He wondered at the compassion in her eyes. “It was a long time ago.” He swallowed. “He died with honor, and I do...what I do to honor him.”
Sabrina nodded. “I think that’s wonderful.” She blinked several times and smiled up at him. “You’re so brave.”
Chase shrugged slightly. “I hope I prove myself to be.”
When the music ended, he stopped moving. “Do you want to go out onto the deck?”
Her eyes widened slightly, then she gave a slight nod.
Chapter Eight
The cool, salty breeze made Sabrina’s skirt dance around her knees. She wasn’t cold, though. Chase was so tall, he blocked the chill from her upper body.
They’d been out here long enough for the sun to go down, sometimes talking, sometimes just being silent with each other. It was a nice silence. A comfortable silence. The seagulls, which had been dancing around in the dying sunlight, had finally disappeared to the pier to settle in for the night.
“Chase!”
Both Chase and Sabrina turned at the sound of a woman’s voice. Grace hurried over, carrying Sabrina’s pashmina. “I thought you might be chilly, dear,” she said, handing her the soft white length of woven cloth.
Sabrina shivered slightly as Chase moved and a breeze caught her shoulder.
Grace frowned at him. “You should know better, son.”
“Thanks, Mom.”
He took the cloth from Sabrina’s grasp and wrapped it around her shoulders, his hands lingering longer than she would have expected. She liked it.
“Everything okay?” Grace asked, searching her son’s face.
Chase nodded. “Very much so.”
Grace smiled and squeezed Sabrina’s hand. “I understand completely about not wanting to leave home, Sabrina. I really do. If you change your mind, however, let me know. Please.” She glanced up at Chase. “Keep her warm. I’m sure her parents wouldn’t appreciate her returning home sick.”
“I will, Mom.”
Grace gave one last smile, then returned to the interior of the yacht.
Chase’s hands were still on Sabrina’s shoulders, warming her to the core.
*****
Chase swallowed hard as he realized he hadn’t moved his hands from Sabrina’s shoulders.
Take them away, you dumbass. She’s sixteen!
But he couldn’t. He wanted to spin her around, wrap his arms around her, and kiss her like there was no tomorrow.
Sixteen. Sixteen. Sweet sixteen!
It wasn’t right and it wasn’t fair. He was twenty-one. Off to training, then off to war. It wasn’t fair to kiss her and then leave.
Sabrina shivered beneath his hands. He stepped forward, then cursed at himself. When she leaned back against him, he felt an overwhelming sense of protectiveness surge through his body. He slid his hand around her waist and held her tightly, fearing that she would disappear if he let go.
She smelled of roses and rain. He closed his eyes and memorized her scent. Something inside his head told him he would need the memory in the months and years ahead. A memory to ground him when everything was going to hell around him, which it certainly would.
This was the first girl he’d even considered dating long term. Sure, he’d dated in high school. A lot. But nothing serious. Not when his future plans involved becoming a Green Beret. He didn’t want to put anyone through what his mom had gone through when his dad died.
Once he was at West Point, it didn’t matter. He was focused on schooling and training. The women there all felt the same way he did. Career and training, not love and marriage. Physical needs were met without risking emotional ties. He could also brush off Richard’s hints about getting married because he wasn’t allowed to have a wife while attending the academy.
But tonight changed all that. He wanted to come back to her. To this sweet girl he hardly knew who had somehow grabbed hold of his heart. He wanted to know someone waited for him to come home. And not just any girl. Her. Sabrina.
Realization struck his heart like a lightning bolt. This is the woman I want to spend the rest of my life with. But she wasn’t even a woman yet. She’s just a girl! A girl of sixteen! What the hell was he thinking?
It wasn’t fair to ask her to wait. Hell, had she ever even been on a date before? Had she ever been kissed? The thought of another man kissing this precious girl in his arms...
He growled.
*****
Sabrina was lost in the sensations of standing so close to Chase. His masculine presence overwhelmed her and made her head spin. His scent made her think of camping in the woods with her parents last summer. She closed her eyes, riding the roller coaster of new and delightful emotions dancing through her body.
Suddenly, Chase stiffened behind her and let out a low growl. She jumped away and looked up at him. “What’s wrong?”
He pressed his lips together and shook his head. “This isn’t...” He sighed. “This isn’t right.”
Sabrina frowned. “What?”
Chase waved his hand between them and frowned. “Us. This.” His jaw clenched. “It’s not fair to you.”
Sabrina blinked, completely lost as to what he was talking about. He sighed and took her hand, leading her down the length of the deck to a bench. He sat and pulled her gently down next to him. His brows were furrowed and his eyes were hard.
He took a deep breath, holding her hand in his firm grasp. “I like you, Sabrina. I know we just met, but I like you. I want to get to know you and...” He looked down at their joined hands. “But I’m leaving tomorrow, and you’re only sixteen. It’s not fair to ask you to wait for me.” He looked up, his eyes full of hope and fear. “I’m sorry.”
Sabrina stared, trying to process his words. “You like me?” How could a grown man like her? She was only a girl. Or maybe, out of wishful thinking, she was reading more into his words. She knew she was completely taken by him. Her heart had blossomed open over the last few hours in his presence, receptive to any hint of affection from this brave, strong soldier.
“Yes,” he said in a soft, but firm voice. He caressed her cheek. “I like you. A lot. And the thought of leaving you tomorrow is killing me.”
They gazed into one another’s eyes, gray and green, both full of understanding and affection. Time seemed to stand still as their spirits bonded in a way neither understood nor expected. She placed her hand on his and his eyes widened slightly. She saw hesitation before he slowly leaned forward and gently pressed his lips against hers.
Sabrina felt her heart soar with what she could only describe as love. Golden fireworks exploded behind her eyes as his gentle touch awakened a deep and fiery emotion she’d only dreamed about.
*****
Chase pulled away a moment later, breathless and overwhelmed. How could such a simple touch, a simple kiss, conjure up such emotion? It hadn’t even been a passionate kiss. Just a simple touch of her petal soft lips to his own.
Her eyes opened wide and he lost himself in the depths of pale jade green. He was afraid to hope that the emotion he saw in her eyes mirrored his own.
“I like you, too,” she said in a soft voice.
He leaned his forehead against hers and sighed. “I wish I wasn’t leaving tomorrow.”
“Me, too. But I’m going home tomorrow.”
He gave a wry smile. “By the time I finish my training, you’ll probably have graduated high school.”
“It takes that long?”
Chase nodded.
“Wow.” She giggled.
Chase chuckled. “Then you’ll be here? In Boston?”
Sabrina nodded. “That’s my plan. I really like it here.”
“But you could dance anywhere. My mom says you’re very talented.”
She smiled, her eyes sparkling. “Maybe it’s not just dance that makes me want to come here.”
Chase’s heart leapt at her words. He took both her small hands in his. “Sabrina, I...” He swallowed. It’s not fair to ask. But if he didn’t, he’d regret it the rest of his life. “Will you...wait for me? I’ll visit you during leave. We can email and maybe do video calls.” Fear of what his mother went through bubbled up, but he couldn’t stop. “Then when you’re old enough, we can...” He swallowed and looked into her eyes. “Sabrina, I feel as if I’m being selfish.”
She tilted her head. “Why on earth do you feel that?” Her eyes were soft.
“Because I want to spend the rest of my life with you.”
Her eyes widened. “Really?” She bit her lip. “Why is that selfish?”
“Have you ever even had a boyfriend before?”
She shook her head and looked away. “No one’s ever shown any interest.”
“Don’t you want to date someone?”
*****
Sabrina thought about Chase’s question. Why would she want to date some boy from school when she had a handsome soldier in front of her? The thought just seemed silly. Chase was kind, gentle, and brave, not to mention extremely handsome. If that first kiss was any kind of indicator, he was everything she could imagine wanting in a life-long companion.
His gray eyes were so full of hope and kindness. There was something else, something deeper. Something that made her feel incredibly safe. He would never hurt or allow someone to hurt her.
“After meeting you, Chase, I can’t imagine a boy from school capturing my interest,” she said, meaning it with all her heart. “I would be honored to wait for you.”
His whole face lit up and he wrapped his arms around her. She wished he’d kiss her again, but had a feeling he wouldn’t. At least not like he would if this were a romantic movie.
*****
“There’s someone here.”
A laugh came through the speaker of the cell phone. “I would expect there are a lot of people there.”
Richard rolled his eyes. “Yes, Tom. That would be expected at a party,” he responded dryly. “No, I mean someone. A girl. She’s...” He sighed. “I can sense something about her.”
“Like what?”
He sighed again. “I don’t know exactly.” He watched as Chase stroked the girl’s cheek, then leaned down and kissed her lips softly. A simple kiss, except for the emotion in the young man’s eyes. Passion. He really cared for this girl. Good, he thought to himself. Finally. Maybe Chase will settle down and—
Suddenly, a bright flash of golden light nearly blinded him and he squeezed his eyes shut. “Holy shit!”
“What happened?” his friend and mentor exclaimed.
Richard looked around, wondering why no one else was trying to find the source of the blinding light, but no one seemed to notice. He squinted as the light faded, fully feeling what he’d been sensing all day.
“The girl... She’s...” He shook his head. “I think she has strong Immortal blood running through her veins.”
“An Immortal? Wait. A half-Immortal girl?”
“Yeah, but... Damn. It’s stronger than Anna.”
“Does Chase realize it?”
“I don’t think so, but he’s smitten.”
His friend laughed. “If the Immortals hadn’t changed how we interact with them, I’d worry he was under her spell, but that can’t happen anymore.”
“What is it then?”
“Did you see any Immortals come around and ask Chase to take care of her?” his friend asked with a chuckle.
Richard rolled his eyes. “No.” He sighed. “I don’t know the first thing about dealing with a half-Immortal, Tom. What do I do?”
“Watch. Be supportive. See if you can find out who her father is. She’s young. He may not have told her yet. But if she and Chase have connected, she may be drawn to our world. Whether she knows or not, whether she chooses Chase or not, her status demands we respect her wishes.”
Chapter Nine
Sabrina chatted happily with her parents the entire way home from the airport. She told them about all the glorious dancers and the beautiful city of Boston.
“Sounds like you had a wonderful time,” her mother, Elena, said, reaching back to squeeze her daughter’s hand.
“I did!” Sabrina exclaimed, her stomach fluttering when she remembered Chase’s kiss.
“Why are you blushing?” Elena asked.
Sabrina’s eyes widened slightly, wondering if her face had always betrayed her emotions. “No reason,” she said softly, looking out the window. She didn’t want to tell them about Chase. She had a feeling they wouldn’t approve because of his age. But he had been so proper with her, there wasn’t really anything to hide.
“Did you meet a boy?” Elena teased.
Sabrina felt her cheeks warm, and her mother laughed. Her dad, Tim, caught her eye in the rearview mirror and frowned. “Where were you that you met a boy?”
“Not all ballet dancers are girls, Dad,” she protested.
“He’s a dancer? Where is he from?” Elena asked.
“He’s not a dancer,” Sabrina admitted.
“Not a dancer?” Tim pulled into the garage and put the car in park. “Where on earth did you meet non-dancers?”
“We went lots of places, Dad. We didn’t just dance all day.”
“I thought this was an intense dance program.”
“Oh, Tim, you can’t expect them to dance twenty-four hours a day,” Elena protested. “You knew they were going to explore the city.”
“Alone?” Tim frowned.
“No!” Sabrina said, getting out of the car. “I saw him at the dance festival we went to, but didn’t talk to him. His mom is a big donor to the ballet company.”
Sabrina saw her father’s frown soften as he pulled her suitcase out of the trunk. “Hmmm.”
Sabrina glanced at her mother, who watched her father with an amused expression. “Tim, she’s almost seventeen. You expect her to be invisible to boys?”
He sighed. “I suppose not.” He pulled her suitcase up to the door that led into the house. “What’s his name?”
“Chase.”
Tim nodded as Sabrina and her mother walked into the house. “What grade is he in?” he asked.
Sabrina hesitated. Before she could decide how to tell her parents about the twenty-one-year-old man she’d met, her mother gasped, and all thoughts of Chase fled from her mind.
Sitting at the kitchen table was the largest man Sabrina had ever seen. When he stood, he was easily seven feet tall. His long blond hair was pulled back into a low tail, and his blue eyes practically glowed as he studied the family. He crossed his arms over his massive chest and Sabrina could see muscles bulging against the long-sleeved white tunic he wore.
“What are you doing here?” Tim demanded, pulling Sabrina and her mother behind him.
“I have come for her,” the man answered in a deep voice, nodding in Sabrina’s direction. Elena grabbed her hand. Sabrina shivered at the look in the man’s eyes.
“She’s our daughter!” Tim said, shaking his head. “You didn’t return when you said you would.”
“That means nothing.” The man waved his hand in the air. “She is not your daughter. She belongs to him. That was the agreement.”
Sabrina frowned, thoroughly confused. She knew she was adopted, her parents had told her that years ago, but why was someone coming for her now? And what agreement? Her parents never mentioned anything about an agreement...
“You said you’d be back years ago.” Elena squeezed Sabrina’s hand. “You didn’t come. We thought-”
“You thought?” the man spat. “I said I would return for her. The time was not right then. It is now.”
Sabrina looked between the man and her parents. They looked terrified. The man just looked irritated. Who is he?
> “Doesn’t she have some say in it?” Elena asked.
He laughed. “Why would she? She was born for a purpose. Now is the time for that purpose to be fulfilled.”
“What purpose?” Sabrina asked, confused. Something about this man felt familiar, but she had no idea why. She’d never seen him before in her life.
The big man grinned. “You will find out soon enough.” The way he looked at her made Sabrina shiver.
“I don’t want to go,” she said, stepping backward.
The man leapt over the table and grabbed hold of her ponytail. He moved faster than anyone she’d ever seen. “You have no say in the matter. You will come with me.”
“Over my dead body!” Tim yelled and lunged at the man, who swatted him away like a bothersome fly. Tim flew through the air and hit the brick fireplace with a thud. He slumped to the floor and didn’t move. Elena and Sabrina both screamed as Elena rushed over to her husband. Sabrina tried to follow, but was held in place by the man’s grip of her hair.
Elena knelt next to Tim and shook him, trying to get him to respond, but he didn’t. She pressed her hand to his neck and then looked up, hatred in her eyes. “You killed him!” she screamed in anguish, then leaned over and hugged Tim, her body shaking with sobs.
Sabrina fought to escape, but the man’s hold didn’t budge. She kicked at his legs and pulled at his fingers, but he only looked amused.
“You bastard!” Sabrina screamed, kicking again. “Let me go.”
The man laughed and released Sabrina, who immediately ran to her father. Blood trickled from the back of his head. She leaned over his body and sobbed.
Suddenly, Elena was lifted into the air. Sabrina looked up to see the man carrying her away.
“Don’t worry. Your misery will soon be over.” The man’s grin sent jagged spikes of fear into Sabrina’s soul as he tossed Elena onto the kitchen table like a butcher hoisting a slab of meat to the block. He began to pull his pants down, Elena screaming and kicking to escape.
Sabrina started to run to help her mother, but the man turned to her. “Stay,” he commanded. Sabrina froze, unable to move.
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