“No, Phoenix!” she screamed. Her body shook. Breathing became more of a dream than a reality. When she opened her eyes, she was on fire. Phoenix was on fire. The bed wasn’t. How? She couldn’t hold thought as Phoenix petted her while she came down from the high he took her too.
“You didn’t,” she said as the flames slowly extinguished.
“Next time,” he said in her ear. He pulled her closer while she floated in a bliss she never experienced before.
Chapter Fourteen
“Someone’s at the door,” Rylee called out like Phoenix couldn’t hear the knocking. He gave a nod to his head, and she left the kitchen where she was leaning against a counter wrapped in her robe.
“Hello.” She called out as she opened the door.
“Hi.” Serenity was nervous rocking back and forth like she couldn’t stay still. Akron was leaning against the wall to the elevator. He waved but stayed silent.
“Are you okay? Do you want to come in?” She moved her head to include Akron.
“No, we’re going to go eat breakfast downstairs, but there’s something I want to give you.”
Rylee stood still as she waited for Serenity to work it out.
“Now that I have your DNA, if you went missing again I can follow you easier.”
“That’s a comfort I never expected to have.” Rylee reached out a hand and Serenity took it giving her a smile full of relief.
“There’s more. I can also touch things that belong to you or say they belong to you. This is difficult; I don’t want you to think I’m a creeper. I’m not! Just great, has there ever been a creeper that said, ‘hey I’m a creeper?’”
Their eyes met, and they dissolved into laughter.
“Did that even come out right?” Serenity asked. “I should have paid more attention in school.”
“Right! Me too.” The last of the building tension drained away with Rylee’s words.
Serenity opened her hand and dangled a beautiful necklace in front of her. It was Citrine and shaped like a heart.
Rylee’s hands flew to her mouth while tears shimmered in her eyes.
“This called to me. I couldn’t ignore it. Akron and I went searching for it last night. Someone hid it for you. Your heat signature is all over it.”
“My mom.”
“I thought you were an orphan?”
“I was. My mom, she adopted me when I was ten. She didn’t tell me she was my real mom until I was fifteen. She gave me up when I was three, and I didn’t remember what she looked like. I couldn’t let anyone know. It helped that her hair was black. She said my hair was a gift and a symbol of what I carried within me. That necklace,” she pointed to it dangling from Serenity’s fingers. “That was my inheritance. My mom said when I was ready she would give it to me. It wasn’t on her when she took her last breath.”
“Sounds like your mother was wise.” Serenity handed over the necklace.
Rylee moved closer and hugged Serenity holding on tight. “I’m going to love having you as part of my family.”
“I’m going to love having you for a sister,” Serenity whispered back.
They finally broke up, Rylee watched them until the elevator doors closed. She went back in to find Phoenix waiting for her. The food for breakfast sitting on the counter, but not cooked.
“Serenity found my mother’s necklace. She always told me when the time was right that it would be mine.” Phoenix came closer looking at the necklace that was sitting at the base of her throat.
“It’s beautiful.”
“Thank you. I don’t know why she thought it was special, but I don’t care she gave it to me.”
“How much control do you have over your fire?”
“Not much. I can start a house fire, but don’t have the focus to make small fires.”
He smiled, “Close your eyes Rylee and open your hand. Imagine one small tongue of flame sitting on your hand.”
“Phoenix.”
“Do it.”
She shivered, that commanding voice was making her panties wet. At this rate, she’d need another shower. With her eyes closed, she pictured the perfect flicker of a flame. One of those she used to watch on cartoons when she was a child.
“Open your eyes.”
In her hand stood a flicker of a flame. It wasn’t perfect; it kept trying to escape the boundaries she set up for it. But it was in her hand and only moving the width and length of it.
“How? I never.”
Phoenix pointed to her mothers’ necklace. It was lit up like fire consumed it on the inside.
“It’s helping you to channel your power, helping to make it manageable. The more you practice–an hour a day–the easier it will get.”
Rylee rubbed at her eyes trying to fight the tears that were finally slipping free. “When my mom died, I refused to cry. Run Rylee, run.” Her voice was soft. He could still hear the panic and the fear that laced it. “My mom was determined that I would be free. She would have liked you, liked all of you.”
Phoenix wrapped her in his arms swaying from side to side. He had seen it in some of the movies they had watched. He listened as the loud thump of her heart settled down and her breathing evened out. His Rylee, his mate was responding to him. There was a feeling of being invincible that went through him along with the knowledge that he was vulnerable.
Rylee with her bright-red hair and her grass-green eyes was his Achilles heel. The reaper was coming and the first person he would go after was his mate. If something happened to her, how would he go on? How could he fight when the thought of her being hurt was enough to knock him to his knees?
His heartbeat went wild under her ear. “I’m here Phoenix. We’re here together. Protection goes both ways. I’ll protect you while you protect me.”
He felt her lips curl into a smile against his chest. His heart settled down. Later, he would panic, now he would enjoy the one person he never thought he would find.
“I better feed you, so you’ll have energy.”
“Oh?” She moved back and went to sit in a chair. “Did you have anything particular in mind?”
“Eww, old people pheromones.” Elfin walked into the kitchen going for his food.
Rylee gasped choking on a laugh.
“Come here Elfin I have a deep fryer with your name on it.” Phoenix glared at him.
Elfin jumped into Rylee’s arms and shivered staying close to her chest. Rylee's body shook, laughter coming from deep inside. She and Elfin almost fell off the chair she was laughing so hard.
“Leave baby boy alone,” she told Phoenix when she could talk.
“Un huh, baby boy my…”
“Watch your mouth, he’s delicate.”
Phoenix met Elfin’s eyes. He tilted his head back and laughed while Elfin gave the cat version of a laugh. They bonded over Rylee’s feelings for them.
“Go eat and don’t think I’ve forgotten cat piss on my hand.” Elfin made loud vocal noises as his body shook. Then he jumped down and went to find cat food and some meat in his bowl. Phoenix gave him a sly smile and a wink.
“I saw that Phoenix,” Rylee told him with pride and laughter in her voice.
“I’ve no idea what you’re talking about.” He cooked breakfast.
They sat and ate in peaceful quiet, then cleaned up. There was another knock at the door. Rylee jumped before she ran to open it. No one was there, except a bag that sat in front of the door.
She took the bag to the bedroom. That was where Phoenix had been heading. She placed it on the bed.
“No one was at the door.” She opened the bag and took out a pair of pants. Her hand flew to her mouth. “OMG!”
“What?”
She was holding up a pair of jeans that had zippers placed on it randomly and was as buttons. “When we went shopping, I saw these pants and went nuts over them. None of them fit me. I wanted them so badly. Wide hips, smaller waist, smaller legs. Ugh, it’s so hard to find nice fitting pants.”
She tossed
her robe aside not a bit uncomfortable in just her bra and panties. The jeans fit her like a second skin.
“Who? Do you think Brandi made these? She’s an in demand up-and-coming fashion designer. How would she have time to make clothes for me?” She took the rest of the pants out of the bag and there on the back of each one of them was the simple tag that said made by Brandi.
“Why? I can’t even…”
“You’re their new sister. Piper’s get to know you was done over mint tea and alcohol.”
That sounded good, she’d have to be there for the next one. “They accept me.”
He gave a nod of his head, and she realized; she was at home. This, Phoenix and the family she was developing here were worth fighting for. Troy was right; she would have to accept quickly what was happening. All the words Troy told her over the last three years came back to her. He taught her without her knowing. She owed him.
She put her clothes away leaving out the pair of jeans, she was in love with.
“What next?” her bottom lip was captured between her teeth as she waited for Phoenix.
“Mekhi is on his way up to check on you. If he says you're strong enough, we can out or downstairs to mingle.”
She nodded. Part of her wanted to go outside, date, spend time flaunting the fact that Phoenix was holding her hand and not the hand of the model thin women out there that looked down their noses at her.
That was petty, right? She shrugged her shoulders; she could do petty. If given a chance, she would roll in it, cover herself with it Eau de petty. A smile tugged at her lips as Phoenix went to let Mekhi in.
“How do you feel?” Mekhi asked as he walked in.
“Better.” She was sitting in the comfortable, oversized chair on the other side of the bedroom. Her answer wasn’t a ringing endorsement. As long as she kept her mind off what happened, she could keep the pain to a minimum.
“Hmm, sounds like you’ll fit in fine here.” He walked over to her and began his examination. “You present like you’re healed. I think I should tell you that I’ve never seen anyone with their digestive tract lying on a table heal as fast as you.”
Rylee’s eyes dropped as her teeth put pressure on her bottom lip drawing a drop of blood.
“I’m sure you heard by now that they lifted your heart. It's a miracle it was still beating, it was lying on the side of your ruined chest. The chest they cracked open.”
Her hand started to shake as it covered her heart. Her breath came faster while nausea and pain slammed into her. She slid for the floor. Phoenix caught her and lifted her like a bride being carried over the threshold.
“What are you doing?” He hissed at Mekhi aware that he was holding Rylee.
“I’m reminding her that she was essentially dead when I entered that room. The doctor playing with her was squeezing her heart before we separated his head from his body. She has tremendous pain control; it rivals Slade’s. Rylee is not created; she's human with a twist.” He stopped to grin at himself liking the term. “That means if she uses that control for days on end when it's not needed she won’t heal.”
Mekhi stopped to stare at her. Rylee was tempted to hide her head in Phoenix’s chest. He was right now that she could feel the pain; she hadn’t done herself any favors by pretending she wasn’t in pain.
“What’s the damage,” she asked him.
“Two weeks bed rest. I mean rest. You can sleep, go to the bathroom, go to the kitchen and then go back to sleep. Phoenix keep your hands, tongue, anything else that nibbles, touches or excites away from her.”
Rylee stared at Mekhi while he gave her a shot and told her he’d be back tomorrow.
Chapter Fifteen
“I’m bored.” Rylee cocked her hip and planted her hand on it. She pouted her pink rose-colored lips quivering for effect. She batted her lashes over her grass-green eyes and waited for Phoenix to melt.
She pulled her bottom lip between her teeth. It took all her control not to crow in victory. She had been shut up in their rooms (let’s face it; she wasn’t leaving) for two weeks. It made sense at first; she was tired, and in pain. Then Mekhi checked her over and said she had an infection. That meant no visitors.
She slept grateful for the chance to recover in peace. Then she played with her new computer and Marc. She tried on clothes and practiced her fire control. Then one day she had an epiphany. What the hell was she supposed to do with a male? In this day and age that sounded stupid to her ears. Except there was no line of men at her door. When you could set your boyfriend on fire with one wrong thought, they tended to stay away from you.
That’s where online magazines came in handy. She had started reading them like they were crack. Ten things he can’t say no to. How to satisfy your lover tonight. The only makeup tip you will ever need. The five things that are turning him off. The trick your man wishes you knew in the bedroom. They put them out she read them. When she got bored, she went into the bathroom and practiced her adorable pout as well as planting her hand on her hip while it was cocked out at the perfect angle to make him swallow his tongue.
She practiced because she wanted to make sure she looked irresistible and not like a female version of Norman Bates.
After all this, the best advice she got was from Phoenix himself. When he thought she was asleep, he stroked her cheek and talked. He loved her grass-green eyes. She thought of them as green but realizing he loved them; she wanted to play them up. He stroked her lips and called them rose petal pink. There was a fascination with her waist in comparison to her hips. She thought childbearing hips and shivered. He saw hips that were perfect for clutching when he would drive her crazy with his touch.
The biggest revelation was the soft heart that resided in the warrior. Thinking about it was enough to light a different fire inside of her.
She needed to focus.
“That’s Mekhi at the door. Let’s see what he has to say.”
Phoenix went to open the door while she took a seat on one of the overstuffed chairs in their bedroom.
Mekhi walked in followed by Elfin who stopped outside the bedroom his door. His head dropped as he waited to find out if he could come any closer.
“Rylee, how do you feel?” Mekhi greeted her with a smile. He was firmly in his doctor mode.
“I’m bored and want to be able to leave the room.”
“Let’s see if the infection is cleared up.”
He checked her three days ago and said it was clearing up nicely.
“I’m hoping for a clean bill of health.” She smiled and waited as he set the black doctors’ bag he was carrying down and opened it up.
He pulled out a sanitizer that smelled like a spring day. It wasn’t manufactured on earth, according to Mekhi it was the best in the known galaxy. He used it on his hands and then wiped down an area of skin on her arm with it.
“Do you remember what this is?” Mekhi asked her.
“Yes, you called it a hybrid tool.”
“That’s it. It can’t be used on created or humans. I have found out when humans intermingle with created your DNA asserts itself more.”
She wasn’t sure what he meant by intermingle. She and Phoenix had not been able to have sex as much as she wanted to. There was the fact that her DNA was different. Maybe that’s why he could use it on her.
She’d have to think about it later.
“It will feel like a small pinch or an animal sting.”
His hybrid device worked by scanning her body then it reached out and stung her like a bee. She hated bees. It took a sample of her blood and read her down to her molecular level. Her skin would swell a little making her want to scratch like an insect bite. One he withdrew the device her skin would go back to normal.
Common sense told her not to let him use the device on her. It also told her that she couldn’t control fire. Until her common sense caught up with her life, she held out her arm.
She didn’t flinch at the pinch. The theme song for Jeopardy was going through her
head. She hummed it while she waited.
Mekhi stepped back to examine the readings. “Heart, liver, kidneys are healthy. The infection is gone.”
“Why are you frowning?” she asked him.
“Not a frown. I’m picking up an enzyme I didn’t pick up in any of your other exams. It may be nothing. Since every time I examined you, you were ill, I don’t have a baseline to go on. I’ll watch it, other than that you are off bedrest.”
“Yes!” She jumped up and threw her hands up in the air as if she had just won the heavyweight championship.
“Elfin, you can come in.” Mekhi looked behind him where the cat was standing by the door.
“Baby come to mommy.” Elfin ran and jumped into her arms. “I missed you so much. You can come back home now!”
She twirled him around placing kisses over his head while he tucked himself into her arms and graciously allowed the fawning.
“Phoenix can we go outside and tour the garden? The three of us.” They felt like a family to her with his brothers and sisters as an extended family unit.
“The furniture has arrived. We can go out after.”
“I’m going to go find Quinn.” Mekhi waved before heading towards the door.
“See you soon,” Rylee told him.
“I think I’m going to change into something a little dressier for my first day of freedom.” She was wearing a pair of black yoga pants and a tee that said too hot to handle.
“I’ll go meet the delivery men.” Phoenix leaned over and kissed her.
She could be wrong, but she thought the kiss was filled with promises of what was to come. Her belly fluttered with butterflies as her private parts tried to ready themselves.
“Get in the bathroom now,” Marc commanded. He designed his avatar and was standing in front of her.
She moved not taking Elfin with her. Did she just jump to do what an A.I. said?
“Marc?” He had a room of his own although Elfin decided they should share. They had spent part of the two weeks Rylee was on bedrest extending his range. Now he could show up anywhere in their rooms and speak to them. He was aware enough to know when to stay out of the bedroom. He was more aware than that, but most days she tried to pretend her life was still normal.
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