“I understand, Deryn. I’m sorry.”
“Do you know anything about dreams, Issac?”
“A little. Why?”
“Is it possible to just know something in a dream?” She put one hand on her lower stomach and one on Alejandro’s forehead. His eyes were closed and she knew what was coming next. She knew something was going to burst through the tree line and finish him off.
Issac crouched down next to her and touched her back. “You’ll see when we get you out of this that he’s fine. Your warning may be all he needs to keep this from happening, Deryn.” He gave her a funny look. “Deryn? Are you ... umm ... I don’t know how to ask this without wanting to give you a lecture on drinking while in your first trimester but do you know you’re pregnant?”
She let out a soft laugh. “No. I’m not.”
“I can sense it in you.”
Shaking her head, she kissed Alejandro’s forehead again. “I’m not pregnant in real life, just the dreams.”
“Wait, you’re telling me you’re pregnant whenever you dream?”
Deryn arched a brow. “No. Just when I dream about Alejandro. I can’t explain it and I stopped trying to figure it out but it’s part of the reason I don’t tell Kane.”
“Wouldn’t Kane be happy you’re having a baby with him?”
She didn’t want to discuss this with him but whatever Vonni had done left Deryn with the compulsion to spill it all. “Kane knows I can’t have children. He also knows he and I are not true mates so even if I could conceive, the chances of doing so with someone other than my true mate are considerably low.”
Issac put his hand over her lower abdomen. “May I?”
“Sure.”
The second he touched her, his eyes widened. “Are you positive I’m not going to have to watch you and the colonel having sex.”
“I’m positive. Why?”
“No reason.”
Deryn smiled. “It makes it easier having you here. Normally, whatever comes out of the jungle has attacked by now and Alejandro never rests this peacefully.”
“It’s not so much he’s resting peacefully, Deryn, it’s your mind thinking there might be a way to stop this. Is this the reason you came here? I sensed you didn’t want to come that something forced you. Is this it? Did the dreams make you want to come to him?”
“Part of it.” She settled down next to Alejandro and wrapped her arm around him. “When my uncle asked me to come here I knew Kane wanted me to be closer to him. I knew Onnie was dying for the opportunity to do something as exciting as this and I knew the colonel would be here. I think I can help him.” She hugged him tight. “Now that I’m here, I’m scared to leave Alejandro alone.”
“Because you think something bad is going to happen to him?”
Nodding, Deryn bit back tears. “That and I don’t want him to be alone. I hate seeing him that way. I also made someone a promise I intend to keep.”
“Who?”
Darkness pressed in around Deryn. It wasn’t intimidating. No. It was welcoming. “I’m tired, Issac.”
“That means the alcohol is wearing off. It was mixing with the spell Vonni cast and causing the hallucinations or memories to feel real. I’ve never seen her behave that way before. She really thinks you’ll kill us all. I’m sorry about that and I’m sorry she did this to you. The colonel will get you back to your tent and I’ll let Kane know you’re okay now.”
“Thank you,” she whispered. “Issac?”
“Yes?”
“Don’t tell Alejandro about the dreams. I don’t want him to know. I need to tell Kane about them first.”
He cleared his throat. “Umm, Deryn, I....”
“I’m not asking you to lie to your colonel I’m just asking you to leave out the part about me seeing him die again and again. Let me tell Kane first and then I promise I’ll tell Alejandro all about it.”
“But, Deryn....”
She snuggled in against a comforting warmth and let out a soft laugh. “Issac, I give you my word and I never break a promise. Ever. I’m too tried to argue with you about this. Can we talk about it later?” The darkness consumed her and she gave into it willingly.
Chapter Four
Deryn kicked awake with a start and just managed to bite back a scream. It took her a moment to realize she was in the infirmary on a cot. Glancing around, she found she was far from alone. Kane was next to her on a cot, snoring loudly.
Typical Kane.
Fulk was near the door, lying on a cot. Issac was about six or so feet from him. Ondrea was out cold on another cot. Her chest tightened as she searched for signs of Alejandro but found none.
“No.”
She got to her feet, careful to step lightly so that she wouldn’t wake any of them. Considering they were all supernatural with heightened senses, it was easier said than done. If it wasn’t for the overwhelming, driving urge to assure herself that nothing had happened to Alejandro, Deryn wouldn’t have bothered sneaking past them all.
She was almost to the door when something told her to stop. She did. Turning, she spotted Alejandro in the far corner. He was asleep on a blanket, spread on the floor. An empty cot was less than a foot from him yet he’d opted for the floor. It didn’t matter. The very fact he was alive and within her line of sight kept her from questioning his reasoning for picking the floor.
Tiptoeing across the room, Deryn made it to him without waking anyone else. He looked so peaceful lying there on his side. Unable to help herself, she went to her knees next to him. The urge to touch him was great. She gave into it.
Leaning down, she planted the tiniest of kisses on his forehead. She waited for him to strike out, do anything a shifter might do when startled awake. When he didn’t stir, she exhaled and let the tears she cried for him every time she dreamt of his death out. As she went to touch him again she sensed something near them. It was on the other side of the infirmary walls. Born to be a killing machine, Deryn had heightened senses as well. She also had a keen understanding of what was going on.
The evil that Che had warned her about was stalking them. Watching them. The fact that it had managed to get as close as it did without waking any of the shifters or others said just how powerful it was.
It made its intent known, almost daring her to do something about it. It knew she wouldn’t accept what it wanted to do--kill Alejandro. Part of her told her to wake Alejandro so he could help protect himself. The other part knew if she did, she would have to hide what she was and that in itself could cost him his life.
If I could only make him out to be a viable threat to them they’d back off.
She eyed him carefully. He hadn’t budged. She spotted the bowie knife strapped to his hip and decided to test her skills. Slowly, she reached for it, unsnapping its sheath and drawing it from it with care.
Alejandro didn’t move.
Exhaling, Deryn steeled herself for what had to be done. “Stop freaking out, Deryn,” she said, barely above a whisper. The need to self-comfort was great. “He’s like Kane. He won’t feel something tiny and he’ll heal instantly.”
She swallowed back a lump in her throat. “Oh gods, I can’t cut him. I can’t hurt him. Think, Deryn. Think. You could wake him up and ask him for a tiny bit of blood. I highly doubt he’ll let you do what you have to then. He’ll get himself killed.” She shook her head. “No. Think of something else.”
Alejandro rolled onto his back and his arm moved past the knife, cutting him open as it went. It was small but enough to draw blood. Her gaze went to his face. How he slept through that was a mystery to her.
She lifted the knife. His blood stained the blade. It wasn’t a lot but it would work. Silently, Deryn watched until his skin healed over. He would be fine. She lowered her voice. The need to explain herself was great but the desire to avoid waking him was greater so she spoke without really putting anything behind it sound wise. “I need to borrow your knife. I’ll do my best to bring it back. I’d like to promise you I wil
l but I’m no fool. I’m dealing with something even I’m afraid of and trust me--what I’ve seen in my life has given me a warped outlook.”
Bending down, she kissed his forehead again. “Stay safe.”
Deryn got to her feet and stared at the wall of the infirmary. “I feel you out there watching him. I won’t let you have him.” She raked the blade down the inside of her arm and bit her lower lip to keep from crying out as pain shot through her. Blood pooled, mixing with his and doing what she knew it would--temporarily blending with hers to mask her scent and replace it with his own.
For a split second, she could have sworn she saw Alejandro watching her. Dismissing it, Deryn concentrated on what needed to be done. She needed to make him out to be a serious threat.
The wound closed quickly, even without the assistance of her powers due to Alejandro’s high healing capabilities. She took a deep, calming breath before turning and rushing out of the infirmary.
Taking the knife in one hand, she pulled it down the palm of the other, making sure to cut extra deep. Blood immediately began to drip. Deryn rubbed her hands together and then smeared the blood on her arms and cheeks. It was disgusting but called for. If she didn’t, the wounds would only continue to heal rapidly, leaving her no choice but to keep cutting herself to assure she had Alejandro’s scent on her. This way, she would carry his scent until she washed the blood off.
Focusing, Deryn did something she rarely did. She mimicked an animal noise. It was a trait she’d gotten from the beastmaster blood that was somewhere in her family lineage. It was also a dangerous game to play because she didn’t understand all of the calls of the shifters. Plain, nonhuman forming animals were easy for her get. It was the ones that had the option of walking on two legs that baffled her.
The second she sensed the evil locking onto her, she smiled. “That’s it. Come on, let’s play.”
She thought she caught something moving out of the corner of her eye but what or rather who she thought she saw was Alejandro. That didn’t make sense. He was still sleeping. She looked again. Nothing was there. Deryn shook her head and set her mind on what had to be done.
Lifting her pant leg, she put the knife in the leg of her boot and stood. Staring out at the darkness, Deryn tuned her senses into the evil presence. It was closing in on her faster than she’d thought it would. She took off running full force towards the outskirts of camp.
The evil followed close at her heels. Deryn sensed Che and his friends before she heard them. She didn’t slow her pace. No. She kept going, running at a pace that would wear a normal human out in no time. Since she wasn’t normal, she had more stamina. The only problem was, without unmasking her true identity--that of a slayer, she was basically fighting with one hand tied behind her back. Never a good thing especially when dealing with evil as big as this.
She came to a grinding halt when she spotted a solider patrolling up ahead. Che leapt out from a tree and Deryn gasped. “Che, you scared me.” He gave her an apologetic look. She smiled. “See that guard?”
The tiny creature glanced at the solider and then back at her.
“Do me a favor, go steal his hat and run back up closer to base with it. Don’t give it back until he’s next to others. If he stays out here, the evil ones will kill him. This is a game to them. We’re all disposable.”
Che voiced his objection to leaving her alone in the form of a shriek. She pointed at him. “You are going to get me killed. Hush and do as I asked. Please.”
The second he rushed off to see to the solider, she started running again. Her night vision wasn’t as good as a shifter’s even when she was in full slayer mode. Keeping up appearances of being nothing more than a human made it almost impossible to see where she was going at the speed she was running. Branches slashed at her face, upper arms, any exposed skin they could find. Deryn chose to ignore the discomfort. Alejandro’s life was more important than avoiding scratches.
The evil rushed at her and she pushed harder in order to stay ahead of it. Her goal was to get it to think it wasn’t the baddest thing on the block. If it believed Alejandro was powerful enough to be in two places at one time and then disappear, they’d think twice about trying to attack him again.
The trick was, she had to live long enough to pull it off.
She could feel it closing in on her and she could feel its confusion. Continuing onward, Deryn trusted her instincts to take her somewhere safe. She felt something else. Something that made her think of Alejandro. She stilled and stared around, trying to see if he’d followed her. Finding no sign of him, Deryn caught her breath and kept running.
Stop, amorzão!
She did, positive she’d just heard Alejandro’s voice in her head. When she turned to run again she looked closer and gasped. There, in front of her, was the edge of a rather steep cliff. Had she not listened to the voice that sounded alarmingly like Alejandro’s in her head, she’d have tumbled over the edge.
The evil pressed in on her, nearing at an alarming rate. She sensed something else in the area. It wasn’t human. Looking to her left, she watched as what appeared to be some sort of a mix of a deer and a rabbit stepped out from behind a tree. Long, floppy ears framed a narrow face and snout. Its wide eyes landed on her and it froze.
Putting her hand out, Deryn let calmness, peace and safety radiate from her. She nodded. “That’s right. I won’t hurt you.”
It pushed similar, friendly feelings out at her.
She looked over the edge of the cliff and then at the deer-like thing. “Is that water I hear? Is it deep enough for me to be okay jumping into from here?”
It seemed to think about what she was asking and then it pushed one simple answer out at her. Yes.
“Good enough for me,” she said, yanking her shirt over her head. She slipped her boots off, and carefully set Alejandro’s knife aside before taking her pants off. Standing only in her bra and underwear, Deryn nodded at the creature. “Wish me luck.”
She jumped, feet first over the side of the cliff. Her stomach dropped and she had to fight back a scream when she hit the icy cold water. Exhaling right before she went completely under, Deryn prepared for the worst but hoped for the best.
Her chest burned as the urge to draw in a breath hit her. She knew better. To do so now would leave her breathing in water, not air. Darkness began to creep up around her and Deryn knew it wasn’t because it was night. No. She was close to passing out. She’d pushed her body too hard. Something seized hold of her and yanked her to the surface.
Deryn drew in a deep breath and coughed as she swam towards the shore. Each stroke left her body aching. The wear and tear she’d inflicted without tapping into her own healing powers was evident. There was no sign of anyone around her but she was positive something had pulled her up.
Crawling onto the shoreline, Deryn made it about two feet before sheer exhaustion caused her to collapse. She knew she could go no further without a break. Focusing, she tried to locate the evil presence and was shocked when she didn’t find it.
“It worked,” she whispered, her voice hoarse. A tiny laugh escaped her. “He’s safe.”
She lay motionless but was still happy regardless of what kind of shape she was in. Alejandro was now someone they’d think twice about messing with. The tomb guards wouldn’t but she’d deal with them if the need arose.
Get up, amorzão. It’s too dangerous for you to stay out here.
The sound of Alejandro’s voice boomed through head. Thinking her sanity was slipping, Deryn mentally batted it away. “Go away. I’m too tired to lose my mind right now.”
She closed her eyes, silently vowing to rest just a little bit before heading back to camp. Something nudged her and she actually had to fight to open her eyes she was that tired. When she did, she found a pair of intense emerald green eyes staring down at her. She blinked, sure she’d finally lost it.
The black jaguar that stood next to her didn’t disappear. Deryn let out a low, ragged breath. “I wondere
d how long I’d be here before I started dreaming of you again. Looks like I didn’t even make it one night.”
It nudged her again. She ran her hand through its fur, near its neck and glanced at his chest. Her eyes widened. “You’re not hurt.”
Puzzled, Deryn rolled onto her back next to the jaguar she knew to be Alejandro and smiled even though the action left pain shooting through her entire body. “This is the first time I’ve dreamt of you and you haven’t been hurt.” She winced as pain shot through her. “Ouch. It would appear I’m the one who is hurt in this one.”
She watched as the jaguar morphed into a man in the blink of an eye--a sure sign he, indeed, was not injured in this dream. If he had been, his shift would have been slower.
Deryn stared up at a very naked Alejandro and couldn’t help but laugh. “I finally get you naked and above me and I’m too sore and exhausted to do anything about it. Someone up there has a sick sense of humor.”
“What were you trying to do? Get yourself killed?” he asked, his voice low but his tone sharp.
Deryn’s eyes widened. “You’ve never spoken to me in the dreams before.”
He exhaled deeply and touched her face. “Do they hurt?”
“What?”
“All the cuts and scrapes you have from foolishly running off into the jungle. Alone. At night. Alone.”
She giggled. “You already said alone already.”
He growled, not seeming to find the humor in it. “I know. I thought it was a sticking point.”
“Oh.” She couldn’t help herself. Seeing him there, unharmed and actually talking to her was too much. Tears welled and she let them flow free.
Alejandro’s face fell. “Shit, I didn’t mean to make you cry. I just need for you to understand you can’t risk your life like this. What in the hell where you thinking?”
A hiccupped sob came from her. “Those evil things Che warned me about were outside the infirmary, stalking you. They’d come to prove a point--that they could get close to you without you knowing. I couldn’t let them hurt you. I had to make them fear you. I think it worked.”
Shifter Fated Mates: Boxed Set Page 68