by Sydney Addae
“Pizza, the kind we had in the restaurant that day. It was good.” Her fingertips stroked his chest for a few seconds before she stood on tiptoes and kissed him. It wasn’t a long, tongue fest like Adam preferred. She simply wanted to thank him for being so great.
He touched the tip of her nose and released her. “Well, I’ll take my offensive self out of your presence and handle it. I promise the next time I see you, you’ll swoon at my manly scent.” He stepped back and bowed.
Bella laughed. She couldn’t help it. Adam could be a clown when he tried. “Swoon? Probably…. Not,” she deadpanned.
He smiled. Gave her a quick kiss and left.
Bella went to dress, thoughts of Adam on her mind. She smiled at his antics and wondered if he’d been like that as a child. “Probably not,” she murmured.
Thinking of her straight-laced upbringing by parents who weren’t in charge of everything, she imagined he would’ve had more restrictions than her. It had to be difficult living beneath a microscope where everyone expected so much of you because of who your parents were. She didn’t know much about Adam’s siblings and wondered if they found a way to break free, or leave home like Adam had. She made a mental note to ask him later.
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
The Priestess sat next to Peter’s bed reading healing scriptures. Bella sat on the other side holding her father’s cool hand, humming the same song she’d sung for her mom. The rumble in the distance and consequential shaking beneath them caused concern. Bella’s gaze flew from her father, who remained coma-like, to the Priestess who closed her Bible and stood.
Chad, who had taken on Peter’s responsibilities as Security Chief, ran into the room. Normally, easy going, Chad’s wide-eyed gaze and hand-twisting signaled something bad just happened. Bella closed her eyes and sent up another prayer for the drama to stop. They’d had more than enough. It was time for peace.
“Slow down,” the Priestess said to Chad. “Tell me again what happened?”
“The stores in town, they caught fire…are on fire. The fire truck is there. It caused an explosion. Everything’s burning down. The cameras are down. No one’s answering the phones at the store.”
“Let’s hope that means they got out in time,” the Priestess said. “Mona and Jeremy worked today, right?”
“Yes. Normally it’s three of them, but we were short, so just the two.” His gaze flicked over Bella and her father.
“They should be here soon. Did you send someone to check on our store?” the Priestess asked as she moved toward the exit.
“No, I’m headed there now. Just wanted to let you know what was going on first.”
“Thank you. Take a cell phone from storage so you can contact me with updates.” The Priestess looked at Peter and back at Chad. “I’ll be here waiting to hear from you.”
“I hope no one got hurt,” Bella said into the silence, her thoughts on her friends and Adam. The hotel was on the outskirts of town, but close enough to walk to the shops. She said a prayer for him and his friends to remain safe.
“Amen to that.” The Priestess didn’t look at Bella when she spoke and hadn’t looked at her much in the hour they sat in the room.
“How did he rest last night?” Bella asked while staring at her father.
“He was just as he is now.” She picked up her Bible but didn’t read right away. “Do you have faith, Bella?”
Since she’d been expecting a comment or attack of her faith, Bella wasn’t surprised, she’d prepared. “Yes Ma’am, I have faith in God’s mercy and provisions. In His omnipotence, His wisdom and grace.” She’d made peace with God and they had a personal understanding that may not be the same as those in the Order. But that’s the way relationships worked.
Moments passed before the Priestess responded. “I see. But you don’t believe we’ve done the right thing for your father?”
Bella met the Priestess’ soft gaze. “I don’t know. Time will tell.”
“And if Mother Mary Magdalene takes him home? Will you accept that?”
Last night, alone in bed, Bella had given this matter tremendous thought. “I will require an autopsy of his body. If it proves my father could’ve lived with medical treatment, then no I won’t accept it.” She held up a hand to stop the Priestess. “I stand by what I said before. Too many doctors are Christians to believe God does not lead or guide their hands. I believe we’re supposed to use every gift God provides and knowledge of healing is a gift.”
Silence filled the room until the Priestess started reading Scriptures again. Bella hoped Adam was safe and on his way. Strange, but she missed him. No more than ten minutes passed when one of the women walked in, handed the Priestess a cell phone and left.
Standing and moving toward the door, the Priestess answered. “Chad? How are things at the shop?”
“What do you mean? Have you searched the building?”
Bella looked up at the last question. Chad had gone to check on the store.
“No damage? Praise the Lord. Finally, some good news, but —” She paused and walked into the hall.
Bella leaned in the direction of the door to hear.
“Where could they be? They haven’t returned here. I left instructions for them to speak with me on their arrival.” The Priestess sounded concerned.
Frowning, Bella wanted answers, but didn’t want to leave her father alone. When she no longer heard anything in the hall, she stood and peeked out the door. The Priestess leaned against the wall holding the phone by her side. Bella couldn't recall ever seeing her look so lost.
“What happened?” Bella asked as she stood in a position that allowed her to see her father and the Priestess. “Are Mona and Jeremy okay?”
Priestess inhaled, her shoulders straightened as if she were dressing for battle or something. “No. Chad can’t find them. They aren’t in town or here. He checked the forest and the path to the Compound. Alpha Barticus’ security team confirmed they haven’t returned since they left for work this morning.”
None of the made sense.
“Seems the fire bypassed our store, thank God.”
Bella couldn’t believe it. She’d worked in that store for years and there had never been a robbery or anything. “Which stores burned?”
“The bakery and the yarn store.”
“But we’re between those two.” Bella looked at the Priestess. “How could a fire start on the stores next to ours and skip us like that?” It made no sense.
“I don’t know.” She looked at Bella. “You think Mona and Jeremy stopped the fire from spreading? Then what?”
Bella shrugged. “Just seems strange, that’s all.” As long as she talked about the fire, she didn’t think about Mona or what could’ve happened to her and Jeremy. “Adam, where are you?” she thought.
“I just pulled up. Are you okay?”
Bella jumped and looked around.
“What? Did you think of something?” the Priestess asked taking a step closer.
“Um, no. Just thinking about the whole… everything that’s um, been going on and stuff.” She stepped backward into the room. I am not losing my mind. I am not losing my mind, she mentally repeated and took a deep breath.
“Hello, Priestess,” Adam said from the hall.
Bella gasped and covered her mouth, waiting.
“Hey,” he said walking into the room. “Did you talk to me a second ago?”
“How?” she whispered as he pulled her close and wrapped his arms around her waist.
“It’s a mating thing.”
She jerked back. He’d done it again, spoke to her mind.
“Try it,” he coaxed. “Do it the same way you did it before. Talk to me mind to mind.”
“What took you so long?”
He grinned. “Missed me?”
She inhaled. Another weird thing she’d need to accept. “Is this real? I’m your mate? We’re mated now?”
Laughing, he placed a loud kiss on her lips. “Yes. You’re my sex
slave forever.”
Smiling, she pushed him away and then sighed in acceptance when he snuggled closer. “Is sex all you think about?”
“No.” His hands slipped down her back and squeezed her hips. “I think about how much I love your voice, the way you smile, how good you smell, the way your eyes crinkle in the corner when you hum and sing. I think how cute our kids will be, how I’ll hold hands with you as we walk them into their classrooms on their first day.”
Stunned, mouth agape, she leaned back to look in his eyes.
“I think how blessed I am to have found the one person in the world who gets me on a cellular level. Someone who completes me. Someone I can show my real face without being afraid I’m not enough. That somehow I’ve fallen short.” He took a deep breath as his fingertips traced her mouth.
“But you can’t really fault me for thinking about sex when I see you, or am around you or think about you, Bella. You’re the sexiest woman in the world to me. Everything about you screams fuck me.”
She placed her hand on his lips. “Don’t say that word in here.”
“No one can hear me but you. Through our link we can be real with each other, share hopes, dreams, secrets, everything.” He kissed her finger. “Be real with me Bella. What do you think about us? Do you want a future with me? How do you see it?”
Sensing his sincerity and surprisingly enough, his insecurity, she took a moment to think through her response. “This whole idea of mating, one man for one woman forever is growing on me. No.” She shook her head. “You. You’re becoming important to me. I missed you today, which surprised me. I wanted to be with you and that’s not normal for me. Most of my life I’ve lived with my head in the musical clouds. Just me and music, I have books of stuff I’ve written over the years. Things have been crazy since we met, so you have no idea of how I am.” She paused to collect her scrambled thoughts. “A family. Kids. School. I’ve never imagined that far. Being with you makes me think it’s possible and I like that. I know we probably can’t stay here, no matter how much I’d like to.” This whole not accepting outside help cinched it for her. “I want to explore what being mated to you means. I’m glad you’re my sex slave.”
He laughed, pulled her close and held her tight for a few seconds. Bella listened to his steady heartbeat. Should she have addressed his feelings of inadequacy? She wasn’t sure. He hid his feelings well. She would remember that.
“Did you hear what happened in town? An explosion and fire on the main street. Alpha Barticus sent a couple of guys to see what was going on.” He wrapped his arm around her waist as they moved closer to her father’s bed.
“Yes. Mona’s missing.” She couldn’t believe she had forgotten to talk to him about it. “Remember, she and Jeremy were working at the store today. The strange thing is, the fires were in the stores on both sides of the Order’s and now Mona’s missing.”
“What did the Priestess say?” He sat down in the chair and pulled her on his lap.
“She’s confused. They didn’t come back here to the Compound.” Bella searched his gaze. “Where could they be?”
“I don’t know. Maybe they’re together someplace hanging out or something.”
Bella shook her head. “No, not with a fire going on. They’d have reported it and they didn’t.”
“You think something is wrong, don’t you?”
“I can’t help it, but I do. Too many coincidences. Mona and Jeremy wouldn’t just disappear. Not on their own.”
Adam nodded and reached out to a different link. “Jarcee, Bella’s concerned that her friends are in trouble. Can you check their store, see if you find anything that could give clues where they are? I’d appreciate it.”
“Leo and Brix are here. I’ll head into town and let you know if I find anything.”
“Thanks.” Adam took her hand. “Jarcee is going to look around. If something happened, he’ll be able to detect it.”
“You talked to him like you talked to me?” She met his gaze.
He nodded. “You might be limited in who you can talk to like this. My mom can only talk to two people though. My dad and Asia.”
“Her mom?”
“No. Asia has a special relationship with my mom, best friends. My mom and grandmom can’t mind-speak,” he said. “How’s your dad? Any change?”
“No.” Bella told him about the conversation with the Priestess and since no one could hear them, she added her concerns about her father dying in front of her.
He tightened his arms around her shoulders and kissed her cheek. “Whatever you want to do, I’ll support your decision. I’m here for you.”
“Thank you. It’s strange I never realized how alone I was until a few days ago. I’ve never been able to just say how I’m feeling like this without feeling selfish. It hurt so bad when my mom died and I was alone. Not physically but alone with no one to share my pain. I couldn’t function. I didn’t want to do anything. It was so hard…” she sniffed. “So hard.”
Adam turned her in his arms and held her face to his chest as she cried. He rubbed her back as she released pent-up tears and frustration. She cried until her tears dried up and she took a cleansing breath.
“Thank you.” She didn’t know what to say about the precious gift he’d just given her.
He placed his finger beneath her chin so she could look into his eyes. “We’re mates. What I have is yours. Anything you need I’ll give. Anywhere you are I’ll come. I’m your port in the storm. I’ll slay your demons and your dragons. You’re my mate, the best part of me.”
The soul wrenching sincerity in his eyes as he spoke gripped her heart and snuck inside. He meant what he said, she tasted the truth in his words. Amazed and humbled by his commitment she pulled his face to hers and kissed him.
“Bella, we’re headed to the village…” the Priestess stopped speaking as she walked in the room.
Face on fire, Bella pulled back from Adam’s embrace and met the Priestess’ stunned gaze. Bella cleared her throat. “Ma’am? You’re going to the village?”
The Priestess’ gaze flicked from Bella to Adam and back to Bella again. “Yes. The fire’s spreading and we need to clear out the stockroom and bring the products back here.” She looked at the bed and then at Adam. “Alpha Barticus has sent some of his men from here to help with the fire and assist us in removing our inventory. He can’t send more men to watch the grounds, so there’ll only be a few people here.”
“I can’t leave daddy,” Bella said in a stern tone.
“No. I undderstand. We need all the help we can but Peter needs to be watched.” She paused. “Although, the Bean Sisters are remaining in the Sanctuary to offer continual prayers. We could move Peter in there and they could keep an eye on him. Maybe one of you could come to help?”
Bella thought about it. Those two elderly women were legally blind. She doubted they could give him a sip of water from a cup using a straw. “The only way I’d leave him was if he were in a hospital under a doctor’s care,” Bella’s gaze held the Priestess’ for several seconds.
“What about you Adam? Will you assist us in our time of need?” the Priestess looked at him.
“No. I’m my mate’s personal bodyguard. I can’t leave her here alone.” His tone forbade discussion or debate.
“Mate? So, it’s true.” She looked up the hall. “Never mind, we’ll discuss it later. I must go.” She left. The thud of several shoes filled the air. Doors closed and then silence.
“Our kiss was interrupted,” Adam said nuzzling her neck.
Uneasy, Bella didn’t respond as she eased off his lap. “We should check to make sure the building is secure.”
Of all the outbuildings, the Sanctuary was the place used in the past to hide against attacks. Bella wasn’t sure why her father had been placed in one of the Sanctuary rooms, typically strangers were never allowed in this building. There were too many secrets, underground tunnels and it was rumored the book of Mary Magdalene was hidden in the Sanctuary
.
“Okay.” He stood and looked around. “Which way should I start?”
Bella bit her lip. She wasn’t sure why she was apprehensive, but couldn’t block the nagging feeling that something was off. “Where’s Leo and Brix?” she asked looking up at him.
“Outside. They won’t leave to help the Priestess,” he sounded apologetic. “My father would be pissed. Sending Jarcee to check for Mona leaves just the two of them, and he won’t be gone long.”
“Good.” She nodded rubbing her arms.
“What’s bothering you?” He pushed her hands aside and rubbed her arms.
“All of this is too strange.” She shook her head.
“Talk to me. My mom’s hunches turn out to be right most of the time. It could be a breeder thing,” he said.
Bella wasn’t interested in breeder’s intuition, hairs stood on her back and she couldn’t figure out why. She glanced at her father, and breathed a sigh of relief when his chest eventually rose and fell.
She listened intently but didn’t hear anything. “Do you hear anything?” she asked him.
“Nothing,” he said after a few seconds.
“They’re supposed to be praying.” Bella looked at Adam. “You should hear them, right?”
“Yes. But I didn’t hear them when I came in either. Maybe the walls are too thick and block sound.”
She thought about it for a few seconds and nodded. “I’ll go check. Be right back.” She headed toward the door.
Adam blocked her exit. “Woman you tell me something’s wrong and then want to go look for possible danger… alone? By now you should know me better than that.”
She saw the resolve in his gaze. He wouldn’t leave her side. “One of us needs to watch daddy.”
He continued to stare at her.
“What if I stand here and you walk down the hall and listen against the door. I want to be sure they’re alright.”
He continued to stare down at her.
“Please, baby. I need to know they’re okay. I’ll stay right here where you can see me. I won’t move. Promise.” She brushed her hand against his arm.