. He sets a sealed envelope on the sofa beside me as Domino follows him out of the room, giving us a suggestive look. I look at the letter in anguish.
“Open it,” Kole says. I look at him and don’t give my actions a second thought. I rush into him and crush our lips together. I don’t know what I was expecting, but he is so much more. He wraps an arm around my waist and pulls my body into him so we are linked together in virtually every sense.
His chest is warm and firm beneath my fingertips. One of my arms circle around the back of his neck as my fingers wrap themselves around dark strands of charcoal hair and pull at the tips. One of my arms remains pinned between us, laying gently on his chest. I groan onto his lips as he lifts me with one arm and presses me into the couch.
His lips break from mine and they deliberately work their way down my throat and onto the most tender sections. His touch sends sparks through me and I enjoy being with him. He pulls back as though it pains him to do so and grabs the letter from the table. “Snow, open it,” he demands. I don’t know what motivates me into listening to his demand with open ears, but I grab the letter and tear it open.
Kole sits in front of me on his knees and I lean forward on the couch, staring at the open envelope for a moment. This is from the people that abandoned me as a child and I don’t know how to feel about this letter. I pull it from the envelope slowly and examine the brown tinted paper. While I still have the nerve to do so, I open the letter and begin reading
My dearest Snow,
Do you know why you are named Snow? Your mother and I had experienced the last snowfall years before you were born. Like many animals and plants in this world, snow became extinct. I’m sure you’ve learned about it, but never seen it.
When your mother became pregnant, we hadn’t the slightest idea what to do with you. She was a mermaid, so she could live in the sea if she pleased, but as an infant, you couldn’t. I am human, but raising a mermaid child would mean death for the both of us, so that was out of the question. We loved you more than you will ever understand, but we had to do what was best for you, and that was Edmund’s Academy for the Gifted. There are schools for the gifted everywhere, but yours is the most prestigious.
Snow, I love you and your mother loved you. Don’t think for a moment that we don’t. Unfortunately, when your mom gave birth, she could not receive medical attention because of her origin. Nobody accepted her kind, so we had to deliver you at home. Your mother did not make it, but she loved you more than you can imagine.
Your mother and I had decided before you were born to send you to the Academy. When people see me walking in with a child, I will no longer be considered human, so as you read this, know that I did all I could to keep you safe. We never left you, Snow. We will always be with you.
I love you my dearest Snow—more than anything.
Love, Daddy
Tears run down my cheeks by the end of the letter and I set it on my lap. “You weren’t abandoned,” Kole comforts. A small smile finds my lips. My parents aren’t here, but they loved me. I want to be saddened that they are likely both dead, but I never knew them. I never even knew of them. I’m happy that I was loved, despite going my whole life believing the opposite.
I lean into Kole. “I had parents who loved me,” I mutter. The realization that I was never unloved is surreal.
“And you have me,” he says, kissing my temple sweetly. I skim the letter once more and look into his hazel eyes. We caught the murderer, made new friends, and found each other. And on top of everything, I now know I wasn’t abandoned. After all these years, my life finally fee
ls right. I stare into his soft hazel eyes and push a strand of charcoal hair from his face. I couldn’t be happier; because for once, everything is exactly as it should be.
“And I have you,” I agreed wholeheartedly.
***
THE END
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Excerpt Cowboy’s Fake Fiancee
Mason
“This is a fine spread you have here Mason.” Walt Hitchman pushed his sturdy frame and round belly up from one of the brown club chairs in the corner of my home office with a groan. “Your paperwork is in order but I’d like a tour.”
I nodded because I would give this man anything he wanted that I had to give. My first born named after him, hell half the family billions would be his if he wanted it. As the Chairman of the Texas Pure Breed Association his word carried plenty of weight and I needed his opinion of me to be nothing but positive.
“Sure. Let’s grab a coffee first.”
Walt clutched his belly with a laugh. “Boy you must’ve read my mind.”
With a smile, I led him out of the office inside the main house on the M&M Ranch, a huge spread of land that’s been in the Manning family for five generations. We turned down the hall where photos of my family hung on both sides of the wall, then turned left into the open kitchen with a large butcher block table that sat ten. Twelve when we needed to accommodate more during busy summer months and holidays. “Maybelle what smells so delicious?” The woman had to be close to sixty because she’d been cooking for the M&M since I was a kid.
“I’m working on supper, but I got some coffee and cookies for you boys.” She smiled and set a plate of my favorite, peanut butter chocolate chip cookies, on the table beside two thermoses of hot black coffee.
“You truly are an angel,” I told her, loving the way she still blushed at words of praise. “Walt, you won’t find better cookies in all of Texas.”
“Oh hush,” Maybelle said and turned back to what smelled like her lamb stew.
Walt groaned after the first bite and quickly finished the cookie. “I gotta agree with you Mason. Mind if I take one for the road?”
“Take two,” I told him, grabbing a few myself along with the coffee. We both thanked Maybelle and let the hot Texas sun hit our faces. “You want to see the land by horse or by Gator?”
“My knees ain’t what they used to be so let’s go with the Gator if you don’t mind.”
“Not at all.” We started off on the east side of the property where several barns were located. “These buildings are for housing the horses, separated as needed. As you can see, we’ve different paddocks for grazing and the training rings.” The ranch had plenty of open space that had been used for generations for cattle we used to raise and sell. These days my little brother Tanner handled about two hundred head of cattle far on the back end of the ranch property.
Walt walked up and down the stalls, admiring the horseflesh with a small smile on his sun kissed face. “Impressive, son.”
“Thank you Walt. Want to see the therapy building?” It wasn’t officially a therapy building but for now that’s what we used it for.
His face twisted into a frown of confusion but he nodded and ambled back to the utility vehicle. “You offer equine therapy?”
I didn’t, and I hadn’t planned to, but my buddy’s little sister needed a couple hundred hours of animal time to officially complete her degree so now, I did.
“Not yet but I’m thinking about it,”
“This building could use some TLC son.”
“I know,” I smiled through clenched teeth. I explained the situation to him as we made our way into the barn on the other side of the property.
Walt continued to talk about I don’t know what because I was completely distracted by another sight. Sage Winchester, little sister of my bestest friend in the world, was bent over Cookie rubbing the horse’s hind legs and giving me a front row seat to her heart shaped ass and mile long legs in her painted-on jeans. Damn the woman wore denim like nobody’s business.
“This must be your intended,” Walt said and motioned to the stall at the far end of the barn. At my look of confusion, he went on. “I heard there was a beautiful young single woman in your employ, and I figured she must be your betrothed since this is a small town and all. Unless I’ve got it wrong?”
I heard what he hadn’t said. Walt was a traditional and conservative guy and he wouldn’t approve of anything—or anyone—bringing scandal to the TPBA. He wanted us engaged, or Sage gone. Neither of which was an option. “You’re not wrong Walt but we’ve kind of kept it under wraps.” I felt a twitch grow in my eye at the blatant lie but it was too late to turn back.
“For the love of god, why?”
“She’s my best friend’s little sister, and he’s an Army Ranger off saving the world so we haven’t told him yet.”
The old man’s entire expression softened. “I always wanted to be a Ranger, but it wasn’t meant to be. I understand. Now introduce me to your lady.”
Without another word, I approached Sage and Cookie and placed a hand on her shoulder. She turned and smiled at me and hot damn I almost swallowed my tongue at the sight she made. When had Sage Winchester turned into a babe?
“Hey darlin’, how’s it going?” I pulled her in for a hug and whispered, “Follow my lead, please,” and turned so we both faced Walt.
Big blue eyes asked several questions but she’d kept her smile on. “Great. Cookie is feeling much better, aren’t you girl,” she gave the horse a gentle rub. “What brings you…both by?”
I kept my arm around her, ignoring the hum of awareness her proximity created. “I want to introduce you to Walt Hitchman, Chairman of the-,”
“Texas Pure Breed Association,” she finished and stuck out her hand. “It’s great to meet you, I’m Sage Winchester. Rumor has it you have one of the most gorgeous pure Arabians in all of Texas.”
Walt’s face turned a peculiar shade of red at her praise, but he accepted her hand with a gentle shake. “My pleasure Ms. Winchester and I have to say that my Inkspot is a beauty.”
“Call me Sage, please. How do you like the M&M?”
“It’s an impressive operation.”
“Mason’s been working this land since he was knee high to a grasshopper. He’s been playing cowboy for nearly as long. Haven’t you babe?” The look in her eyes and her emphasis on the last word told me she was wondering what I was up to.
Damn now I was blushing like a teenager in front of his first crush. “What she isn’t telling you is that she used to be right beside me and Jack, going faster than the both of us.”
“A beautiful woman who knows horses, how’d Mason get so lucky?”
She looked up at me, eyes shining with something I couldn’t identify and grinned. “He finally saw me as something more than his best friend’s kid sister.”
Her words were loaded but I knew she was just following my lead as I’d asked. She’d had a crush on me as a kid, but that was years ago. Wasn’t it?
“Better late than never,” I told her and felt a rush of male pride at the reddening of her cheeks and the slight shiver that went through her.
“You were a smart man to scoop her up before some other fellow did. When’s the wedding?”
Sage opened her mouth and closed it. Twice. I stepped in and tucked her under my arm. “We haven’t set one yet. Says she won’t make it official until I get her a ring.”
Walt chuckled and pulled out a handkerchief to dab the sweat beading on his forehead. Even late spring in Lucky Flats, Texas could be blistering. “Well maybe Houston will have the perfect ring for her. You can go shopping together in three weeks when you come up for the get-to-know-you dinner we like to do with prospective members. June first.”
“We’ll be there,” Sage promi
sed and stepped forward, shaking Walt’s hand again while also putting space between us.
“Good to meet you m’dear,” he grinned at the both of us, waiting for…something. “Well go on boy, kiss her. My wife never lets me leave without a kiss. Reminds me what’s waiting for me when I get back.”
I don’t know what happened, but between Walt’s expectant gaze and Sage’s big blue eyes, that dark chocolate braid curved at her collarbone and the scent of strawberries wafting from her, I was powerless to stop the overwhelming need to taste her lips. It was as if his words had given me permission to do what I’d been fighting since she started working for me last month.
“You heard the man darlin’,” I told her and cupped her head, tilting it ever so slightly as my mouth crashed down onto hers. It was meant to be hot and short but Sage, the little minx, snuck her tongue out and the moment it touched mine a fire shot through my veins and I deepened the kiss, devouring her sweet mouth. A buzz of something flowed between us and I knew I was in trouble but I was too damn turned on, enchanted, to stop. Somewhere, somehow I found the willpower to pull back and found Sage looking as shocked and discombobulated as I felt.
Walt gave a final wave and I joined him as we left the barn, tossing a grateful smile at Sage as I did. I walked Walt to his car and handed him a bottle of water for the road. “This summer is going to be a hot one,” he complained and slammed the door shut.
It was already a hot one and that kiss only made it hotter. Now I needed to talk to Sage about this mess. Well not now while my body still hummed from that kiss, from the feel of her soft body pressed into mine.
But soon.
Sage
“You want me to do what?” I blinked a few times and tucked a few strands of thick wavy hair behind my ear, certain I’d misheard or misunderstood Mason.
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