by Creator
Chapter Two
Connor stepped into the bedroom and quietly walked to Aislinn’s side. When he took her hand in his, she opened her eyes.
“Aislinn, I’m going to ask you something important.”
“What is it, Connor?” she asked softly.
“If you know about Cole and Marin, then you know that a werewolf’s blood can heal his mate, right?”
She smiled. “That’s what the book said.”
“And being that I’m related to Cole, you realize that means I’m a werewolf, too?”
She nodded her head.
“Well, what if I told you that the book was right and that you were my mate?”
The smile fell from her face. “Then I would say it was a cruel joke.”
Connor crouched beside the bed to be at eye level with her. “Why would it be a cruel joke?”
“Because of everything I’ve been through with Hugh. All I’ve ever wanted was to find my perfect match. In all of the stories I’ve read, werewolves mate for life and they always find the perfect female to be their mate.”
“Aislinn, you didn’t answer my question.”
She blinked away her tears and looked away. How could she tell him that he was everything she’d ever dreamed about? Why would someone like him want to be with a broken, battered woman like her? How could she possibly be his mate? Besides, Ashton Grove, and werewolves, didn’t exist. She was simply unconscious and living in a fantasy. Then again, a fantasy wouldn’t be making her say things or do things she didn’t want to, or couldn’t.
“Aislinn?” Connor gently grasped her chin and turned her face toward him.
“Please don’t make me answer you. I can’t.”
“I can’t give you my blood without your permission. If I can’t heal you the easy way, I’ll have to take you to the hospital.”
“Connor, I can’t go to the hospital.”
“Aislinn, I have no way of knowing how bad your injuries are. I can’t just leave you here.”
A tear slipped down her cheek as she looked away. It had been so long since anyone had cared what happened to her. The neighbors at home had looked away whenever they saw bruises
on her arms. Her friends had stopped calling. She could handle anger, but kindness… she wasn’t sure she could handle Connor’s kindness right now. Closing her eyes, she pretended to go to sleep.
Connor sighed and left the room.
“Did it work?” Cole asked.
“She wouldn’t let me do it,” Connor said, mumbling something about stubborn women under his breath.
“Then we’re taking her to the hospital,” Gabriel said.
“I told her that, but she refuses to go to the hospital, too.”
Gabriel shook his head. “It’s not her decision to make.”
“Uh, not to be the one to break up the party or anything, but if she materialized just as she is what about ID?” Colin asked.
“She doesn’t have anything other than the clothes on her back,” Connor said. “I’ll cover the hospital bill, but you know they’re going to ask for a driver’s license or something.”
Gabriel nodded. “We can call Cassie’s dad, but I don’t think he can get anything here that quick.”
Cole grinned. “You might be surprised. He worked pretty quickly on Marin’s stuff.”
“Alright, see what you can do. I’ll call Lucas. I think he dated a nurse at the hospital. Maybe she can help us out until then,” Gabriel said. “Without knowing how severe her injuries are, it’s hard to say whether or not she’s in stable condition.”
Connor looked over his shoulder at the closed bedroom door. The tightness he’d felt in his chest doubled at the thought of losing Aislinn. He didn’t care if she was married or from another reality. She was his mate and he would fight to keep her.
“Connor, she may fight you, but you’ll have to carry her out to Cole’s truck. You can ride in back with her.”
Connor nodded. He tuned his brother and cousins out while they made their calls, his thoughts focused on the woman lying in his bed. Whether she liked it or not, she was under his protection. He wasn’t about to let anything else bad happen to her.
Walking to the bedroom door, he opened it a crack and peeked inside. Shock rippled through him. A man dressed in black sat on the edge of the bed holding Aislinn’s hand. What the hell? Connor wondered. He held back a growl as the man kissed Aislinn briefly and disappeared.
Connor wanted to storm into the room and demand an explanation, but he held himself back. Obviously the paranormal was at work. Had Aislinn lied to him? Was she really working with someone else in order to gain his trust? And if so, to what purpose? He wanted to trust her, but should he?
He stiffened when he felt his brother’s hand on his shoulder.
“Are you ready? Gabriel and Cole have everything worked out,” Colin said.
“Yeah, just give me a minute.”
Colin turned Connor to face him. “What’s going on?”
Connor shrugged. There were times, like now, when sharing a psychic link with your brother wasn’t all it was cracked up to be.
“Who was in there with Aislinn?” Colin asked.
“I don’t know, okay?” Connor growled.
Colin narrowed his eyes at his brother, but didn’t say anything else. Giving Connor some space, he rejoined the others.
Aislinn opened her eyes when Connor left the bedroom and stared at the ceiling. She didn’t know what she was going to do, but she had to figure it out pretty soon. Connor seemed like the kind of guy who was used to getting his way.
Wincing, she tried to push herself into a sitting position.
“I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” said a deep voice in the corner of the room.
Aislinn gasped and froze.
A large blond man dressed all in black walked out of the shadows. “My name is Eric and I’m here to guide you, in a manner of speaking.”
“What do you want?” Aislinn asked.
“You made a wish, a powerful wish, Aislinn.”
“You know my name?” she asked, eyes wide in shock.
He gave her a half grin, his beautifully sculpted mouth tipping up slightly at one corner. “Yes, I know your name and a great deal more. You see, I’m what some would call a wizard. Others call me a warlock or a sorcerer. There are a hundred names for me, but actually none of them are correct. I’m unique. I’ve lived for a thousand years.”
Aislinn’s mouth fell open. “But you don’t look very old.”
Eric laughed. “I stopped aging when I was twenty-six, so I guess in a way I’m not much older than you.”
“Why are you here?”
“Your wish.”
Aislinn studied him. “The wish I made when Hugh and I were fighting?”
He nodded and moved closer to her. Sitting on the edge of the bed, he took her hand in his. “You weren’t meant to be with Hugh. You’ve suffered a great deal because the Fates screwed up.”
“What does that have to do with anything?”
“It means that you were owed a second chance at life.”
Aislinn mulled over his words. “I died, didn’t I?”
He brushed her hair away from her face. “Yes, sweetheart. I’m afraid you did. Or rather, you would have if you hadn’t made your wish.”
Aislinn nodded. “I think I knew that already.”
“Ashton Grove really does exist, Aislinn, but it exists on another plane. It’s another realm, I guess you could say. It looks like yours, has the same cities, stores… but the city itself doesn’t exist in your world.”
“What are you saying, Eric?” she asked him quietly.
“I’m saying, this can be your new home, if you want it to be.”
“And if I don’t?”
He studied her, taking in her battered face. “Why would you want to return? You’re dead in the other world.”
“I’m scared,” she admitted.
“Scared of what? Of being loved?”
<
br /> “Why would he love me?”
Eric grinned. “He’s your mate, or rather you’re his mate. Why wouldn’t he love you?”
“How permanent is this? I’m not going to fall in love, start a new life, and suddenly disappear am I?”
Eric leaned forward and gently kissed her, giving her the reassurance she needed. “I’ll make sure you’re taken care of. If you decide this world isn’t the right place for you, I’ll personally find somewhere for you to go. But you need to give him a chance, Aislinn. Give yourself a chance, a chance at happiness.”
“Thank you.”
He nodded and disappeared as quickly as he had appeared.
Aislinn felt confused, but she also felt something else – something she hadn’t felt in a long, long time… hope.
Chapter Three
Connor walked into the bedroom and surveyed the area, looking for any trace of the man who had been by Aislinn’s side. There was an odd scent in the air, but other than that, he would have never known anyone else had been around.
“Connor, what’s wrong?” Aislinn asked.
He turned toward her, his eyes piercing her. Was she as innocent as she looked? Or was she merely acting? “Are you ready to go?”
Fear gripped her. Is he going to throw me out?
“Go where?” she asked, struggling to sit up, but failing miserably. The pain was just too much to bear.
“To the hospital. A friend of ours was able to get you a driver’s license.” Relief was evident upon her face and Connor felt like an ass. “Where did you think I was taking you, Aislinn?”
“I wasn’t sure.”
“Is there any reason I should take you somewhere other than the hospital?” he asked, hoping she would tell him about the strange man in black.
She shook her head gently.
Connor sighed. Obviously he wasn’t going to win this battle. If there was one thing he’d learned from his cousins and their wives, it was to choose his battles carefully – especially when dealing with a woman.
“Come on. I’ll have to carry you out to Cole’s truck. He and Marin are going to give us a ride to the hospital. Gabriel is going to meet us there with your driver’s license.”
“Where does it say I’m from?” she asked.
“They put my address down as your home address.”
He watched her face for a response. Other than surprise, he didn’t see anything else. Either she was a very good actress, or everything she had told him was the truth. He wanted to believe her, more than anything did he want to believe her. But he also had to believe what he’d seen with his own two eyes.
Stepping closer, he gently lifted her into his arms. She whimpered in pain once, but he held her close. When they got outside, Cole had the rear door of the truck open and was waiting on the other side.
“Just hand her in,” Cole said. “I’ll hold her while you get situated.”
Connor wasn’t happy with the idea of anyone else holding his mate, but he relented. He handed Aislinn into the truck, giving her to Cole. Climbing in, he held his arms out to her. She immediately settled against him.
“I’ll try to keep the bumps down to a minimum, but I can’t help it if the roads are paved horribly,” Cole said as he closed the door.
Aislinn was quiet for most of the trip to the hospital. Every now and then, she would let out a cry or whimper of pain, but Cole kept to his word and tried to make the ride as smooth as possible for her. When they arrived at the ER, Connor held her close before passing her to Cole.
“When they ask you what happened, tell them you were attacked. If they ask you to describe your attacker, try to be vague. Understand?”
She nodded and went willingly to Cole while she waited on Connor to get out of the truck. Once she was back in Connor’s arms, she visibly relaxed.
Inside the ER was pandemonium. Lucas’s friend rushed over to greet them.
“You’re lucky that Lucas called ahead,” she told them. “Otherwise, you’d be here all night.”
“I don’t know that we have all night,” Cole said as he stepped aside so the nurse could see Aislinn.
The woman sucked in a breath and rushed off only to return a moment later with a gurney and two orderlies. “We’re going to take her back immediately. I’ll need one of you to stay and fill out her triage paperwork.”
Cole nodded to Connor. “You go with her. I’ll wait here for Gabriel and take care of the paperwork.”
Connor gently laid Aislinn down on the gurney. Holding her hand, he followed her into the back. “They’ll have you good as new in no time, honey.”
“What happened?” the nurse asked.
“I was attacked,” Aislinn whispered. It wasn’t entirely a lie. Hugh had, after all, attacked her.
“You poor thing! I’m going to put you in room nine and a doctor will be right with you.”
“Thank you,” Aislinn murmured.
The nurse nodded and ducked out of the room, leaving Aislinn and Connor alone.
“Connor?”
He pulled the chair closer to the bed. “What honey?”
“Have you ever heard of a Sorcerer or Wizard?”
He grinned. “You mean like in books?”
She shook her head. “I mean here, in Ashton Grove.”
The grin was replaced with a look of intense concentration. “I haven’t ever him. I actually thought the Sorcerer was just a myth. Why do you ask?”
“The Sorcerer? As in the only one?”
“From what I remember, he’s been around since the time of the Vikings. He’s popped into stories here and there throughout the ages, but what exactly he does is a little vague.”
“Is he a good guy?”
“I don’t know. Why are you so interested in the Sorcerer, Aislinn?”
Before she could respond, an orderly stepped into the room.
“Aislinn Walsh?”
“Yes,” she answered.
“We’re going to take you for some tests. Mr. Tierney, if you’ll wait here, we’ll bring her back as soon as we can.”
Connor nodded and watched as they wheeled Aislinn out of the room.
An hour later, the orderly brought Aislinn back to the ER room, asleep.
Connor stood when they brought her in. “Is she okay?”
The orderly smiled. “She’s just fine, Mr. Tierney. I think the tests wore her out a bit.”
“When will we know something?”
The orderly shook his head. “Hard to say. They ran three or four different tests. You just never know when the doctor will finish reviewing the results.”
Connor nodded.
“It’s probably best to let her get some sleep. Once the doctor comes in, there’s no telling what he’ll want to do.”
“I have family in the waiting room. Could you let them know what’s going on?” Connor asked.
“I’m sure she’ll be fine for a few minutes if you’d like to tell them yourself.”
Connor looked down at Aislinn. She was so pale and looked so small lying on the bed. “I guess I could go tell them the news and come right back.”
“If they move her, I’ll be sure to come tell you.”
Connor followed the orderly out of the room. He quickly walked to the ER waiting room to tell his family that they were waiting on test results.
Eric, invisible to the human eye, watched as Connor and the orderly left. His focus immediately shifted to Aislinn. As he neared the bed, he materialized.
“Why are you in the hospital, Aislinn?” he asked her softly.
Her eyes fluttered open and she gasped in surprise when she saw Eric. “Connor brought me.”
“He wouldn’t have brought you if you had taken his blood,” Eric pointed out.
“If it had worked, it would have proven I was his mate.”
Eric shook his head. “I’ve already told you that you’re his mate.”
“I can’t be. He deserves better.”
“You’re time is running out, Aislinn
. You’re about to be out of options. When the doctor comes in, you’ll have to make a decision. Either accept that you’re his mate, or not.”
Aislinn swallowed and stared up at him. “What happens if I accept that I’m his mate?”
Eric smiled. “Then you can start your new life.”
“Just as easy as that?”
“Nothing in life is ever easy, Aislinn. You’ll still have the memories of your life with Hugh. And with those memories will still be the nightmares.”
Aislinn sighed. “I’ve had Hugh hanging over my head for a while now. I think I can live with that.”
Eric gave her a grim smile. “There’s more, sweetheart.”
“What?”
“You’ll be tested. No one gets a second life, even if it’s owed to them, without there being a price to pay.”
“What kind of test? What price?”
“The test is the price. If I told you what the test was, it wouldn’t be a test. You’ll know when you’re being tested, Aislinn. Just know that it won’t be easy.”
She nodded.
“Connor is coming back. I have to go.”
“But…”
Eric disappeared just as Connor walked through the door.
Chapter Four
Connor looked around the room and sniffed. With a growl, he focused on Aislinn.
“He’s been here, hasn’t he?”
She nodded. “He left just as you were coming in.”
“What did he want this time?”
“He said that if I stayed that I would be tested.”
Connor brushed her hair back from her face. “Tested how, Aislinn?”
“He didn’t say.”
Connor growled low in his throat. “I don’t like this guy. And I really don’t like that he shows up when I’m not around.”