by LK Kelley
“Of course, you don't deserve me!” she giggled. “Here's what you do deserve.”
Pulling him down to the ground, she proceeded to show him his just desserts.
Moments later, a large, sonic boom covered the area, followed by a brilliant light. Rick and Taylor almost tripped over each other as they ran outside to join Stan and Stacy who were frozen in place, looking across to the cabin across the lake – a cabin that once stood there.
The four used their super speed to go around the lake.
“Where are they?” Taylor cried frantically.
There was nothing. It was all gone – including the cabin and some of the trees around it! But, there was also no sign of either Gem or Jaxx. Silently, the girls sank to their knees in tears, while their mates just stood looking at where Gem and Jaxx should have been.
“Where are they?” Taylor cried, again.
Stan and Rick looked at each other, and shrugged.
“Shit!” Stan said.
“Exactly,” Rick replied.
EPILOGUE
“Oh, damn! I am so screwed!” ~ Gem and Jaxx
Gem opened her eyes, blinking at the night sky above her. It was so beautiful, and loaded with brilliant twinkling stars of every single color in the world. A beautiful planet of many colors, reminding her, in a way, of Joseph’s coat of many colors from the Bible.
“Whoever made that place truly wanted it to be more beautiful than any other!” she thought
Peeping out from the left of the globe was a smaller globe, shining down on her with its glittering countenance! Geez! That is strange. For a few minutes, it didn't dawn on her she wasn't on Earth. Then, she frowned…
“Where in the ‘sam hill’ am I!?” she exclaimed. “And, why is it so damned hot! What is this, hell?”
Why was she hot? Oh, come on! Not again! She was way too hot! In fact, she felt as if she were back on that volcanic island! It was the very same feeling. Sweat poured from her, and she wiped it away with her hand, only to have it reappear immediately. Salt began to sting her eyes when it dripped into them, and she was heavy. Really heavy – as if the gravity had increased greatly.
Suddenly, a loud pop, and swooshing sound was audible. Looking behind her, she gasped.
“Oh, fuck!” she said, looking at a steam vent just behind her, steam exploding from it.
She didn’t want to look, so she shut her eyes quickly! No! She wasn’t going to open them! No way! Surely this couldn’t happen – again? Slowly she raised her head, and even more slowly, opened her eyes!
Looking around, she finally scratched out, “Jaxx?”
She waited for an answer, but none came. She tried, again.
“JAXXON!” But, her voice was even less, and no answer.
Gem was barely able to rise to a standing position so she could see around her better.
“Oh, my GOD!” she tried to say, her voice dying in her throat from the sulfuric acid wafting into her nose. It wrapped around what little air she did have to breathe, and stifled every breath! Just like the stench in the volcanic cave, it burned her nose and throat, and the stink was so bad, it was causing her to gag! She would throw up if her stomach wasn’t dry. Unlike the cave, though, where the outside had greenery, water, and even a black ocean, here, no matter how far she could see in any direction through the steam, her eyes brought her stinging vision nothing but white steam, blackened earth below her feet, steam everywhere, and even orange and yellow lava flows all surrounded her!
She saw a movement from her peripheral vision on the left, and turned her head. Several figures, maybe about three, were moving toward her. She couldn’t see them due to the heavy steam that surrounded them. She began to slowly back away as they continued to advance. Swords and staffs emerged, before their faces, and she stumbled, and fell on her ass. Her eyes grew larger as she saw the figures begin to take shape.
She brushed her sweaty, soaking wet hair out of her eyes, and with the emergence of the figures, her heart pounded in her chest with fear for the sharp, gleaming white teeth appeared first, before their faces. Where was Jaxx?
“I am So. Damned. Fucked!” she squeaked, then screamed when she saw what appeared to be arms reaching for her. Gem passed out, falling in the ashes below her.
Jaxx awoke slowly. Cold! So, fucking cold! Why was he so damned cold? He tried to sit up, then grasped his head as a red-hot pain shot through it.
“Ahhhhhhhh!” he yelled, and laid back down. Such pain! He had never felt this kind of pain in his entire existence!
After a few minutes, the pain subsided, and he tried opening his eyes once more. This time, the pain was, at least, bearable! He looked around the room, then his eyes shot back to a figure sitting beside his bed. He couldn’t focus, though. Who??? He tried to speak, but couldn’t. He tried, again. Nothing. When he tried a third time, the figure spoke.
“Relax, Jaxxon,” a soft voice said. “You’re alright. Your eyes will adjust soon enough.”
He frowned at the figure. He knew that voice, but he couldn’t place it.
“Your voice will return as well. It will just take a bit of time.”
He shook his head just a bit, and that caused the pain to shoot through his head, once again. So horrible, he knew he was slipping back into unconsciousness, but a soft hand brushed against his forehead, which eased his pain.
“Rest, Jaxxon. You are safe,” the voice repeated.
“But, what about Gem?” he tried to say, shivering uncontrollably, before he slipped away. “Where is she? Where is my heart? And, since when do I feel c-cold?”
“How is he?” a male voice asked, sounding as if he had lost his best friend.
“He is cold, but I am worried as to why he is cold. He shouldn’t be cold!” she said with tears in her eyes. She hitched up her black leather coat around her, even though she really didn’t need it. But somehow, it helped her ease the pain of loss and worry, and to keep it at bay. But, the truth was, it wasn’t working at all. “What happened to Gem? Why is she not here with him? Why did they not come together?”
“I do not know,” he said, looking down at Jaxx with worried eyes, watching Jaxxon shake. The man turned to her, taking her hand in his, which gave her a little bit of comfort. “But, we will find her, my love. On this, I give you my vow!”
He kissed the white hand, which had a huge emerald adorning it, and then, turning to scoop up Jaxxon into his arms, he secretly hoped that he would be able to keep that vow to his mate!
~~/~~
I want to thank my Creator for giving me such a vivid imaginataion! I am truly blessed by Him. I also want to thank Patti Champion and Tonya Rose, for contributing to this book, and taking the time for doing so. I want to thank my husband and daughter who, without their incredible support, I would never be able to do this. I also want to thank all my great Twitter and Facebook followers and friends for having so much faith in me. I am truly lucky to have such wonderful support throughout the last 3 years! You humble me, and I thank you!
LK Kelley
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