by Mia Hawkins
I need to calm myself; I am normally much more in control. There is something about Rayven that makes me want to go crazy. I would never admit it to the others, but earlier, I didn’t mean to connect with her. She had shocked me, I will admit, but I know I did not phase us outside. That was all her, then she played it off like she had no idea. That infuriated me. I was fine until I touched her hand. As soon as I touched it, my body felt like I had been asleep for years only to finally wake up. My muscles felt strong; even my damn nose healed in the minutes I held her hand. Then it was like a switch, and the amount of power I could feel pumping through her veins was incredible.
I needed to know who she was, so I unintentionally dived into her mind. It was beautiful. There are some minds you go into that you just can’t wait to leave. They are dirty, unorganized, and you just come out feeling like you need a shower. Her mind was nothing like that. It was like being in the middle of a huge field. There were birds, animals, and fresh air. It was amazing. I could have stayed there forever, but I knew it must just be a front for something darker. So I searched, trying to find her past, anything about where she comes from, but I couldn’t find a thing before age five. Even after that, all her memories were so innocent. I watched her play with a little boy from the orphanage, and when she had to leave him, I felt her sorrow as if it were mine. That was all I could see before they ripped her away from me.
I didn’t know I was hurting her, and for a split second, I felt bad. I just have to remind myself that if she would have talked to me, I wouldn’t have had to do that. It really is her fault. Now I just need to figure a way to get her to the council without the others finding out or stopping me.
I follow the sound of voices and laughter all the way down to the kitchen. I don’t know why I even came out of my room, but I need to see her. She needs to be alive and well for the council; that’s the only reason I’m here. At least, that’s what I tell myself. I stand a little straighter and decide to just get it over with and walk in. As soon as I round the corner, all eyes are on me. I can already hear the mutts growling at me, but I don’t care. My eyes quickly find Rayven’s, and I breathe out a sigh I didn’t know I was holding in. I don’t see any hatred behind those beautiful eyes of hers. I quickly shake my head to make the thought go away. Why do I even care if she hates me? It would be better if she did.
Chapter 12
Rayven
Just as I was starting to loosen up around the guys, Xavier has to come in and ruin it. As soon as he comes into the room, I prepare for a fight. When I finally look over at him, I expect to see the same look of hatred I saw earlier; instead, he actually looks vulnerable. He truly looks like a completely different person when he is not scowling at me. As if he realized what he was doing, he steels his features into a glare. Well, that was a good thirty seconds of friendliness. I turn my attention back to everyone besides Xavier. Matthew brings over a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, and I don’t hesitate to start wolfing it down. It tastes so good.
“How do you get it to taste so good?” I ask completely amazed.
“The trick is to put honey in between the peanut butter and the jelly,” he replies.
I nod my head as I keep shoving the sandwich in. “Can I have another?” I ask. I should care whether they think I am a pig or not, but I don’t. I need to eat. I don’t know why I am so worn out, but I feel like food will help. That is usually my solution for everything. If something is bothering me, I eat a cupcake, and suddenly I don’t feel so bad anymore.
“So I take it you know what my mark means?” I ask Matthew as he brings me another sandwich.
His steps falter as he answers, “I think I do, yes. Unfortunately, I will need to do some more in depth research before I am certain. While we wait for that, I would suggest starting to try to figure out what you can do and what type of supernatural you are.”
Don’t get me wrong, I still think they are all crazy, but the more they talk about supernaturals, the more everything starts making sense. I am just as excited as they are to try testing myself and figure out where I came from.
“Xavier, why do you not seem surprised that she has been marked?” Alex asks from the other side of the table.
“I just assumed she was. If the council wants her, she must be important,” Xavier replies. Chaice stands up from his chair and glares at Xavier.
“Why do I get the feeling you know more than you’re telling us? What has the council told you that we don’t know?” Chaice asks.
“Wait just one second, who in the fuck is the council? And why do they want me?” I ask everyone, hoping at least one of them will answer me.
“The council are our leaders, and they maintain order for all the sups. You have been summoned, and we were sent to retrieve you. They believe you are the key to stopping any more people from dying,” Xavier says icily.
“I’m not going anywhere. It’s bad enough you’re keeping me here. I also don’t know what this big problem is you all are having, but I hate to break it to you—I am not the solution,” I throw back at him. Two can play this game, and my bitchy resting face is on point, so he better watch out.
“They are your council as well, so you will show up when summoned. That is why we are here, to make sure you arrive safely,” Xavier says angrily. He must have a sensitive spot when it comes to his precious council.
“I tell you what, elf, let’s handle this the old-fashioned way. I’ve been itching for a good fight. Let’s bet on it. You win, and I will walk right into a meeting with your stupid council. I win, you let me go and never bother me again.” The elf comment was the final nail in his coffin; he comes unglued. He lunges across the table, arms outstretched like a lunatic.
I was going to let him land the first punch too, but the other three grabbed Xavier and pushed him back into the wall, each one growling menacingly. Yup, I would not want to be in the elf’s shoes right now.
“How about we wait a week? We can train and work on figuring out what you are, Rayven. Then, at the end of the week, you two can fight it out,” Alex says. Even though I really want this fight tonight, he is right, I need to try to get some energy back. I feel drained, and I have no intention of losing, so I better be in top shape. I nod my head to Alex, letting him know I agree, then I turn around and head back out of the kitchen. I don’t usually turn my back on people I don’t trust, but I know the guys wouldn’t let Xavier attack me from behind. I make my way down the hallway, but unlucky for me, I didn’t pay attention to how we got to the kitchen. So I make about four turns before I realize I have no idea where I am going. This house is huge. It is an old Victorian style house, and there are so many rooms.
What is the point of having this much space? No one has that many friends. Screw it, I will just pick a room, and they can find me in the morning. I keep trying all the doors until I find one that is unlocked, and I slip inside. The room smells like peppermint and citrus. I just want to breathe it all in. I move towards the dresser to find a change of clothes, but when I open the drawers, I can only find shirts. “A shirt it is,” I groan out loud. I can feel my body calming as I make my way over to the bed. My hands run over the soft red comforter. As I turn down the covers, I notice the sheets are black, and a smile pulls at my lips. Whoever’s room this is has some pretty good taste. I take a second to look at the walls, which are adorned with various weapons. My eyes start feeling heavy as the scents of the room envelop me, and I drift off, wondering about my mark, this council, and my upcoming training.
Chapter 13
Chaice
As I walk down the hall I am quickly lost in my thoughts, I can’t believe the way Xavier has been acting. Even for a fae, he is being unusually aggressive. What has gotten into him? I can understand wanting to get the job done, but trying to attack her in the kitchen is crazy. Even though I haven’t really talked to him since we were kids, I would never have thought he’d act like this. He was never aggressive when we were younger; he was the one who didn’t even want to pl
ay fight. He would rather pick flowers over wrestling with me any day. But now, I feel the need to keep him away from Rayven. I don’t trust him anymore. He is all too willing to just hand her over, no questions asked. As I make my way down the hall towards my room, Matthew calls for me to slow down. “What are we going to do about Xavier?” he says, catching up to me.
“Is there really anything we can do? He was asked just like we were to bring her in. The only thing we can do is protect Rayven. Speaking of her, do you know where she went?” Matthew shakes his head no and doesn’t bother to say goodbye as he walks away. Growing up with Alex and Matthew was the highlight of my childhood. I understand them better than most. I have learned that Matthew doesn’t mean to be rude, but to other people he seems that way. Like him just walking off? He’s done that our whole life. It’s like he only has a certain number of words he can speak a day, and once he reaches his limit, he just walks away.
I continue towards my room and decide to give Rayven some time; she’s going through a lot right now. I couldn’t imagine what she must be feeling. Living your life like you are normal, then one day, someone pulls the rug out from under you. I have no idea how she has survived this long. My dragon sensed hers long before I saw her, and if I can sense her that easily, it’s no wonder she’s been hunted for so long.
As soon as we landed in Michigan, I knew there was another dragon here. With so few of us left, we can always tell when one is near. I had no idea it was Rayven, so it came as a shock when I finally saw her. She moved so smoothly while she was fighting, each move was precise. She was fighting the rogues off like they were nothing. The thing with rogues is that they’re like machines. Some of them are easy to kill, but others act like they feel no pain. Unless you land a killing blow, they will keep coming at you, and they are fast. Their attacks are brutal, and I have a hard time keeping up with more than two of them at a time. On my best day, I have never faced more than three, so I couldn’t imagine seven.
My dragon roars at the memory. His need to defend her that night was intense. It took everything in me to keep from sweeping her up and flying away with her. I knew from the moment I caught a hint of her scent that she was my soul mate. Most people like to call them fated mates, but I also love the term soul mate. That is what they are; their soul is split into two people. You only live half a life until you finally meet your partner. I cannot believe I finally found mine, it seems surreal. That’s why there is no way I am handing her over to the council.
They took everything from me—my parents, my friends—they are not taking my mate. I can’t help but smile at the thought. “Soul mate.” I love how it feels to finally say those two words. As I near my door, my dragon starts pushing against my walls I built around him. She must be in my room. I open the door, and there she is, curled up on my bed. I can’t keep the smile from my face. Out of all the rooms she could have picked, she is in mine. I know she doesn’t know anything about soul mates, but I wonder if subconsciously she knows we belong together.
We need to start her training tomorrow so hopefully we can get her dragon to finally emerge. I don’t know why it is still lying dormant; it’s like there is a barrier on her magic. I can feel it coming off of her in waves, but it’s as if she can’t access it. I think her mark has something to do with it, but I can’t be sure. If I trusted him more, I would call Silas and see if he knows why the council wants her. I have a feeling that he would come here and take her to them if he had even an inkling that she was here. We have been able to get away with not bringing her in by saying we are still tracking her. They don’t know much about her, so it is believable that she might be hard to find. That is why they assigned this case to us, after all, because we’re the best.
I want so badly to go over to her and curl up next to her, but I am a gentleman. There are plenty of other rooms for me to stay in. I go into the bathroom to change into some shorts, and when I come back out, I start to get some of the extra blankets and pillows from the wardrobe. Rayven stirs behind me, and I look over my shoulder at her. I expect her to be asleep, but instead, she is sitting up, staring right at me. She must have changed at some point. Now that she is sitting up, I can see my oversized shirt hanging off of her tiny frame. My goodness, she is beautiful. I notice I’m probably gawking, so I quickly turn back towards the wardrobe.
“I will just be a minute; I was just grabbing some pillows and blankets.” When I am just about done grabbing my things, she surprises me by responding.
“Is this your bed?” she asks warily.
“Normally, yes, but I can go sleep somewhere else. It’s no big deal.” I turn and smile at her so she knows I’m being genuine. Her lips turn up, and I notice how soft they look. “You don’t have to leave if you don’t want to. I mean, you can sleep on the other side of the bed. I’m not offering… I mean, I don’t want to… Ok, you know what, just point me in the direction of my room, and I will be out of your way.” Her cheeks are bright red as she starts to get up.
“No, I insist, stay here please. If you want, I can sleep on the chair. It is actually really comfortable.” I plop down in the chair just to prove my point. “See? I feel like I’m getting the better of the two. I feel like I should offer this chair to you, but I’m not going to, so don’t even ask.” I wink at her and start to cover myself up with blankets. This chair isn’t the worst thing I’ve ever slept on. It’s big enough that I can sit sideways on it and hang my legs over the chair’s arm. As soon as we are both settled in, I hear her whisper a thank you, and her breathing finally evens out. I fall asleep listening to Rayven’s soft breaths, being surrounded by a blend of sweet coconut and vanilla that is all her.
Chapter 14
Rayven
I snuggle in closer as an arm reaches over and grabs my waist. I haven’t slept this well in years. The warm body I am pressed up against moves. I take a deep breath and pick up traces of peppermint and citrus. It smells so good I just want to stay this way forever… My eyes spring open as I finally register where I am. I look down and struggle to sit up off of Chaice’s chest. We are in the chair he went to sleep in, so that means at some point during the night, I crawled over and climbed on top of him to sleep. I’m sure my cheeks are flaming red from embarrassment. The arm he has snaked around my waist tightens, and I fall back onto him. He nuzzles his face into my hair and takes a deep breath. Did he seriously just smell me? I wonder if I smell bad; I should probably take a shower before I really do start to stink.
I shimmy my way out from under his arm, trying to be as gentle as possible. I really don’t want to wake him up and have to explain why I am lying on top of him like a fucking cat. Finally, I am free, and I shoot for the door. After closing it softly behind me, I start quickly walking down the hallway. If I can make my way back to the kitchen, I can hopefully find someone to take me to my room. I take the first right because I am pretty sure this is the way I came. At the end of the hall is the one person I didn’t want to see. Xavier doesn’t seem to notice I am here, so I swiftly turn around and try to make it back around the corner before he sees me.
“Rayven?” The way my name sounds when he says it gives me goose bumps. I stop, but I don’t turn around. For the crap he pulled, he will be on my shit list for a long time. “Listen, I’m sorry about what I did. I didn’t mean to hurt you,” he whispers to my back. I am surprised that he actually apologized. He doesn’t seem like the type of person to feel remorse. Then again, I don’t really know him either. I slowly turn around and look him in the eyes. He looks vulnerable, and I doubt that is a look he wears often.
“I’m not going to lie and say it is ok, if that’s what you’re looking for. I do appreciate your apology; I am just not ready to accept it yet. Maybe if you show me where my room is, I will consider it.” The corner of his mouth turns up into a half smile. His face looks less harsh when he is not shooting glares my way. His gaze roams over my body, catching on the bottom of Chaice’s shirt. The shirt thankfully falls to the middle of my thigh, but
I am still embarrassed I left his room without putting my clothes back on.
Watching him look at me causes liquid heat to pool in my core. I need to get back to my room. These hormones are going to make me go crazy.
“You’re not actually that far from your room; we are all in the same wing of the house. We decided when we got here, we would stay close.”
“When did you guys get here?” I have been wondering how long they’ve been here since I first woke up the other day. The room I was in seemed well stocked with a woman’s clothing. I wonder who she is or was to them. Was she a friend? I shake my head to get the thought out. Why does it even matter? I am only staying to learn more about myself, then I’m on the next bus away from here.
“We arrived about a month ago,” he says as he turns to walk away. I guess that’s his way of asking me to follow him. I roll my eyes, what a gentleman. “Whose house is this?” I ask, trying to get him to keep talking.
This is the friendliest he has been to me since I met him, and I don’t want it to end. “It was my family’s. Before they passed away, we used to come here to Michigan to get away from everything.”
“I’m so sorry… The house is truly beautiful.” I don’t know what else to say. I could say I know how it feels, but I don’t. I never had parents to love, so therefore, I couldn’t imagine the feeling of losing them. He shrugs like it’s no big deal, but I can see the loss still hurts him more than he wants me to know.
“Your room was actually my sister’s when she was little. The others felt like you would be the most comfortable in there. Her name was Olivia. I think she would have liked you. She had such an attitude, she used to drive me crazy.” His mouth turns up into a sad smile, and my heart breaks a little.
