by Khloe Wren
I nodded but didn’t stop my pacing. Mate? Like I was some sort of fucking animal?
“Since I wasn’t the one who created you, I don’t know for sure. Your father didn’t reach out to me in all his plotting. I didn’t learn of what was done until after the first of you were born. I stepped in when the tomb was opened to save you all, so you could have lives here in this world. Nothing about what happened back then was your or your brothers’ fault, yet you were the ones who were left to suffer. It wasn’t right. That said, I had to take human form myself. While I’ve retained many of my abilities, my ability to enter the underworld to find your old man and ask him what the fuck he did back then isn’t one of them. So, I’m taking an educated guess here. Hell, Spark, you work with other supernaturals all the damn time. You tell me what this shit sounds like to you? If this was someone else asking you what it meant to be instantly connected to a woman like you are to this girl, what would you say?”
That had me pausing in my pacing to take a deep breath before I could look Aaron in the eye. “If they were shifter or vampire, I’d say they’d found their destined mate.”
He tilted his head. “There you go. She’s yours. And you may only get this one chance with her, so I’d suggest you not fuck it up. I’ll have a word with Stone. He’ll back off from scaring her. You know he won’t hurt her. He doesn’t harm innocents.”
“Yes, but considering he refuses to accept that she is an innocent, that’s no comfort, brother.”
Brianna
Waking with a groan, I rolled over and froze. I was not on hard ground out in the bush but in a bed. I could barely remember the last time I’d slept on a bed. Was I dreaming? Pain shot through my stomach, confirming this was no dream and that while I’d clearly gotten some sleep, I hadn’t had anything to eat and was still hungry. Whatever it was that kept taking over my body obviously didn’t realize a human needed certain things to survive. Like food. Or sleep.
Male voices filtered in through the closed door, but they were far enough away I couldn’t make out their words. I guessed they would belong to the three men who’d found me. Shifting to sit on the edge of the mattress, I spotted a sheet of paper resting on the bedside table. Snatching it up, I brought it in front of me so I could read it.
Brianna, rest easy. You’re safe here.
Take a shower, wear the clothes I left for you.
Then come find me and I’ll make sure you get fed.
Spark
His handwriting was elegant and didn’t fit with the tough image he’d presented in his tight black tee and cargo pants earlier. He’d looked military, a man on a mission. This handwriting looked like it should belong to a poet or an old-world gentleman. Of course, the way he tried to order me around with what he wrote fit the whole military thing.
He’d signed it as Spark, not Raymond. I guessed that meant he considered me a friend, although I had no idea why he would. Maybe stopping his buddy from killing me crossed that bridge? I shook my head. Who cared? I slid off the bed and padded over the bathroom. The shower was a temptation I wasn’t sure I could resist, but as I looked back at the closed door of the bedroom and heard the low drone of the male voices again, I realized I couldn’t risk getting naked long enough for a shower. The pile of clothing caught my attention and I lifted the shirt to my nose to inhale the scent of sage. Spark.
This was crazy. How could I be this obsessed with a guy I’d only just met? Especially since I had no clue what he even wanted from me. Setting the garment down, I pulled my dirty, charred shirt off and grabbed a washcloth. Once the water in the basin ran warm, I wet the cloth and cleaned my face, arms and torso, humming as I got at least partially clean for the first time in who knew how long.
Turning off the hot tap, I waited for the water to run cold, then using my hands, I cupped some and took a deep drink, sighing as the cool liquid relieved my parched throat. Flipping off the tap, I reached for a towel and made fast work of drying off before I lifted his shirt once more and slipped it on. Instantly, I was surrounded with Spark’s scent and a calmness settled over me. The black material had hugged his every muscle, but it hung loosely over my smaller frame. I’d definitely lost some weight since all this shit had started.
Once I located my shoes, I slipped them on and went over the door. I stalled out, staring at the timber for a minute. What should I do? If I went out there, I’d most likely get a good meal, but at what cost? I had to go find my father, had to stop him before he hurt another women. I was also worried about what would happen if the lightning came while I was here. Would it come inside? Hurt everyone near me? Burn the place down?
With a heavy sigh, I knew I couldn’t go out there. For their safety as much as mine, I had to leave. No matter how tired and worn out I felt. How hungry I was. I moved over to the window and opened it, popping the screen out easily. I waited for a few moments to see if anyone had heard me, or if anyone was outside watching for me to attempt an escape. When nothing happened, I gave one last, longing glance to the comfortable bed I wished I could return to, then climbed outside and started to jog across the yard toward the rows of vines that would hide me if someone did happen to look out of the house.
Chapter Five
Spark
Stone strode thought the room to the kitchen, bringing my conversation with Aaron to a halt.
“Your woman ran off. Not sure she’s feeling the same connection you are, bro.”
I spun and sprinted toward my room, not wanting to believe Stone. Skidding through my door, I knew it was true. She was gone. The open bedroom window was her obvious escape route. I stood with my hands on my hips for a few moments while I ran my gaze over every inch of the landscape I could see outside, searching for any sign of her. When I couldn’t spot her anywhere, I turned with a huff and rushed back to the kitchen to question Stone.
“When did she leave?”
He shrugged as he lifted his freshly brewed coffee to his lips. “She ran off about ten minutes ago.”
My skin rippled with my phoenix as I clenched my fists. “And why didn’t you tell me ten minutes ago?”
He calmly took another sip of coffee before he answered me.
“What’s the rush? She’s wearing one of your shirts, covered in your scent. I can track her by that. So can Aaron.” He shrugged a shoulder. “I was actually genuinely curious about whether she could leave your ass or not. She barely looked back when she ran off through the vines. I don’t think there’s a connection like you think, Spark. If you were fated mates or some shit, she shouldn’t be able to leave you.” Clouds gathered outside and darkened. “Guess we don’t need to worry about tracking your scent to find her. We can just follow the storm.”
I ignored Stone’s last comment and walked out of the house. Knowing I didn’t have much time, I took a deep breath and allowed my phoenix to take over. The only way I’d make it to Brianna before the lightning struck was with my supernatural speed in the air. Once I’d shifted, my feathers shimmered as I cloaked myself. In this form, I could choose to be visible or not to the human eye. But if someone was watching me shift, they’d see what I was, so I could only ever transition if I knew it was safe from prying eyes.
Rising up, I flew straight for the center of the gathering storm, scanning the ground for Brianna the entire time. I finally caught sight of her just as the lightning struck. She lifted her hand toward the bolt as it split to form a cage around her. I silently cursed that I was going to be too late, but didn’t stop racing to her, trying to suck the heat from the air as I moved in the hope I could disburse the lightning before it could snatch her away.
I was actually surprised she’d managed to make it this far from the house by herself. I’d only left her alone to rest because I’d sensed her weakness, knew she needed sleep and food to recover. And like Stone, I, too, had hoped that she was feeling the connection between us and it would have prevented her from leaving me behind.
Her pain-filled scream whipped through the air as the cage fiz
zled and vanished, leaving her in an unconscious heap on the ground. The lightning had obviously been weaker than it had been previous times as the ground wasn’t cracked where it had struck. As quickly as I could, I drew the heat out of the area, extinguishing the small fires before they could take hold. I swooped down and, sensing she was unharmed, carefully picked her up in my claws. Holding her close against me so she’d be hidden behind my cloaking, I flew us back to Aaron’s home.
I headed toward where Aaron stood on the lawn, waiting for us. He could see through my cloaking and held his arms out as I approached with my precious bundle. I carefully handed her over to him before I moved away enough to shift back to my human form without disturbing her. With a shake, I strode forward to take my woman back from Aaron, who was running his focused gaze over her from head to toe.
“I sense no injury. I believe she’s simply completely drained all of her energy.”
I nodded at Aaron as I took her from him. “Yeah, that was my assessment when I found her. I’m going to stay in the room with her until she wakes this time.”
“Let me know when she does and I’ll make something for her to eat and bring it to you.”
“Thanks, brother.”
With that, I headed up to the house and through to my room. As much as I liked having Brianna in my arms, I wished it was under different circumstances.
“Babe, you have got to stop running from me.”
I knew she was out and couldn’t hear me, but I couldn’t help but tell her. Maybe it’d sink into her subconscious. Twice now I’d found her in an unconscious heap on the ground and I didn’t want any more repeats.
This time when I got to my room, I pulled the bedding back before I laid her down. After taking off her shoes, I flipped the covers over her, making sure she was comfortable before I retreated. After checking that someone had fixed the window, I headed over and grabbed the chair from the desk. After turning it to face the bed, I sat and settled in to watch as Brianna slept peacefully.
I hadn’t heard the shower earlier, but she’d obviously cleaned herself up a little before she’d left. Her face was now free of the dirt that had streaked it earlier, revealing exactly how pale her skin was. I could also see the black smudges under her eyes. I frowned when I really took in how tired she looked, and thin. I really needed to figure out how to earn her trust, to get her to tell me what’s been going on so we could get it dealt with. No way would I allow Stone or anyone else to hurt her. She was mine. I knew it in my bones, in my soul.
She was my mate, my other half, and I would never leave her unprotected again.
Brianna
Waking up to find myself on the soft mattress and surrounded by Spark’s scent again had me questioning whether I’d actually left earlier. Had I dreamed it? Making it out through the window and across the vineyard into bushland. Then, when the storm clouds had gathered over my head, I’d tried to send them away, to stop it from taking me. It all felt too real to be a dream. But if it was real, how had I ended up back here? And what had the lightning made me do this time? I hoped I hadn’t hurt Spark or the others.
“You can open your eyes, Brianna. You’re safe.”
His deep voice had me shivering. I couldn’t place his accent. There was a little American in there, like he’d lived in the US for a long while, but I was sure he hadn’t been born there.
“Where are you from?”
“I’ve been living in Florida for the past several years, but if you’re referring to where I was born, Egypt. What about yourself?”
Blinking my vision clear, I glanced over to see he was sitting all the way over on the other side of the room, as far from the bed as he could get. Did he regret rescuing me now? It was early evening and the shadows hid his expression from me so I was unsure.
“I’ve never been outside of Australia.”
He leaned over and clicked on the desk lamp, bathing the room in a soft yellow glow. “Do you want to travel?”
I shrugged while I took in his beauty. His dark golden skin and regal facial features looked like he should have been an Egyptian pharaoh of old, not a modern man.
“Some days I do, other days I’m happy to stay in my safe little bubble.” I paused to shake my head. “Well, what I’d thought was my safe place. Turns out it wasn’t so safe.”
The deep rumble of Spark’s voice pulled me from my spiraling thoughts.
“We found you near Myrtleford, in Victoria. I’m guessing that’s not where you’re from?”
I was struck still, in shock for a few moments. Victoria? I’d traveled that far?
“My home is in Drake, New South Wales. I’m now in Victoria? Really?”
He shook his head. “We’re in Eden Valley, South Australia now.”
That had me sitting up and frowning. “How long was I out?”
He raised an eyebrow and it looked sexy as hell, but I ignored the flare of heat in my body. I needed to piece together my life before I could worry about how sexy this man was.
“The first time or the second?”
“Either. Both. My memory is a mess. I have no clue how long it’s been since I left my home.”
My voice wavered and tears blurred my vision. It was all too much. I wasn’t used to so much upheaval. For as long as I could remember, I’d lived simply. Rarely leaving the property, I slept, ate and worked on my art.
He rose and rushed over toward me. I knew I should probably push him away, but I was simply too tired and overwhelmed to care that I shouldn’t be accepting comfort from a virtual stranger. He flipped back the blankets and gathered me up in his arms before he sat on the bed with me in his lap. The heat I’d felt when he’d first touched me, engulfed me as he pulled the covers up over us while I clung to him and cried.
“Shh, rohi, it’s going to be fine. We’ll work out what the fuck has been going on and get it fixed. I’ll tell you what I know, but I’m not sure how much it’ll help you. It’ll probably only confuse you even more.”
I hiccupped and wiped my tears away as I pulled back to look up at him. He was so warm and strong. His arms around me felt like security, not containment. And that sage scent of his was working its magic, calming and soothing me.
“I doubt I could be any more confused than I already am. I don’t even know what the day it is!”
“It’s Friday, September twenty-seventh. 2019.”
He tacked on the year like he wasn’t sure if it would be the thing that broke me. If he’d said anything other than 2019, I’m sure it would have.
“It was the sixth of September when I found my father’s workshop…”
For twenty-one days I’d been tossed around the country by lightning, losing days at a time with no memory of what I’d done in that time. Spark’s callused fingers brushed tears from my cheeks.
“What happened to start all this? Maybe if we go through it from the start, we can work out who, or what, has been taking hold of you.”
I shook my head. “How could you possibly help? Don’t get me wrong, I totally appreciate the offer but the lightning snatches me when it wants, and I lose days with no memory. Who are you that can combat that?”
He gave me a small smile. “I’m no normal man, Brianna. I told you I was born in Egypt, but I didn’t tell you when. I’ll give you a hint. My father was Tutankhamun — King Tut.”
Shock had my tears drying up in a heartbeat. “King Tut? Like Ancient Egyptian, King Tut?” He slowly nodded. “That makes you how old, exactly?”
He winced. “Well, that’s not a simple answer. I was born in Ancient Egypt. I’m not sure what year exactly, but I was a toddler when my father died, and I was locked in his crypt with his body. I was reborn in 1922 when the tomb was opened. Since I have no memories from my time in Ancient Egypt, I count my rebirth as my birth.”
My head hurt. “You’re trying to tell me you’re nearly a hundred years old?”
He nodded slowly again. “Ninety-eight in November, to be exact. I’m not lying to you. My brothers
and I are all immortal. We don’t age. Aaron and Stone, whom you met earlier, are both the same as me. Well, not exactly the same, but we’ll get to that later. My point is, I have powers and skills that I will use to help get you free of whatever mess in which you’ve found yourself.”
Maybe I was dreaming after all. I shifted under the covers to pinch my leg out of his sight, but the sharp flare of pain didn’t change a damn thing. Guess this was actually happening.
“Why?”
He looked confused. “Why what?”
“Why would you want to help me? You don’t even know me!”
He shifted a hand to press a fist against his left pec, over his heart. “I know you in here, Brianna. You were born to be mine. You have to have felt the connection between us—the one that feels like it reaches down to your soul.”
No matter how accurate he was about me feeling our connection, I couldn’t trust it. I shook my head and tried to push away, to get off his lap but he returned his arm around me and kept me pinned against him.
“Shh. Don’t go panicking on me. I’m not going to push you for things you’re not ready for. You don’t need to fear me, rohi. I will never lie to you, but that might mean sometimes you get information you don’t think you’re ready to handle. When that happens, I won’t leave you alone to process it. I’ll stay with you and help you deal with it.”
I let my forehead fall against his shoulder, taking deep breaths of his sage scent as my mind spun. This couldn’t be my life…
“I’m not sure what has me more confused. That I’ve lost most of the last twenty-one days, or you’re apparently, what? Ninety-seven years old and claiming that I somehow belong to you.”
His large palm rubbed up and down my back as he leaned down to press a kiss to the top of my head.
“You belong with me, not to me. We’ll sort out what’s happened to you. And yes, I’m ninety-seven years old for another month or so.”