by Dawn Gray
“What gifts?” I whispered, shaking my head.
Zander glanced over at me, taking my hand. “Sam, you almost caught the house on fire, not to mention the job you were doing on those cuffs.”
“But, I…” I protested, but I could see by the look on his face that something had indeed happened to me. “So, why did you…”
“To protect you,” he whispered, turning fully to face me. “I swore that I would.”
I reached up, placing my hands against his heart and, for a moment, ours beat at the same pace, in rhythm with one another. Zander turned back to his Captain and nodded, then took my hand and led me to the awaiting jeep.
It seemed all too controlled to me, the way the jeep had been started and all the men coming too at once. There seemed to be something underneath the surface that I just didn’t understand, but I slipped in beside Zander, hoping to discuss it with him before the night was over.
His fingers laced with mine as we drove towards the small town, where rooms were rented in a lakeside hotel, three to be exact, one in the middle for the two of us, and one on each side for the guards. It didn’t faze him outwardly that his own soldiers were holding him captive, but I could feel the growing electricity that flowed through his body.
Once inside the one-bed room, Zander sat down in a small cushioned chair in a darkened corner and placed his head back to rest as I paced nervously around the room. After a few silent moments, he sat forward, placed his lower arms across his thighs and watched me move from one side of the room to the other.
“Sam, why don’t you try to rest?” he asked.
“Rest?” I smiled, glancing over at him. “I’ll rest when I get down to the bottom of this…this mess. They still don’t know how I got here, why I’m here and now the two of us are not only seeing through each other’s eyes, but also developing funky powers that feed off of our emotions. There is no way I’m going to be able to rest until we get answers.”
“I understand that, but…”
“No, Zander! No buts! There are other things going on that I don’t understand, and couldn’t intend to ever comprehend in this life time.”
“Like what?”
I stopped for a moment, unsure about letting out exactly what I felt but I shook my head and drew in a deep breath. “Who are you to me?”
“Just someone who saved your ass,” he grinned, “and a very lovely one at that.”
I felt my face flush and closed my eyes. “Ok, besides my ass, why are we so connected?”
Zander stood, moving slowly as not to spook me into running to another corner of the room, but I had been through too much to be frightened of the man that approached me. He reached out and took me by the arms, pulling me into his powerful embrace. My heart thumped as he leaned down, brushing his lips against mine gently.
“I don’t know if this is such a good idea,” I protested.
“Me either,” he whispered pressing closer, his lips engulfing me.
The fire started down in the pit of my stomach, racing ever lower as the heat began to flicker between my legs as his mouth caressed mine, penetrating deeper into my soul. I wrapped my arms around his neck, pulling him to me, closing off the last of the distance between us, and I felt the gush of wet desire flow from me. I heard him moan against my lips, as if he felt what I did, and his hands tightly bunched up the black shirt I wore.
I could feel him tugging on it, desperate to get to the skin beneath. When his flesh touched mine, I gasped, releasing his lips as the fire exploded into a million tiny embers. Zander ceased the opportunity, trailing that flame from my lips to the sensitive parts of my neck, his stubble scratching and tickling as my flesh felt like it was on fire.
“I’m burning up,” I whispered, my voice heavy with lust, and I felt him nod, his hands gently moving over my back. “Get this damn thing off!”
With a grin he looked up at me, grabbed the end of my shirt and tugged it over my head, leaving the black lacy bra and pale white skin of my upper body exposed. I felt his eyes move over me, leaving more fire trails in their wake as the electricity sparked around the room.
He wrapped one arm around my waist, and the other gently ran over the bare skin of my shoulders, skimming over the flesh. As if he had been offered a feast, Zander leaned down to taste, his lips and tongue glided down from the hallow of my neck to the swell of my breast. I couldn’t help the sounds that escaped my lips as this man set me on fire. His touch was as electric as his eyes, which stared up at me from the bare nipple that he had exposed.
He captured the taunt peak between his lips, the heat of his breath sending the fire within me spiraling, and I closed my eyes as light exploded behind my lids. I felt the hook on the back of the bra unsnap, and suddenly the lacy restraint was tossed aside. I opened my eyes, wanting to bring him back to my lips, for his touch made me feel consumed and I didn’t know how much more of it I could take before exploding, but I stopped and watched the power surge in the room.
“Zander,” I whispered, my hands resting on his shoulders.
He glanced up, his eyes full of lust and need, but he sobered quickly as he too watched the lights and the clock flicker on and off. He shook his head, placing hands on my waist and he stepped back. His breathing hot and heavy, but the look of confusion was apparent in his eyes. His shirt was soaked to his skin, his hair wet with perspiration, was flat against the shine on his forehead and he looked at me quickly.
“Breathe, Zander,” I spoke calmly, watching as he took several deep breaths, and as he did so, the lights started to stabilize around us. He closed his eyes and sat down on the bed, his hands against his forehead. “What is it?”
“Maybe I should have controlled myself.” He spoke softly, his voice muffled by his hands. I knelt down before him, my upper body still exposed and he looked away from me. I took his face and turned him back, staring deep into his eyes. “I could hurt you, Sam.”
“I don’t think so,” I replied, trying to smile, but it didn’t seem to come out.
Zander shook his head. “You were out cold because of the EMP I let off earlier trying to protect you, what makes it different now? Obviously I can’t control this, especially when I’m near you. I can’t…if I hurt you, Sam, I couldn’t live with myself.”
I crossed my arms over my chest as I nodded and stood. Slowly, I reached over, grabbed my shirt from behind him on the bed, and could feel his eyes on me as I turned and slipped it over my head. I pulled my hair out from where it was caught between the shirt and my skin, and then glanced back at him.
“I’m, ah, going to go take a shower,” I mumbled, moving slowly towards the bathroom. I heard him stand as I began to close the door and turned to see him watching me. “It’s alright, Zander. I do understand.”
“Sam, I…” He started, as he ran his hand through his hair, but I shook my head and shut the door.
Once in the quietness of the bathroom, my heart beat wildly and tears fell from my eyes, but I wiped them dry and moved over to turn on the shower. The red flash took over as soon as the water sprayed on, the sound of the jets filled my ears and I found that I could no longer stand on my own two feet. I wanted to call for Zander, to have him help ease the vision, but what I saw wasn’t what was happening now, it was what had happened before.
There were no charges set in the darkness of the attic rooms in the old church. In fact, the eyes I saw through seemed to be the only body in the dust-filled room. They scanned the area, not only with their eyes but with their instincts. Trusting that if all else failed, the training would pull them through, but nothing had prepared them for what came next.
The shadow was in the darkest corner, trying to hide from the light of the passing day, but they saw it shift, a shadow darker than the darkness that surrounded it. They moved on, raising the rifle up to use the infrared scope. Seeing it through the small glass, it was just a cold bloodless shape that never moved, until a split second before it hit.
It was on them before they could
get away, before they had the chance to fire, and its red fiery eyes pierced through them to me. I wanted to let the memory go, but it fought to hold on. Suddenly, in a bright flash of red, the shadow with the eyes was gone, and the smell of smoke filled the room. They turned and moved towards the closest window, hoping to find an escape, the smoke billowing in the corner. As they watched my heart leapt, for there I stood, in the middle of the lawn, dazed.
They turned from the window, moving swiftly through the halls and down the stairs, discarding the mask that hid their face, and the gun that was slung over their shoulder into the safety of a trunk. Passed the sounds of the praying parishioners they moved, trying not to alarm anyone. Then, as they moved out into the night, stopping not more than ten feet from me, the window behind me blew, scattering glass across the dark green grass.
I watched as I turned to glare up at the fire, and they reached out to grab my arm as the screams echoed in the night air. I tore away from the memories, shutting off my mind to what I had seen, for I knew what happened next. I didn’t need to see it from Zander’s point of view. The bathroom cleared, and focused. I felt the sticky wetness of blood on the hands that covered my face.
Looking down into the palms of my hands, I watched as it dripped continuously from my nose. I struggled to reach over and grab toilet paper from the roll. My limbs were weak, stressed from movement that wasn’t my own. I closed my eyes, laying my head down on the soft bathmat beneath me. I couldn’t find my voice, feeling as drained as I had ever felt and I wished more than anything that I could call him.
Zander, I whispered, my mind tingling as I thought about his touch. Zander help me.
I heard the rustling of papers, the squeak of the bed as a body moved from it, and then the footfalls of the man as he approached. Gently the door opened and he peered into the steam, his instincts telling him just where to look. He squatted down, gathered me gently in his arms, and lifted me off the cold linoleum floor.
He set me down on the comforter, dabbing my face with the tissue that I had been holding in my hand. I felt the kiss he gently placed on my forehead as I closed my eyes.
“I saw them, you! I saw what you did in the church, the creature,” I whispered, and heard him shush me into silence, his hand caressing my face as he pushed my hair back.
“Sam,” he whispered, after a few moments of silence. “Sam I heard you in my head.”
I reached out for him, unconsciousness taking over, and felt the warmth of his body as his arms encircled my waist, drawing me closer to him as he lay beside me on the bed. I could hear the shower running in the background, but nothing seemed to matter except that I was safe in the arms of a man I knew nothing about.
Still, as I drifted into that welcoming void, the one thought that my mind wouldn’t let go echoed back at me. What’s happening to me?”
4
It was the banging on the door in the early hours of the morning that brought me out of the dark, dreamless sleep that I had fallen into. I felt Zander jump with fright as he moaned and opened his eyes. My head rested on his chest and I felt him brush my hair gently as he slid out from underneath me. The knock echoed loudly in my ears as they pounded once again on the pressboard door.
“Hold on a damn minute!” He hollered loudly, grabbing the door handle. He swung it open, the pre-dawn light filtered in, causing him to moan and shield his eyes. Walters stood on the other side of the threshold, a brown bag in hand. I watched the stocky man glance passed Zander, who closed the door and placed his body to block any view. “What is it, Private?”
“Breakfast, sir,” the young man answered, holding out the bag. “Captain thought you and our guest might be hungry.”
“Thank you, Private,” he replied, taking the bag quickly. “Anything else?”
“Captain wants to meet with you and Ms. Ricketts in an hour,” Walters answered and I watched Zander nod, the static in the room growing quite apparent.
Zander! I whispered with my mind, feeling the tingle of my thoughts touch his. His hand came away from the doorsill and waved at me from behind his back, letting me know that he was ok.
“Fine,” he replied, his tone full of authority, and then he turned and closed the door. With a sigh, he rested the back of his head against the white door and shut his eyes.
“Come back to bed.” I spoke in a calm voice and watched as a smile played on his lips.
“Why does that sound so natural coming from you?” he asked, looking over at me. I smiled, feeling the blush on my cheeks, and patted the bed beside me. “And,” he whispered as he knelt on the floor beside me, leaning over to look at me as I lay there, “as tempting as the offer is, we need to eat and meet with the captain.”
“It does smell good, doesn’t it?” The smell of eggs and bacon drifted to my nose and I smiled.
“Come on, up and at ‘em, its time to eat.”
He moved over to the small table set in the corner of the room and dug into the brown bag that he carried. Two Styrofoam containers were set out, along with plastic forks and salt and pepper packets, and he gestured to the empty seat across from him as I walked over.
“You don’t think it’s drugged, do you?” I questioned, glancing at the scrambled eggs and toast that steamed before me.
“If it was, we wouldn’t be meeting in an hour,” Zander replied, digging into the fluffy eggs with gusto. I smiled and shook my head, gingerly picking at my food. “Are you one of those women who refuse to show their appetite to a man?”
I laughed, sitting back with the cup of coffee that he had pulled out of a smaller bag. “After last night, I don’t think I have much to hide from you, but the truth is I really can’t eat in the morning.”
“Ah,” he replied, and his cheeks turned a light shade of pink, before he looked me in the eyes, placing his fork down on the table beside his box. “About last night…”
“I told you that I understand. Whatever these powers are, they are controlled by our emotions,” I answered, feeling myself shiver at the thought of his hands on me.
“Actually, I was going to refer to the bathroom incident.” He cleared his throat and placed his hands on the table. “What happened in there? How did you call me with your mind?”
“I don’t know about the mind thing, but I guess you could say that I had a vision, of you in the attic of the church before the blast. You were walking around and this “thing” attacked you,” I replied, feeling suddenly cold. “What the hell was that?”
“It was what we were looking for before the fire. It’s hard to explain exactly what we do.” I nodded, pretty sure I understood, and not sure that I wanted to know just what it was they were doing with a creature like that. “Now that I think about it, I started smelling smoke, just as the red light flashed, blinding me. That’s when you remember first seeing the church, isn’t it?”
I nodded, and pressed my lips together, thinking to myself that it seemed odd that all of these events happened with a flash of red. There was something that had to connect the surge and what was going on between us. With a deep breath, I blew into my suddenly cold fingers and sighed.
“As for the mind thing, I couldn’t use my voice, and I just pushed with my thoughts. I think I needed you so much that something just connected.” I glanced up at him and watched the spark behind his eyes. “Why fire and electricity? You’ve got the EMPs, obviously whatever I do it has to do with fire, and I could feel it building in my chest when I was handcuffed.”
“It’s all a mystery.” He sighed, forking the eggs once again. I smiled as I watched him eat, thinking that only men could eat at a time like this. That’s not true; my stomach is actually turning right now, tied in knots.
I almost dropped my coffee cup as I stared at him from across the table. My mind tingled with his mental touch, just as explosive as when his flesh touched mine. He looked up at me, my mouth slightly open as my breathing quickened, I could see that he just realized what he did.
I shook my head, confused and pan
icky, and pushed the chair away from the table. He watched me move as I grabbed my jacket from the back of the desk chair and headed for the door. Suddenly, arms were around me, holding me in place as I shook, and I could feel his breath against my ear.
“Don’t,” he warned, pulling me back against him.
“I can’t!” I mumbled, my voice shaking as hard as my muscles. “I can’t deal with this! There’s so much happening, so much changing.”
“No, Sam, there’s not. It’s just you and me, we’re changing, but we’re growing more connected.” His voice was as soothing as the warm smell of lavender and I felt my tightened body relax in his arms. This connects us to one another.
I closed my eyes, drew in a deep breath and slowly released it as I pushed a gentle thought in his direction. What do we do now?
Go with it. It’s the only thing I can think of without going mad. I smiled at his directness and turned in his arms to face him. My hands came up to caress his face. Zander closed his eyes and leaned into the feel of the pulse that passed between us. This…this feeling when you touch me, when I touch you, it’s almost too much to ignore.
“Then don’t,” I spoke outwardly and pulled his lips down to mine.
Fire sparked as the electricity in the room surged and blinked. The heat I felt as he gently stroked the bare flesh of my back almost sent me over the edge as his mouth claimed mine, branding me with his passion. Zander slipped in, swirling and tasting, as if enjoying the coffee that I had just been drinking. I couldn’t help but laugh.
You find this amusing? I can’t believe you’re still dressed.
I don’t find this amusing at all, I find it truly intimate.
His hands tangled in my hair, holding me still as he took over, controlling the depth of his kiss and I found myself moaning against his lips.
You’re not laughing anymore. The tingle of his mind sent the lust gushing down to the heat between my thighs even as I felt his body backing away from mine.