Holden's Mate

by Meg Ripley

  Her client jutted out her chin and shoved herself up from the couch. “Forget it. I’ve got a license for a gun. I’ll be fine.” She stormed out onto the street without another word.

  Leah put her head in her hands, wondering what had gone wrong. She only had a few seconds to think about it before the bell over the door chimed, indicating that someone had just come in. Autumn poked her head around the partition wall a moment later. “I take it that reading didn’t go well?”

  “How did you know? Was it the tears on her face, or the way she ran out of here like I was the one after her?”

  “She’d stopped in at our shop first and said she was looking for a talisman of protection. I gave her one, but I also sent her over here. I thought it might help if you could see if she was in any real danger.” The Enchanted Elm was just across the street from Leah’s shop, which made it easy for the women to check in on each other throughout the day or head out for lunch dates.

  Leah nodded soberly, her eyes feeling heavy and tired as she stared at the hardwood floor. “I think she probably is, but she didn’t give me a chance to find out for sure. Hell, I might not have been able to figure it out, anyway. It’s like I’ve got this fog over my brain that won’t go away. I had an online client who was almost completely closed off to me, and that woman that was just here is the first person not to pay me. I tried to work on my book this morning, and I just stared at the screen.” She wanted to go back upstairs, crawl into bed, and pretend that the day had never happened.

  Autumn frowned. “That doesn’t sound like you.” She was dressed more like a stereotypical witch today, with a long dark skirt and her hair down, but she still carried the air of a woman who was always cool and confident.

  It made Leah a little jealous for once, since she wasn’t anywhere close to feeling that way. “I know. I think it’s the divorce. It didn’t affect me at all while we were still going through the court proceedings, but now that it’s official, it’s like I can’t function. I need something that will boost me back into my old talents again.”

  “What about the guy from the bar? I know you said you aren’t ready for a new relationship, but a little fling might do you some good.” She gave Leah a cat-like smile and ran her fingertips across the turquoise cabochon of her necklace.

  Leah shook her head and launched herself to her feet, pacing nervously. “No! I actually ran into him in the grocery store the other day. It’s weird, because I feel such a pull toward him. Every cell in my body wants me to just throw myself at him, but I can’t. He even asked me out to dinner, and I literally ran out of the store.”

  “You should be listening to those inner voices,” Autumn reminded her. “I hope you aren’t staying away from this guy for Victor’s sake. That asshole doesn’t deserve you.”

  “No, but he has been blowing up my phone all week.” Leah picked up her cell from the corner of her desk and poked at the screen. “Just look at all these text messages.”

  Autumn raised an eyebrow. “I’m glad to see that at least you aren’t replying. But really, what’s so wrong with this handsome stranger from the bar? You should have had dinner with him. It would be free food, if nothing else.”

  “I’ve been trying to figure that out.” Leah imagined herself at a table for two in a dimly-lit restaurant with that handsome man looking at her in the candlelight. It would be wonderful and romantic. He might reach across the table and take her hand…But then she would have to tell him all about how she was a psychic—which most guys didn’t seem to appreciate—and that she had just gotten divorced. “I think it’s just that I have too much baggage. I’m dragging all this extra weight around, and I don’t want him or anyone else to see it.”

  “Leah, look.” Autumn put her hands on Leah’s shoulders and looked her square in the eye. “Everyone has baggage. It doesn’t matter if they have supernatural powers or if they’re just regular people working office jobs. Everyone has something from their past that they’re bringing along with them. And I’m not saying you have to go marry the guy. Just have dinner. Have fun. Do it for yourself, so you know you’re still alive somewhere in there. You don’t even know how much baggage he might be carrying himself.”

  Tears rimmed Leah’s eyes. There was nothing better than knowing someone always had her back. Even when she wasn’t doing a good job of looking out for herself, someone else was. She sniffled and dabbed at the corners of her eyes. “Well, he does have a kid, so maybe you’re right.”

  “There ya go!” Autumn smiled, showing her straight, white teeth. “Just hang in there. You’ll find yourself again. It’s perfectly normal to feel a little off when you’ve gone through something like this. I think people like us feel it even more than others. Besides, you’d better get your head back in the game, since we have a séance planned for the weekend.”

  “Oh, that’s right!” Leah instantly felt guilty for nearly forgetting. She had met Autumn and Summer in college, and they had instantly bonded over their powers that normal humans didn’t seem to understand. But there had also been Naomi, a beautiful girl who didn’t fit in very well with society herself. She had the power to shift forms, but a terrible accident meant that she was no longer among the living. “I’ll be there.”

  The phone rang, and she excused herself. “This is Leah, how can I help you?”

  “I’d like to schedule a reading, please.” It was a man’s voice, and a deep one. It seemed familiar, but Leah shook off the notion. She was just getting paranoid after that weird reading with Josey.

  “Okay. What day of the week works best for you? I have a few openings tomorrow morning.” She glanced over her appointment calendar. It wasn’t nearly as full as she would like.

  “Actually, I was hoping for something in the evening. I’d like you to come to my house, maybe Friday at six.”

  It was such an odd request that it took Leah a moment to respond. “I don’t normally do that sort of thing. I would have to charge my normal hourly rate along with another fee for traveling.”

  “Money’s not an object.”

  “Go ahead and give me your address, and we’ll go from there.” It was quite possible that this client was too far away, and she would just need to offer an online consultation. Leah scribbled down the address as the man on the phone gave it to her, and she turned to make a face at Autumn. It was right there in town, and it was in the nicest neighborhood. Only rich bankers, doctors, and entrepreneurs lived over there. “I think I can make that work. I’ll be there at six on Friday.”

  She hung up and stared wide-eyed at Autumn. “Can you believe that? Some rich guy wants to talk to me so badly he’s asked me to come to his house! I’ve never really done house calls before, but if this works out, I might just make it a regular thing.” She could just imagine all the personal items she might get a chance to touch while there. If this didn’t make for a good reading, then she would just have to close up shop and go work in retail.

  6

  “I appreciate you doing this for me on such short notice. I hope you didn’t have any plans for tonight.” Holden welcomed Beau inside and closed the door behind him.

  Beau ran a hand through his blonde hair, which was slicked back, and matched his short beard. “No, not really. I was just planning on spending time with Elliott, so Finn will be a welcome addition. What are you doing tonight, anyway?”

  Holden picked up Finn’s bag and handed it to his friend. “I’ve got an appointment with a psychic.”

  The blonde man put his tongue in his cheek as he thought. “You mean like the people who wave their hands over crystal balls and tell you the future?”

  “The very same,” Holden said with a nod. “I’m hoping the experience might be something like the prophets we used to consult back home. Most of the ones I found only offered phone calls or online experiences, but I made special arrangements with a local psychic since I wanted to do it in person.”

  “Still trying to find some semblance of Charok on this planet, huh? Good luck wi
th that. You ought to just focus on how things are now, and not worry about it so much.”

  “Maybe so, but this whole ordeal of finding my mate is driving me crazy. I don’t want Finn to be without a mother; it’s not right. There’s one woman I’ve met who might be the right one, but—”

  “The one from the bar?” Beau grinned, his blue eyes sparkling. “I think I see what’s going on here.”

  “Oh, really? Then why don’t you tell me?” Holden folded his arms in front of his chest, challenging his friend.

  “I was there. I saw her. You think she’s hot, and you’re looking for a good excuse to bang her. I might not have been on this world or in this body for very long, but I’m starting to understand how humans work. You don’t need permission from some psychic, Holden, just go for it.”

  “For your information, that’s not the whole story.” Holden had to admit that he wanted to see what Leah was like under her clothing—more than anything. She was the most tantalizing female he’d met since they’d made their escape to Earth, and everything about her was intriguing. But it wasn’t pure lust, and he knew it. “There’s something that happens to me every time I’m around her. I want to shift so badly, I can barely contain it. That’s what was going on when we first walked into The Parlor, except I didn’t know it yet. Once I was face-to-face with her, I thought I might sprout wings, snatch her up, and fly off with her. I had this incredible need to protect her, no matter what the cost.” His blood still boiled in his veins every time he thought of that greasy dirtbag trying to grab her.

  Beau’s look grew serious. “Do you think that means she’s your mate?”

  “I don’t know,” Holden admitted. “But I have to find out one way or another. I’m hoping the psychic can help.”

  Picking up Finn, Beau looked down at the child and clucked his tongue against his teeth. “I wish I could tell you. The only thing I know is that this would all be a lot easier if we could just have stayed dragons.” He turned and headed out the door just as a woman was coming up the sidewalk.

  Holden had been so busy talking to Beau that he hadn’t been paying attention when the new car had arrived. He cursed himself for it; that never would have happened if he had been in dragon form. But the psychic was there, and it was time to get started. He stepped onto the threshold to wave her inside, but stopped dead in his tracks as she came closer.

  Leah.

  It was impossible, but there was no mistaking that dark, curly hair or the way her mouth tipped up when she smiled. The smile faded when she noticed the child in Beau’s arms, and she was just about to say something when Beau pointed over his shoulder. “He’s in there.” Confused, Leah looked behind him at Holden.

  His heartbeat sped up, thundering his blood through his veins and shoved the breath from his lungs. He clutched at the doorknob as he held it, feeling the metal heat up in his hand. For a moment, he wondered what she was doing there; she couldn’t have just tracked him down. But when he saw the dark blue velvet bag she carried, he knew there could be no other explanation.

  Leah was the psychic he had hired.

  She stopped on the edge of the porch, staring at him as if he were a monster. “Am I at the right address?”

  At least she wasn’t running away this time. “You are. Come in.”

  Leah hesitated and looked down at her feet as though expecting them to make the decision for her. One of them finally stepped forward, and she came in and turned to face him. “I have to tell you I had no idea you were my client.” Her throat worked up and down nervously.

  “Aren’t you the psychic?” he asked with a smile. She didn’t see his humor, and he cleared his throat. Holden closed the door slowly, not wanting her to think he was trapping her in his house. He wanted to, if it might give him a chance to see where this was going. It was absurd to think they would just keep running into each other like this if it didn’t mean anything. “I can see how this must look, but I didn’t know it was you when I was making the call. I’m just looking for some answers.”

  Her hands clutched at the handle of her bag, and she forced a smile. Even when it wasn’t genuine, it was beautiful. “I can help with that. Is there somewhere we can sit down?”

  Holden could feel the nervous energy emanating from her skin as he moved past her to lead the way to his study. It vibrated against his bones and threatened to send his scales racing to the outside of his skin. “We should be able to make ourselves comfortable in here. Is there anything you require?”

  “I should have everything.” She stepped into the study, her eyes widening for a moment as she took in the rows of bookshelves and the comfortable leather furniture. “I just need a place where I can sit across from you, and maybe a little bit of table space if we use tarot cards.”

  “I can make that work.” Holden picked up the coffee table and moved it to the other side of the room, pushing two of the comfortable chairs closer together. “Like this?”

  Leah blushed, realizing she’d been staring at his muscular frame, and nodded. Setting her bag down next to one of the chairs, she looked up at him with those wide, blue eyes. “I’ve been so rude. I haven’t even asked your name.”

  He was so focused on her beauty that he almost didn’t hear. Her skin glowed with a dewy radiance that made him want to reach out and run his fingers down her cheek. Instead, he curled his fists at his sides. “Holden. Holden Reid. It’s nice to officially meet you.” He sat down across from her, feeling the way their bodies seemed to magnetize toward each other. Sitting back didn’t seem to counteract it at all, but made him want to pull her onto his lap and run his hands over her body. He’d never thought of the human form being so attractive, but she was proving him wrong.

  “I’m Leah Watson, although I guess you at least knew the first part.” She blushed again, and the flame of color spread to the tips of her ears. “I have several different ways of doing readings, but the most effective way is by touch. There are residual energies on people and on their belongings that allow me to see into their lives. Whatever you’re comfortable with works for me, but the best way is if you give me your hand.”

  Holden would have thought it was just a tactic to touch him if she hadn’t been so professional, but he didn’t mind either way. He gladly put his hand in hers, watching her face as she rested her fingertips on him and closed her eyes. Back home, he had always been attracted to dragons with the shiniest scales or the shapeliest wings, but it was different finding the beauty in a human. He studied the curve of her cheekbones and her neck, the way a lock of hair fell across her forehead, and the way she seemed to completely relax herself while she was doing her job.

  “Can you tell me what kind of answers you’re looking for?” Her gentle voice broke the deep silence that had settled over the room. “I don’t want to just give you a bunch of random information.”

  Clearing his throat uncomfortably, Holden realized just how awkward this was. He had asked a psychic to come to his house to help him make a decision about a woman, and she was that very same woman! “I have some decisions to make, very important ones about my future. I just need some advice on that.”

  “Is it about your son? I can see that you love him very much.” Leah smiled, her eyes still closed.

  He wanted to make her smile again, but he wasn’t sure how. “Sort of.”

  “If you can ask a specific question, I may be able to do a better job of helping you find the answers.”

  There was no way he could tell her the truth, not about anything. If she knew he thought she was destined to be his mate, she would think he was crazy. And she sure as hell didn’t need to know his true nature. “I can’t really disclose that.”

  “That’s fine. I’ll just do my best.” She was silent again for another long minute, and the touch of her fingertips was a warm one. “You’ve been on a very long journey, but you’re trying to settle down. I can see that you have your family on the forefront of your mind, but you aren’t sure how to proceed.”

 
; Holden leaned forward. She really was like the prophets back on Charok; maybe even better. He had always suspected they got their information on their clients well before their appointments, and there was no true information to be had on him here on Earth.

  “And I also see…” Leah trailed off, her brow furrowing. Her muscles gave a quick spasm that lurched her ever so slightly backward in her chair, but she didn’t let go of his hand. “I’m sorry. I’m seeing some very strange things that don’t make sense. I’m trying to sort them out.”

  “Just tell me,” he encouraged.

  “I’m seeing…dragons. They must be symbolic of something, maybe a past that has come back to haunt you or fear of the future.”

  “That could make sense.” Shit. He hadn’t thought this through, but he hadn’t needed to when he was expecting a stranger to show up at his door. If some random person he didn’t know saw dragons while doing a fortune-telling session, then he could easily laugh it off. But this was Leah, the woman who seemed to possess him without even knowing it. He didn’t want to lie to her.

  Leah’s mouth tightened, her lips pursing together attractively. “There are a lot of dragons, and they’re in a massive cave. Some of them are dying. They’re—” She yanked her hands back and opened her eyes, breaking their connection. Tears glistened on her lashes, and she swiped at them quickly. “I’m sorry. I don’t understand what any of that was.”

  “It’s alright.”

  “No, it’s really not. I’ve been a little off lately. I’m not sure what the matter is. I would offer to give you a tarot reading instead, but I’m worried it would go just as badly. I’ve never seen anything like what I just saw, and I think it only proves that I need a break for a while. Again, I’m so sorry. No charge.” She snatched up her bag and shot to her feet.