by Lori King
“Did I see the tree branch while I was staked to the ground, and my imagination put it into my dreams later? Or am I going crazy?” Her back was still to us, and I got the feeling she was terrified of the answer but also scared of never knowing the truth.
“Someone altered your memories, Destiny,” Nathan told her, and I breathed in relief. “You couldn’t know about werelions, so we had someone make you forget. I’m hesitant to offer to have them restored because I know you’ve refused therapy.” He sighed, and I could tell he was trying not to sound annoyed as he nicely asked, “Can you please come sit down, or at least turn around? I don’t like speaking to the back of your head.”
She shook her head and kept her back to us, and I walked to her, stepped in front of her, and pulled her into my arms. That was all it took to get the waterworks started. I had no idea what to say or do, so I held her as she cried.
Several minutes into it, she managed to say, “I always knew there was more! I wasn’t crazy! I’m not crazy!”
I rubbed her back and looked at His Majesty for help, but he stretched his legs out in front of the chair and looked as if he was getting comfortable. I’d brought her to my house, and His Majesty had been waiting in the driveway when we arrived.
Several long minutes later I bent so I could pick her up like an infant, and walked her to the sofa. She let me carry her, and let me hold her once I’d sat.
“I’m glad you’re comfortable with Zeke.” I’ve seen the Amakhosi’s soft side, but it’s been a while, and my heart warmed at the tenderness in his voice. “I’m friends with a therapist, and I think you’ll like her. She knows about supernaturals and she was present when we rescued you. You can talk to her about anything, but she won’t answer any questions — she’ll just help you work through whatever’s in your head. If you see her eight times, I’ll talk to her about the pros and cons of having the person who altered your memories put them back.”
She started to argue, but I interrupted. “He’s right, Teeny. If he won’t cover the costs of therapy, then I will. I couldn’t do much of anything when you were still a minor, but you’re an adult now, and if your parents kick you out of the house, you can crash here until you can afford a place.” Fuck, I was out of my ever-loving mind, but I couldn’t fathom the thought of her refusing therapy because she was afraid of being kicked out of her parents’ house.
His Majesty lifted an eyebrow at my offer, but merely said, “I’ll get the therapist’s information to Zeke so you can call and make an appointment. She’s on my payroll and I’ll cover the eight visits.” He stood and looked at me. “Step outside with me a moment.”
I followed him to my front porch and he asked, “Are you sure about this?’
“No, but she’s an adult now.” I shook my head. “I wish I could’ve been there over the last year, but I knew it wasn’t possible. I did all I could for her and things are different now. She’s legally an adult, she’s in college, and she’s beginning to make plans to move out of her parents’ house. I’m going to do what I can to help her.”
He pulled me into a hug and I relaxed in his arms. The Amakhosi is the king of all lions on the planet. He’s the leader of the local pride as well, but he’s still the man who rescued me and looked out for me. He’s like my second father.
“If I haven’t told you lately, I’m proud of the man you’ve grown into. I’m leaving her in your care, but I’ll expect you to let me know if you need help with anything.” He released me from the hug and took a step back. “Under normal circumstances, you’d have felt my fist or my whip for showing her a partial change, but I agree it was the right decision. Don’t let it make you cocky if you find yourself in the same situation again, though.”
“I understand, Your Majesty.”
“I’m not joking about being kept in the loop. I want regular updates, and I’ll be pissed if I find out you needed help and didn’t let me know.”
“I need to get her car here. It’s in Fort O.” I wasn’t sure what his silence meant, so I explained. “The rules say once I’ve shown her what I am, she has to stay in my presence until she’s bound. I couldn’t let her follow me.”
“I know. I was considering logistics. Why don’t I drive the two of you to it now, and then you can drive her back here in it.”
3
Destiny
I awakened the next morning in a strange room, and it took a few seconds for the events of the night before to flood my brain.
I was in Zeke’s guest bedroom, wearing one of his shirts as pajamas.
My face flamed hot again at the thoughts of being in any state of undress in his house. In his bed. Even if it isn’t the bed he sleeps in, he still owns it.
I looked at the clock in a panic and relaxed back into the sheets when I saw it wasn’t quite eight o’clock yet. My first class on Tuesday and Thursday isn’t until ten, so I wasn’t late. He’d told me last night he had to be in court at nine, so I figured he was up already. I keep extra clothes in my car, and I’d showered before getting into bed, so now I only had to slide into my jeans, t-shirt, and hoodie. My parents hate the new way I dress, but it feels right to me.
If blue jeans are a sin, then I’m tired of listening to God. My mom had slapped me across the face for saying it, but it’s ten months later and I still feel the same.
I brushed my teeth, pulled my hair into a ponytail, and went to Zeke’s living room, but didn’t see him. I heard something behind me and I turned as he stepped into the room.
“I was in my office looking over my notes before I walk into court. I’ll be leaving in about ten minutes, so I’m glad you’re up. How’d you sleep?”
“Fine, thanks again for letting me stay. I can grab my stuff and leave when you do.”
“Nonsense. You have over an hour until your first class. There’s eggs and bacon in the fridge — you’re welcome to fix whatever you find, just please lock the door on your way out and text me that you’ve left. I can set my alarm remotely.”
Zeke is gorgeous in jeans and a t-shirt, but he’s beautiful in a suit. He hadn’t put his jacket on yet, but the pants were a dark charcoal, his shirt was a crisp white, and his black tie had little diagonal charcoal stripes.
“You trust me here when you aren’t?”
“I told you last night — if you get kicked out of your parents’ house for going to therapy, you’re more than welcome to stay here until you can figure out a place of your own. I emailed you the therapist’s name this morning already. You need to call her and set a time for your first appointment. If you don’t have plans for tomorrow evening, I’d like to have dinner with you.”
“I have a private lesson from five until six, and they live in Ooltewah.”
“I can pick you up at six-thirty at your house, or you can meet me at The Boathouse at seven. Up to you.”
“I’ll meet you there.”
“Give me a hug before I go?”
Zeke’s arms have represented safety to me from the beginning. I was in shock when Nathan had first handed me over to him, and Zeke held me without caring how bloody I was, and didn’t let go of me until the medical people insisted. He didn’t leave my side other than to go to the bathroom for days, and even then he left the door cracked and talked to me. He had people bring him food several times a day so he could stay with me in my hospital room. I was terrified, and somehow I just knew no one would hurt me with him around to protect me.
My dad hadn’t wanted Zeke anywhere near me, but he’d had credentials saying he was a professional bodyguard and told them he’d been assigned to watch me while I was in the hospital. He pointed out my dad couldn’t legally carry in the hospital, but he had permission from the administration and could make sure I wasn’t abducted again.
“Are you really a bodyguard?” I asked now. “You’re an attorney — most people aren’t both.”
“I’m trained as a bodyguard and worked my way through college as one. I keep my credentials up, though I only do enough work these da
ys to stay officially active.”
He stepped to a closet near the front door, pulled his suit jacket out, and slid his arms into it. My face and lower body grew warm as I wondered how gentle he’d be if he was the one who took my virginity.
He ran his fingers through his hair and down his clean-shaven face, and at the same moment, I realized he’d cut his hair and shaved, I also realized he could probably smell my physical attraction for him.
I put my hands over my face in embarrassment, and he chuckled. “In the spirit of fairness, if you could scent my reactions you’d know I’d love to have you in my bed as well.” He stepped to me and pulled my hands away from my face. I practically fell into his clear blue eyes as he said, “I don’t know if it’s appropriate, but it isn’t illegal anymore, so that’s something. I’ll see you tomorrow at The Boathouse.”
I nodded, he kissed my forehead, and then he was gone.
4
Zeke
The next evening, His Majesty texted me to let me know Destiny had seen the therapist at three o’clock. She’d had a cancellation, and Destiny’s final class had ended at ten minutes before three. His Majesty also sent me Destiny’s class schedule, and what he could easily learn of her private tutoring calendar — as well as the fact she charged from forty-five to sixty dollars an hour, depending on the instrument and type of instruction needed.
I’ve seen her playing on YouTube videos, but I’ve yet to hear her play in person. I needed to rectify that immediately.
She pulled into the restaurant parking lot, and I walked to her SUV to greet her.
“How was your day?” I asked.
“Busy, but I got a lot accomplished. How’d your court case go yesterday?”
“Not guilty, thank goodness. Nathan let me know you saw the therapist — do you think you’ll want to go back?”
“I… maybe.” She shrugged and looked toward the Tennessee River a second before focusing on where she was walking once again. “I liked her and she made me feel comfortable. I was cross about having to go — it felt a little like coercion, ya know? You have to do this thing you don’t want to do, or we won’t give you your memories back.”
“Felt? So you don’t feel that way anymore?”
“She explained why he’s being cautious and I understand a little better now. It still feels like someone with power making the rules just because he can, but I also get that he doesn’t want to do more harm than good, and he needs Kirsten to tell him whether I can handle getting it all at once, or whether I should get a little at a time, or whether I’m a weak little baby who isn’t strong enough to be told the truth.”
“I doubt that’s the way she worded it, but yeah, he wants to be sure he doesn’t cause more pain than necessary. If there’s anything I can do to help, you only need to let me know.”
“Thanks. Why are you being so good to me? Is Nathan paying you again?”
“Nathan didn’t pay me before, and he certainly isn’t now.”
She stopped dead and stared at me, clearly confused.
I sighed, pulled her out of the middle of the parking lot, stopped between some cars, and touched her chin. “I was paid to babysit the site on Halloween night this year, and I was paid to help with the rescue party last year, but that’s it. It worked out I could stay with you in the hospital, but if you’d stayed a day longer, I’d have had to bring someone else in to watch you so I could work. Once you were home, your parents wouldn’t let us guard you anymore, but by that point, I felt certain you were safe from other supernatural elements who might want you for their purposes.”
“I liked having you around, but I thought you were only there because it was your job.”
“I was there because you needed me, and because something inside me…” I trailed off as I remembered I could be honest with her now. “And because my lion is fiercely protective of you. He’s pissed someone hurt you, and he wants to make sure you’re never hurt again. Nathan tasked me with getting you to the hospital and handing you over to family. You were safe, but you were scared, so I stayed.” Abbott had adjusted her aura when he’d rearranged her memories. She no longer gave off the vibe of a virgin, and if the marks and symbols made on her were meant to send out signals, his manipulations would keep them from doing so.
She looked at the restaurant and back to me. “We can’t talk about this stuff here, can we? Should we get food and take it somewhere?”
I shook my head. “We’ll eat here and have a normal conversation, and if you want to follow me back to my place afterwards, we can talk about whatever else you want to talk about.”
She nodded, and I took her hand and walked her inside.
I started our dinner conversation by asking about her six siblings, and before long I had her telling me about her classes at UTC and the friends she’s made.
When that conversation seemed to be coming to an end, I asked, “You said you have dinner with your pastor and his wife once a month?”
She nodded. “He says it’s normal for people to have a crisis of faith after a trauma. I expected to hate having Bible study with his wife after dinner, but she’s made it relevant to my life and hasn’t preached to me so much as asked me what I get out of scripture. Once, she just opened the Bible at random and said we’d let God speak to us, and it was kind of bizarre because it all fit.” She shook her head. “I don’t think my parents’ church is right about a lot of their beliefs. Other churches read the same Bible and believe different things, so I’m not alone in that. I don’t know what the answer is, but I’m beginning to think as long as I follow the Ten Commandments and what I just know to be right and wrong — I dunno, but I think that may be the best I can do.”
“Sounds pretty healthy to me. Have you gone to any college parties at all?”
“Yeah, and I drank a little at one, then a lot at the next, and decided drinking isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.”
I laughed. “I’d love to see you tipsy, but even more, I want to hear you play. Do you have your violin with you? I don’t have a piano.”
She shook her head. “I don’t, but if you want to stop by the Fine Arts building with me, we can use one of the piano practice rooms.” She wrinkled her brow. “But why do you want to hear me play?”
“Your music seems to be a big part of who you are, and I’m hoping you’ll let me get to know you better.”
* * *
I live in one of the historic houses in the Fortwood District, and only about a block and a half away from the Fine Arts building. My house was in bad shape when I bought it, and I liked the location more than the old house part because I’m less than five minutes from work even in heavy traffic. I’ve done a lot of work to try to keep it from just being a drafty old house with beautiful architectural details. My master suite is made up of three bedrooms — I turned one into a large bathroom, and another into a huge closet.
Destiny directed me to park at the back of the Fine Arts building and used her student ID card to open the tiny little practice cubicle. It was really only big enough for one person, but she had me sit beside her on the bench.
My lion didn’t like the little soundproof, claustrophobic room — we couldn’t smell or hear anyone in the hallway — but I placated him with the reminder she’d needed the card to open the door.
“What do you want me to play?”
“Whatever brings you joy.”
“Of all the times I’ve asked that question, no one’s ever given me that answer.”
She put her fingers to the keys and my heart sang as music filled the tiny room.
I recognized the tune but had no idea what it was. I was pretty sure it was classical, but beyond that I was clueless.
When the last notes finally faded, I was silent a good ten seconds before I could find my voice to speak.
“I don’t know what to say, other than you made my heart happy with your music. I recognized it, or rather, I’ve heard it before so it was familiar, but I have no idea what it was.”
I smiled as I heard the first notes to Bohemian Rhapsody. My lion was fascinated as her fingers seemed to stroke some keys and caress others. What would those hands feel like on my cock?
And then her hands began an odd combination of pounding and stroking, and I was mesmerized. Such fucking talent.
But the music! I had goosebumps. I felt my damned nipples hardening. She pulled emotions out of me with a seventies song.
As the final notes died away, I pulled her to me, speechless. When I finally managed words, I could only say, “You’re amazing.”
If I hadn’t already loved her, this would’ve been the moment I’d realized I was head-over-heels for her. Talent is nice, but you have to cultivate it and work at it to turn it into true skill. This tiny little human had the gumption and the perseverance to hone her talents. She’d been tortured by Celrau and bore their foul scars, and she could still make beautiful music.
I wanted her in my life, but I was going to have to be careful not to fuck it up.
5
Destiny
I had so many questions I wasn’t sure where to start.
“A few ground rules,” he told me as he used an electronic keypad to open his front door. “I can tell you almost anything about me, but I can’t tell you about other people.”
“I’ve dreamt of wolves, too. Or, half-wolves, I think.” I shook my head. “I’m pretty sure the therapist is the woman who levitated me up to the tree branch, too.”