Alana smiled. Well, Luca certainly wouldn’t be able to heal this one. She shuffled back across the bed until she rested against the pillow and pulled her T-shirt to cover her legs.
Jonah turned to make sure she was covered. He didn’t like the sight of her glorious body on show to anyone. That was his privilege, and his alone. As he opened the door, he was surprised to not only see Luca, but Jenson, too. He cursed again. Jenson would know instantly the moment he stepped into the room. He’d be able to hear the joy in Jonah’s mind and it wouldn’t take long before everyone in Genesis knew. Not that he didn’t want to shout his elation from the rooftops, but he did want to enjoy his happiness privately with Alana for just a little longer.
“Hi, Jonah. How’s she doing?” Luca asked as Jonah opened the door wider for him to step into the room. Alana looked pale as he glanced over to her lying on the bed.
“You’ve been tiring her out, Jonah! You know, you really should give her a chance to get some sleep.” Jenson smirked.
Jonah growled at him. He tried desperately to not think of what was making his insides jump with excitement. Jonah hoped that Alana was on the same page and kept her thoughts to herself. The last thing he needed was for Jenson to upset her in any way, even if it was unintentional. He didn’t want his mate stressed, not now they had the little one to consider. She’d need lots of rest, to be taken care of and Jonah intended to see to her every need.
Alana giggled at Jenson’s comment. She liked his light-heartedness and how he affected Jonah’s seriousness. Jonah could do with some fun and laughter in his life, and Jenson was definitely the one to bring that out in anyone. She smiled at the males as they approached the bed.
“How are you feeling this morning, Alana?” Luca asked.
“Not too bad. I was a little sick earlier, but it’s worn off now. I think I’ll be okay.” Alana stared at Jonah as he tried hard to contain his smile.
Jenson watched the silent exchange between Alana and Jonah. He knew there was something going on between the two of them as he listened carefully from Jonah’s mind to Alana’s. Jonah was keeping a wraps on his, a skill he knew the male was confident in when trying to keep Jenson at arm’s length but Alana was terrible at keeping hers in check. Jenson’s smile lit his face as he heard the joy spread through her every thought.
“Errr, Luca, I don’t think your powers are going to work on this one. And for god’s sake don’t touch her. Not unless you want over two hundred pounds of severely pissed off male landing on you. She’s pregnant!”
Luca stared at Jonah and saw the delight in his gaze as he stared at his mate.
“I’m really happy for you both.” Luca smiled before standing and walking back toward the door. “Take care of her. She’ll need lots of rest and food. Don’t let her do anything until she’s strong enough.”
“I won’t let her move from that bed if that what it takes.”
Alana rolled her eyes at Jonah. He was going to treat her like porcelain now. She knew he would end up pissing her off with his overprotectiveness, but on the flip side, at least she could stay in bed. The thought of snuggling up to him for hours on end made her heart flip with anticipation.
“No extracurricular activity either, Jonah!” Jenson smirked as he turned and followed Luca.
“Out!” Jonah snapped at him.
Jenson’s laughter filled the corridor as Jonah shut the door. He shook his head. Jenson was going to get his comeuppance one day and Jonah couldn’t wait to return the favor and wind him up.
Alana laughed. At least they had been happy for Jonah. She knew that his bond to the males meant more to him than he’d ever let on and that their opinions did mean a great deal to him. There would now be a new small addition to The Order and she just hoped they didn’t mind a few sleepless nights that the future would hold.
Jonah walked over and climbed onto the bed. He lay down next to Alana and pulled her into his embrace. Wrapping his arm tightly around her shoulders, he rested his hand on her stomach.
“Do you mind what it is? A boy or girl, I mean.” Alana stared into his eyes. She hoped if it was a boy that he looked just like her amazing mate. If it was a girl, she didn’t mind if it had either her dark hair or his beautiful blond hair. As long as it had a bit of both them and was healthy, she didn’t really mind.
“As long as the little one has love from us both, he or she will be perfect and happy. You just need to make sure you rest. You’re never going to leave this bed if I have anything to do with it.” Jonah grinned.
“Right. You think I’ll be able to spend all my time lying here doing nothing?” Alana shook her head. Even though she knew his intentions were good, reality meant there was no way she could lay horizontal for the next however many months until the little one was born. She’d go stir crazy.
“Who said you would be doing nothing!” Jonah’s wicked grin widened as he leaned forward and took her mouth in his. Kissing her gently, he forced his tongue inside and lapped at every inch of her. She tasted even more divine now that she was carrying his child. He never thought he could love her more than he already did, but he’d been wrong. She was his life, his world, and he was never going to get enough of her delicious taste. He wanted to take her, touch every inch of her body and feel her wrapped around him. She was his. Forever.
Epilogue
Four weeks later
Jenson sat alone in the security room with his legs resting up on the desk in front of him. He lifted his cup of coffee to his lips and blew gently against the hot liquid as he eyed the monitors on the wall in front of him. It was the beginning of March, and while it was still a little cold outside, the sun had risen quickly in the sky. A gentle mist floated over the grounds of Genesis, but it wouldn’t be long before the sun burned it off. Jenson watched carefully as a shape walked into his view.
A female stepped out onto the outside patio and stretched her long slim legs up on the wall. She zipped up her jacket to her neck and pulled her hair into a tight ponytail. Tying it with a band, she jogged on the spot.
Emilia always ran early before any of The Order woke. She had put on weight and had grown stronger. Her skin now glowed a soft almond color and was often pink from the constant running she did daily. At first she’d only managed one lap of the grounds but could now easily run ten times that distance. Her determination to get fit had impressed Jenson, but when he’d offered to run with her, she’d always declined
Jenson had gotten up early, dressing in sweatpants and a T-shirt, with all good intentions to take a run himself. He loved to run early, grabbing at the silence that the dawn provided. The constant invasion of The Order’s thoughts was hard work sometimes, but it was not something he could just turn off.
He’d left his room and taken the stairs quietly but had heard Emilia’s faint footsteps as she’d left her room. He decided to go into the security room instead. He wasn’t proud of the fact that he spied on her daily, but it was the only way he could check to see she was okay.
Jenson found he now spent quite a bit of time in the security room. He’d often take extra shifts just so he could watch Emilia. Jonah was spending more time with Alana, which gave Jenson the perfect opportunity to be alone. His interest in Emilia had worried him in the beginning, but now he couldn’t go a day without looking at her slim frame on the screens in front of him. He’d not wanted to be too obvious. He watched her from a distance so not to make her feel uncomfortable. For some reason she found it hard to mix with the males and only spent time with Alana and the Queen. In some respects, that was good. At least she was rebuilding her relationship with her sister, and Jenson knew Alana was glad to have her back in her life.
The Order had been elated at Jonah’s news. There had never been children around any of the males of The Order and it would amazing to have a little one light up the house with its laughter and smiles. The Queen had been amazing. She spent most days keeping Alana company when Jonah was on duty. Alana was still feeling unwell and Jonah though
t it best to not leave her alone too often. Jonah had become more protective of his mate since she’d become pregnant. None of them could get anywhere near her without him snarling at them. It was understandable. She was the first Lord’s mate and they were all part of the Royal Order. Their child would be part of the Royal Order, too. That meant it was all their duty now to protect Alana and the child.
As the door to the security room opened, Jenson turned to see Tobias walk into the room. Looking at the sweats and T-shirt he wore, Jenson presumed Tobias had been in the gym working out.
Tobias walked over to the desk and pulled up a chair. Sitting down, he stared around at the monitors. He spotted Emilia immediately. Turning his gaze back to Jenson, Tobias raised his eyebrows.
Jenson could hear the questions in his head and didn’t want to answer them. Tobias’s expression told Jenson what he was thinking even without his power.
“Do you want to talk about it?” Tobias asked.
“Nope.” There it was. The question that Jenson knew was coming.
“I know you’ve been watching her. You spend a lot of time in here and it’s obvious you like her. Why don’t you go talk to her?”
“It’s not that easy. She won’t spend any time down with any of us. She seems to want to be alone. She needs time to adjust to normal life before she thinks about spending time with a male. I don’t want to rush her and scare her. She may want to leave and it wouldn’t be safe for her. Harvey is still a threat and I know Jonah would be livid if Alana gets stressed.” Jenson sighed.
He did like her, but he couldn’t see a future for them anytime soon. Not that he was really looking for anyone to enter his life. But he did feel something for her. He couldn’t put his finger on it, but his protective side seemed to be coming out in him. His mind had somehow started to see Emilia in a different way. He noticed how beautiful she was and how her body had started to show amazing curves that caused emotions inside him. Her spirit had not been broken, and he respected her strength.
“Have you had a chance to look at the list that James took from Harvey’s office?” Jenson asked, desperate to change the subject before Tobias’s inquisitiveness really started poking around in his head.
“I’ve gone over it with Elijah and Lucian. It appears that it’s a list of females. Jasmine’s name was at the top, but we have no idea who the rest are. There’s no clue as to why Harvey wants them, but Lucian has started to investigate the names. He’s going to let us know when he finds out anything about them.”
Jenson nodded and turned his gaze back to the monitors. Emilia had run round the perimeter and was now at the far end of the fence. He took his feet off the counter and placed them back on the floor as he watched her stop and turn to face the main building. She’d never stopped before. She always kept going until she’d almost fallen to the ground with exhaustion. Jenson felt instantly that something was wrong.
A gentle voice entered his head.
“Jenson, I know you can hear me. I know you’ve been watching me and that you’re doing so right now. I have to leave. I’m going to try and find my friends and release them from the cells. Their names are Tarrant and Gideon, and they protected me from the vicious guard who treated me badly. I can’t just sit and know they’re still suffering. Please explain to Alana and tell her I’m sorry. Don’t try and stop me. I’ll be gone before you can reach me. I’m strong now, so don’t worry about me. Please thank Elijah and the rest of The Order for everything they did to free me from Harvey. I’ll be forever grateful for what you all did.”
Jenson sat, shocked, as Emilia spoke. She was leaving and Jenson knew she would be well into the wooded area before he’d manage to cross the grounds and scale the fence. He stared at the monitor as she climbed and disappeared over the top. Jumping to his feet he ran for the door, shouting for Jonah.
The sound of Jenson’s voice could be heard throughout the main hallway and carried up the stairs to Jonah room. Jonah jumped up from his and Alana’s bed as he heard Jenson’s voice getting louder. Alana was still sleeping and he didn’t want Jenson waking her. She’d had a restless night and was still exhausted from the baby. He grabbed his sweats and yanked them on before pulling open the door. Elijah had already exited his room and was halfway down the hall as Jonah watched James, Lucian, and Carrick join him. Something bad had to have happened for the amount of noise Jenson was making. If it wasn’t something serious and if it woke Alana, Jonah was going to be pissed.
As the males stopped at the top of the stairs, Jenson had almost reached the top. Tobias had followed and was now standing behind him.
“What is it Jenson?” Elijah asked.
“It’s Emilia. She’s gone.”
“She’s free to leave whenever she wants Jenson. She’s no longer a prisoner.” Elijah could see the concern on Jenson’s face, but Emilia was not being held against her will any longer.
“I know that, but it’s not the fact that she’s gone. It’s where she’s going. She spoke to me through her thoughts and told me she was going back to the cells. She wants to try and free her friends, whoever they are. If she goes back there, Harvey may capture her again.”
Jonah looked alarmed. Alana would become distressed if she knew Emilia was returning to where she’d been held. It would grieve her to know her sister was in danger again and that was not something he could allow.
“Who are these friends of hers?” Lucian asked.
“I don’t know. She said their names were Tarrant and Gideon and that they protected her. She said she couldn’t sit by, knowing they were suffering. It seems like they were prisoners who were being held with her. If they are, there’s a good chance they’re Mist.” Jenson could feel his heart pounding in his ears.
Why had she not told them about who was being held with her? Why had she not approached The Order for their help? The Order’s duty was to find Mist and keep them safe.
“She’ll be in danger if she returns there, Elijah. We must go and find her. We can help her to find her friends, but first we need to get her back here quickly.” Lucian turned and stared at Jenson. The male seemed highly stressed at Emilia’s departure and Lucian sensed it fed deeper than what the male was letting on.
“Which way did she go, Jenson? She couldn’t have gotten very far. She’s still recovering and probably not up to her full strength.”
“She leapt the fence at the rear of the property. She’s been running every day and her fitness levels have increased dramatically. She can cover a great deal of ground quickly and it looked like she’s heading into town. I’m going to grab my shoes and see if I can’t follow her scent.”
Elijah turned and spoke to the males. “Carrick, Lucian. You go with him. Tobias and James, you take one of the vehicles and search the main roads. We’ll see if we can’t track her on the satellite system. Take the coms headsets and keep in touch.”
Jenson pushed past the males and headed to his room. Grabbing his trainers, he pulled them on quickly and pulled on his sweater before running from the room. Carrick and Lucian had already dressed and were standing at the base of the stairs waiting.
Descending the stairs quickly, Jenson grabbed his phone and keys and ran through the living area toward the rear French doors. Pulling them open sharply, he sped through and felt the cool breeze rip at his face. Carrick was close behind him as he jumped over the low wall to reach the grass area. Lucian sped past him quickly. Jenson’s feet pounded hard against the earth. He had to reach the other side of the grounds quickly and get over the fence before she got too far. She was in danger and his heart constricted.
A vision of her face flashed though his mind. Her beauty mirrored Alana’s but she was full of anger and hatred. He feared for her. There would be guards at the cells and she’d try and take them on by herself. Without Alana being with her, her power wouldn’t work and she’d be vulnerable to being captured again. The idea had his whole body fired with anger. He had started to care for her, no matter how hard he’d tried to hide th
e fact, even from himself.
Watching her grow stronger over the last few weeks had been enthralling, but he’d never imagined the plans she’d been secretly making. Who were the males in the cells with her and how much did she care for them? Jealousy flooded through him and he internally winced. He was not the jealous type and was not proud of his emotions. She wasn’t even his female, and Jenson was reacting to her as if she were.
All Jenson knew at this moment was that he had to find her and quickly. He had to get to her before she reached the cells. He just hoped more than his own life that he hadn’t left it too late before leaving. His need to protect her took over every emotion, shocking him as he realized what his heart was telling him. Possession.
THE END
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Abbie Carlisle lives in Kent, England with her wonderfully understanding husband and 3 children. She spends every spare hour either with her family or, with the immense support from her twin sister, her other passion ‘writing’. For years she had dreamed of writing her own paranormal novel full of passion, power and possession. Come visit ‘The Order of the Mist’ at abbiecarlisle.weebly.com
For all titles by Abbie Carlisle, please visit
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Jonah's Salvation [The Order of the Mist 2] (Siren Publishing Classic) Page 22