Bound in Ashes

by Milly Taiden

  “No. Have you decided if you're going to get laid in this lifetime?”

  “Shae!”

  “What?” she asked with an innocent shrug. “You haven't had sex. Ever. I think it's about time someone rocked your world. This Ker Sexy Voice Drachen seems to be the perfect man for the job.”

  “I haven't even met in him person!”

  “Again, so?” Shae guzzled the rest of her coffee. “You need to start doing things to make you happy. Your ex was a dick. He thought he owned you. I mean, he had the nerve to say if he couldn't have you, nobody could. That's some get your ass whooped and thrown in jail shit right there.”

  She knew that. She wished she could get Oliver out of her life. But the reality was that once she broke up with him, that's when the strange calls started. That's when the untraceable emails began.

  “I haven't spoken to Oliver in months.”

  “That doesn't mean he let go of you.”

  “So, what do I do?” Her stomach knotted. She hated thinking the worst, but she might need personal protection. Not in the form of a weapon, but maybe she would see about bodyguards. She wasn't scared of being attacked. That was the least of her worries. She'd taken enough self-defense to be able to kick some serious ass. But still, she didn't want to think that Oliver was the one person who would do this to her. Why would he want to hurt her? Or scare her?

  “You also need to remember that if you do start dating Ker, Oliver might get really crazy. So maybe tell Ker about this guy ahead of time. So he can be on the lookout, you know?”

  “Again, I haven't even met Ker in person. Why would you think we're going to date?”

  Shae laughed and shook her head. Like what she'd said was a joke. “Honey, you talk about him every single day. There is no way you won't end up seeing him. Even if it's only a couple dates, something will come out of this. He is making you too excited and you don't know how to handle it.”

  Dammit! She hated when Shae saw right through her. Ker did make her think of falling in love. Of having a man who cared in her life. None of her exes did. They all preteneded, at first. But in time, she realized all they wanted was a trophy. Her virginity. Once they saw she wasn't going there, they usually broke things off and moved on.

  They weren't willing to work long-term for her to give that up. Oliver had been different. He'd lasted a full year. In that time, he'd gotten more possessive. More demanding of her time. Telling her what to wear. Who to go out with. When to be home. It got so horribly stressful when he started waiting outside her office, just to see when she got out of work. To make sure she was telling him the truth.

  That had been the last straw. She broke things off. He'd been angry, so angry at first, but she stood her ground and didn't let him scare her. And it seemed to work. He left and hadn't returned. The last thing he'd told her was that if he couldn't have her, nobody else could. All the crazy shit started after that. There had been no sign of Oliver, but he had managed to make her think of him even though she wasn't sure he was the one behind the texts, the call, or the emails.

  “I'm thinking of going away a few days,” she told Shae.

  “With sexy Ker?” Shae grinned.

  “No! By myself.”

  “Come on, Tiana.” Shae groaned. “Just wait a few weeks. When I’m taking my vacation, we can both take a girls’ trip and it will be a mind cleanse for you.”

  “You know I go by the school schedule. We have next week off. I think it's probably best that I go now and try to get this out of my mind. It's probably not even a big deal.”

  Shae's smile fell from her lips and she frowned. “There's something you're not telling me.”

  “Shae,” she groaned.

  “Don't you Shae me. I know my name is Shae. What you need to tell me is why you are so ready to go on a break when you don't have anyone to go with. You didn't even have plans to go anywhere.”

  Her heartbeat doubled and a sick sensation grew at the pit of her stomach. That was the reason. That feeling of dread. Like something horrible was coming and she didn't want to be there for it. “I just need a break. I really think that now that I can do this, I should.”

  “Where will you go, Florida?”

  She winced and shook her head. She didn't visit her godmother as often as she used to. It broke her heart every time she went and the woman who raised her didn't remember her anymore.

  “No. I was thinking of renting a cabin or something. Going upstate and doing some hiking.”

  Shae nodded. “Those are all great ideas. Except, you don't like hiking, you don't like cabins. You have told me every time we watch a scary movie that this wouldn't happen to a black woman. I'm here to tell you that you're right. It would not. We don't rent cabins. Alone. In the woods. In the middle of no-fucking-where.”

  “Then what do you suggest I do? I mean I have to go somewhere, do something.”

  “Fine. I see your point. Why not talk to that man-bon-bon Ker and maybe go out to the movies with him. Go on a date. That might be what you need. To re-establish human relationships with the opposite sex. Besides, with as cute as he is from the photos on his website, I seriously doubt that would be a hardship.”

  She swallowed back at the fear growing thick in her throat. “You're no help.”

  “No, I'm clearly not. But my ideas are great.” Shae stood and headed for the door. “I'll be home early since it's the first Friday of the summer. That means we go into the new schedule. My boss starts doing the half day Fridays and we work an extra hour the rest of the week.” Shae gave her a wide smile. “Want to go for dinner later?”

  Tiana bit her lip and nodded. “Yeah. I have to go out and buy some supplies for an art project I'm doing for my classroom, but I will be back after that.” She schlepped to the front door and held it open for Shae. “I'll also stop by and get some more pastries. You ate all my biscotti and now I can't work.”

  Shae hugged her and started out the door. “Not my fault. Those things are delicious. Maybe bring me my own box and I'll stop eating yours.”

  Tiana laughed. “Not likely.”

  Shae nodded. “Yeah, you're right.”

  She watched Shae leave and stood in the open doorway for a few moments. The sensation that someone was watching her made her glance around the area. The houses in her neighborhood were upper-middle class and they had cops to patrol night and day to keep crime down. She was at the nicest place she could be.

  Still, that sensation didn't leave. It expanded. It duplicated. Fear gnawed at her belly. She gripped the door handle, her gaze shooting to and fro, trying to find the source of her discomfort. She didn't know why she was feeling this way. But it wasn't going away. The longer she kept the door open, the worst it got. Until she finally shut the door and let out the breath she'd been holding.

  What the fuck was going on?

  THREE

  Tiana finally bought the supplies she needed for her art project. She'd spent a lot more time in that art store than she planned. It was hard not to buy everything in sight. She wanted to do all the projects she saw with her class. Her first graders were the sweetest children ever. And they loved doing artwork.

  With both pastry boxes under one arm, she struggled to open her front door and keep the bags in the other arm from falling. She could have gone back for a second trip to the car, but who the hell did that? Those second trips were for suckers.

  The front door slammed against the wall as she kicked it open, then stopped dead in her tracks, gazing at the mess in her house. She couldn't believe what she was seeing. Her mouth went dry and a scream lodged in her throat.

  Furniture was strewn all over. Her beautiful yellow sofas were torn to shreds. There were giant holes on her curtains and her coffee table was broken. There was glass everywhere.

  She didn't realize she'd screamed again until someone rushed up next to her.

  “Are you okay, Tiana?”

  She slowly turned to face her neighbor from across the street, Simon. He was new. Had just
moved in a few days ago. Nice guy. He glanced at the house and grabbed her arm and pulled her out.

  “What happened to my house?” she said in a cracked voice.

  “Stay here,” he said, leading her to the chair on her front porch. “I'll call the police.”

  Tiana couldn't think straight. Her mind was stuck on the fact someone had destroyed her home. She sat there, her hands shaking, feeling increasingly cold and didn't know what to do. She couldn't stay there. Not after that.

  Glancing down at her fisted hands, she saw a drop of moisture fall on her finger. Then on another. Tears. She wasn't a crier. She never cried. But the frustration that built over the fact some asshole had broken into her home and touched her personal things was just too much to bear.

  She didn't know why, but a wild fury heated her from the inside. It was new and totally unexpected. She'd been angry before, but this was...different.

  She tried to calm herself. It was surreal. Cops showed up in the blink of an eye. Nobody had seen anything. They asked her a million and one questions. And for a while, everyone was under the impression that Oliver might really be the one behind the break in. Until they found blood in her kitchen. Lots of blood.

  More police were called. She sat in a crazy bubble. People came and spoke to her. Her neighbors came to offer comfort. And then Shae showed up.

  Shae rushed to give her a hug and pulled a seat next to her. “Tiana?”

  Tiana raised her face from looking down at her still fisted hands and met Shae's gaze.

  Shae gasped. “What happened? Was it Oliver again?”

  She cleared her throat. “I don't know. We were under that impression until they found what looked like a struggle scene in the kitchen. There's blood everywhere.”

  “Oh, honey. That's some fucked up shit,” Shae exclaimed and gave her another hug. “You can't stay here tonight. Come stay with me.”

  Tiana was already shaking her head before Shae finished. There was danger in the air. Something was coming for her and she didn't want her friend getting hurt.

  When another police officer came to ask more questions, Shae got up and dragged the officer a few feet away to answer for her.

  Tiana lived a quiet life. She wasn't into the crazy party scene. Not in college and not after. Life had been difficult enough knowing her friends had families and she had nobody. She'd worked and studied damn hard to put herself through school.

  Partying wasn't her thing. When she'd been in a relationship, she hadn't been blinded by love or lust. She'd stuck to her guns. A man had to learn to win her over before he got anything from her.

  Most of them didn't make an effort. She pulled her cell phone from her pocket and dialed Ker's number.

  “Hi, Tiana,” his voice instantly had that warming effect. She didn't know what it was about him, but he made her feel calm. Like everything was going to be okay.

  “Hi, Ker. Sorry to bother you,” she said, clearing her throat again. She was parched. She hadn't had a drink in what felt like forever. It was late in the afternoon and she'd been sitting on her porch far too long.

  “You never bother me. What can I do for you?”

  “Were you serious?” she asked immediately. “No hidden agendas or anything?”

  “About the cabin? Yes, I was serious. I would never offer something with a hidden anything. I could tell you I'd love for you to agree to have dinner with me, but that's got nothing to do with the cabin,” he said softly. “That's just because I think you're a fascinating woman.” He hadn't met her. Never. Not once. And yet, she felt as if they knew each other forever. This was strange. Once he'd told her who he was, she'd gone online and searched out his name. Man, the photos behind that name were coma-inducing.

  He was gorgeous. With wavy blonde hair and the most beautiful blue eyes she'd ever seen in her life. Opposites. He was her total opposite. She was dark where he was fair. Her hair was stick straight and black. People often asked if she colored it because under the sun it shone a sapphire blue black.

  It was shiny and long and she could say with all certainty her hair was her best feature. It drove men wild. She was a big girl. Lots of curves and milk-chocolate skin. Her eyes were dark, almost black, and it took her a long time to see herself as beautiful. Now, she didn't doubt it, but she didn't boast it.

  “Yes, the cabin,” she replied, ignoring his words. “I need to go. Now.”

  “Are you okay?”

  “Yes. Fine.”

  “You don't sound fine,” Ker asked, a deep rumble making his voice thicker. Damn her body for reacting to that sound. “Tell me what's wrong. I can come help. I'll come right now.”

  “No!” she said quickly. “No,” much softer. “I'm fine. I just really need a break. Would you mind giving me details on the cabin.”

  “I'll send you an email right now. Directions and everything else you might need. I'll also call the caretaker and let them know to stock it and meet you with the keys.”

  “I'm going to leave soon. I can't tell you how much I appreciate this.”

  He'd come to her rescue and hadn't even shown up at her home.

  “Don't worry about it. But if you find yourself lonely, or needing company, feel free to call me. I'm more than happy to come and spend time with you.”

  Tiana slid her phone into her pocket as a weathered man in a wrinkled jacket walked out of her house onto the porch.

  “Ms. Jonas, I’m Detective James Randall.” He pulled a business card from a pocket and handed it to her. “Do you have any idea who could’ve done this?”

  “I’m not sure,” Tiana said. Shae nudged her with her elbow. “But I think it was my ex-boyfriend or his goons,” she said, evil eyeing her friend.

  “What is his name?” the detective asked.

  “Oliver Andrews.”

  The man took out a small pad of paper and wrote down the information. “Where can I reach you for further questions?” Tiana gave him her cell number, amazed she could think of it right now. “Do you have someplace to stay tonight?”

  Shae jumped in. “Yes, she’s staying with me.”

  “That’s good,” he said, handing another card to her friend. “We’ll let you know what we find.”

  “Thank you, Detective,” both women said. Yeah, she needed a vacation.

  FOUR

  Ker glanced at his phone and sent the email Tiana needed. She was in trouble and he had to help her. He didn't know how, but he needed to do something. His dragon was arguing with him. This wasn't his mate, but Ker wanted to get to know her better. He might never get a marked mate. He might not get someone for another four hundred years. So why should he worry about that now?

  He called the caretaker and requested an urgent stocking of the cabin. Asked that the caretaker's wife clean the place and then went about making sure anything she might need would be at hand.

  “What's going on in here?” His sister-in-law, Morgan, said coming in. “I heard you tossing orders and I had no idea who it was I heard. You sounded just like Tor.”

  Ker smiled at her and walked around his desk. He gave her a kiss on the cheek and pulled a chair for her to sit. “How are you feeling?”

  Morgan was due any day and with her mother now living part-time in the castle, she was helping with the children. The entire family was growing fast. It was a good thing they had a lot of rooms in that castle. His parents had always wanted a big family and for their sons and their families to stay and raise the children there.

  “I'm good,” she replied taking a seat and raising her brows. “So, what's going on? I can sense your frustration and I don't even know what's causing it.”

  “It's her,” he growled.

  “Tiana?”

  He let out a short huff and nodded. Morgan was the first of his sisters and he'd grown close to her. Close enough that he could tell her about Tiana and how much talking to her was starting to mean to him. He didn't care how she looked at this point. There was something about her voice and something about the way she
spoke. She was full of innocence and he liked that. Having lived such a long life and seen so much hate, anger, and war destroy people, her innocence was refreshing.

  “You know, you can look up her personal information through your own website and drop by,” Morgan grinned, her eyes twinkling.

  “And how much of a stalker does that make me look like?”

  She scrunched her nose. “You're right. Bad idea. So, call the woman!”

  “I did. She's clearly going through something and I don't know how to help her.”

  Morgan leaned forward. “I'm sorry, Ker. Sometimes, we're so used to handling things on our own, it's hard to ask anyone else for help.”

  He growled. “I know. I don't want her to feel like she has to handle anything alone. I want to help her. I want to be there for her.”

  Morgan rubbed her belly. “Then don't tell her you'll be there for her. Show her.”

  “How?” he asked. “I already gave her access to my cabin. It's getting cleaned and stocked right now.”

  She gave him an impressed look. “Wow. Okay. Then just back off. If she needs you, she'll let you know.”

  He growled again and scrubbed his beard. He'd given up on shaving a few days ago. His brothers told him he looked really young when he was clean faced, and the last thing he wanted was for Tiana to meet him and think he was some college kid. If only she knew how fucking old he was. And felt.

  “This isn't really helping me.”

  Morgan shook her head and leaned back. “What do you know about Tiana?”

  “I've already told you. She's a teacher. She's sweet and young and has an air of innocence about her that's driving me fucking insane.”

  Morgan's brows shot up and she giggled. “Geez. Alpha much? You sound worse than my husband. And that's saying something seeing as he's the growliest of you all.”

  “Not helping,” he said the words in a clipped tone.

  “Fine. Look,” Morgan pulled out a sheet of paper from her sweater pocket and handed it to him. “Don't kill me. All I wanted was to see what she looked like, but you know my mother. Working for the government means she doesn't just get a photo. She gets every detail you don't need.”