Sapphire Danger: The Weaver Chronicles Book 2

by Angie Cottingham

  “You know you didn’t lose anything right. I mean I’ll get on my knees anytime for you baby.”

  “And I would have taught you to fly if you’d asked.”

  “I know. I just couldn’t think of anything to bet.” I smile and kiss him.

  Jaymeson and Asher play next and the bet is that the loser will streak through the meeting and feast at some point tomorrow. When Jaymeson loses, he groans. The thought of anyone seeing my guys naked has me seeing red.

  “Oh shit. Reegan looks ready to murder someone.” Trent jokes. Except it’s not a joke. I do feel the need for retribution toward any female that thinks they have a right to look at my men naked. I’ve never felt this way before about anyone. Even when the bonds were first formed, I didn’t get jealous or murderous.

  “No one sees you naked.” I grit out.

  “Fuck baby. Are you jealous? You know that none of us want anyone but you.” Kalan tells me.

  “I know but the thought of anyone else seeing any of you naked just makes me so mad.” I tell them.

  “So no streaking then?” Asher asks with a face of pure innocence.

  “No streaking.” I seethe. “Unless you’d like to be cut off for the foreseeable future.” I say.

  Once the feeling of jealousy leaves me, I feel drained. I’m embarrassed about my jealousy and just overwhelmed. I take off out of the room and run as fast as my feet will take me up to my room. I push through the door, locking it behind me. I fall back against the door and slide down it until my ass hits the floor. I pull my knees into my chest and just cry.

  What could be minutes or hours later, I can feel the door being pushed. I know I locked it but it shouldn’t surprise me that my guys can still get in. I don’t move hoping that my weight will keep them from getting in. It’s just wishful thinking. The door keeps moving and I slide across the floor. I hear the footsteps behind me and then I feel arms wrap around me and lift. I curl closer to the body as I’m carried across the floor and placed gently on the bed. The covers are drawn up over my shoulders. I feel the bed dip behind me and those same arms wrap around me. No words are spoken as he just holds me. By the earthy scent I can tell its Jaymeson, my sweet shifter.

  “I love you.” I whisper into his mind.

  “I love you too.” he whispers back and tightens his hold a little.

  I lay there in his arms. I’m still frustrated. I feel anxious and moody. I have so much running through my head that it’s hard to concentrate on any one thing. Jaymeson runs his fingers through my hair and I relax slightly. He remains silent, letting me have my time. A little while later all the guys trickle in and take spots on the bed. Jaymeson pulls me over a little so Bentley can take the space in front of me. I roll to my back but keep my eyes closed. Trent crawls between my legs and lays his head on my stomach. Kalan and Asher curl around my feet. No one says anything. They just all lay with me cocooning me in their support.

  I remember a quote I read in a book a while ago, “She doesn’t want a rich man or a handsome man or even a poet, she wants a man who understands her eyes if she gets sad, and points to his chest and say Here is your home.” -Nizar Qabbani. That’s my guys. They get it. They can lay with me in the silence of a room even when my thoughts are screaming and make me feel as if everything will always be ok. These guys, all five of them are my home.

  I sigh and wrap my fingers up in Trent’s curls. I use my fingernails to lightly scratch his scalp. Jaymeson continues to play with my hair while Bent draws small circles on the flesh of my arms. Trent rubs tiny circles on my stomach while Ash and Kalan rub my feet. My anxiety begins to dissipate. My feelings are still all over the place but I can ignore them and just enjoy my men taking care of me.

  Several hours later I wake and move slowly so as to not wake the guys. I rush to the bathroom and to the toilet where I lose my dinner. I never get sick. What the hell is wrong with me? Are my powers short circuiting? Do I have food poisoning? Can supernaturals even get food poisoning. My head hurts.

  I feel something cold on the back of my neck and it causes me to jump. “Shh, Beauty. It’s just me. Are you sick?”

  “I don’t know. I have a headache and my stomach is really upset but I’m fine otherwise.”

  “Maybe you’re just overwhelmed. I’m sure it will pass.” Trent answers. “Let’s get you up off this floor.”

  He helps me up and I walk over to brush my teeth. Once that’s done I walk over to him. He wraps his arms around me. “Do you want to go back to bed?”

  “I need some fresh air. I thought I’d go down and sit on the porch for a bit.”

  “Alright. Let’s go.” he orders as he takes my hand.

  He leads me down the stairs and out the front door. I take a seat in one of the rocking chairs. “Stay here. I’ll be right back.”

  I don’t say anything. He comes back a minute later with a throw blanket and a glass of water. He covers my lap with the blanket and then hands me the glass. Once he has me taken care of he takes a seat next to me. “Are you sure you’re ok?” he asks.

  “I think so. I don’t usually get sick but I don’t usually have all this different stuff going on.”

  “I know it’s been crazy but it won’t always be that way. Have you given any thought to what you wanted to do after this weaver shit is behind you?” he asks me curiously.

  “I haven’t given it much thought, no. I try to concentrate on the here and now.” I respond. “Have you?”

  “A little. I mean I don’t care where we end up as long as we’re together but I’ve always wanted to do what my mom does.”

  “You want to own a restaurant?

  “Yeah. It doesn’t have to be as upscale as Mom’s but I think it’d be cool to have a restaurant of my own.”

  “Would you do the cooking?”

  “Yes. I love cooking. Well, you know that.”

  “I think you’d be amazing in that role.” I tell him seriously.

  “Yeah. The council makes that somewhat difficult though.”

  “Yeah. Can I ask you something?”

  “Anything.” he responds.

  “Do you ever think about not being a councilman?”

  “All the fucking time. We’re born into the roll with no choice. If I had my way, I’d run far away from the whole damn thing. All the guys would.” he answers. “We all want change though so we stay where we are until we get seats and then we institute those changes right?”

  “I guess. I mean, I never thought I’d even be on the council. I was content with my place in Elfame and now I have to be queen. I don’t know if I can do it.”

  “You can do anything Beauty.”

  “Can I though? Future Queen of Elfame. I’m mated to the future Alpha so that makes me a leader of the pack. I’m the Weaver and responsible for the fate of the whole damn world. I’m being pulled in so many different directions that I don’t know what to do.”

  “You take it one day at a time and remember that you’re not alone in any of this. We’re right here with you every step of the way.” He tells me.

  I stand up and crawl into his lap. I curl into him and let him hold me. We watch the sun rise from our spot on the porch and then he leads me inside to the kitchen and goes about making me coffee. After we drink, he takes me into the downstairs shower. As much as I want him, he has no intentions of initiating sex. He pours some shampoo into his hand and massages it into my hair before tilting my head back under the water to rinse it. He does the same with the conditioner. After he’s through with that, he grabs the sponge and lathers soap into my skin from neck to toes. I try to return the favor but he refuses and quickly washes himself.

  He wraps a towel around me and we walk out to the living area. He pulls me down on the sofa and turns on the television. He turns his body to where he’s laying across the couch and I am sitting between his legs. He takes a hairbrush and runs it through my thick waves paying special attention to any tangles he finds. After he brushes it, he starts braiding.

&n
bsp; “Where did you learn to do that?” I ask him.

  “My mom always said that I needed to know how to take care of a woman.” is his response.

  “Thank you.” I say softly. He kisses the back of my neck before he gently scoots me over so that he can get up. When he comes back it’s with a buttery soft pair of purple leggings and a black tank top.

  I quickly dress. Trent looks at me with a smile and says, “Let’s go train.”

  I whole-heartedly agree with him. Maybe it will help my mood. He leads the way out the back door to the yard. He stands across from me. “Let’s see how you do with the elements. You know that game Simon where you follow the lights?” he asks.

  “Yeah, I think so.”

  “Good. I’ll do something and then you mimic it.” he commands.

  He starts out by pulling a water ball into his hand. I mimic it. Then he pulls water from the lake. I do the same. Next he makes vines grow up and around my legs. When I do this, not only does he get vines around his legs but flowers bloom along them.

  “Good. Now defense.” he states before he lets loose a massive wave of water toward me.

  I use the spirit element to pop out of the way and land behind him. He then shoots vines from the ground to try and grab me. I use wind to raise myself off the ground and out of his grasp.

  “Awesome. You’re getting stronger. Should we try to call on your wings or one of the other guy’s powers.

  “Not the wings yet.” I say as I turn around and close my eyes.

  I open myself up and find the bonds. When I find Jaymeson’s I pull on it. I can feel my fingernails and teeth elongate. I open my eyes and look at Trent.

  “That’s so cool. You look totally badass with fangs and claws.” he says. I beam a smile his way. “Now pull on Kalan’s bond.”

  I do and when I open my eyes I can see a blue smokey like substance around Trent. It’s so vibrant.

  “Tell me what’s going on.” he tells me.

  “I see a bright blue smoke around you and a faint green one closer to your body.”

  “You can see my element, my magic.” he says. “The brighter the color, the stronger the supernatural.”

  That must mean Trent is super strong. I’m now really understanding the elite nickname the guys have at the academy. The back door opens and Kalan walks out. I’m still pulling on his bond so I can see that beautiful green smoke that matches his eyes perfectly. Again, the color is amazingly brilliant. Before I have a chance to train anymore, the other three guys come out the door.

  “What’s up?” Asher asks.

  “We were just training a little bit.” Trent answers him.

  “Good. You ready for that flying lesson?” Bentley asks.

  “Yes!” I squeal.

  “Ok. First we have to get the wings out. For now, pull on our bond but you’ll have to learn to do this without the bond.” Bentley tells me.

  One more time, I close my eyes and seek out his bond. It’s the same color as his wings. Once I have it, I open my eyes and will my wings to come out. Of course they don’t listen. I huff.

  “I’m going to try something else.” Bent says coming around behind my back. He pulls my tank top out of the way and places his hand in the middle of my back between my shoulder blades. Once his palm is flat on my back, he rubs it down the mate mark. The wings fly out behind me with such force that I almost fall over.

  Bent steadies me and once he’s sure I’m good, he releases his wings. The guys all gasp. I wonder if they’ve ever actually seen his wings. Bentley ignores them all and walks back around me. When he touches my wings they flutter like hooker’s eyelashes when she’s trying to pick up a man. I giggle at the thought but then when Bent touches them again they begin to flap. As I’m lifted into the air, Bentley joins me.

  “Keep your wings flapping to go higher or propel yourself forward. Stretch and hold to glide.” he calls out.

  I listen to his instructions and we take to flying around.

  “Stay over the lake just in case.” he says.

  We circle the lake several times. When it's time to land, Bentley does it gracefully. I follow his lead but I land a lot less gracefully knocking into the guys and bowling them over.

  Chapter 24: Bentley

  Hours later, we’re all headed to the main house to meet with Richard and the elders. I’m nervous and scared of the answers we may or may not get. Reegan walks stoically beside me. She’s silent but the look in her eyes is one-part determination and one-part pure fear. Neither of us want to even hope for answers. We don’t want to be let down. I reach over and grab her hand. She lets me take it and she even squeezes mine in either reassurance or solidarity I’m not sure. The guys are all with us. I can feel their tension as easily as I can see the house in front of us.

  We walk through the front door and straight to the main room. Inside sits Richard in a seat with all the elders spread out on both sides. Reegan and I move to the front of the room and take the seats there while the guys find seats around the room.

  “Reegan, you wanted to meet with the elders and myself?” he asks.

  “Yes Alpha. I had some questions that I was hoping to get some answers to.” Reegan responds.

  “What questions would that be young lady?” an older female asks.

  “I’m searching for my parents and I was led to believe that they may be here among the pack.” she says straight to the point.

  “What makes you think your parents are here?” the woman asks.

  “It’s a long story.” I answer.

  “Well then, how about we do answer for answer.” a sneering man says. “We have questions for you as well.”

  “That sounds fair.” Reegan responds.

  “Are you the weaver?” one person blurts out.

  “Yes. Do you take in other species?”

  “We do at times.” Richard says while someone else asks, “Is the prophet being fulfilled.”

  “To my knowledge not yet. Do you know Esme Winthrope and her husband Max?”

  “Yes.” is the curt answer from one of the elders. “Is the pack in danger?”

  “I honestly don’t know. Possibly.” Reegan sighs.

  “Look, this isn’t getting us anywhere. Here’s the deal. Reegan is the weaver. She was not even aware of this information until several months ago. She came here to Earth to train and prepare for the council seat. Since then, she has been attacked a few times. We believe those who attacked her before will be trying again in the near future. As to whether that puts the pack in danger we do not know but I would assume that even if it did the pack would be on the side of their future alpha’s mate.” I speak.

  “Reegan is welcome here and yes we will do everything in our power to protect her as well as her mates.” Richard says.

  “My mother called my grandfather a while ago and forgot to use a spelled phone so it showed the call being from Colorado. All the guys are linked to me in some way. Bentley was my best friend as a child. Trent’s mother was her best friend. Asher used to visit my dreams. And Kalan and I grew up together after his parents took me in. It seems that Jaymeson fits in because of this pack’s rule to help other species and rogues when you can.”

  A door on the side of the room opens and a woman and man walk in. The woman has chestnut colored hair and eyes. The man has blonde hair and green eyes. The woman is the spitting image of Reegan except the hair and eye color. I’d recognize her regardless of her features. This is Esme, Reegan’s mom.

  Reegan’s head turns from answering another question and when her eyes land on the couple, she whispers, “Mama.” With that one word, she’s out of her seat and running over to them. She throws herself at the couple and they wrap her in a tight embrace. She’s in tears as her parents. They whisper to her but I can’t make out what they say.

  “Richard, I answered all these questions for you just days ago. Why are you interrogating my daughter?”, Esme asks.

  “You can’t know everything Esme. We were trying to a
scertain if the children had any different information.” Richard admonishes.

  “Yes, and as I told you, I’ve been in contact with Marcus on a regular basis for the past seventeen years. I know what’s going on in my daughter’s life.”

  “Very well. It’s time to start the feast anyway so we’ll let the questions go for now.”

  Everyone files out of the room leaving me, the guys, Reegan and her parents. Reegan has not let go of her mom since she ran to her and I can’t say I blame her. My heart sinks with the realization that my parents probably aren’t here.

  “Mom, dad, these are my mates. Bentley, Asher, Trent, Kalan and Jaymeson.” Reegan introduces and points to each of us in turn.

  Esme walks over to me and pulls me into a hug. “You’ve grown into such a handsome man, Bentley. Your parents are in Denver but when I found out you were here I called them. They’ll be here later tonight.” she tells me.

  I smile and grab Reegan spinning her in a circle. She laughs and I laugh with her. I can’t contain my happiness at the fact that my parents are alive and well. On the end of that emotion is still fear. I haven’t seen them in seventeen years. What if they’re disappointed?

  “Stop that big man. They will be so happy to see you.” Reegan reassures me.

  Esme grabs Reegan again. “Let me look at you. You are all grown up.” she says with tears shining in her eyes.

  Max hugs her again, “I’m so happy to see you. I don’t know what to say baby girl. You’re beautiful.”

  “Sweetheart, I have to get out there with the pack. You can hang out here for as long as you want and then join us.” Jaymeson says as he hugs Reegan from behind. To Esme he says, “I thought you looked familiar yesterday.”

  “It’s good to see you again Jaymeson.” she says.

  “You as well Esmerelda. I never would have put two and two together.” Jaymes says.

  “That’s the way it needed to be.” she explains.” Now go before Richard has a coronary.” she laughs.

  She turns to us. “Did you want to head out there. We can catch up out there and we have time. I’m done running. Now that Reegan is of age, it doesn’t make sense to.”