by Harper Wylde
Come here. He walked towards where I was standing near Nix, and I pushed him gently to sit on the edge of the couch cushion in front of her. Taking his hand, I placed it about six inches from her mouth. He could feel her warm breath wrapping around our joined fingers. He exhaled, reassured for now, and he pulled his hand away, resting his elbows on his knees. Dropping his head into his hands, he dug his fingers into his hair as he stayed close to Nix, acting as sentinel.
If it wasn’t the Council, then who was it? Theo eyed us all. It seemed too pre-planned to be an accident. The car was parked along a back service road, and the asshole took off as soon as the shots were fired.
Maybe they didn’t want to get caught having made such a drastic mistake?
Hiro, you don’t believe that. I picked up traces of emotion from all of them and pinged them around the link, letting everyone experience what I was feeling from each of them.
The alternative is serious. That means someone is either after her or one of us and if it’s the latter, then she took a bullet meant for either Ryder, Theo, or myself. The voice behind Hiro’s thoughts was hard and angry and I knew in that moment he would have taken that bullet for her even if it meant his death. I might be the protector of the family, but we all felt protective over the sleeping beauty on our couch.
We all eyed each other as the sobering thoughts settled in the room. The clomp of Killian’s boots on the steps was the only sound as he climbed back upstairs to join us, thoroughly worn out. He took up a spot in the living room, leaning against the wall where he could keep his eyes on Nix. Hell, all of our eyes were on Nix as we watched her sleep, each lost in our own thoughts. Killian’s voice in our heads broke the silence.
Who the fuck would be stupid enough to come after us? I can’t think of a single person with enough balls to try. Plus, I don’t think we have any enemies. I mean, I guess if the fucker was a part-blood he could be associated with a rebel group who hates mythologicals, but what’s the probability of that? Have we heard of any groups in the area that have been flagged as dangerous? You’d think if any had gotten this close to the commune, the Council would have informed everyone of them and already dealt with them.
Kill’s correct. Theo pushed his glasses onto his face and consulted his phone, double checking before he spoke again. There haven’t been any alerts to rebel activity in the area. Unfortunately, we can’t really reach out to the Council to inquire without giving up the information about the incident which will, in turn, out Nix.
We’re not outing Nix. Steel rang through Ryder’s thoughts. We promised her we wouldn’t let the Council know about her yet.
A sigh left Hiro and he reluctantly gave in to the thoughts that we were all trying to avoid. It’s obvious that she has demons in her past. I don’t think she’s going to be open to sharing any more with us than what she already did on the trail, but we need to know who might be sadistic enough to come at her like this. If her father’s not a part-blood than we need to know who else it could be.
I ran my hands through my hair, suddenly exhausted. She won’t be able to tell us if she knew any part-bloods. She had no idea that there were shifters until she got here. Pushing her won’t accomplish anything but to upset her.
Damien’s right. I say we keep this to ourselves. If I could get some information from her, I could dig into her background a little and see if I find anything. Maybe she had more contact with shifters than she knew. In the meantime, I’ll start looking into any possible avenues that tie back to us and our group. It’s possible there’s something we’re missing. Until we know more, lets keep this to ourselves and try not to worry Nix. Theo’s voice rang with authority.
Nods from the group signaled the end of the conversation. Plan in place, we all took up positions around the room, our eyes never straying far from Nix.
Twenty-Eight
Nix
Soft voices had floated in and out of my dreams as I slept. I wasn’t sure how much time had passed but I woke up on a large, soft sofa. Glancing around I saw Killian on the chair across from the television and Theo asleep on the other side of the sofa from me. Ryder was lying on the floor next to where I was laying, his hands under his head acting like a pillow as he slept. I could hear Damien working in the kitchen. Apparently Damien had laid me on the sofa to rest because I was still in my blood soaked clothing. I hoped I hadn’t stained their couch. I sat up slowly, trying not to wake anyone as I did. As the day came rushing back to me I couldn’t help the well of emotions that ran through me, anger and confusion winning out. Holy shit. I had actually been shot!
Killian glanced at me. “You’re awake. Feeling any better?”
“Oh yeah. Feeling totally jolly.” I muttered. I was a bit cranky when I woke up, so sue me. Anybody who died on a regular basis would feel the same way. “The shooter…” I trailed off, unsure how to broach the subject and not completely ready to talk about the fact that some asshole shot me. Twice. Yeah, cranky might not be a strong enough word.
“We’re looking into it, Nix. You don’t need to worry about it. You’re safe. I swear.” His eyes didn’t leave mine as he gave me his word.
“Do you think it was an accident?” My voice was quiet. Did I want to know?
“It’s a possibility. We’re not ruling it out.” He didn’t offer up any more information and I had to decide if it was enough for me. Taking a shaky breath, I realized how tired I still felt. The amount of work my body had to do to heal was astronomical and in that moment I decided I was done with questions for now.
“Ok. I don’t want to talk about it anymore.”
“How about a bath, hm?” he asked. “I’ll carry you upstairs and then I'll stick close so that I can hear you call if you need anything.”
I raised my brows. He had surprised me. I had expected that someone as controlling as he was would expect me to allow him in the bathroom with me. He shot me a wide grin. Yep, it was definitely a dangerous smile. It softened his face and had his green eyes dancing. He was so much easier to resist when he was being an ass. “I understand that you’re still getting used to touch. I’m not going to push you.” His grin dropped as he looked at me, and his voice took on a lilting burr I had never heard before. “Nix, I’m always going to be honest with you. It may not always be the right time, and it may come out rougher than it should, but no matter what they say about me they’ll tell you I never lie. Ever. So, I’ll tell you it’s not because I don’t think you’re attractive. I think you’re fucking gorgeous. But that relationship will come in it’s own time, or it won’t. For now, just let us take care of you. Please.”
Wow. I had not been expecting that. I kept my eyes on his as I nodded. I missed soaking in a hot bath and the idea almost had me groaning out loud. “Ok. I’d love a bath. I’d really like to clean up and I could use some fresh clothing.” He reached down to me, scooping me into his arms. I hesitated as he climbed the stairs, seeming to carry me with no effort at all. “Killian…” I stopped, unsure if I should say what was on my mind. He’d been honest with me though, and I wanted to be honest with him too. “I think you’re attractive too. I don't know if anything will come of it. I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to have that kind of relationship. But I do think you’re attractive.” He shot me a blinding grin and set me on my feet in front of the bathroom.
“Call if you need anything. I’ll bring you some clothing and leave it outside of the door. Towels are in the cupboard. Take as long as you like.” He grinned again and left me in peace to bathe. I closed the door behind me, slightly dizzy from his smile and the nerves I was feeling after that exchange. I briefly considered the jacuzzi tub that seemed to be calling my name. It had been so long since I had been able to indulge in not only a long bath, but one in a deep tub that I could fill completely with hot water. However, I knew that I wouldn’t feel truly clean without a shower. Practicality won out and I stripped, stepping into the hot jets of water pouring from the showerhead. Red swirled down the drain as I scrubbed the dirt
and blood from my skin. I sighed, arching my back into the heat. God, that felt good. My Phoenix sighed in contentment as well. She seemed to like the heat and steam that were wrapping around me like a blanket.
I hesitated, studying the bath products on the shelves in front of me. After a moment I shrugged. I needed to get clean and Killian had known I would be in here. If there was something I shouldn’t use he would have told me. I scrubbed my hair and body over and over again, grateful for what seemed to be an endless supply of hot water. Once my skin was completely clear and wrinkled, I ran a warm bath with the rest of the hot water and settled in. Soaking in the water always relaxed me and it felt like a little piece of normality in the upheaval that was my life. I must have been in the bathroom for ages, and I decided I was probably being rude for taking so long. Reluctantly, I drained the water and stepped from the tub, grabbing a towel to dry off. Wrapping the towel tightly around myself, I cracked the door to grab the clothing Killian had tossed on the floor. It appeared to be a mismatch of several of the guys’ clothing. From the length of the dark green shirt I’d guess it was Killian’s. The black gym shorts were slender at the waist so I’d guess they were Hiro’s. I still needed to pull the drawstrings tight to keep them on, however. When I picked up the purple socks I could tell they were cashmere. Definitely Ryder, then. I smiled as I tugged everything on. How had they wormed their way into my life so quickly? I wondered if it was a shifter thing, where I knew they would protect me when I was unable to protect myself and it instinctively called to me.
Feeling slightly guilty, I dug through the cupboards by the sink and found a hairbrush, a hairdryer, and a toothbrush still in its packaging. I knew my hair would take forever to dry and be a complete mess if I didn’t at least partially dry it now. It could be a real pain having such long hair. I’d thought about cutting it before, but it was one of my biggest vanities. It made me feel soft and feminine to have it draping around me. It was also a shield from the world around me, giving me something to hide behind if I was stressed or scared. I usually had to pull it back into a loose braid to sleep or exercise though, because it did tend to go everywhere otherwise.
Humming softly to myself, I set about putting my hair to rights and getting the taste of blood out of my mouth. I couldn’t dry my hair all of the way, my arms were shaking badly before I got half way through, but I knew even drying it some would help. Feeling mostly normal again, excluding the weakness that still prevailed, I cleaned up my mess and ducked out of the bathroom.Theo leaned against the wall across from the bathroom, his head cocked as he studied me. I blinked slightly at the glasses he wore. They made his brilliant blue eyes even brighter and more intense, it was hard to look away.
“I’m glad you’re on your feet.” His voice was soft as he addressed me.
I squirmed, a little unsure. “Thanks. Killian said I could take a shower and I feel a lot better now.”
He nodded. “Good. We want you to be taken care of. Damien’s cooking. Are you hungry?” I suddenly realized I was completely starving.
“Famished.” I tried to run my fingers through my damp hair, but my arms shook from the effort.
“Wait a moment.” Theo reached for me slowly, giving me time to object to the motion, before pushing me back into the bathroom and hurrying away. Rushing back to the open doorway, he set a stool down in the small space. “Have a seat. I’ll finish drying your hair.” As he got set up with the hair dryer, he maneuvered our positions so that I was closer to the open door, and he was in the more confined space of the bathroom. Sometimes it’s the small things that tell you everything you need to know about a person. It was that way with Theo; he was sweet and caring in his own abrupt away. He ran his fingers through the locks of my hair and I couldn't hold in the moan that left my lips. God, that felt amazing! Theo’s eyes met mine in the mirror, the electric blue heated and seemingly more intense, his blonde hair falling haphazardly across his forehead. “Let me know if it’s too much.” The tone of his voice was low, almost like he was afraid to break the spell of the moment. Nodding, I watched as he picked up the dryer and switched it on, losing myself to the feel of his hand in my hair.
After a few minutes, I spoke over the drone of the dryer. “How’d you learn to style hair?” I hoped the question didn’t offend him but his movements were smooth, sure, and practiced—it obviously was a skill he was confident in.
“My mom moved us here to Alaska after my dad died. She was working all the time and Rini and my sister, Molly, relied on me a lot. It drove them crazy when I messed up their hair before school. I got some books and I practiced a lot. I guess it just stuck in my head. Now I’m glad it did.” I watched him in the mirror as a small smile took over his face. He was gorgeous, and I loved that I got to watch him while he was focused like he was. I had a feeling that Theo was the kind of person who threw himself into a task with his whole being, never leaving anything partly finished. There was some perfectionism in him that way. His hands were gentle as he parted my hair, drying every inch of it.
“I’m sorry… about your dad.”
He nodded his thanks, not opening up more at the moment. I filed the information away for later, wanting to know more about him and his life. I sighed as his fingers played lightly over my hair, fluffing it to let the hot air finish doing its job. I had barely begun to learn about these guys. I definitely wouldn’t have expected that Theo had a sister. When the noise of the dryer stopped, and as he started putting things away, he picked the conversation back up. “I’ve been doing some research, but I need a little information from you. Would you mind giving me your name and your parents’ names? It would help me when I try and trace your ancestry.”
I answered him though a part of me was still hesitant to reveal too much, “My last name is Coxx, two x’s. Michael Coxx was my father. My mom’s name was Amanda White.”
He frowned as he considered that, sliding his glasses from his face to chew the stem while he spoke. As I watched him in the mirror, I couldn’t keep my eyes away from his lips as they wrapped around the metal framing. “Neither are common shifter surnames, but that doesn’t really mean much. I know you said you were pretty confident that Michael,” the name came out on a growl, “was not a shifter. I’ll still research him, just to see what I can find. It still doesn’t make sense.” The last sentence was a murmur as he looked at me with curious eyes. “Phoenix generally show a prevalent Egyptian ancestry. Your looks match, but even your mother’s maiden name is generic.”
I gaped at him, finally able to look away from his mouth. There’s no way he realized how rude he sounded. I spun on my stool to face him, “Are you saying that I can’t look Egyptian because of my last name?”
Catching on, he began to rapidly shake his head. “No! That’s not what I meant! I’m sorry, my mouth frequently spits things out before my brain can filter them. I didn’t mean to offend you, honestly. Shifters are proud of their heritage. You see the same family names, the names with meaning to each origin, the names that are variants of their shifted forms in other languages. Most of us speak at least two languages so that we can honor our country of origin. We’re all extremely prideful.” He nearly stumbled as he tried to get all of his words out quickly. “I also found some information about your history and potential powers. If you’re interested.” He shot me a wary look as he motioned for me to stand up and head out of the bathroom with him.
“Thank you… for drying my hair.” I pulled some of the long tresses over my shoulder and continued on a sigh, “I’m definitely interested. I want to know everything.”
He laughed, his blue eyes shining as he teased, “Calm down, little one. You’re talking centuries of history, evolution, and politics. You won’t learn everything at once, or even that quickly. It will take time.” He slid the glasses he’d been holding into the vee of his t-shirt.
I stuck my tongue out at him. “You track shifters by surname?” I asked, too curious to retain my questions or hold on to my indignation. I knew he ha
dn’t meant any offense.
“We’re trying to. It would help to prevent undocumented shifters from leaking through the Council’s notice and it would allow us to to track bloodlines of rare shifters to see if any carry recessive genetic markers that could be paired to bring a breed back from extinction. For example, there’s a very small possibility that both Michael and your mom carried recessive versions of the genes for Phoenix shifters. If that was the case, when you combined the recessive gene you could potentially end up with offspring who have the ability to shift.” I nodded as I followed him to the dining room—I remembered some of my genetics studies from biology. The subject was a little confusing but absolutely fascinating.
Damien looked up from the stove where he stirred a giant pot. He sent me a bright smile as he looked me up and down quickly, I assumed he was checking for any additional injuries. Apparently content that I was fine, he turned back to whatever he was stirring. I took a deep breath, trying to identify the smells. Was that curry?
“You’re making curry?” I asked, slightly surprised.
He shot me a grin. “It’s Thai green curry and jasmine rice.” I headed over to the stove to peer into the pot. It smelled amazing. He leaned in to whisper conspiratorially in my ear, “It forces them to eat vegetables.” I grinned back at him. He offered me a tasting spoon and I took it, considering.
“Coconut milk, curry, lime…” I hesitated, letting the flavor sit on my tongue. “Basil?” I asked, hesitant on that.
Damien nodded, seemingly impressed. “Good job. You nailed almost everything. There’s also fish sauce, soy sauce, and brown sugar. Think you can guess the vegetables by taste?” I considered.