When we reached the garage, I headed for the bay that contained the speedsters. I placed a helmet upon her head and wrapped her in a cloak I had carried from the house.
“Up you go,” I said, assisting her on the seat.
Her mouth formed an O and she cocked her head. “What is this thing?”
“It is called a speedster. You will see how it operates momentarily.”
I leaped up in front of her and instructed her to hold tightly to me. Her arms came around me and she hugged herself to me. I gave her arm a squeeze and tapped a few buttons and the speedster came to life. I programmed it for a tour around the national park and up we went. While we were lifting in the air, I instructed her to communicate with me telepathically.
“I’m not sure I can.”
“Yes, you can. Whatever you want to say, just tell me with your thoughts. You are doing it right now. The more you do it, the better at it you will become.”
“Okay, can you hear me?”
“Loud and clear!”
I took her around the highest mountains, Mt. LeConte, Mt. Guyot and Clingman’s Dome. We zoomed over the majestic peaks and vales, soared above cascading waterfalls and over rushing streams and came to rest on my favorite mountaintop near the Compound. Throughout the trip I heard her constant intake of breath and multiple “oohs” and “ahhs” and I felt myself smiling in response.
As I climbed off the vehicle, I uttered, “Well?”
She yanked off her helmet and I was treated to a dazzling grin.
“That was…incredible…awesome! I’ve never seen anything like it!” she exclaimed.
I lifted her up and she threw her arms around me and gave me a loud smack on the cheek. “Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! That was wonderful!”
January’s excitement was contagious and I had caught it. I beamed.
Her arms were still wrapped tightly around me and I was returning her embrace. Before either one of us could stop it, we found ourselves locked in a kiss that took my breath away. She ran her tongue along my lips, exploring my mouth, and I mimicked her actions, tasting of her sweetness. I felt her fingers twist in my hair and I was like putty in her hands. I leaned away from her so I could look into her eyes. With the pads of my thumbs, I massaged tiny circles on her cheeks.
“You are so lovely, with your eyes bright with excitement and your cheeks rosy from the cool mountain air. What am I going to do with you January?”
“What do you want to do with me?” she breathed. I was shocked by her question. I hadn’t expected that and there was only one thing I wanted to do with her, but I was afraid if I told her, she would run away, frightened by the seriousness of my thoughts.
“Don’t look so wary Rykerian. I didn’t mean that the way it sounded.” My actions were betraying me.
“January, if I told you what I truly wanted to do with you, I fear that you would run away from me, never to return,” I confessed. What possessed you to say a thing like that?
“Never. You would never frighten me,” she said with conviction.
“What happened to that ghost of a female that was so unsure of herself only a day ago?” I wondered aloud.
“This may sound quite weird, but I’ve never trusted anyone before. I trust you Rykerian. It has been liberating in a sense.” She beamed at me again. Her smile warmed my heart and soothed my ragged soul. I had observed my ghost female for several months now, not ever daring to get close to her. And here she was, smiling and kissing me, and asking what I wanted to do with her. Do I dare tell her? My conscience screamed that it was too early, but once the idea took root, it began to blossom and I couldn’t control myself.
“Promise?” I whispered.
Her face screwed up with confusion. “Huh?”
“Promise me you will not run away. Promise me I will not frighten you off with my words,” I pleaded.
“Rykerian, you have only been kind to me. I’ve lived in some pretty bad circumstances so why would I run from you when you’ve been nothing but kind?”
“Because you have unwittingly stolen my heart and it would be a simple thing for you to crush it.” There, I said it.
“I…you…what did you just say?”
“Most assuredly you heard me correctly, but to reiterate, you have stolen my heart January. Somehow, my heart has become yours…your possession to do with as you please. As I told you before, my soul has chosen yours. Where my soul goes, my heart follows. It no longer belongs to me, but to you. What I am most desirous of is to have you by my side always and forever.” Well, you definitely did it now! You deserve whatever she decides to dish out.
“Rykerian, I don’t quite know what to say. This is a bit fast, isn’t it?”
“For humans, I suppose it is, but not for Vesturions. May I ask you something?” When she nodded, I carried on, “Do you feel any kind of attraction toward me? I do not speak of my looks. I speak of something deeper, like a magnetism or an electrical current?”
“Yes,” she muttered without hesitation.
One simple word and my heart nearly leapt out of my chest with joy. My smile was radiant. I felt myself glowing, from inside out.
“That is the Vesturion in you feeling my soul touching yours. Our souls have met January, and they determine where our hearts go. I believe your heart will be with mine soon.”
Her brow was furrowed again and her mouth opened and closed several times. She was confused, of that I was certain. She stepped back from me and twisted her fingers together. My heart clenched with fear, as I was not sure where her thoughts were taking her.
“Please talk to me January. I do not want you to be afraid of what I have just told you.”
She lifted her eyes to mine and her uncertainty was reflected in them. “I don’t know what to say. I am flattered that you feel this way on one hand, but on the other, my mind is screaming that this is too soon. Rykerian, you’re the first boy I’ve ever kissed. No other boy has even given me a second look. Not that I would have encouraged it or anything. I was always too busy for anything like that, but I wasn’t blind to the way boys looked at and treated me.” I opened my mouth to interrupt her…to tell her how lovely she was, but she held out her hand halting me.
“Please, let me finish before I lose my nerve. Then you show up, swooping down like an angel from heaven, rescuing me from certain death, when that’s what I had been praying for. My life had become such a tattered mess that I couldn’t see the light at the end of the tunnel. I wanted to die; it was that bad. When I first saw you, I really did think you were an angel. You carry this glow about you…even now I can see it.”
“My aura. That is my aura, January. As a Vesturion, your eyes have the ability to detect it.”
She shook her head as though she were trying to dislodge something. “Then there’s this whole Vesturion thing. Not to mention everything else…Maddie, my bio-dad, everything. And then you take me on the ride of my life. I’m still in awe over it. Now here we are, you telling me we are soul mates and all. When I asked you that question, I thought you were going to tell me you wanted to have sex with me. Instead, if I heard you correctly, you just declared your love for me! I…I’m so confused!”
I reached for her saying, “January…”
“No! Please, I can’t think straight when I’m in your arms. I need to figure all this out,” she cried out, dropping to the ground and hugging her legs with her arms. I leaned back on the speedster, stretching my legs out and crossing my arms. I wanted to relieve her of her troubled mind but I also understood her confusion. I gave her the space she needed and watched her.
Sweet Deity she is lovely. When she wrinkles up her brow, I want to kiss the little creases that form. And her mouth…her lovely lips scrunch up in cadence with her brow. It makes me want to taste them. Her fidgeting hands, twisting and turning… I want those fingers dancing across my torso again!
As my frustrations over not being able to touch or comfort her mounted, I pushed away from the speedster and began t
o pace. I raked my hands through my hair and struggled with the varying thoughts pouring through my mind. My feet carried me to the place on the mountaintop that afforded the magnificent views of the Blue Ridge Mountains, as they lay in splendor before me. I stood there, my body tense with emotion. Suddenly, I felt hands wind their way up my back and come to rest upon my shoulders. Her fingers began to sink into my muscles, massaging out the stress.
“Don’t be so tense Rykerian. You whole body looks like a piece of wood.”
“Ahh, that feels divine.” Her deft fingers were melting away the tension. I closed my eyes, enjoying the sensations she was producing in me. When I could stand no more, I reached up and grabbed one of her wrists and spun around. I did it with Speed and she gasped when she found herself in my arms.
“Is this okay?” I inquired.
“More than okay. It’s wonderful. I do love being in your arms.” My heart was dancing again yet her mercurial moods were puzzling to me.
“Ms. St. Davis, your ever-changing moods will be the death of me!”
“I don’t know what you mean, Mr.…I don’t even remember your last name!” she huffed.
My body shook with laughter. “It is Yarrister. May I present myself? My name is Rykerian Tevva Yarrister and pleased I am to meet you.”
She had joined me in laughter and suddenly we fell silent our eyes locked on each other’s. “I believe what you tell me Rykerian Tevva Yarrister, but I am still in shock over everything that has happened. I can’t promise you much, but I can promise I won’t run away,” she breathed. “Will that be enough for now?”
“It will have to be because if you run away, I will have to chase you and beg you to return to me,” I admitted and I closed my eyes, not able to bear the thought of that.
“Please don’t do that.”
“Chase you?”
“No…please don’t close your eyes to me. They are so perfect I want to see them always. I don’t think I’ve ever seen eyes so blue.”
As I looked at her, for whatever reason, my face flamed with embarrassment. I know not if it was my declaration of feelings or if it was the moment, but it did not go unnoticed.
As she pulled my lips to hers, she said, “Your face is beautiful when you blush.” Then I was lost in her kiss.
When we finally pulled away from each other, she was smiling.
“Is this really happening to me?”
“Yes, but I feel the same as you and keep asking myself the same question,” I said.
“So what happens next Rykerian?”
“That will be up to you. You know where my heart lies January.”
“Yes, and I would like to take things a bit slower Rykerian. So much has happened to me in the last few weeks that I cannot commit to anything right now. Are you angry with me?”
“Why ever would I be angry with you?”
“For not returning your feelings.”
I shook my head saying, “No. I cannot be angry with you for that, but I would ask you one thing. Please always tell me your feelings. I do not want to seem pushy or to make you feel forced in this in any way.”
She nodded and said, “I promise. And Rykerian, just for the record, you have blown me away in a good way.” She gave me a radiant smile and I felt myself grin in return.
“We should probably head back to the house,” I told her.
I assisted her up on the speedster and in moments we were soaring through the air.
Chapter 10
January and I came in from our ride to find Rayn and Maddie seated in the den. They were listening to the news and by the looks on their faces, it was dire. The hospitals were overflowing with cases of small pox and the death toll was growing exponentially daily. It had become the worst-case scenario. However, the horrific thing was most of the medical staff in the hospitals had succumbed to the disease, leaving them empty handed and uncertain of how to care for the patients.
“We cannot delay. We must act quickly. January, how are you feeling? Has your strength returned?” Rayn asked.
“I think so. I have felt pretty good these last few days.”
“Rayn—I do not think she is ready,” I stated. “She has been through a great deal in the last two weeks. She needs more time.”
“We are out of time Rykerian. Look at the news. People are dying all over the world now. This is beyond epidemic and now in the pandemic stage and if we don’t step in fast, we risk losing at least fifty percent or more of the population. I will go to great lengths to ensure January’s safety. We will take every precaution. She is now immune from the disease so she will be fine.”
Suddenly January jumped to her feet and started ranting. “Yes, we have to do something Rykerian. Tommy and Sarah are out there, and as much as I hate to say this, so are my parents. If something happens to them, Tommy and Sarah won’t have anyone to take care of them.”
“That is an example of why we must move and as quickly as possible,” Rayn stated.
Rayn looked at me and gave a quick jerk of his head, indicating where he wanted me. I moved to January’s side.
“Rykerian, I need to go to Tommy and Sarah. Can you take me there?”
I quickly averted my eyes, trying to avoid hers. I glanced at Rayn, willing him to answer her for me.
“January, that isn’t possible right now. We need you to do something for us…something that can alter the outcome of this disaster we are facing,” Rayn explained.
January cocked her head to the side and asked, “What are you talking about?”
“You know where the lab is at the Centers for Disease Control and we need you to get virus samples and the vaccine itself into the CDC.”
“But how? Where did the vaccine come from?”
“Our virologists on Vesturon produced it from the virus samples they extracted from you during your illness. They replicated the virus and using our technology produced the vaccine. We had to do this because the methods of producing the vaccine on Earth would have taken much too long. We are trying to stem the illness as best we can and we felt this would be the most effective way. Our biggest issue at hand is that the scientists at the CDC would recognize they weren’t able to produce something this fast. This is where you fit in,” Rayn explained.
She nodded and said, “Go on.”
“You are familiar with the area the vaccine would be stored, correct?”
“Sort of. I was shown the area but never really entered it until the day of the break-in. I noticed the door was open and that’s when I entered, but, I never had access to that area. It was under strict security. The day I saw those men was when my suspicions grew. Then when I called security and they examined the area, they determined nothing had been taken.”
“What men?” I asked.
“Oh, I was leaving work late one Friday evening. Most of the employees had left and I was headed out when I saw six men walking down the hall leading to the lab. They were dressed in completely bizarre clothes...totally out of place for the CDC.”
“What do you mean?” I questioned.
“They wore leather vests with no shirts; their arms were covered in tattoos... I mean their tats were almost completely covering their arms and they were all identical. And they had these weird looking straps that went across their chests. They reminded me of men that were in a motorcycle gang. I guess if I had seen them on the street I wouldn’t have thought much about it, but it was strange seeing them in the CDC. Most of the people that work there are pretty geeky and would never dress like that.”
I looked at Rayn and we briefly exchanged thoughts. I nodded and urged her to tell us more.
“Yeah, but some other weird things happened,” she said.
“Explain,” Rayn gruffly commanded. I shot him a cross look, indicating my displeasure at his harsh tone.
“Well, when we passed each other I stopped…it was like I couldn’t move. I heard this voice in my mind. He wanted to know who I was and then he asked me if I was human. I thought that was pretty s
trange at the time.”
Rayn looked at me and mumbled, “This is not good. Worse than I imagined.”
“What do you mean by that?” January inquired.
“This male is telepathic. In our experience there are very few species that possess this talent. He may have been Vesturion,” I explained.
“I don’t think so,” January said, surprising all of us.
“What makes you say such?” Rayn asked harshly. Once again I felt my eyes darken at his tone.
“I’m not sure I can explain it. One thing though—their leader had the most unusual eyes. And when I got close to him, it felt like the room was electrically charged.”
“What?” I yelled. My instincts did not respond well to this. I felt the first stirrings of jealousy begin to take root, something I had never experienced before.
“I told you Rykerian. I’m not sure I can explain it. It was totally strange. When we passed each other it was like there were sparks flying.” She was looking at me when she spoke and noticed my reaction. She rolled her eyes at me. “Not those kinds of sparks. It felt like there was static electricity everywhere. It made me wonder if my hair was standing straight up in the air.”
“Oh,” I muttered. A tremendous feeling of relief washed over me.
“Anyway, the whole thing was bizarre and none of it was captured on the video off the security cameras. After a while, I thought I had imagined everything.”
Rayn had stepped closer to January while she was talking and reached out and placed his hand on her face. Her eyes widened and he immediately said, “Do not fear me as I would not ever harm you. However, I find it necessary to reach into your mind. I must capture all of your memories on this situation. May I?”
January nodded and Rayn began his mind search. Minutes passed before he stepped away. He looked at Maddie first and then me. I could immediately tell he was deeply troubled.
“Are you going to share?” I asked, my voice dripping with impatience.
“She speaks the truth,” he stated bluntly.
“Of course she speaks the truth. Why would she do else?” I asked in frustration.
Determinant, a YA Paranormal Romance (Book 3 of The Guardians of Vesturon) Page 12
