by Bella Devine
She grabbed the orange again and tossed it from hand to hand. "As for your Augur, you can never trust someone who tries to intervene with fate. They read their damn prophecies and will do anything in their power to make it happen, which essentially defies the purpose of fate. Don't you think?"
"And why does Nadia's title sound like poison on your tongue?" My anger flared. "Nadia wouldn't do anything to put me in danger."
"No? Then how in the hell did you end up in the forest fending off a wild beast?"
I don't know! I wanted to shout. Nadia always had good reasons for everything. I wasn't sure what she was up to, but she never steered me wrong. I trusted her.
Liam stepped between us. "Ladies, I believe we have more important things to discuss than your opinions of Augurs. Aylin, how did you stop the fireball from hitting Connor?"
"I have no clue. I guess the pheromones also increase my power. Either that or I'm stronger than I knew. Speaking of which, I wasn't aware your mate was a white witch." She sneered as if the poison from her belief of an augur also extended to me.
I bristled. Fists clenched, I took a step toward her. Screw my new friend.
Liam raised his hand palm and I halted. "We don't know what powers Bryn has, but we know she's powerful. Somehow, our connection has defied not only the weakened powers of our people, but it also defies a typical soulbond. We need to find out why. Did you speak to the elders?"
"I have and they've never heard of a soulbond being completed via a dream before," Aylin said.
My stomach growled, picking the most inopportune time to protest. I placed a hand over my stomach in a feeble attempt to control the loud rumbling. I had skipped dinner yesterday and lunch today.
"Why don't I make dinner? Then we can discuss this further," Liam suggested.
"If you don't mind, I'm going to pass. I think you need some time with your mate." Aylin smiled knowingly and sashayed from the room.
***
Cassiel pulled on the chains. Her strength was returning; she could almost stand. The bond was almost complete. She felt the power awakening in her soul.
Looking around the concrete cell, she noted the same four walls that had trapped her in this place for far too long. She had almost forgotten what it was like to be free.
Being captive, she had learned to appreciate what most people took for granted. Like running water or the sun's heat caressing her body. She hadn't seen the golden orb in a decade.
Or fresh food. She eyed the slop bucket. Her frail body required nutrients in order to survive the continual blood draws. Fresh needle tracks bruised her arms.
But she would be free soon. She just hoped she had enough time to make amends for her wrongdoings before she died. She needed to make things right with her people.
A single tear escaped as she thought of those who had died so that she could live. The body count would haunt her until her last breath. She prayed for forgiveness as she worked a spell with what power swam in her blood. She needed to send a burst of power to the bonded couple before another feeding was demanded.
The door creaked open and Mansfield walked into the cell. She didn't mind the servant too much as he tended to have some remorse. He never raised his voice or his hand to her. He was a spark of life in the darkened dungeon.
"Again, Mansfield?" she croaked.
"Sorry, Miss, but Master has become insatiable."
She hated the forced feedings, which had increased over the past few days. Her attempts at poisoning the Master required him to drink more often and the toxins depleted his power with each dose. She smiled with effort, her facial muscles slack from lack of use.
Mansfield pushed a cart with the supplies needed to draw her blood. She was actually surprised Master hadn't bound her to a table with a continuous drip.
She closed her eyes and, careful not to move her lips, silently chanted her spell. She couldn't trust anyone.
Mansfield tied the blue tourniquet around her upper arm and tapped for a good vein. After he punctured her skin, deep red blood filled the collection tube. She remained still as she finished the spell. The arsenic swimming through her blood would soon be consumed by the devil himself. Her Master.
Chapter Seven
Bryn
My nerves were fried.
Shot!
The sexual tension between us had me ready to explode. Screw Liam! Oh, Liam. Heat waves raced through my body.
After my dream, I had been hot and ready. Now, I was ready to burst.
I scrunched up the large sweat pants and shirt in my hands, tossed them on the bed, and paced the room. We had spent the evening together. Alone to do the dishes.
The freaking dishes, for crying out loud.
"Let me help with the those!" Liam had said. But oh, no! Help was an understatement. A gentle touch here as he passed the plates, a slow caress there as he dried the pans. I was done. Finished.
Although dinner with the pack had been great, Aylin made good on her promise and disappeared for the evening. I wondered if she was out with the elders or stirring up trouble. She was a contradiction by every definition. Connor and Drew wolfed down their food and left, which left me alone with Liam.
But he never made a move to expand on those stolen touches. Nope! When we finished cleaning the kitchen, he just handed me the sweats and left me alone and turned on!
I glared at the borrowed items. Liam's house. Liam's clothes. I needed to go to my home and get my clothes.
I liked him. Okay, I more than liked him. But infatuation, sexual attraction, or familiarity wouldn't hold me here. I liked being alone, and if Liam thought I was going to be held against my will, he had another thing coming. He had given no indication of taking me home. I was curious about him and the pack, but I longed to go home. To be alone. To solve my own problems. These predators hunting me were mine. Not Liam's.
I kicked off my shoes and stripped off my pungent clothing. I tore the gauze from my arm. Where the fresh laceration had been earlier, only a light pink, jagged mark remained. I feathered my finger down the length of the scar.
A scar? Although the fight with the mountain lion seemed like a decade ago, only fourteen hours had passed. How could I have healed?
I had always been a fast healer, but my skin was already knitted together. The jagged edges of the scar were captivating — my first scar. A memory of the moment my life changed. What I wouldn't give to go back to the quiet life of baking. Pre-bonded.
The glowing imprint called to me — a symbol to my soul mate — but it was the scar that had me moving forward. The healing power enthralled my sense of curiosity. Could I really heal that fast?
I glanced around the room looking for something sharp. I opened a few drawers, before I found a straight edge razor. The cold stainless steel weighed heavy in my hands. This should work. I opened the blade and paused. Would this hurt? Would the wound heal fast? I shut the blade and set it down on the bathroom sink.
Damn! I needed to know.
I grabbed the blade and sliced the palm of my hand. I gasped at the sharp pain. I held my palm over the sink as drops of blood seeped from the minor cut. Splashes of red coated the white marble, but within moments, my skin regenerated. Completely healed. No trace of the slice.
I slumped on the commode. This was really happening. I contained powers that most would kill for. I had the combined magic of the white witch and the soulbond, but could it destroy me? Make me obsessed for more? My mother had magic, but she was pure. Could I surpass her? But how would that turn out? She had been murdered.
In a daze, I opened the glass shower doors, stepped in, and closed them. I hit the digital temperature button and was pleased when 104 degrees illuminated across the screen. Three shower head controls flashed. When no water sprayed, I hit each one. They glowed green and glorious hot water flowed from above. I closed my eyes as a pulsating stream of water massaged my body. I could definitely get used to this.
The tension in my shoulders eased. My mother's murder f
aded from my thoughts. My mind cleared.
Fog clouded the glass. But I barely noticed. Knotted muscles softened. My body became liquid under the onslaught of the heat and jet stream.
I lathered my body with vanilla-scented soap, after which I grabbed the similar-scented shampoo and worked it into my hair. Why did Liam have such a feminine scent in his bathroom? I would expect something woodsy and manly like lynx, not expensive, feminine-scented body wash and lotions. Was he taken or did his past lover leave her mark here? I frowned. Surely, not.
I stepped from the shower, stretched my back, and grabbed for a towel. My fingertips instantly warmed. With a smile, I wrapped myself in the infused warmth of the towel. A heated towel rack. Nice.
Steaks for dinner, jet stream showers, heating racks! Definitely a step up from my one-bedroom apartment that had needed a face-lift twenty years ago. My dripping faucets and low water pressure were no comparison.
But I was alone in a house full of strangers. Would I ever fit in? Did I want to?
Satisfied with my wet, but more presentable, appearance, I walked back to the bedroom.
"It's about time you got out of the shower."
I squealed and threw up my hands. The towel loosened and was about to fall, but I jerked it back into place.
Aylin chuckled."You act guilty, but look relaxed. You used the pulsating jets, didn't you?"
She used the jets in Liam's shower? I frowned at the thought that she and Liam showered together.
Not sure what to think of my unwanted guest, I pointed to my towel-covered body. "I'm naked here. Do you mind?"
"Not at all, but we definitely need to get you better clothes." Nodding toward the bed, she scrunched up her nose."No offense, but Liam's sweats will fall off you." She eyed me from head to toe. "You're a little rounder, but I may have some rainy day sweats you can borrow. Hang on a second."
She left the room. When she returned, she tossed me bright pink capri sweatpants with HOT STUFF in bold white letters across the backside, and a gray off-the-shoulder sweater. She appeared composed in her cowgirl boots, perfect skinny jeans, and red blouse.
I held her borrowed outfit to my chest and frowned. "I don't think these will fit me." I picked up Liam's outfit and smelled the woodsy scent that I associated with him. It calmed me. Until I caught Aylin grinning. "What?"
"Just try on my clothes and quit ogling Liam's sweats." She flashed a smug smile and crossed her arms over her chest."If you want to make out with them, I can always return later. But I bet if you wear my outfit, Liam will be ogling you."
I ignored her teasing. She was just trying to get under my skin. This wasn't fair. I needed to get out of here and clear my head.
"I. Need. My. Clothes. Not yours, or Liam's, or Connor's, or Drew's! I need mine. My clothes, my life."
Aylin's face tightened. She lay across the bed settling in for the day. "We really need to figure out what is going on with this soulbond. But I'll talk with Liam and see if he'll let us swing by your place."
I raised an eyebrow and tapped my foot. I wanted to stomp and shout, but Aylin was willing to help me, and I didn't want to piss her off.
Of course, if she had slept with or was sleeping with Liam, maybe I did want to piss her off. I grinned. It could be interesting fighting her magically and with no interference from Liam, who had jumped between us earlier.
My heart flipped and sank to my stomach. He obviously cared for her because he was consistently looking out for her as if she was always on his mind.
Jealousy didn't sit well with me. I had no claim on him…yet. Looking down at the crescent moon imprint, I lightly traced its outline. But I would.
One day.
Maybe.
I should be mad that fate had chosen my destiny for me, but I wasn't. How could I be mad, when what little time I had spent with Liam felt so right? His touch soothed me like nothing ever had. For once in my life, my restless soul felt at peace. It was a nice feeling, like coming home after a long journey.
But was this what I wanted? To be mated? Tied down?
One day, maybe. But not —
A mental intrusion interrupted my train of thought.
Damn, was Aylin trying to read my mind again? No. This presence felt different. Darker.
I threw up mental blocks, but the intruder smashed through each one like the Hulk. Swaying from the impact, I grabbed the bedpost for support. Stabbing pain reverberated from my brain to my eyes. Sharp piercing light filled my vision. I shut my eyes and sank on the bed.
The light faded and darkness encompassed me.
Liam, help!
***
Liam
Sitting behind the desk in the library, I linked my hands and casually laid them on the desk. I needed to quit thinking and start acting. It was only a matter of time before rebels and shape shifters alike discovered our soulbond. Bryn's increasing strength and power would draw attention to us. To my pack.
"Per your orders, we sent out the trackers." Connor layback in the recliner. "I'll keep you updated if they find anything."
I scowled. He acted as if we were drinking beers and discussing sports, rather than focusing on saving my mate!
An incessant urge to seek out Bryn overcame me. My jaw tensed. She was showering; there was no reason to interrupt her, not yet anyway. I wished I could relax like everyone else.
Liam!
Bryn. My hackles rose. I rubbed the back of my neck and stood. Her voice in my head nudged me toward the door.
"Man, calm down and have a seat." Connor sat up, though his tone suggested he wasn't quite as relaxed as a moment ago. "We'll figure this out."
I sat again, but electrical pulses stung my leg muscles. "I've doubled the guards on the pack. I can't risk anyone seeking us out. In the morning, we'll discuss talking to the other packs."
Bryn. My body called to her like a siren, but my mind shouted, Danger! I moved to the edge of my desk, crossed my legs, and debated what actions to take.
"You want to go public with your bond?" Connor asked.
"It's a possibility and could gain us allies. It could give others hope."
Connor clenched his fists, obviously not liking the idea of telling the other packs of my recent bonding. "I get that we need to be active, not reactive. But if the rebels are still a threat, we need to prepare for a battle not a meeting."
"Yes, but so far they haven't caused any trouble. We think they exist. But we don't know how many do exist. We don't know what their strengths are or what their weaknesses are. I'm not sending my men in blind without backup." I pushed off the desk and ran a hand through my hair. "Hell, we don't even know where to send them."
"The rebels will come. The stronger your connection to Bryn, the more powerful you become. They will sense it. I even sense it and I'm not special."
Liam, help!
Bryn's telepathic plea begged me to seek her out. I headed for the door.
"Liam!" Aylin's terrified scream echoed from the second floor.
Running at full speed, I took two steps at a time, tore down the hall to my room and froze. Wrapped only in a towel, Bryn convulsed on the bed. Aylin straddled her, pinning her hands against the spread.
"A little help here!"
My breath caught in my chest. I frowned, not knowing whether to push Aylin off or help her. I tried to keep fear out of my voice. "How? What do you need?"
"I think they're trying to transport her back to the other plane. I'm trying to connect with her telepathically." Bryn lunged upward, almost toppling Aylin. "God damn it! Liam, hold her down. Connor, get my purse."
I scrambled onto the bed and grabbed hold of Bryn's arms. "I've got her." When Aylin jumped off the bed, I straddled Bryn, keeping my weight from crushing her. As if sensing my presence, she quit fighting. I gently stroked her face. "That's it, love. Just hold on a bit longer."
Connor handed Aylin the purse. Rummaging through it, she said, "She's fighting it, but I'm afraid she is going to hurt herself, because she
can't control her magic yet!"
While Aylin searched for her magic elixir, I forced open my telepathic connection with Bryn. She struggled against the being pulling her. Its strength surprised me. Her resilience was about to burst like a coil ready to snap.
"Aylin, hurry up. I don't think Bryn can hold on much longer." I tried to keep my voice calm, so I didn't spook Bryn.
"Found it!" Aylin neared the bed, holding a pale blue vial.
A thread of wariness tightened in my gut, but I trusted my enforcer. "What's that?"
"This mixture of brahmi herbs and spells will clear her mind, allowing us to connect with her and help her push away the intruders." Under her breath, she added, "I hope."She tilted the vial and two small drops dripped into Bryn's mouth.