Carlisle, Abbie - Elijah's Vow [The Order of the Mist] (Siren Publishing Classic)

by Abbie Carlisle

“You up for a run then?” he asked, hoping she would join him. Even though he liked to run alone he would make an exception for her.

  Jasmine stepped onto the machine and turned on the speed button. She was glad she’d dressed in the clothes she normally ran in. It would be easy for her to move in leggings but she wished she’d packed her trainers. Pounding in these pumps would hurt her feet after a while. She began to run in time with Jenson and enjoyed the feeling of freedom as her feet pounded on the tread. It felt great to push the muscles of her legs again until they burned. She never felt like she’d pushed herself hard enough unless she was dripping with sweat and felt totally exhausted. She was her own worst enemy. She always pushed herself beyond her limits.

  Jenson turned to her, he tried hard not to invade her thoughts but they screamed out at him. She had become very close to Elijah, closer than any of them knew but funnily enough he’d not been surprised. The way that Elijah held her hand and rested it on her shoulder when they had first met screamed out his possession of her.

  “Fancy going a little faster?” Jasmine challenged him.

  “Ooh, a little competitive, aren’t you?” This would be fun. Did she know about how fast Mist could move? He smiled at her?

  Jasmine increased the speed on her control panel as the tread started to move faster. She was enjoying the pressure it put on her legs as she tried to keep up, and sweat started to form on her forehead and down her front.

  Jenson increased his speed and ran in time with her, smiling, knowing he could go a lot faster.

  Jasmine started to pant harder as her pounding feet followed the beat of the tune. This was going to be a lot harder than she thought as she looked across at Jenson. He didn’t even look as if he was putting in any effort at all as he increased his speed, running faster and faster. There was no way she was going to catch him now. He was fast, as fast as Elijah had been back at the boathouse. They were exceptional when it came to their skills as she slowed her machine down. She stopped and inhaled rapidly.

  Elijah stood at the door to the gym, watching the little competition between them. It made him chuckle to see her try and compete with a Mist. She knew they were faster than normal males yet she still tried to beat him. It made him feel proud that she had the guts to challenge one and knew that Jenson was lighthearted enough to allow her to try without making her feel like she would fail.

  Elijah turned off the iPod as Jasmine turned to look in his direction. Watching her exercise had been exciting. Seeing the strength in her legs as she ran had been such a turn on. They were strong and toned, and he wanted to take her back to his room and run his hands over them again.

  As she walked closer to him he smiled. She was hot and sweaty and desperately needed another shower and he was definitely going to help in running the shower gel all over her body.

  The thought made him instantly hard and she couldn’t help but notice his reaction.

  As he handed her a towel to dry the sweat that had formed on her body, a loud screaming sounded throughout the compound. Elijah shouted to Jenson to get Luca and the males together as he grabbed Jasmine’s hand and ran toward the control room. Lucian bolted from the kitchen and joined them as Tobias ran from the garage.

  “What’s going on?” Jasmine asked, fear apparent on her face.

  “It’s the outer alarm. Someone has breached the outer area!” Elijah explained as he turned to Jonah for answers.

  “Can you see anyone?” Elijah asked, looking at the monitors as Jasmine stood against the far wall. With all the men in the room there was little room for any of them.

  “Is it a threat or just a passerby?” Lucian asked Jonah.

  “There are three males, and they just passed the outer posts,” Jonah replied, pointing to the monitor.

  “What do you think they are here for? Do you think they are here for Jasmine?” Tobias asked as he came round to take a closer look as two males appeared on one of the screens and one more on another screen.

  Elijah stepped forward to take a closer look. “They’re dressed in dark clothing and appear to be carrying guns. It doesn’t look like they’re on vacation!”

  “We need to clear out. Tobias, you clear the garage. Each of you take one of the vehicles and, Jonah, make the transfer of all the data to the Genesis. Pack your belongings but only take what you really need. Jenson, pack the scriptures and secure them safely into the SUV. If they have come for Jasmine then we need to move fast. It won’t take long for them to find the entrance. And for god’s sake, where the hell is Luca?”

  “How have they found her?” Lucian asked, staring at Jasmine questioningly as Luca walked into the room. “And why do we have to leave? Why not fight them?”

  Elijah walked to stand beside Jasmine and stared at Lucian. “I will not have Jasmine put at risk. We all know her importance in finding the King and we must do everything we can to protect her. They look like professionals and even though we may be strong enough to fight, there are so few of us left and we must do everything to protect our race even if that means we do not fight them this time. Don’t worry, Lucian, you’ll get the chance to kick their asses soon enough.”

  “We’ve never backed down before.” Lucian asked wanting to fight rather than leave.

  Elijah understood Lucian’s need to protect them but he’d made his decision.

  “We have always taken on our enemy on neutral ground. No one has ever come so near to the compound. If they have breached the outer alarm then they will find the entrance and it could turn into a bloodbath. I will not risk Jasmine or any of the males. We will move out and set up in Genesis while we find out who we are dealing with, then we can make plans to take them on our terms,” Elijah replied.

  Lucian accepted Elijah’s reasons but still, he fancied a bit of hands-on action and didn’t like the idea of running from a fight. They were stronger than the males outside, but there was a risk that Jasmine could get hurt and Elijah did not want her in that much danger.

  “How have they found us? Do you think they followed us here?” Jasmine spoke as she felt herself beginning to shake.

  “I don’t know but we must leave quickly. I don’t want you at risk again. We have a safe house that we can go to. Jonah’s not found out who they are yet but he’s working on it. Genesis is set up like this one so he can get started as soon as he arrives.” He could see how frightened she was as he walked to her, touching her lightly on the cheek.

  “But won’t they follow us there, too?” She was still not convinced they would be safe.

  He understood her concern but he had to concentrate on getting her to safety.

  Elijah and Jasmine hurried back to his quarters and after dressing quickly in an Aaron jumper, black leather pants and boots, Elijah packed their clothes into his bag. He grabbed her hand and led her back into the corridor and down to the garage.

  Jasmine stood and watched as the others rushed about, transferring everything into the cars. She noticed the tall male who she had seen in the control room and assumed it was Luca.

  Luca looked up at her and smiled.

  Elijah released Jasmine’s hand and walked over to Luca who was loaded various pieces of equipment into his SUV. “Luca, you’re with us and bring your gear with you.” Elijah knew they would need to use his gadgets to keep in touch with the others.

  Jasmine climbed into the passenger seat of the SUV they had arrived in. She turned and watched as Elijah walked round the back of the SUV and climbed in next to her, throwing their bag onto the backseat.

  “Make sure your seat belt is good and tight, sweetheart! This may be a bumpy ride.” Elijah turned on the engine and slammed it into first gear. Stamping hard on the pedal, he drove through the tunnel and out into the forest. Shots flew around them as he drove straight through the clearing and out onto the main road.

  They had found her, and there was no way he was going to let them hurt her. She had become the most important thing in his life and he would do anything and everything to protect
her. He wasn’t going to fail this time.

  Chapter 15

  James arrived at the forest and pulled up into a small layby at the side of the road. The sun had slowly risen, blinding him through the branches of the trees as he watched Tom and Harry pull up behind him.

  The journey had not been easy. The roads had been treacherous, with frozen ice, making the SUV skid several times but he’d not wanted to waste any time in getting to her. The adrenaline from his altercation with Tyler had kept him alert as he driven through the night to reach her and after leaving the highway, he’d driven down the smaller winding roads quickly.

  The red light of the tracker flashed rapidly, indicating that she was close. James’s heart began to thump in his chest. He’d felt such elation when he’d seen her at the boathouse. The sight of her had sparked memories in his mind, and he’d wanted to rush in there and tell her everything. He knew that it wouldn’t have been safe to approach her, though. If the others had gotten anywhere near her then they would have taken her to Harvey for sure and that was never going to happen if he had anything to do with it.

  As he climbed from the SUV, Tom and Harry approached.

  “Any ideas which direction to search? We’re in the middle of nowhere!” Tom said as he pulled his black bomber jacket up against his chin. Both men carried their rifles by their sides.

  “You and Harry move out to search the area to the right and I will cover the left. Do not attempt to fire at them, do you understand?” James instructed.

  Tom nodded as he and Harry turned and made their way through the thick, snow-covered branches. James stared at the flashing light from the tracker. He had to make sure that they didn’t find her as he started to walk through the trees. The ground felt like rocks beneath his feet as he made his way through the trees looking, searching for any sign of broken bracken to indicate that she had made her way to safety. As he moved further into the dense woodland, he spotted an open clearing and spied tyre tracks on the smooth surface of the snow-covered ground. They looked like SUV tracks. He bent and ran his fingers over the indents in the icy surface. The tracks ran along the length of the clearing leading to the right as he stared further ahead. He walked across the clearing and spotted a large opening encased in rocks, surrounded by thick creeping bracken.

  James crept forward and stared into what looked like a tunnel. He could sense that she was further inside as he reached for the mike to speak to Tom. He needed to make sure they were far enough away so he could approach the tunnel alone but the sound of an engine roaring made him jump back behind a thick trunk of a tree as he watched an SUV thunder out. Shots fired around him, echoing through his ears as panic gripped him. He knew she was inside the car and knew that the shots had been aimed in her direction.

  “Why are you firing at them? We need to take them alive you idiots!” James shouted into the mike. Why could no one ever seem to follow orders? It was really beginning to piss him off.

  Tom’s voice came back laced with confusion. “It’s not us, we can’t see anyone.”

  James watched as more vehicles sped from the tunnel and out across the clearing. Who was firing? James felt fury explode through him as a barrage of bullets flew around him, making him crouch behind the tree to shield himself. He breathed rapidly as he searched across the clearing, trying to see where the shooter was. Tom and Harry came running and knelt down behind James as bullets continued to fly around them.

  “Who’s firing?” Tom shouted as he bent down to protect himself as a bullet hit the tree and ricocheted just above his head.

  “I don’t know but try and take them out. Several cars have just driven out of the rock formation but I can’t see where the shooter is,” James replied, pointing to where the cars had exited.

  Tom lifted his rifle and scoured the area. He caught a glimpse of a figure on the other side of the clearing, running through the trees as he aimed and fired, missing the moving target and hitting the trees. He followed the movement in the distance as it disappeared into the thick density of the trees.

  “I could see him but he’s disappeared. I couldn’t make out who it was,” Tom said.

  “Do you think Harvey’s sent another shooter to try and capture the woman?” Harry asked. “How would he know where she was?”

  “Probably has a tracker the same as us. If he has then he’ll know where she’s going. We need to search the tunnel, see if anyone is in there, and get to her before the shooter does,” James replied.

  As James approached the tunnel, he could feel her presence all around him. He walked down the long passageway and into the brightly lit garage, staring at the empty spaces left by the cars that had rushed through the clearing. He made his way toward the large oak door to the right and cautiously walked through into the compound. The silence deafened him. He could see the elaborate alarm system and knew they would have seen them coming. Making his way to the far end of the corridor, he pushed open the door. Inside, he stared around at the elaborate communication system.

  “They have monitors that show the outside area. They must have known we were out there,” Tom stated as he followed James into the room.

  “Is there anything we can access on their computer systems?” James asked, hoping they had deleted all the information before they had left.

  “No, there’s no way we can access it. It’s been wiped,” Tom replied as James walked back into the main corridor and back into the garage.

  “We move out. The shooter will be well ahead of us and I don’t want him to kill her before we have a chance to get her to Harvey.”

  Tom and Harry nodded, following James back through the tunnel and to the SUVs. Why would Harvey send another shooter to go after her? Had he given away some emotion at their last meeting? Could Harvey suspect that his intentions were beyond what he’d been asked to do? He’d tried to be careful to hide his past but was that all at risk now? All he wanted was her in his life. He had to get to her and fast.

  * * * *

  Jasmine sat in the front of the SUV, frozen to the seat, and stared at the road ahead. Thoughts raced through her mind as she tried to figure out why whoever it was that had fired at her, wanted her so badly. She still didn’t understand how she could have any connection to The Mist, let alone be connected in any way to their King. She felt nothing but confusion as she turned to look at Elijah.

  “How can I help you find the King when I didn’t even know that your kind existed before I met you?” Jasmine asked, desperate to make sense of anything she could out of this whole situation.

  Elijah glanced across at her, slightly surprised by the unusual question. “We’re not sure. The scriptures gave us the symbol that helped us find you but beyond that…We have been trying to locate more of our kind. Maybe we’ll find answers once you’re safe.”

  “They keep following us. How can I be safe if they know where I go? I am putting you all in danger all the time I am with you,” she spoke softly. She knew that they were putting their lives on the line to help her.

  Elijah’s stern stare made her drop her gaze to her lap. She knew that he felt protective of her but her feelings for him were growing by the minute. It would be hard to leave him but she couldn’t see any other way to keep them from being attacked.

  “There is no way on earth that I would ever leave you unprotected. We are strong enough to fight against whoever wants to take you but I won’t fight if it means you will get hurt. You are mine now and it my job to protect you,” Elijah stated. As far as he was concerned she was a part of The Mist now. His female and her life was with him now.

  Jasmine inhaled sharply as her heart pounded. He had said that she belonged to him, and her mind had accepted his possession without question. His conviction in the statement had blown her emotions, and she felt pure joy. She had always been so independent and had never felt such a connection to anyone as she felt toward Elijah. A smile spread across her face.

  Jasmine’s reaction had not gone unnoticed by Elijah. She had not argu
ed when he’d claimed her and it pleased him that she accepted he would not leave her side.

  “What I want to know is how they seem to be able to find me so easily. There must be some way they’re tracking my movements,” Jasmine stated.

  Elijah stared out at the road. Something she said played across his mind. They must be tracking her somehow. He reached forward and pressed the control panel to connect him to Luca in the SUV travelling behind them. “Luca, is there any way a tracking device could be planted in someone’s personal belongings?”

  Luca’s voice spoke through the control panel in between the seats. “It could, why? Do you think they have planted a tracker in Jasmine’s things?”

  “I think it’s a possibility. They are able to know where she is so there must be something they are following. Do you have a scanner we can use to check her belongings?”

  “Yep, we’ll be able to see if they have and destroy it,” Luca replied.

  “OK, it won’t be long until we get there. When we get close I will pull over and you take her things and scan them. If you find anything, destroy it before you come to the house,” Elijah instructed as he leant forward and ended the call.

  He glanced at Jasmine. She appeared concerned as worry spread across her face. Elijah hated to see the look on her face, the sadness in her eyes, and the way a creased had formed between her brows. She was still the most beautiful female he had ever seen as he turned to concentrate on the road ahead. Soon they would be at the safe house and he would be able to take her in his arms and hold her tightly. They would take out the males who posed a threat to her and he would make her safe again. Nothing else mattered except her, their life together, and the future of The Mist.

  Chapter 16

  As Elijah pulled up to the log cabin that nestled in woodlands, a little over an hour from the compound, Jasmine stared out at the beautifully built building. It had been made from pine trees, presumably from the surrounding area, and had a long veranda that led to an amazing carved wooden front door. She knew that Carrick must have been responsible for the elaborate designs and admired his creativity.