“There’s bound to be some kind of excitement,” Michael commented, making his way back to the grills in order to give Max a hand since Dan had disappeared with TJ on a dirty diaper mission.
“Anything else happen?” Hannah asked, stretching her legs out. Having lost all her pregnancy weight, she was once again toned and fit– not that she’d had much to lose anyway. Her plan was to start back part-time for the sheriff’s department in a few months.
“Quite a bit, actually,” Izzy spoke up. “You tell them the details, Lexi.”
Nodding, I scooted myself forward on the couch because I’d need to call the girls over for dinner in a couple minutes. We already had the salads, fresh cut fruits, cheese sticks and condiments in the ice chests along the sideboard table, and there were bowls of chips and other snacks at their table. “The biggest concern right now is Neo,” I said bitterly. “He’s still out there hunting Amethysts. And now, that we know Amethysts can really be robbed of their Essence, and left for dead,” I glanced at Izzy, and we shared a knowing look, “the Council wants to put together a team of Guardians to track him down. In one month we’re having an official Council meeting, and everyone is supposed to bring ideas to the table for how best to track and kill him and his pack.”
Jason tensed and ran a hand through his hair. “And since Lexi has seen Neo and can identify him, they want her on that mission, which I am not happy about. She deserves a break.”
“I understand how you feel,” I said, rubbing his leg. “But I feel like it’s my duty, and since I have seen him, I’ll be able to identify him. It makes sense, and it’s a way I can use my abilities and give back. I don’t want another Amethyst to experience what Izzy went through.”
“I know. And I get that. It just drives me insane how they expect you to be subservient. They could at least ask. With you having so many abilities, they’ll always find reasons you need to be involved, but there will be times when you have to say no.” His lips were tight, and his eyebrows were drawn together. He was so passionate, and I loved him for it.
I kissed his cheek. “I hear you. I do. And I agree. I won’t let them push me around when I don’t want to be pushed. When I need to say no, I will do it and stand my ground. But this Neo thing…this is something I want to do.”
“I know,” he grumbled. I noticed all eyes were on us. “But when you go, I go.”
“Count me in, too” Ash announced, obviously uncomfortable with the conversation.
“Well, I’m not staying here and missing all the action,” Madison countered. “Besides that, my link with Lexi is the reason she even has the tracking Flair,” she added proudly.
“Well, I can’t wait to see you shapeshift,” Ben said, jerking forward. “That just rocks.”
“Good thing this Council meeting isn’t for another month,” Ally said. “Because with the wedding a couple weeks away, I’m going to want you around to help. Even if you’re some hotshot Dentelle in high demand, you’re still my best friend and you’ve got responsibilities here, too.”
I got up and went over to her. “Spoken like a true best friend,” I said, tears gathering in my eyes. “You know I wouldn’t miss your wedding for the world, Ally. I love you. And I’m still the same old me. I always will be. Promise.”
“Well, if you start to forget it, I’ll make sure to beat you over the head and remind you,” she said with a smile.
“Of course you will.” Grabbing her hand, I said, “Come on, help me get those girls dried off so they can eat some hamburgers.”
“I’ll help, too,” Jessica chimed in.
Before long, we had all the girls settled in around one table. Ava Rose loved the whale plates and napkins. I’d even found the coolest water bottles with Orcas on them, and we filled them with lemonade or 7-up, depending on what each girl wanted. Once they were happily munching away, Ally, Jessica, and I dished up our plates, opting for Max’s perfectly grilled steaks rather than burgers.
I sat at the table closest to Ava’s, tuning out the talk at my table and instead listening in and enjoying every minute of the girls’ conversation. Radiant and tanned, Ava’s face lit up each time one of her friends talked about this being the best birthday party ever. Her cheeks were rosy and full of life. With her blonde curls and fair skin, she easily could have been mistaken for Laci’s little sister, or daughter even. I was just delighted to see her so happy. And Ally was right, spoiling Ava had been very therapeutic for me. I was relieved Ava’s foster mom had allowed Ava and her friends to come whale-watching and then stay overnight with us on Towhead. I hadn’t thought she’d go for it, especially after Ava’s disappearance, but in the end she’d relented. She’d even commented about how she knew Ava was in safe hands. I sighed. She most certainly was now.
One of the girls said something I couldn’t hear, and they all started whispering conspiratorially. A couple seconds later, they all burst out laughing. I closed my eyes and smiled. Just the sound of their giggles and chatter made my heart sing. Laughter, sweet laughter.
“What are you thinking about?” Jason asked. He was sitting at a different table, because I’d nestled myself in between Izzy and Ally. “You look all dreamy-eyed and content.”
I met his eyes and blushed. “Laughter.”
“What?” He gave me a questioning look. “What about it?”
“Well, Laughter is a funny thing. I was just thinking about how over time it kills fear, heals wounds, and cleanses the soul…”
“Nice. I like that, and I agree.”
“I was also thinking about right here and now, surrounded by you, my friends, and Ava – how laughter in the moment fosters hope, conveys happiness, and inspires love.”
His eyes softened even more, and I could see within them his love for me. “Your laughter does all those things to me.” He paused and a slow grin spread across his face. “But so does your touch and your kisses, and your…”
“Stop right there.”
“I love you, Alex.”
“And I love you, Jason.”
********* Three Weeks Later *********
Jason and I were sitting on a plaid blanket, relaxing on a sandy bar and enjoying a picnic lunch. Above us raged the amazing Sholes Creek Falls – our waterfall. The same place where, in a way, it had all begun. Only now the horrors were over; the world was a safer place, and Jason and I could enjoy ourselves without worrying about Kieran. We intended to explore the entire Mt Baker National Forest, too. Working with the B.C. and Seattle Guardians, we kept heavy patrols around the Pacific Northwest, and there hadn’t been a Ray-pac sighting in our area for months.
A spray of the cold mountain water splashed against my bare legs, sending a wave of goose bumps across my flesh. I leaned back and admired the splendor I found there. Vibrant green moss enhanced the textured brown cliffs behind the waterfall. White waters plunged gracefully from above, before crashing into the giant pool before us. The lush greenery and sparkling rocks enhanced the magical feel of our secret spot. The water roared in our ears, but we didn’t mind. Speaking telepathically was nicer at times, and definitely more intimate. My eyes drifted from the waterfall to Jason, and I sighed.
Leaning back on his elbows, he was stretched out, wearing only his swim trunks. I was having a hard time focusing on anything other than his chest and tight abs when I looked his way. He’d asked earlier if he should leave his shirt on, thinking maybe the scar left behind from that nasty pipe would bother me. I’d told him the scar didn’t faze me in the least. In fact, it only heightened his sex-appeal. No, the only reason I could think of for him to leave his shirt on was so that I didn’t attack him; I neglected to mention this to him. My problem was that he looked delectable, and I’d been starved for him for way too long.
“Hey, you.”
I squealed and switched my gaze to his handsome face. I could tell by his amused expression he’d been perfectly aware I’d been devouring his body with my eyes.
“Well, Ally and Ben are happily married and off
in Europe on their honeymoon. Do you think their marriage will last?” he asked.
“Absolutely. They’ve been in love since like grade school. They wouldn’t know what to do without each other.” I gazed into his hypnotizing aqua-marine eyes. They were deeper and more beautiful than the pool under the waterfall.
“You were a beautiful bridesmaid.” His voice was rich.
“You looked pretty hot, yourself, in that tux, Mr. Walker,” I said with a wink.
“Do you miss being able to talk to everyone? In your mind, I mean?” he asked suddenly, popping a salmonberry into his mouth.
“No!” I said firmly. “Do you miss Madison intruding on your thoughts?”
He sputtered. “Not in a million years.”
“Well, I feel the same way,” I assured him.
The full moon had arrived a week before, and not surprisingly, my links with Jason, Ash, Madison, and Dakota had remained intact. But Max, in all his brilliance, had come up with an idea. An idea so simple, I could have kicked myself for not thinking of it sooner. His suggestion was that Ash, Madison, or Dakota should try linking with someone else and just see if it worked and broke their link with me. Madison had been cynical, saying there was no chance that would work and there was no way to try it right then because there was no extra person to link with. Max explained that he thought she and Ash should try linking with each other.
She’d laughed loudly and then wiped the grin off her face before shooting down that idea. After crossing her arms, she’d actually stomped a foot and said, “Besides, if for some one in a million chance that works, I would be stuck with Kurzon. And that would so not work.”
Ash had simply smiled and said, “Madison, while I’m no angel, I’m certainly not a demon like this Kurzon character was. But I can promise you this. If we are able to link, you’ll be in for the ride of your life. I promise adventure, adrenaline rushes, and a whole lot of passion.”
She’d hemmed and hawed for quite a while and then had finally said in her customary derisive tone, “Whatever. I’ll try it to make Max happy. It’s not like it’s going to work anyways.”
But it did. And they were linked, and I was free of both of them. And Jason, Ash, and I were all ecstatic. And Madison had thrown a fit. That is until Ash had grabbed her by the waist, pulled her into his arms, and kissed her into silence. We then contacted Dakota in Montana, and she’d been able to link with someone there.
And it had all been that simple.
“Hey,” I said, throwing a salmonberry at Jason. “Are you going to tell me this secret now, or what? You promised. And I’ve been patient long enough.”
“Tell you what secret?” he said playfully.
“You know what!” I shoved him hard, and he fell flat on his back. “We were in the warehouse, and you were about to say something more about your Flair. I think your exact words were, ‘But it’s so much better than that. You aren’t going to believe it.’ But you’ve been holding out, saying you wanted to wait and be sure, and I’m done waiting. In fact, if you don’t spill it, I’m shifting into a mountain lion and leaving you here. You’ll never catch me.”
The smile on his face was brighter than ever. He sat up, twisted sideways, and linked hands with me. “I will tell you. But first, I want you to remind me of all the Flairs you have.”
I moaned. “That’s stupid. You already know what they are.”
“Humor me.”
“Fine,” I said, forcing a reluctant smile to my face. “Well, since Madison, of all people, was right, I still have all of them: invisibility, telekinesis, tracking, shapeshifting, and of course, my original defensive Flair.”
“Yes. And which Flair do I have?”
“Jason!”
“Just answer the darn question you impatient, stubborn, beautiful woman,” he said with a chuckle.
“You have the defensive Flair, too. So what?”
He was laughing and shaking his head. “But I don’t.”
“What do you mean you don’t,” I asked totally confused.
“Alex, I have all five of the same Flairs you do.”
“What?” I said aloud, sitting straight up. “Are you kidding me right now?” I shouted over the roaring waterfall.
“No!”
I slapped my hand against my mouth. There was no way. It was so loud, I reverted back to telepathy. “Have you known this all along?” He nodded. “Why didn’t you say something?”
He ran his hand down my arm. “I wanted to be sure it would stay that way. And I didn’t know what would happen when the full moon came and went again.”
I was still in shock. “Everyone’s gonna freak out when they hear about this.”
“No,” he said, squeezing my arm. “I don’t think we should tell anyone, except maybe our closest friends. And not even them until we have to.”
“Why?”
“Call it instinct. I don’t know. But I guarantee the Council, and every other living Guardian, will go crazy if they know the two of us are that powerful together.”
Realizing I’d been holding my breath, I let it out in one big swoop. This was a lot to take in, but what he said about the Council was so true. “You’re probably right. They were already a little freaked we shared the defensive Flair. Why? I don’t know. I guess we are kind of a power couple, aren’t we?”
He laughed and nodded. “Do you know what else this means?” His eyes were brilliant and intense.
I shrugged. “Not really…what?”
“Alex, you and I are Flairmates.”
Flairmates. I racked my brain. Had I heard that term before?
He wrapped his arms around me. Then he stared straight into my soul. “You and I have exactly the same Flairs. Do you know how rare it is for two linked partners to acquire the same Flair upon linking?” I shook my head slowly. “Very, very rare. And when they do, it’s a sign they are destined to be together for all eternity. They are meant for each other. Innocents like to use the word soulmates. That’s what we are, Alex. We’re soulmates and Flairmates.”
My mouth fell open.
“We fell in love, yes. But more than that, we fell in love with our one true mate. Just as Orcas belong in the sea, waterfalls belong in the mountains, and the moon belongs in the sky – you belong with me.”
Before I could respond, he shifted closer to my body and kissed me tenderly. I parted my lips, and he deepened the kiss, exploring my mouth with passion and unbridled need. He tasted of honeysuckle and salmonberries, and I devoured him. Gripping the back of his neck, I pulled him down. And we kissed and we kissed and we kissed.
After some time, I don’t know how long, he broke away. I moaned in frustration; I didn’t want his lips to ever leave mine again. Not ever. But he smiled dreamily and drew me to my feet. Then he did the unexpected and dropped to one knee. Lovingly, he gazed into my eyes with those stunning aqua-marine eyes of his and said loudly, “Alexandria Anna Adams, will you marry me?”
My heart fluttered and stopped. I was so shocked and so surprised but so happy. “Yes. Yes, I will marry you.” All smiles, he nodded and then rummaged through the picnic basket. Once he found what he was looking for, he stood up and tenderly placed a marquis cut diamond ring with amethyst side stones onto my left ring finger. It was a perfect fit.
We kissed again, and then a couple minutes later he said, “Do you want to go skinny-dipping now?” Earlier I’d turned him down in favor of a quick plunge in swimsuits.
“You’re so bad,” I said, breaking into laughter.
“Oh, but it’ll be so good. And so fun. Come on. Live dangerously. We’re engaged after all.”
“How can I refuse my fiancé?”
“Race you in.”
“You’re on,” I said. And we laughed all the way until we plunged into the ice cold water, and then we laughed even louder.
####
Dear reader,
Thank you for reading the Guardian series. If you would like to be alerted to any books I may publish in the futur
e, just zip me an email at: [email protected] and I will add you to the notification list. I hope you enjoyed my urban fantasy/paranormal trilogy and the cast of characters as much as I enjoyed creating and writing about them. While I’m elated to have finished this third book, Dentelle, I’m also sad to have arrived at the end of another exciting adventure. For a bit, I’ll take a break from writing and devote some much needed time to my family. But who knows what the future holds…there may be more journeys for Lexi, Jason, and the Bellingham Circle. (It really bothers me that Neo is still out there hunting Amethysts)! By the way, did you happen to google Bois Dentelle? If not, you should!
If you have a moment, I’d love it if you left feedback as well as recommend this trilogy to friends. My hope is to always keep the first book, Amethyst, free for all to read.
If you have questions or comments for me, I’d love to respond, so please visit my blog at http://www.amethystatheatherbowhay.blogspot.com/
Sincerely,
Heather Bowhay
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Heather Bowhay lives in Bellingham, Washington with her husband, Dan, their two children, Dawson and Laci, and their three cats, Lyon, Maci, and Tyger. She graduated from Western with her teaching certificate and has found that substitute teaching gives her the best balance: time for family, exercising, cooking, reading, writing, and of course time to guest teach in several different classrooms, promoting a fun learning environment but without the lesson planning. Amethyst is her first novel in the Guardian series, followed by Linked, and then Dentelle; they are all available in eBook format.
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