Rogue Spotter Collection

by Kimberly A Rogers

  “You are injured and we need to get out of this wind,” he stated simply.

  His stride lengthened underlining how much I had been slowing him down. I clung to him and wished I were a stronger paranormal like a shifter or one of the proper Fae or even the elementals. Strength and endurance would certainly have been more helpful than seeing numbers. But, there was little use bemoaning my heritage. I just had to keep my eyes open for the troll or the hunters’ return. At least, winter meant the woods had enough bare tree limbs that I would be able to see the glowing numbers before their owners were close enough to start another fight.

  I was shivering terribly by the time Mathias reached the edge of the village and slipped inside the slight shelter offered by a bus stop. He set me down on my feet and kept an arm around me. “All right, Lauren?”

  “Never better,” I whispered through trembling lips. Never more grateful for the fact that the scarf hid most of my face from his scrutiny either. I grabbed his coat as I gestured toward headlights coming our way. “Friend or foe?”

  Mathias’ long lean frame shook with a chuckle. “Very friendly. It’s the bus into Edinburgh. Come along, Mrs. Jones.”

  I tried to smile but my face was frozen. “Certainly, Mr. Jones,” I replied in my best mimicry of his British accent.

  “Lauren, I think it best that you are quite simply Mr. Jones’ pretty American bride who insisted on a romantic holiday to half-frozen Scotland like any tourist.” Mathias glanced down at me as we moved toward the edge of the stop and waited for the bus to reach us. Concern crinkled his brow. “How badly are you hurt?”

  “I’ll live,” I assured him.

  Mathias looked as though he was going to argue but then the bus pulled up, its air brakes hissing noisily. The doors opened and I hobbled up the stairs. Mathias reached around me to pay then, after I mouthed ‘troll’ at him, he spoke to the driver in a low tone. “Best call the trappers. Some eejits woke a river troll. Made us crash when they lured it across the motorway.”

  The driver responded with a rather colorful phrase as he waved for us to find our seats, then he got on the radio repeating the message. I limped to the back of the bus past the few passengers braving the weather. It was a relief to finally sit down and a deep weariness sank into my bones as soon as I did so. Mathias sat beside me after dumping our bags in the empty seats directly across from us. I closed my eyes for a brief moment and opened them again when Mathias touched my hand. “What is it?”

  “We’ll be stopping in Edinburgh,” Mathias answered softly.

  “Yes, to catch a train,” I murmured. “I remember the plan.”

  Mathias’ grip on my hand tightened slightly as he responded quietly, “The plan’s changed, Lauren.”

  * * *

  Mathias

  Lauren’s head rested against my shoulder as she slept, apparently completely worn out to the point she didn’t even notice the bumpy ride. I still covered her hand with mine, telling myself that it was to maintain the illusion of a married couple, but I knew the truth. All I wanted was reassurance that I hadn’t caused further harm to her. It was bad enough that I had failed to get her to a doctor when we reached London.

  I should have seen to it. As soon as we stopped in the safe house, I had known something was wrong with her foot. She had insisted she would be all right with just wrapping and icing it, but I had known better. I saw the signs. She hadn’t been able to point her toes or lift her left foot at all. Combining those symptoms with the pop she had heard when it happened, it was a true possibility that she had torn her Achilles tendon. Something I dreaded given the fact that such an injury could render her compromised and unable to easily escape for months.

  I should have taken her to the doctor as soon as we escaped So’ton and made it into London. That had been my plan. I had intended to take her to a doctor I knew, a Pixie who treated paranormals and norms alike, and she could be trusted to keep her mouth shut. But by the time we had almost reached her clinic, I had spied Salazar a jaguar shifter who was among Weard’s best hunters. I knew he was one of the best at tracking because I had overseen his training. My past deeds come to haunt me. With Salazar lurking near the clinic, I made the decision to flee London instead of risking a fight that could draw too much attention from the norms. Shifters were supposed to be regarded as folklore only, and certainly weren’t counted among the official ambassadorial species. Those belonged to the Fae courts of Seelie and Unseelie primarily, the ones who wouldn’t terrify the norms into demanding regulations and registration against the paranormal community.

  The bus jolted around a corner, and Lauren gave a little pained moan in her sleep. I tightened my grip on her hand as I fought the urge to confront the driver. Lauren’s dark hair was slipping past her scarf, brushing against her olive-toned skin, and adding to the air of fragility around her. I knew she hadn’t once blamed me for her pain just as much as I knew it was my fault. The last three months had been a slow torture as I tried to protect Lauren without making an offer. I had hoped that holding her at arms’ length, ignoring the feelings she stirred in me, would allow me to avoid falling into the coldness that always nipped at me. Yet she pulled at me, drew me closer.

  Lauren snuggled closer against me, and I looked down at her again. Leaning toward her, I almost gave in to the pull. But, I caught myself just before I could brush a kiss against the top of her head. No. I couldn’t allow myself to draw any closer. It would be too dangerous, especially given my heritage. Still it took far more effort than it should have to straighten in my seat.

  The bus jerked again, and Lauren inhaled sharply. She sat up, and I felt the loss too keenly. She looked up at me and her dark brown eyes softened with concern. As she tugged her hood and scarf down, she lowered her voice and asked, “Are you all right? Were you hurt when we crashed?”

  I shook my head. “Don’t worry about me.”

  Lauren frowned. “You’re avoiding the question, Mathias. Last time that meant a broken rib.”

  “I’m all right, Hope.” When she frowned at me, I knew the use of her familial name had served its purpose in distracting her. “We’re going to a clinic.”

  “What about hunters?” she whispered.

  I reached up to cradle her cheek. “I promise to stop anyone before they harm you, Lauren.”

  As soon as the words left my mouth, I knew they were a mistake. The burden of promise burned like frostbite through my veins. But, it was too late. The vow couldn’t be unspoken.

  * * *

  Chapter Two

  Lauren

  “Mrs. Jones, I’m afraid that you have suffered a partial tear to your Achilles tendon,” the doctor said solemnly. His slightly pointed ears were clearly visible with his close cropped black hair, identifying him as one of the high Fae, most likely a Light Elf from the Seelie Court. His mouth turned down at the corners as he continued examining my left foot.

  Admittedly, it did look especially bad now that I was sitting in a hospital gown with my leg extended out and all the wrapping off. The back of my ankle was swollen, puffy, and a little discolored. I couldn’t help glancing over at where Mathias was standing with his back against the wall, arms folded over his chest, and head lowered. The nurse nearly fainted when he walked into the room and I knew she couldn’t see numbers, not with the diaphanous wings on her back clearly marking her as a Sprite. Of course, it could be the fact that Mathias was definitely one of the more attractive men I had known with his long lean frame, light brown hair, and piercing blue-green eyes that seemed more blue today. Or the fact that he gave off the sense of power similar to a cheetah or sphinx ready to pounce if the doctor did anything he considered wrong.

  I offered him a faint smile hoping he would relax a little. Then, I hissed and tried to pull my foot back when the doctor brushed against the side of my ankle. Mathias leaned forward slightly as the doctor muttered, “How long ago did the injury occur?”

  “Five days,” Mathias offered, his tone a little cold. Enough th
at the Sprite’s wings started fluttering faster, lifting her into a low hover.

  “You didn’t take your wife to a clinic right away?” the doctor didn’t bother to hide his censure, one of the flaws of the high Fae in both courts was their tendency to not pull punches when they felt strongly about something . . . it would make things interesting at my former employer, Halliman’s. Right now, I was simply praying Mathias wouldn’t take offense. The doctor was only a 4 and likely wouldn’t last even a minute in a true fight with any of the higher numbers, much less a 10.

  “There wasn’t an opportunity,” came the frosty answer.

  The doctor sniffed and then eyed me skeptically. I worked hard to keep my expression neutral. Change of prayers. Now, I just wanted him not to ask me about abuse. That would definitely get a reaction out of Mathias and it wouldn’t be good.

  I brushed strands of hair out of my eyes as I waited for the doctor to say something. My heart was starting to pound faster the longer he waited. One would think that our coming in at night would clue him in that perhaps we weren’t having the most pleasant trip. He finally dropped his questioning gaze and rolled his chair away from me. He waved to the nurse, and she fluttered her wings as her feet touched back on the floor and she readied her pen to take notes. The doctor stood and washed his hands before he turned back to me. “Given the nature of your injury, Mrs. Jones, I would normally offer two types of treatment. However, because the tear to your tendon has been neglected as well as aggravated since its occurrence, I feel there is only one option left for you. And, that is surgery.”

  Surgery. I let out a slow breath, my gaze flickering to Mathias, before I looked back at the doctor. “Okay and how long would recovery take?”

  “It’s a four to six week recovery period as a minimum before you’ll be able to start walking properly.”

  Four to six weeks. That was a long time to be off my feet when we still had hunters chasing after us. I didn’t dare to mention that particular concern to Mathias, not while the doctor was watching us with no small amount of suspicion in his eyes. Of course, I was fairly certain he was more suspicious of Mathias than me. Either way, it would be in our best interest to allay his concerns.

  I nodded slowly. “All right. If that’s the only option, then there’s not much of a choice to be made.” I glanced at Mathias for a moment and then turned back to the doctor as I asked softly, “When is the soonest the surgery can happen? I’d like to get it over with as soon as possible.”

  A vaguely annoyed expression crossed the doctor’s face. The corners of his mouth pulled down once more into a proper frown as his Scottish burr thickened. “The surgery isn’t a simple clinic job. Clinic’s not set up for major surgery, and that’s what you require. You and your husband will need to agree to come to the hospital. Or will that be a problem?”

  I didn’t want to go to the hospital. It felt like we would be walking into a trap. After spending the last three months with hunters dogging our every move, my sense of paranoia already refined by a lifetime of hiding what I was had only grown stronger. Before I could respond, however, Mathias spoke once more. “No, it won’t be a problem. When can she have the surgery?”

  “Two days from now.”

  I hesitated, almost afraid to press the doctor at all, but I still quietly asked, “It can’t be done sooner?”

  “It’s not possible,” came the rather tart reply. The doctor gestured to his nurse as he strode toward the door. “Eileen will give you the paperwork on the surgery so you’ll be familiar with it. In the meantime, stay off that foot.”

  As soon as he went out the door, the nurse smiled at me, her wings fluttering with nerves. “You may get back in your own clothes, Mrs. Jones. I’ll go get the paperwork.”

  Then, I was left alone in the room with Mathias. I closed my eyes as I blew out a breath. When I opened them, I almost fell off the exam table to find Mathias now standing in front of me. He set my pile of clothes down next to me and then glanced at me. There was concern and something more glinting in his eyes and his voice softened as he asked, “Are you all right?”

  I nodded, not quite trusting myself to speak just yet. For goodness’ sakes, Lauren, stop gawking! I blinked and then looked down, offering a little nod. “Yes. But . . .” I trailed off, darting a wary glance at the door, before leaning toward him and continuing in a low whisper, “is it safe to wait here? When the hunters could track us? I don’t want to endanger the plan.” I barely stopped myself from adding ‘or you.’

  Mathias shook his head. “Don’t worry about the plan, Lauren. We are amending it. I’m very used to making such adjustments, and Edinburgh is a rather large city in case you haven’t noticed. Even in the dead of winter when everyone in their right minds are staying indoors, there are enough people out including paranormals to keep our trail covered.” His gaze softened and he reached out to touch my cheek, brushing against my skin. It took all my self-control not to lean into his touch as he continued, “You are more important than a schedule, Lauren. I won’t let them harm you. You have my word.”

  “I believe you.” I forced myself to lean back, pulling away from his touch and the feelings it stirred in me, and offered a light smile. “Shouldn’t you leave the room now?”

  “Do you want the doctor to summon wardens to question us on whether I’ve abducted you?” he countered with a hint of amusement peppering his delicious accent. He strode to the far corner and stood with his nose nearly against the wall, hands clasped behind his back. “Better?”

  A little laugh escaped me. “I’m sure that wouldn’t raise any eyebrows at all if someone walked in.” He started to turn and I gasped, “Mathias! Behave!”

  Another low chuckle and then he murmured, “I’ll simply tell them it’s because you’re an odd American. They’ll believe it.”

  “How comforting,” I retorted. Still I wasted no more time in slipping on my jeans and dark green sweater. Although it was a little tricky to wriggle the rest of the way into my jeans when I had to get off the table and balance with one foot on the step stool without banging my injured foot against anything. When I finished tugging my sweater down, I said, “I’m decent now.”

  Mathias immediately returned to my side and helped me with my socks and the oversized boots he had gotten for me. Then, it was time to slip on the rest of my layers. As I shrugged into my coat, I glanced over at Mathias. “Where are we headed now?”

  “I found us a room in a little bed and breakfast tucked into New Town. Taxi is waiting for us. Ready?”

  I offered a little nod and wasn’t surprised when Mathias opted to simply carry me. Wrapping my arms around his neck, it was easy to feel . . . safe. Even with stopping to get the paperwork from the nurse, it didn’t take much time to go from the clinic to the waiting taxi. Mathias handed the driver a tip for waiting and holding our go bags, then settled next to me. I leaned against him resting my head on his shoulder. I wished . . . Well, it didn’t really matter what I wished because I knew better. Spotters didn’t get involved with high numbers, and Mathias was as dangerous as he was trustworthy. Besides pining for what never could be would only set me up for heartbreak, especially given the way Mathias had been keeping me at a distance. I could trust him with my life . . . just not so much with my heart.

  * * *

  Mathias

  The inability to do anything was extremely annoying. I let out a huff as I continued pacing the length of the too small waiting room. Lauren’s surgery should have started by now. The doctor had estimated between thirty minutes and an hour to complete the procedure depending on how bad the tear actually turned out to be. But my veins burned with the urge to be at her side, protecting her. Why had I spoken the binding words?

  A promise to protect, to give my life for hers, that was a vow neither lightly given nor easily broken. Not for me, my heritage alone prevented it. Myrmidons were incapable of speaking such a vow without prompting the completion of the binding. And, that I could not do. It would only endanger
Lauren. The cold seeping into my heart and burning its way through my veins reminded me of the other consequence, of what would happen if I continued to grow closer to Lauren yet failed to finish the binding.

  I took a deep breath, fighting instincts for control, and then shoved my hand into my coat pocket. Pulling out a pill bottle, I quickly opened it and tipped a silvery-green pill into my palm. I tossed it in my mouth and swallowed before chasing it down with a sip of the tea I had picked up while Lauren was prepped for surgery.

  Closing my eyes, I waited for the pill to take effect. The pill contained a rare herbal mix specifically meant for combating the cold fury that could sweep over my kind at any moment, but especially in times of heightened emotion. I groaned as I realized it was a sign of how far I had fallen in the last three months. Habit made me carry a stash wherever I went, but I had not needed additional aid in control since I reached adulthood. Now here I was at thirty-seven displaying almost as much control as a rampaging adolescent who hadn’t taken the pills.

  Such was the effect Lauren Hope had on me since we first crossed paths. I rubbed my forehead with two fingers as the pull from the cold rage and toward Lauren finally lessened to a more manageable level. I stopped pacing long enough to count the pills I had left . . . not enough if I failed to regain my ability to control the rage without using them on a daily basis.

  I shoved the bottle back into my pocket and turned my attention to the telly. It was tuned to a paranormal news network based out of London. They were showing footage of a banshee whose long black hair was piled atop her head with jeweled flowers holding it secure. Jewels shaped like teardrops hung from her earlobes and dripped from her throat as she flashed a smile at the camera that didn’t quite reach her purple eyes.