Ash reached out and took her arm. “It’s family.”
“Always nice to be acknowledged,” Dante said, casually walking in.
She gave a sigh of relief, sitting back at the island.
“Hi Dante, nice to see you.”
Ash gave him a calculating look. “Surprised to see you.”
“Your family wants to meet Brook.”
Ash’s eyes took on a deep dark look as his shoulders sagged for a minute.
“They’ll be home in fifty years.”
“Aran wants to meet her today and you know what Aran wants he gets. With your permission.” Dante looked at Ash.
Ash’s eyes flared as he realized what Dante wanted to do. Until now they thought only Aran could open the pathway of the mates, joining the family to be able to share mental communications with all of them.
“Please.” Ash said.
“Brook, I’m going to bite you. This will open up communications with Ash’s brothers and their wives, now your sisters, but it will also open communications up with my brothers as we are now your protectors.”
Dante wanted to bite her. It was one thing to let Ash bite her, another to let another male bite her, even if it was one she trusted as much as she trusted her mate. That gave her pause but with the bite came unknown territory. Finally, she would meet Aran, the brother it was obvious Ash cared about and looked up to. His big brother, was she ready for that? It felt more important than even meeting his daughter and son-in-law.
Now she would meet the whole family and Ash would be whole again. She was ready for whatever would make her mate whole.
She slid out of her chair trembling as she nodded, giving Dante permission to bite her. She blinked and his arms were wrapped around her. The power he gave off was enough to knock her to her knees. His fangs sliding into her were like butter and there was an electric shock in her body as he bit her. Then he was across the room and somehow she was seated in the chair.
Brook blinked, wondering what happened.
“Hello, Brook.”
She wasn’t in the kitchen anymore, she stood on an alien planet. Two moons were in the sky.
“I know you.” The male who stood before her was tall like Ash but brawnier, more muscled and thicker. His black hair fell into his face making his green eyes even brighter. She definitely knew him from the wall of pictures in the living room. “You’re Ash’s brother, Aran.”
“I am. Dante made it possible for me to meet you.” He gave her a pleased smile.
“I’m pleased to meet you, Aran. I’ve heard so much about you and the rest of the family. Glad I didn’t have to wait fifty years for the first hello.”
“You chose well, Brook. Ash is strong as well as a male of worth. He will do whatever he can to make you happy.”
“He makes me happy just by being himself.”
“He chose well also. I know that you are going to fight the Patron. Hold on no matter what happens and do not give up on Ash. He will do whatever is needed to make sure you are all right. I’m going to bite you now. It will seal the family connection you have with us.”
“You can do that?”
“I can. The older I get, the more of my abilities are revealed. It is good for the universe that my mate tempers me.”
With the speed of light, she was wrapped in Aran’s arms as he bit her neck. Before she could blink, Ash was holding her.
“Ash, when did you get here?”
“Couldn’t pass up a chance to see my brother.”
Aran gave him a hard look. “Be safe.” It came out as an order before the planet disappeared and they were back in the kitchen.
There were a thousand voices talking in her head at once. She clutched her head wondering if it would explode.
“It’s hard to get used to at first.” She heard Amber’s voice in her head as the others died off. “It killed me the first time I experienced it. It will pass though and eventually you will develop individual lines to everyone. We’re just so excited we wanted to say hi.”
“When you mate into the family you become a sister,” a different voice said. “I’m Rena, Aran’s wife and Alexei’s mother.”
“It’s nice to meet you,” Brook told her.
“You also, everyone says hi and they can’t wait for a chance to talk to you. For now, we will let you go handle your business.”
Brook smiled; she could see herself being part of this family for years to come.
“I met your family.” A bubble of joy enclosed her. This was the life she dreamed about all those lonely years of people watching. A life where she had love and family and a great mate. Now she had it all. She shivered, cold fingers walking up her back as she wondered if she would get to keep it.
“Welcome to the family, Brook.” Ash leaned over and gave her a gentle kiss squeezing her hand.
“Dante,” Ash looked at the male. “Jaz, Brook’s friend is here. Will you keep an eye on her until we are able to get back?”
Jaz hovered in the doorway trying to hide.
“I will make sure she is safe. You can come out I won’t bite…you.”
Jaz walked over wrapped in a large robe that made her look much smaller.
“Jaz, this is Dante. I told you about him and his brothers and how they agreed to protect me.”
“Hi,” she whispered softly. “I’m Jazlyn.”
“It’s nice to meet you, Jazlyn. Don’t mind me, I will be coming and going checking on you to make sure you’re all right.”
“Nothing will happen to me until after my two weeks are up.” The sadness of her voice was overwhelming.
“Jaz, have you ever had hard candy?” Dante asked her.
She shook her head. He pulled a small bag of it from his back pocket.
“Brook loves it and I make it for her, but this batch I made for you. Try it, you will like it.”
She took the candy and popped one in her mouth and smiled. “This is good.”
“Enjoy, I will make you more. Be careful,” Dante said to Ash and Brook before he left as easily as he came.
“He’s different,” Jaz said staring after him.
“You don’t know the half of it,” Ash replied. There’s breakfast on the counter for you. Eat before it gets cold.”
Jaz knew it wouldn’t get cold. Food stayed hot at its prime for as long as you wanted with the new heating tools that had been developed. His telling her to eat showed that he cared. It was still such a novel concept to think a male cared about her but she knew the truth. He cared about Brook and she was simply an extension of her, still it felt good.
She grabbed the food and sat as she watched them make plans to leave.
“We’ll be back as soon as possible.”
She gave them both an encouraging smile and watched them walk out the door. The food tasted like dust to her after they left but she ate it anyway. Soon she’d never eat again.
Chapter Twenty-Five
They were riding in a jeep today. He decided to take the road as he headed towards downtown once again.
“Why downtown?”
“Lots of open areas as well as places and buildings to throw attackers off our scent.”
“Did I choose the right thing?”
“I think so. It’s time to stop being on the defensive. Soon someone innocent will get hurt if we just sat around and did nothing.”
Her frequency buzzed in her ear. She answered it, crinkling her brow. “Such a shame to hear about your friend.”
Her hand gripped Ash’s forearm before she spoke. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“Of course you do. There are no secrets between friends.”
“What do you want?”
“I want you, Brook. A life for a life. “I will call off the order granting your friend a small reprieve, and you will turn yourself over to me.”
“So you can what? Kill me like you ordered your trained assassins to do when I went to the mall or downtown to the point.”
“Tho
se were mistakes that I have since taken care of. Your life will be easy. I have a large mansion over rolling hills. You will live there in comfort, anything you want will be brought in for you. You will live there until you die of old age.”
“As tempting as that sounds, I am going to have to refuse your offer.”
“It is your life and you should really take better care of it, Brook. You do think that man and his friends can really keep you alive, do you?”
She went to disconnect, but Ash made a rolling symbol telling her to keep him talking.
“I’d rather die with him than live with you.” There was a large crash in the background then shouts followed by painful screams.
“You really did not think it would be that easy to capture me, did you? Your wish is my command, Brook. I might not get your money but you will die!” The frequency was cut.
“Lucca was able to pinpoint his position by keying in on you and the call coming in. They called in the human armed forces. They caught the ones with him but he and another managed to get away,” Ash explained.
“First point to him?”
“No, first point to us. We took out several of his men, destroyed one of the places he hides in and he’s on the run.”
They continued on to town. Ash kept his eyes peeled looking for any indication of movement. When he parked, he went to the back of the jeep and pulled out a bag.
“Can you use a gun?”
She shook her head. “That’s what body guards are for.”
He gave her an understanding smile. “When all of this is over I’ll teach you.”
“Really?”
“Really. Don’t you want to learn how to do more than wash dishes, take care of a house, and exit a hover like a pro?”
“Yeah, I do.”
“Then next lesson is how to hold a gun.”
She truly was happy, a ball of giddiness jumped around inside of her. If Jaz were here they would jump all over this deserted stretch of road.
He pulled a handle out of his bag there was nothing attached to it. “Come here, Brook.” He took her thumb and pressed it into the handle.
“I just keyed this to your thumb print, you hold it like this.” He wrapped his hand around hers and showed her how to hold it. Then he pressed her thumb down and light poured out of it.
“The person you’re fighting has to be close for this to work but you can cut a man in half with this so be careful. Treat it like a gun. Never turn it on unless you are going to use it.” She nodded her head before she started to practice turning it off and on.
“I don’t think I could kill someone.”
“I don’t want you to get close enough to anyone to even have to consider it, but you’re Created now and that means you have to take care of yourself and the rest of the family. You can’t do that without a weapon.”
She accepted and put the weapon behind the waistband of her jeans. He pulled out weapons and placed them in strategic places in the pants he was wearing. A weapon like the one he gave her went into the waistband of his pants as well as several knives, one in each boot along with a couple in holsters placed on his body.
He was hot. She wanted to strip him down and make love to him. She blushed. She never made love outside. If she came through this, she was going to take him outside of his house and pour honey on his skin. Mmm, honey on honey, she would lick him clean before she rode him like a bull.
“You can kill, if your life depends on it. Remember that.”
She nodded. “Are we leaving the hover here?”
“No, were going to hide it in that crop of trees. I’d rather not lose another vehicle. Dante hasn’t said anything yet about his car being used as a bar-b-cue pit, but someone will be paying for it.”
They got back in the hover. Ash drove into the trees. He placed branches and debris on the hover hiding it from any prying eyes.
“This is the best I can do. If they get to close, they will see it. We walk from here.”
They moved to the side of the road making sure they could be seen but the trees were close at hand to melt into.
“Maybe he won’t come.” The shot of laser fire that swooshed over her head made her words a lie.”
They ran into the woods evading a second blast. Ash pulled her behind a thick tree, one that had to be hundreds of years old maybe even a thousand but she didn’t remember old trees in town.
There was a rustle of leaves on the ground almost inaudible unless you were listening for it. Ash held up a finger to indicate one person. She held her breath afraid to breathe in case she gave away their position.
The assassin walked past them never seeing them. Ash waited until he turned around. A cry of surprise left the assassin’s mouth as he raised his laser gun. Ash threw himself on him, knocking the gun out of his hands. They fought, turning on the ground. The assassin reached for a knife to gut Ash. Ash turned the knife against him causing him to slit his own throat.
Brook threw up her breakfast next to the tree. Without a thought, she reached for the canteen Ash had insisted she wear and rinsed out her mouth.
Ash leaned over to make sure he was dead before he pulled the frequency generator out.
“Ready?” She stood tall and indicated yes.
They left the fallen man and began walking to town. The terrain under the trees was tougher than she thought it would be. It became obvious that this section used to be a part of town. There was no way for her to tell which section, but she could see parts of old buildings crumpled against the ground. Several pieces they ran into were still solidly planted as if wear and weather couldn’t touch the footing which secured them.
Ash helped her scramble up a large hillside. She looked around in awe of the trees as well as the buildings off in the distance.
“I remember when this place was thriving businesses, a school and high rise penthouses. Now its trees and debris. I would never have thought.”
“Places change, Brook and so do people. Not all changes are for the best.”
The sound of bullets hitting the hill in front of them had them sliding down on their rears as fast as they could go.
“Bullets!”
“From that range they have better accuracy than hand held lasers.”
“Will they set down?”
“Only if they have a hover that can touch the ground. I doubt that, but it doesn’t mean that one or two of them won’t repel down. Let’s get going.”
They hadn’t even gotten to downtown proper yet and already they had been tracked and fired on several times. The Patron was determined to kill her. Brook thought of her narrow escape in her first life. If her parents had waited she would have died a long time ago. Now she was here facing the same thing. Maybe she had been meant to die with them. She had delayed her death but not put it off forever. Shrugging off those thoughts, she focused on following Ash and her desire to live.
Ash’s hand on her arm stopped her cold. He placed his finger to his lips before lifting two fingers for her to see and pointing ahead. Two of them had repelled down or there had already been two more on the ground, either way they were ahead of them.
He went down on his stomach and began to crawl slowly, across the ground. She followed him thankful for the jacket she wore. He looked back to make sure she was following. She gave him a quick smile and went back to making her way toward him.
He lifted a hand to halt them and she stopped, feeling tired as she worked muscles she was sure she didn’t possess. He told her to stay still, as he crept to his feet in a lowered position and silently approached the next tree.
“Where are they?” A frustrated voice reached her ears.
“Quiet. You’ll give our position away.” Another voice came her way. This one was more difficult to hear.
“It doesn’t matter, they’re both dead and you know it,” the first voice said in a much lower tone.
“Maybe, but until I see her cold lifeless eyes I don’t want to take chances. Besides I get a vibe from her man t
hat I don’t like.”
Ash pulled out a weapon and got to his knees. He carefully aimed and pulled the trigger. There was a scream, then silence. After that a shocked yell of “Son of a…!” Then nothing.
“I know you’re out there and you’re going to die for that.”
Ash came back to her and helped her to her feet. He pointed to the right which would take them around behind the man who was still living. They crouched low to the ground and moved as silently as possible. She flinched with every footstep she made, wondering why she never practiced walking quietly as a child.
The man was up looking for them. He had a weapon in his hand as he surveyed the land. They were standing behind a huge tree, having moved into place when he turned his back to them to search for a rock Ash had thrown.
She was beginning to realize they had the advantage. These assassins weren’t used to hunting on the ground and the way they acted showed it. This one wasn’t comfortable in the trees; he jumped at the things that didn’t even bother her like the whistling of the wind through the branches.
“Come out!” he screamed. “I know you’re there.”
Ash came into the open holding his weapon high.
“I have a wife, you know.” the assassin said looking at Ash.
“Brook is my mate,” was Ash’s reply.
“I have to kill her or you. The Patron will kill me if I don’t.”
There was no reply from Ash as he waited on the man. The assassin aimed his gun his finger pulling on the trigger. Ash dropped to the ground, raising his laser a stream of red came from the man dropping him to his knees.
“No one touches my mate.”
He turned to look at her and Brook saw the weapon the Created were meant to be.
Chapter Twenty-Six
They walked in silence. No one else jumped out of the silent trees. It wasn’t long before they stood at the edge of the trees looking at downtown proper.
You’re quiet,” she finally said, unable to bear the uncomfortable silence that stretched between them.
Ash: Love Me Harder - Alien Paranormal Romance Page 16
