Scorpion

by Cyndi Goodgame

  I looked around wondering what might have changed.

  “No, it’s just you. I’ve never seen a female in this room. That’s a nice change, but I’d be just fine if you chose another…place.” He purposefully let his words drag to lead me to believe what his intentions were. And they were clear as rain.

  “I’m safe here.”

  “Ahh, but do you want to be here?” Cord looked at me imploringly.

  “Don’t put words in my mouth?” I was getting angrier by the second and really wanting this wolf boy to leave. I could just tell the guard if I knew where he was. But then, what would Cas do?

  “Ahh, your mouth. Shall we talk about it then?” He watched my mouth and moved towards me with the virility of all male prowess. There wasn’t much breathable air left between the space left to avoid him. I drew my eyebrows in debating a counter move. He inched closer, sat on the sofa not directly in the middle, but not far enough to be called out of my personal space in the small corner left on the sofa.

  “Does Cas know your here?” Okay, so I didn’t think that through. His look said as much. “You need to leave.”

  “Perhaps, but do I want to?”

  “I want you to.” I gripped the pillow.

  “Do you?”

  I do. I don’t want to know what he’s doing here. Yes, I do. Just not the inappropriate part of it. The business side of me was still searching for what Cord held in his super powered high agenda-ed self.

  He kept his eyes still and focused. Unfortunately, I recognized the watery glint in his eyes and where his mind was being led. I once again remembered my attire and decidedly didn’t move.

  “You smell amazing,” he purposefully leaned his face in and sniffed the air very slow to make him look sexier or something. Dang it if it didn’t work but I wouldn’t let him know that.

  I did lean in to see the earring he wore. He was the only guy around me who wore one so I was intrigued by it. However, my inexperience with attraction failed to remind me that I done just the opposite of what I should do. I was being a tease as they say and definitely to the wrong person. How, I ask, did I realize this after I “leaned” and not before? Boys like Cord had never instigated such overt forwardness. But I could deal once I got past the awkwardness. I mean, actually flirting with him had never entered my mind but I could see the advantage and intel it could gain me if done right at the right time.

  “Lean a little more and we could be kissing.”

  I snapped back like a bungee cord farther on the sofa than before. That’s how I knew I’d acted like a dang floozy. I just wanted to see the earring.

  “Quit. Just quit.” His obscure way of twisting things was getting me to the point I might just injure him. Yet, I felt a draw to him that was not quite normal. Not intimate or physical, but internal. Like I knew him.

  “Are you sure that’s what you want? What do you want?”

  “You came here, remember?”

  “Oh, yes. I remember. But I will leave as soon as you and I have finished our business.”

  My eyes went wide with worry.

  “No fretting, gorgeous. I just want to talk to you about what happened to us.”

  “You’re a riot. What did happen?” I resulted to just hurrying him.

  “Well, the same thing that happened to me. We shared blood and we saw the future.”

  “How do we know it’s the future?”

  “Good question. But it’s a reasonable explanation,” he stretched out in front of me making his legs long and noticed.

  “Yes, but I wonder if sometimes it might not just be a bad idea to know it already.”

  “Yes, but think of what power it would get us.”

  SO this is what he wants. “You just want to use me? Like a vessel.”

  “Never my true intentions. You have me completely focused on the here and now.”

  “Stop it. Just stop it. You are just awful.” I twisted the pillow choking it.

  He looked at my hands turning white with the loss of blood, somewhat sad all of a sudden. I felt it too.

  “I am sorry I made you feel that way,” he backed up on the sofa as if a sullen child, “I would never hurt you.”

  He can feel my fear. “Can you feel my emotions?” I stammered out releasing the pillow a little as he backed up.

  “Is that what I’m doing?” he questioned.

  “You didn’t feel them before?”

  “Not completely. But I’ve always sensed fear really in my prey. Thing is, I don’t think it’s all fear you feel right now, and you’re not my prey.”

  “Aren’t I?” I questioned him with a halfway serious smirk. I still thought he was a dirtbag. A guttural sound emitted from his throat. “Will you go now?”

  He stood and walked four steps past me, turned around letting something land on the table beside him, and said over his shoulder, “Anastacia, I am your friend. If you need me, you need only call and I will be there.”

  “Thank you,” I said out of courtesy and silently watching the envelope left on the table.

  He smiled looking at the same burning like a flame gift an equal distance between us. A two-finger salute left me cold and alone in the room.

  The guard was now posted outside the door again seconds later. He had to have done something to Granite.

  I lifted the frayed envelope between my fingers and discovered its contents. Empty. But it was not always empty. It held more answers of confirmation between its creases than any treasure box under the ocean.

  ℓ ℓ ℓ ℓ ℓ

  Later that night, in my sleepless bed, I heard a knock on the door. I didn’t answer feeling somewhat like a betrayer of a whole list of things.

  He sat down as I faced the open balcony door.

  What is wrong?

  Everything. I had to tell him about my visitor, but not about the envelope. Yet.

  His hands went to my shoulders and rolled me over. I stared into his moonlight eyes. He’d showered and changed.

  “Did everything go okay at the meet?” I asked getting a strong whiff of his soap and clean scent.

  “Yes, we have eleven new recruits ready for guard duty.”

  “That’s good news.”

  What’s wrong? Cas asked.

  And like that, the idyllic moment we had together was gone. Those two words are a loved one’s worst fears.

  I fear you don’t want to know.

  Just tell me. Did I do something?

  I thought about being left alone tonight. I thought about being left alone at all. If I didn’t have to just sit here, I wouldn’t wallow in loneliness. So...I tipped the scales.

  Cord was here.

  He was off the bed and searching the room.

  Not here. In the Sun room.

  He looked me over noting my shorts.

  Where was the guard?

  Guarding his post. Leave Granite alone. He was possessed or something. He didn’t even know. I smiled hoping to diffuse him.

  Apparently. He’ll be replaced.

  I felt a pang of guilt for that.

  What did he want?

  To bother me.

  His hackles were up.

  He is harmless. I lied. Just let him play his game. We might need him.

  He wasn’t eased. I didn’t think he would be.

  Cas whispered, “Are you okay?”

  “Yes, but I don’t want to be near him.”

  “Done. I won’t leave you again.”

  I turned over looking up at him now that the pressure released between us. “That’s not reasonable either, but I do have a request.”

  “Anything!” His hands nervously traced the edges of my shoulder blade.

  “I want to leave.” He straightened at my request. “I mean, I want to get out some. I want to do some research on the Elves and Borgon. They want me dead. I want to know who I’m up against.”

  “No problem. My library on the first floor is more than adequate.”

  Didn’t see that coming.


  “Okay, but I want to go out. See my friends. Curl up with Jane Austen and drink a chocolate brownie frappe at a coffee shop.”

  “That’s a lot of requests. Can I join you?”

  “If you have time.”

  That’s not fair.

  I didn’t mean it that way, really.

  But that is what you want?

  “Yes, Cas. Ideally I want your full attention. Constantly. But we both know that you can’t and nor can I allow myself to be a locked up Rapunzel.”

  His face fell. He couldn’t afford all his time with me and be lord of the Vampire faction.

  “It’s okay.”

  “No, it’s not. You’re not meant to be left alone.”

  In all my inexperience I clued into his thinking rather quickly now. “Leaving me alone doesn’t make me pan away from you. It just makes me miss you more. I know you have duties. I just well…I’ve just recently found freedom away from my home. I want to feel important.”

  He frowned. He was thinking. “Will you do something for me?”

  “What?” I thought of his response to my same request earlier. He’d said anything.

  “Will you ask Cord to help you see a vision for me?”

  “What?” Was he asking me to paste a Scarlett colored A on the breast of my shirt? Hello!

  “I want to see the future. What it holds for you.”

  Was he mad? Why would he ask that...and in that way? “I did already.”

  “What exactly did you see?” He leaned to meet my eyes being almost a foot taller than me and even in the bed it forced his height down to me.

  “Cas, there is no way to know what it means. There once was a woman who came to court who was labeled a physic. She predicted my brother to be the next heir as funny as that is. She also predicted that my father would have another child. And that was wrong.”

  Cas drew his eyes in. His frown deepened.

  “What?” I asked.

  Nothing!”

  “NO! You said no secrets,” I reminded him. He didn’t want to tell me.

  “It’s just I’ve known Cord for a time. He owes a lot to your father.” Cas watched me and read me and analyzed pretty well every move I made. He knows I know he said this for a reason.

  “My father?” I finally said.

  “Cord’s parents were killed when he was young and your father was his benefactor. I’ve known this longer than I want to admit.”

  My mind swirled with more questions than answers. Cas’ hands still moved over my cold skin. “And you learned this how?”

  “Cord and I developed a love/hate relationship early in life that that eventually led to tolerating each other’s pending future.”

  Yeah, but I think it was more than just that. More like stupid boy competitiveness.

  “He and I both came across each other a second time learning of our marks by accident while searching you out though we’d known each other previously in a way. His name preceded him for his dark, sadistic circles he stayed in as a teenager and being that I was Vampire he crossed mine and my father’s radar. When I learned of his mark and confirmed his claim to be born with it, I knew there was more I didn’t know. I knew about you and your brother long before obviously. I knew about Calum long before the night he revealed himself to you and only kept a close eye on him. But I couldn’t figure Cord into it yet. He was human. So I stayed in touch needing his assistance for various surveillance.”

  I didn’t make any face Cas could read. I was still processing this “friendship” between them. “So let me get this straight. You only made his acquaintance for the second time to keep an eye on him and I’m guessing to find out what he knew.”

  Cas nodded centering his hand on the crook of my elbow and resting his gentle touch on me. Then he said, “Only it backfired because he’d already found out about you.”

  “How did that come about?”

  He was very reluctant to share this. He fidgeted, ran his fingers through his hair, and paced the floor beside the bed away from me again ending the information game he was playing. This must be awful. “Stace, don’t get mad.”

  Who prefaces it with that and doesn’t expect a little?

  “I was keeping an eye on you one night. He came to report some intel when I didn’t respond to his text. He followed me to your court and cornered me into telling what I was doing with the Val court alone in the dark...watching you. I lied and said I was doing surveillance on you. His curiosity got the best of him and before I knew it, he knew as much as I knew about all of us. I made him promise to wait till you were ready to know. He’s not very patient.”

  “That is for sure.” I thought back to the coy way he just showed up in the Sun room.

  “I still want to know what you saw again in the vision?” he asked.

  “Cord and I were crouched down on the ground surrounded by some type of forest on fire in every direction possible. The Elf lord, I presume because he looked like one, was standing over us laughing.”

  “Just you and Cord?” His jaw tightened, the muscles screaming at me more than the words.

  “Yes.”

  He looked down after the word left my lips. I shook my head in denial, not ready to believe anything with Cord could be that simple. His fingers inched into my hairline from where he stood and stroked my neck.

  “It doesn’t mean anything, Cas. Only maybe that a war is inevitable, the Elf lord is possibly our enemy, and Cord and I are involved.”

  He glared at me. Involved?

  Cas, quit. I change my mind. I don’t like jealous anymore. I left the warm bed and wrapped my arms around him, pulling him to me like steel bands. I pressed my lips hoping to warm them as well as warn him sinceI blamed him for the juvenile topic of discussion. I couldn’t say I wasn’t childish about who was given his attention sometimes too. He held the tension in his mouth at first but easily gave when I flicked my tongue on his cheek that made him chuckle. See, laughter is the best medicine.

  No, this is. He made his way down my jaw, up my neck. I shivered thinking he had to hear my heart puttering too fast. He did it again on the other side then leaned leaned back so I could see him. His eyes, swirls of emotion, were making me come undone. Completely.

  His face sunk to mine and I forget all about Cord and impending war and goddesses. That’s what he does to me. His kisses take me away to another place and time.

  And just like that, an interruption takes it all away. One of his guards, that I didn’t look up to see who was, slid in and asked to speak with him. He left me cold in my spot and two timeless minutes later, he was back from our reality.

  Hungry for more, I was holding on to the back of his neck at the edge of his hairline. Daringly, I slid my fingers back and forth across the nape of his neck feeling him respond then traced my hands in swirls across the spine of his bare back and inched my fingers in the backside where his belt hit. I moved around to the front laying my hand atop his sun. He’s so warm and getting warmer. I swear he is hotter than fire.

  He chuckled into my neck.

  What?

  That’s what I love.

  What? I pressed.

  The way you react.

  Hmm! How is that? My mind befuddled by the tender kisses he was placing on my neck again. I sighed advancing from cloud nine and on up but determined to not show him and failing miserably.

  That!

  I pushed him back. “Okay, mister. Then try this.” I can do it too.

  I landed on the bed and pushed up on my knees placing my hand across my tank over my stomach. I watched his eyes linger and saw the hunger grow in his eyes. I had to be careful on this dangerous ground I treaded. He might not be able to hold back, but he needed a taste of his own medicine.

  I slowly moved my tank up feeling very inexperienced. He didn’t budge but I knew he wanted to so I reminded him that this was a watch only demo. Scared, I wanted him to want me in all the ways I’ve imagined but never thought I’d be allowed to enjoy.

  His eyes b
linked twice when I told him to sit down on the bed. I crawled on my knees as sexy as I knew how and stopped so his point of reference, my stomach, was centimeters from his eyes showing my mark. I stayed seconds and slid down slowly and landed beside him eye to eye. His hands shook when I tried to take one with the intention of giggling and plopping down on the bed and hiding under the covers. When he jerked back I asked what was wrong hiding my disappointment.

  Uh, Stace. I have to go.

  “What? Why?”

  “Stace, you just don’t know what you do.” He was off the bed now, his voice resonating louder and huskier. I was smiling as he slipped out the door.

  Are you going to be okay? No answer from him. I’m not sorry. I giggled.

  I know that more than anything. I didn’t want to leave.

  Then come back.

  Stace, I can’t do that.

  I know, but I sure love how you react.

  I heard his grunt from the other side of the wall.

  Are you in the bed?

  No, about to take a cold shower.

  Want company?

  STACE!

  Okay! Okay! I’ll stop. But you asked for it.

  And when you say yes to my most important question I will make you shiver and sigh to the point that reacting won’t be what’s at the top of your most important thought list you like to keep in your mind.

  And what will be at the top of my list? I had to ask. The anticipation would kill me. I wanted everything with him. This wasn’t some fantasy. It was real and happening to me. I found myself picturing a wedding gown and walking down an aisle.

  He’d caught my thought pattern but I was already sitting pretty on cloud fifteen and counting.

  I love you, Stace. With every part of me.

  I love you, Cas. With every part of me.

  I didn’t ask him to come hold me. We both needed a cooling off.

  Chapter Fourteen

  ...of surprise at the conduct of either party.

  I didn’t have to wait long before hearing from the almost Lord Cord Ryan. His text said, U UP

  It was not an unknown number because he’d put it in my phone. Another text came in when I didn’t answer. I AM

  I couldn’t be sure, but he seemed to be one of those kind that might be a little suggestive so I refused to answer.