Plight: A Dark Paranormal Romance (The Sephlem Trials Book 1)

by Felisha Antonette

  Nathan locks his computer and stands. “Priorities, babe,” he advises, tapping the top of the notebook with his pen.

  I look it over. He’s skimmed through my mind and has written the first half of my speech. In red-colored pen, he’s marked his edits and suggestions along the sides and above the sentences. “Exactly. Priorities.” I wince, surprised I’ve put all of this on the back end since dating him. “What’d they say when you graduated from high school? I don’t want it to be cliché.”

  “I don’t remember a word of that speech, Tracey. Just don’t say something you think people will want to hear. You’ve told them why it’s hard, the choices that go along with the process, now migrate into why it’s a positive. Make them feel like they can conquer the world just by graduating high school, just by hearing your words. Don’t think about it too hard. Just let it flow. Come on. Let’s get some food for your growling stomach.”

  We’ve been school hunting and speech writing ever since we got to Nathan’s house this morning. We’re overdue for a break.

  Every second Nathan gets the chance, he questions me about what happened last night. Bits and pieces are coming back and the little I get, I tell, which isn’t much.

  Before, the house seemed empty and quiet, almost like Nathan and I were the only two here until I met his family. Today, however, everyone’s up and walking around or stopping by Nathan’s room making small talk.

  Natalia’s in the kitchen, already preparing dinner. “Hello, you two. Are you getting anywhere with the college hunt, Tracey?” She’s so bubbly, there’s no way I could be uncomfortable around her.

  “I don’t know, to be honest.”

  “Are you going to stay around or go away?”

  “Mother, what are you asking?” Nathan asks, walking to the stove.

  She raises her hands, palms up. “Isn’t that how this kind of conversation is supposed to go?”

  I laugh. “Leave her alone, Nathan. I don’t know, Natalia. I might find a school in Tennessee,” I tease, peeking over at Nathan.

  She twists around faster than I expect her to, and Nathan rolls his hazel-brown eyes. “Well,” Natalia utters. “If that’s something you’d like to do. . .”

  “She’s not serious, Mother.”

  Her gaze shifts, a request for my confirmation in her deep brown eyes.

  “I’m not. I just like to joke with your son.”

  She chuckles, patting the counter. “Oh, okay. You scared me for a minute there.”

  “No, ma’am. You are stuck with me for life.” Not sure why she’d be so distraught by it, though.

  Natalia gives me a caring smile. “Let me explain why that affected me so,” she starts. “Once we are found by our mate, or we find our mate, we don’t. . .” She thinks for a minute, “. . . stay away from each other. You two are doing well, I’d say, to be so new to this. We’re usually moved in together in a matter of days. However, I suppose it’s different when you have a family and are still in high school. I was well past your age when Nathan’s father became my mate.” She smiles, remembering, until something shades her joy. She shakes it away, and her cheerful smile reappears. “We expect for you to take your time and move in when you’re ready, Tracey. But we would be more than privileged if you chose to stay with us. I’m sure it would make my son very happy.”

  “I can say I am considering it, which is why we’re also looking at schools in the area.”

  “Oh! Well, that’s good to hear! You know, if you two become bound.” She pauses, looking over her shoulder at me. “Bound is when you’re mentally, physically, emotionally, and spiritually tied to your mate. It has its pros and cons, which may be different for humans than it is for Sephlems, maybe more drastic in terms of the claiming,” she adds more to herself, and then continues, turning back to her salad. “You wouldn’t have a choice.” She chuckles. “But Nathan knows it’s too early for you two to do the things that being bound entails. And you’re way too young to be bound to someone right now. He’d cast on your life as owner rather than a mate, and to you, it will be as though he holds your life in his hands until you were able to control the influence and requirement of him. But don’t worry, Nathan wouldn’t rip your young freedom away,” she concludes, chuckling.

  “Shit,” Nathan cusses under his breath. “Way to pile it on, Mom.”

  Natalia’s salad spoon hits the floor. She whips around hostilely accusing, “Nathan, you didn’t!”

  Throwing his hands up, he backs away from her side of the kitchen. “Whoa, hold on, Gusty.”

  “How dare you, son? That girl isn’t even half-way ready for the burden you’ve taken on yourself, and yet you bring it on her anyway?” she shouts.

  “What makes you even think that happened?” he asks, voice rising in pitch.

  “Nathan, you know the situation you’re in. Everyone in the universe either wants you by their side or wants you dead!” She pushes back a strand of hair that has fallen in front of her face. “Did you?” she asks, stern and demanding.

  Nathan simply flicks his gaze in my direction and back. “If you do what you’re thinking about doing things can take a bad turn.”

  Natalia’s eyes glimmer a shade of silver before she draws her hands back and thrusts them forward. I race to Nathan, seeing a glass-like-blue warp burst in his direction. A push from him forces me from his side just seconds before the nearly see-through gust rams into his chest. It sends him smashing against the wall behind us.

  I go unharmed, but my irritation flares.

  Nathan bangs his head against the wall. “Unnecessary!” he grunts, frustrated.

  “It was very necessary. Did you do that to that girl, son?” Natalia readies herself. “Answer me, boy.”

  I step in front of him. “No disrespect. . .” I soften my tone, hoping she doesn’t take my next words the wrong way. “But I do not like you throwing my mate into anything or anywhere.” I know he’s okay, but the thought of her hurting him makes me cringe. Even though she is his mom, it still doesn’t sit well with me.

  “Nathan, you did!” she accuses, surprised. Her wide eyes and high brows have mine matching with the way she yells.

  Nathan jumps to his feet and rushes to her. “Okay, Mom, chill.” Silence falls over the kitchen, and I watch the two seeming to go back and forth. Their silent tiff ends with a smile flittering across Natalia’s tight cheeks, and she slaps his shoulder. He hugs her and kisses her cheek.

  “Tracey, I’m sorry I startled you. I don’t take well to my children keeping secrets from me or trying to cover things up. Now, you two go back upstairs and do nothing but look at schools. I’ll call you when dinner’s ready.”

  “Yep.” Nathan throws his arm around me, shaking his head.

  We go back to his room, and I close the door behind us. I cross my arms, throwing my weight on my left foot. “How’d she go from one hundred to zero in less than a minute?”

  “You want to know the truth?” he asks deviously.

  “Yes.”

  “You’ll think wrong of me.”

  I roll my eyes upward. “Mr. Beat Around the Bush, can you please tell me?”

  “I made her forget. Only the part she wanted to beat me over. She thinks we got to, what do they say. . ? Second base?” He steps to me. “You know, when I take off your shirt and kiss on you.” He kisses my neck, pulling up the hem of my shirt. “And you let me grab your. . .”

  “Nathan.” I push him back. “You did not do that to your mother.”

  “Baby, I’ve been doing this since I found out I could. It keeps her happy. No one in this house likes to see my mother upset. Hence, why my father is still alive. Believe me. Everyone else has me do it too.”

  I punch his arm. “That is not okay.”

  “If you knew what she was saying to me, you’d agree. Plus, if she knew the truth, she’d really blast me into the front yard. She was getting ready to.”

  “She’s done that before?”

  He nods. “To Roseland, Taylor, Na
than, and me.” He shrugs. “It’s not like spanking us would do her, or us, any good, so at some point with Roseland, she found out it was the next best thing. We’ve had these walls fixed many times.”

  I cross my arms. “What’d she say?”

  He thrusts his hand through his hair. “She was mad, saying I wasn’t performing as I was raised to with my mate. That I took advantage of you, not providing you the full understanding of what you’re getting into. I should have waited until we were made, which is married.” He half-rolls his eyes. “I’m supposed to show you respect, and if I cared about you, I wouldn’t have taken you so quickly, and doing so shows my lack of love and instead, my instinct for lust. I think she forgets, I’m over fifty and not five, but what made it worse was the tone she was using.” He chews on his bottom lip and looks down before adding, “I disappointed her. She actually thought I’d steal my mate’s freedom, and that I’d take advantage and use you. I couldn’t take that.” He rubs the back of his neck and flicks his narrow-eyed gaze to me. “But, the killer part of it was that she had it all wrong. See, I was the victim in this situation.”

  I bite back my smile. “What’d you replace her thoughts with?” I push my hands against his chest to hold him back.

  “I already told you. Can you stop pushing me away? Please? I had enough of that last night.”

  “I’m sorry about that, but if you hadn’t blown me off, I wouldn’t have been alone, hence, I wouldn’t have gone for a run, hence, you wouldn’t have tricked me into making me think you were you when you were someone else. Then, the you who wasn’t you wouldn’t have used me to get to you. But I still don’t know how I couldn’t remember. So really, that entire situation was your fault.”

  “Wait. I made you think I was me to trick you to get to me? Do you remember the face?” I nod. He squints but stops. “Can I look in your head? I want to see the face you saw.”

  I roll my eyes. “When did you start asking?”

  “Tracey―”

  I throw my hand up. “Go ahead, Nathan. Just know you still owe me for leaving me alone when I needed you.”

  “I already made up for that.” He focuses until recognition crosses his eyes, and then a flash of anger comes and goes. “I’ll be right back.”

  I sidestep him when he tries to walk around me. “No, wait! What happened?”

  “I need to handle something right now.” He tries to move around me again, and I block him.

  “Okay, tell me first.”

  “Eddlen hypnotized you. He’s a full-blooded Sephlem. It looks like he can hypnotize with the swirl of his eyes. He can also take on the appearance of others. His hypnotism is pretty powerful considering I almost had to fu―”

  “Don’t say it.”

  He laughs. “What I did was nothing serious, but a kiss wasn’t enough to break you out of it. You almost got it in the woods,” he says, nipping my chin.

  My hand flies to my forehead. “You kissed me?” I gasp. “It must’ve not been that great of a kiss because I don’t remember. Maybe you should show me what it was like to refresh my memory,” I say, tugging at his shirt.

  He peers down at me, unfazed. “I think you’re using yourself as a distraction.” Reluctantly, he concedes to my tug.

  “You have all day tomorrow and Friday to do whatever you want. Give me today and take care of whatever you need to do then.” I rise on my tiptoes to kiss the bottom of his bearded chin.

  “I don’t know, Tracey. Dinner will be ready soon.”

  I shove him, and he quickly grabs my hands, not moving an inch from my push. Ignoring his aggression, I jest with a smirk, “You’re right, babe. And considering how I take advantage of you, I don’t want you to be the victim.”

  He blocks me with his arms, expecting my exit strategy. “I was the victim. You used those lips.” His thumb brushes over my mouth. I kiss it. “And those touches. Then you would say those things that make me wanna tell you I love you and give you the world and the box it comes in. How could I tell you no to anything?”

  “Like you weren’t getting anything out of it,” I snort.

  He shrugs. “So your antics were beneficial for both of us.” He bends down to kiss me, and I turn my head to avoid it.

  “Are you leaving, or are you staying?”

  He grumps, throwing his head back. “Come on, Tracey,” he carries.

  “If you leave me, you’re going to regret it.”

  He retracts, putting a lot of unwanted space between us.

  “Nathan, really? You have two days to do what you want. I’m not even asking to help you find him. The least you can do is respect that.”

  His lips purse as he stuffs his hands in his pockets. “Fine. I’ll check on it tomorrow. And since you have spent all this time talking, it is now time for us to eat.”

  I laugh as he opens the door behind me.

  The dining room’s half the size of the great room. I recognize the faces of those seated around the table, but take major notice of Nathan’s dad and Mrs. Waturstrom’s absence. Saying hello, we sit. Roseland then says grace, and we eat.

  I hate that spring break is only a week, and though I love that the days are flying by, I hate it at the same time. I want to cherish these last few months of school, but I’m eager to attack this next jump of my life. We’re told to live every day as if it’s our last, and that statement never felt as real as it does today. After what happened last night . . .

  I’m boiling over with excitement about seeing Dad soon. He’s probably going to flip when he finds out about Nathan. Though, I think he’ll like him, just not like him dating me. This will be new for all of us, Mom, Dad, and me, but it’ll be fine, I can feel it.

  Between forkfuls, I chat with Nathan’s family, laughing at Little Nathan’s jokes and Nicholas’ intelligent feedback as to why none of his jokes make sense. The two have everyone at the table laughing as they go back and forth in their dispute.

  Mr. Newcomb leisurely strolls into the dining room; his arrival silencing us all. “Excuse me for being late,” he intones, picking up his fork.

  I try not to stare, but his disposition is impossible to ignore. He eats, taking frequent looks of repugnance at Nathan and Taylor. There should be an order parents must follow that requires them to love their children regardless of who they are and the choices they make. But this guy. . . The sting of malevolence in his eyes seems as if he has a personal vendetta against the two of them.

  There has to be more to it than what Nathan’s told me.

  “So, Tracey!” bellows from Mr. Newcomb’s stingingly deep voice.

  I jump in my seat.

  Nathan’s cheerful expression goes serious.

  “Have you decided if you will join our lovely family?” Mr. Newcomb asks, wearing a plastered smile as he awaits my answer.

  I cough, trying to clear my throat, caught off-guard by his unexpected query.

  “She doesn’t have to make a decision right now. There’s no rush,” Nathan says.

  “There isn’t?” he enunciates with sarcasm.

  “Father, this is not your concern,” Nathan follows, pointing at himself and me. “Tracey’s and my decisions are just that. They’re not to be discussed with the family, but updated to you,” Nathan states, eyeing his father with a look of threat or, maybe, dare.

  Mr. Newcomb’s derisive pride makes his eyes smile. “Did you hear that, Nati? I’m father now!” he says, looking between her and Nathan. “Well, son, I’m sure we are all a little curious to know what you two plan to do. Tracey is such a lovely girl, and we’re happy you have her. We want you to be happy, and we know you will be with Tracey at your side.” It all sounds scripted. Even the earnest look in his eyes doesn’t belong.

  I take a once-over around the table at everyone’s evil eyes. And Nathan, he’s staring at his father as if he wants to turn him into sand. I reach under the table and grab his hand. When his eyes meet mine, I offer him an encouraging smile.

  He shakes his head, free hand sc
raping against his chin. His bottom lip stretches as he draws his lips between his teeth and bites down on them so hard the color fades.

  Mr. Newcomb’s wicked smile sends nervous goosebumps over my arms. “Tracey!” I jump again. Gosh, his voice is treacherous. “Aren’t you interested in my son’s happiness?”

  “Excuse me?” I blurt out.

  His eyes buck. “Did I offend you, Tracey? My apologies.” His sorry-not-sorry apology is as empty as his cleaned plate.

  “This is inappropriate,” Nathan breaks in, addressing his father. “If you want to speak with Tracey and me, we can talk after dinner. Nothing else needs to be said right now.”

  The amusement on his father’s face wipes away as he says, “Keith, I―”

  “Nathan Sr., that’s enough. And nothing else needs to be said right now,” Natalia cuts in.

  Nathan stands, and I magnetically rise at his side. “Excuse us. Let me know when you’re ready to talk.”

  Mr. Newcomb sneers, his resentment plain on his face.

  I follow Nathan from the room. Chaos erupts behind us.

  We walk through the backyard to a gazebo that sits off to the side, equal distance from the house and fence. Cushioned benches and a stunning water fountain surrounded by lilies beautify the dimly lit area.

  Nathan sits, inviting me to sit with him. “I’m sorry about him, Tracey.”

  “No, it’s okay. There’s something off about him, though. Why all the questions all of a sudden? Just the other day he wasn’t the least bit interested in us.”

  “He’s an ass. That is how he is. He’s one way one day and a different way the next. Fortunately, you weren’t able to hear what he was saying, only what came out of his mouth.”