by Day, Vella
A sharp pain stabbed the back of Greer’s head, her spine, and her hip, jarring her out of her stupor. The motherfucker had drugged her. From the fact she was on cold, hard ground meant he’d somehow managed to take her into the forest.
Crickets were making a racket, and leaves were crunching. The Changeling was close. Greer opened her eyes and saw Blake’s doppelganger. She might have thought it was Blake, except there were no waves of desire coursing through her body. It didn’t matter she was injured. She would have sensed the sexual draw between them. Greer pushed up on her elbows but fell back down.
He rushed over. “Easy now. You’re okay.” He sounded so much like her Blake and even acted really concerned. Even though this wasn’t her mate, she wouldn’t let on that she knew.
“What happened?” she asked.
“You tell me,” he said.
“I must have passed out. Healing Danita took a lot out of me, I guess.” Even Greer was impressed with her improvised reasoning. “But why am I here?”
“That Changeling took you here.”
This man was a terrible liar, but she shuttered her disbelief. What she needed to know was what had caused her to pass out? Shit. The tea! He must have spiked it with something. Jerk. “How did you find me?”
Let him answer that question, Mr. Changeling man.
Chapter Seventeen
Grunts and shouts, together with the impact of fists meeting flesh, roused Greer again. She opened her eyes and had to blink. Crap. She didn’t remember passing out again. That tea must have had a really strong sedative in it or else her dragon would have healed her already.
Greer blinked again. Yup. She was seeing double. Now there were two Blakes, both dressed in the identical long sleeve black shirt and hiking pants. What happened to the man who had hovered over her a moment ago—the one wearing flannel?
When one of the men grunted, her mind somewhat cleared. The real Blake had come to save her, but she couldn’t figure out which one was her mate. With the men moving around so much, she couldn’t identify where the sexual draw was coming from. At least she was certain there weren’t two Changelings fighting. One for sure was her mate.
The man on the left landed a blow to the jaw of the man on the right, causing him to drop to one knee. Ouch. If only she knew whether to cry out or cheer. She waited for the Changeling to turn into a wolf or for Blake to transform his hands into fire-throwing claws, but so far that hadn’t happened. She could understand her mate not shifting into a dragon since he’d have no room to maneuver, but why not transform his hands? That would stop the Changeling from attacking.
The unidentified man on the ground rose to his feet and raised his arm as if to shoot fire, only his arm didn’t become a dragon’s claw. Was this Blake who had his powers dampened by the Changeling, or was it the Changeling himself? And why was everything so fuzzy?
The first man did some kind of roundhouse kick, knocking the other man to the ground. The injured man slowly rose to his feet. Her heart pounded at the beating. Please don’t let that be my mate.
The two men circled each other, swung, staggered, and punched again. If the Changeling managed to defeat Blake, what would she do?
What was she talking about? She was a Guardian. She’d burn his ass, assuming she could tell the last man standing was Blake. Surely, when she kissed him, she’d know for sure, though was she willing to kiss a Changeling and chance something really bad might happen?
Stop this madness. I’d know. It wouldn’t take a kiss. These drugs were messing with her mind.
Determined to help, Greer rose to her feet and immediately dropped down to her knees.
Come on and heal me, she demanded of her dragon.
I’m trying. The drug he gave you is still doing some serious damage to my abilities.
Can I shoot fire out of my arm at least? she asked.
I don’t know. We need to get out of here though.
Are you kidding me? What about Blake? She couldn’t leave him.
He can take care of himself, her animal shot back.
Never!
It was possible Blake was trying to fight fairly because she was there. If he knew she was safe, he might change his tactics.
You need to leave, her dragon urged.
If she stayed, she probably wouldn’t be of much use to Blake anyway, but she could never abandon her mate. Using all of her willpower, Greer rose to her unsteady feet. Thankfully, neither man seemed to notice that she’d roused and was more or less standing. The dense foliage in this area would prevent her from shifting though.
One of the men looked over at her and smiled. Her heart throbbed. That had to be Blake. As if her being awake gave him the added boost, he raised his arms again. This time they changed into claws, and the Changeling’s eyes widened. He immediately transformed into a wolf and darted into the woods.
Greer wanted to shout out to Blake to burn the guy’s ass, or at the very least go after him, but on foot, Blake wouldn’t be able to catch him.
Blake lowered his arms and rushed over to her. “Are you okay?”
Her head swam as the surge of poison, confusion, and trauma all collided. “Yes. No. That Changeling drugged me.” She held up her hands. “I just need…” What did she need? “Time.”
“Time? Are you sure you’re okay?”
It was all too much to take in. Maybe Greer had never fully dealt with having been drugged and kidnapped by that dark entity who looked like Blake. Now, that same man was standing in front of her. She’d seen the other man transform into a wolf and could tell by the attraction between them that this was her mate. Any logical person would throw herself into his arms, but the drugs, as well as her past collided, causing a maelstrom of confusion. “I have to go,” she said, her voice way too high.
Before she said or did anything she’d regret, she turned and raced down the path. If she didn’t get her head on straight, no telling what might happen.
“Greer! Wait!” Blake called.
As much as she wanted to stop, she couldn’t afford to—both for her sake and for his. In truth, she expected him to run after her, but he must have seen the panic in her eyes and decided to give her what she’d asked for—some time to come to grips with what had occurred. Fighting the nausea and dizzying effect of the drug, she did her best to make it down the path without tripping.
It felt like hours before she came to the road. Relief swamped her when she saw that her car was parked next to Blake’s. Considering her weak muscles, she would be better off flying, but she was uncertain where to go. If she returned to the condo, the Changeling might find her.
Her first instinct was to call her sister, Nessa—calm, level headed Nessa—instead of Tory who would tell her to rush back to Blake. That advice might seem sound, but it didn’t sit well with her at the moment.
So, Nessa it was. Thankfully, Greer had put her phone in her pocket right before she’d entered the apartment. She called her sister, hoping she’d answer.
“Greer, hey,” Nessa said.
“I’m in trouble.”
“What happened?” Nessa asked, straight to the point.
As briefly as she could, Greer explained about how after treating Danita she came home to find a man who she thought was Blake at first—only it was the Changeling.
“Oh, shit. You couldn’t tell it wasn’t your mate?”
Now Greer felt stupid. “I knew something was off, but I was a little weak from treating Danita to think much of it. He said a few odd things, and only then did I realize what he was. Long story short, he insisted I drink some peach tea to help calm me. At the time, I didn’t know it was drugged. Before I could call Blake or Anderson, I passed out. Somehow, I ended up in the woods.”
“That’s horrifying. How did you escape?”
She detailed how Blake—the real one—came and fought off the Changeling. “He’s okay, but I can’t deal with him now. I know I hurt him when I said I needed space, but it’s like the world is closing in on me.
I’ve never felt like this before in my life. I’m always in control.”
“I know just the person to help you.”
“Who?”
Blake was stunned by what just happened. As much as he wanted to run after Greer and comfort her, the way her eyes were darting back and forth and her hands shaking, she needed some personal space. Fire ignited his gut just knowing the Changeling had done something to mess with her head this much. Being this helpless wasn’t an emotion he was used to. Blake paced, trying to decide his next move. “Fuck.”
As much as he wanted to race down the path and catch up with her, Blake walked back to her car instead, trying to figure out how to help her.
By the time he reached the road, Greer’s essence trail had faded considerable. Both cars were parked next to each other, implying she was either hiding somewhere or she’d flown away. He looked down the road and spotted wisps of her golden aura in the direction away from town. He hadn’t expected that. Why would she go that way? Shit.
Blake was more confused than ever. Greer probably believed the Changeling might try to come after her again. Since the wolf had escaped, it was a logical conclusion.
He patted his pockets. Crap. He had her car keys, and he bet the Changeling still had the keys to Blake’s car.
Blake glanced at his hand. Warm blood was dripping across his palm. When he unrolled the sleeves of his now ripped shirt, he found the source. The Changeling must have cut him with his sharpened claws. He should have healed by now, but Blake was still feeling the effects from the drugs in his system. Maybe now wasn’t the best time to try to talk some sense into Greer since he wasn’t of sound mind yet himself. He certainly didn’t want to upset her any more than she already was.
After he cleaned up the cut the best he could, he slid into Greer’s car and stabbed the key in the ignition. Griffin! He’d probably know where Greer might have gone. Being the eldest, Greer’s brother seemed to have his pulse on everything that went on in his family.
Blake called him, and he answered immediately. “Blake? You find the son of a bitch?”
“Yes, but he got away.”
“Oh, shit. How’s Greer? Did you find her?”
“Yes.” He explained how he’d found her on the ground. “Even after she woke up, she was disoriented. The Changeling had drugged her too. Greer then said that she couldn’t deal being with me for the moment. Something about needing some space.”
“If Greer had been drugged, it might have brought back all of those memories of her previous capture—you know, the one that involved you.”
“You’re probably right.”
“Where are you now?” Griffin asked.
“At the entrance to the path leading to the Changeling’s campsite.”
“I have an idea. It’ll be faster to tell you what I’m thinking if I come to you. Let me make a few phone calls. I’ll see you in a few.”
“Sure.” If Griffin thought it best to come to him, so be it.
Greer wasn’t expecting Nessa to suggest that Greer speak with Fay Forester, but the fairy had helped several members of her family in the past. It certainly couldn’t hurt to find out what she had to say.
It had been a long time since Greer had visited the eternal flame, but apparently that was where Fay lived. In need of some serious help in figuring out how to deal with what she’d been through, Greer rejoiced when she was able to shift and take off.
To make sure she was back to normal, she opened her mouth to shoot out flames, but nothing happened. Damn. If she ever got close to that Changeling again, she’d kill him herself. No question about it.
She flew over the parkway close to the ground until she was out from under the dense foliage. Thankfully, few cars were on the road at that hour. The only positive of having to fly halfway across the realm was that the longer she was in her dragon form, the better chance her body had to heal.
Partway into her journey, guilt assaulted her at her decision to leave Blake. Logically, it had been selfish of her to run away, but emotionally, she needed to give them some separation. Greer just hoped Blake wouldn’t be too upset that she’d left him to make his own way home. Yes, he’d worry about her, but he was better off not having to deal with her in her stressed mental state.
Or was she rationalizing her behavior again? Damned if she knew.
Keeping an eye on where she was going, she’d traveled about an hour before spotting the line of trees that signaled the beginning of the forest where the eternal flame was located. Greer landed. The dense foliage required her to go the rest of the way on foot. Because this was a bit of a tourist attraction, there was thankfully a sign pointing to the path that led to her destination.
The flat wide path allowed her to move quickly. To her delight, her energy had returned almost completely. Thank goodness her dragon had succeeded in removing the poison from her system.
When the path dead-ended, had it not been for the light from the eternal flame, she would have been convinced she had taken a wrong turn. The whole setup was a lot more unassuming than she remembered the first time she came here. Then again, that was over eighty years ago.
Noisy animals indicated some evidence of life. The absence of any fairies concerned her though. At Birk’s wedding, Fay had shown up—first as a swarm of what looked like fireflies and then as a beautiful blonde woman.
Greer waited to be approached. And she kept waiting. Apparently, Fay had office hours. It was possible she only showed up during the day. Well, that sucked.
“Hello?” Greer called out.
When no one answered, she stepped over to the flames and peered into the light. She loved the flickering and the heat. Fire always soothed her. If she looked long enough, she might even figure out the answer to her own problems. She not only had concerns about what the Changeling incident would do to her relationship with Blake, she was also concerned with what the werewolf would do next.
Darn it. She should probably just fly back home and confront the issue by telling Blake how wrong she’d been to leave.
Greer spun around to head back out of the forest to do just that. She’d taken less than three steps when a woman stepped out of the woods, startling her.
“Hello,” said the stranger.
This wasn’t Fay, but rather a short woman with light brown hair. “Hi, I’m looking for Fay Forrester.”
“She’s not available. I’m her sister, Meena.”
Greer had no idea Fay had siblings. “I’m Greer—”
“Caspian. Yes, I know.”
“How did you know that?” she shot back with a bit too much edge to her voice.
Meena chuckled. “Let’s have a seat over here on the rock where we can chat. I hear there’s been a stranger in our midst.”
Her knowledge of the evil stranger kind of freaked Greer out, yet it comforted her at the same time to know this woman had special talents. “Has he been here?”
She tapped the area on the rock next to her. “No.”
Greer blew out a breath. This was overwhelming. The white entity, Angelique, seemed to have special powers. The fact she came from a different realm made it understandable. Some white lighters were psychic. Was Meena?
“I see.”
“Tell me what brings you here,” Meena said.
“You don’t know?” Hadn’t she just said she knew there was a stranger in their midst? Okay, more proof that Greer was losing it. If nothing else, she was always the epitome of poise and calm. Now she was not. “I’m sorry. That was uncalled for.”
“Don’t worry about it. I sense you’ve been through a lot. And I mean a lot. I want you to tell me in your own words what’s going on,” Meena said.
Greer didn’t know where to begin. Her entire world had collapsed when that dark lighter had stabbed her in the neck. Finding her mate had changed her life for the good, but it had thrown her ability to make clear decisions off kilter. “It all started when a dark lighter from a different realm took over the body of my mate.” She e
xplained about being abducted and how she’d found Blake.
“Did you believe he was your mate at first? I mean you wouldn’t have known he’d been taken over by a dark entity.”
“Not until the dark entity left his body.”
“Then what happened?”
“A Changeling from Earth arrived.” Greer explained about his abilities and how when she arrived home to their apartment this evening, a man who looked like Blake had drugged her tea and then kidnapped her.
“How terrible.”
“It was. When I awoke in the woods and saw Blake’s doppelganger, I was scared. I must have passed out again, because when I woke up again, I found two men—both of who looked like Blake—fighting each other.”
“How confusing! You must be traumatized.”
“I am.” It was wonderful to have someone to talk to who seemed to understand.
“Go on.”
Greer was ashamed to tell her. “After my mate chased off the madman, I left. I have no defense for my actions. I was so confused that I told him I needed my space.”
“I see.” Meena clasped her hand. “You did the right thing in coming here.”
“Do you really think so?”
“I know so.”
Tears leaked out of her eyes—tears of joy. “Thank you. What should I do now? Head back to town and find him?”
Meena smiled. “I have just the thing. There is a cabin I’ve set up just for you about a half mile or so down that path.”
Birk had told her about this cabin and had said the white wooden home was adorable and perfect. “You don’t think I should explain to Blake why I just up and left?”
“After you rest, you’ll have plenty of time to tell him everything. And do try the tub. A good soak can do wonders for your clarity of mind.”
She was more confused than ever. “You didn’t know I was coming here, so how did you know to prepare this cabin? Or did Nessa call you?”
“No one called me.” Meena laughed. “I just knew.” She gave Greer’s hand a squeeze and then let go. “By tomorrow morning, all of your worries—or rather most of them—will be gone.”