Bonds Broken & Silent

by Kris Austen Radcliffe

  She’d burst right now if he kept it up.

  “But I think that in this moment, we need to take advantage of the large quantities of over-the-counter pain relievers in my system.”

  Daisy giggled. “True.” She kissed his cheek. “Do you need something of Mom’s? To touch?” She didn’t know if that made using his seer easier or not.

  “I am right now.” He pulled her against his chest and dropped his face to her shoulder as if her closeness offered all the comfort he needed.

  He meant her. And he’d do anything for her. It bubbled off him and filled the room the same way as the humidity outside filled the sky. He’d find her mom.

  “Should I…”

  Aiden laid a finger over her lips. “Shhhh.” He stayed with his forehead against her neck, unmoving except for a small shiver running through his entire body. His arms tightened around her waist.

  If she were active, she would have felt his seer. It would have screamed across her mind the way she imagined it right now, but visible instead of the otherworldly, weird jolt of energy she knew had to be there, but couldn’t see. Or feel.

  Aiden groaned. The muscles of his neck locked and his jaw tightened so much his teeth ground together. A terrible semi-sucking noise filled the room. His arms gripped her like she’d been pulled into a collapsing vise.

  “Aiden!” Daisy twisted in his arms. “I can’t breathe.” She pushed against his shoulders.

  But he didn’t let go. “Daisy. You’re here. My Daisy,” he mumbled.

  “What are you seeing?” What was he doing to himself for her?

  Aiden sat up, but his fingers dug into her back. “Why would your mother go to Abilene, Texas?”

  Chapter Ten

  Abilene, Texas. The doctor had told her something about Abilene. There’d been a Fate attack on a Shifter compound.

  “Aiden, honey.” Daisy stroked his hair. He lay on top of her bed’s ugly green blanket, his arms and legs spread into a big X. A cool washcloth covered his eyes. She’d turned off the lights, too. “You can’t go to Abilene.”

  Groaning again, he pulled the cloth off his face. His eyes looked sunken and his skin pale. She didn’t like it.

  “I saw your mother. Or someone who fits the way you’ve described her to me. Tiny. Dark curly hair like yours. Scowling.” He sniffed. “She smelled like a Shifter.”

  Smelled like a Shifter? He said it like he thought Shifters smelled bad. “What does that mean?” Using his seer gave him a migraine but also made him… mean.

  But how the hell could she stay mad when he looked at her with “I’m sorry” filling his eyes? This was probably another one of his future-pressing-into-the-present moments.

  How did he live like that? Never knowing for sure if what he said sounded creepily intimate to the people around him? At least Daisy understood, even if it did continue to seem strange.

  “It means I smelled enthraller pheromones and they smelled like…” He groaned and closed his eyes again, his handsome nose scrunching up. “They smelled like wet dog.”

  When she moved closer, he pulled her down on top of him. “Weirdest damned thing I’ve ever called with my seer.”

  Daisy cuddled against his chest, her head on his shoulder, and listened to him breathe. He smelled a little different—a little harsher. Angrier, maybe. As if the pain of looking into the future to see where her mom will be made his current moment annoying.

  “I’ll go by myself, Aiden. You can’t go there. I don’t think it’s safe for Fates.”

  The sense of annoyance flickered again, but then vanished. He kissed the top of her head. “I meant it when I told you I would get whatever you need.”

  “But—”

  He kissed her before she could finish her sentence. Kissed at the same time he pulled her on top of his body and moved to work his way between her legs. She straddled his hips, her hair falling over his face and eyes, and he used one hand to pull it out of the way.

  The other hand he used to press gently on her lower back.

  “Daisy,” he moaned, his lips pulling first her top lip between his, then her bottom. He thrust upward, rubbing his obvious erection against her pubic bone.

  But the sudden shift in their positions rattled her stomach. She should be moaning too, rubbing against him as much as he rubbed against her, craving the feel of his strong fingers as they danced over her flesh. She should want to rip off his clothes and let the inevitable happen.

  But the sour taste sitting on her tongue overrode every single horny impulse her seventeen-year-old body had.

  “Aiden,” she tried to pull away. “I don’t feel good.”

  He didn’t let go. Instead, he snaked his hand on her back under her t-shirt and into the waistband of her jeans. “Onto your back, then.” He nibbled on her neck and tried to flip her over.

  “Aiden! Stop.” Daisy forced her hands between their chests and pushed off him.

  The room spun. She blinked, looking around, and wondered what had just happened. Aiden had kissed her like he wanted to be with her. He’d said something, too.

  “Hey.” He leaned against her shoulder. “Maybe you need some pain reliever, too. I can’t even begin to understand all the stress you’ve been under. No wonder you’re a little loopy.”

  “What?” She’d been fine a moment ago. Now the light poking through the crack between the room’s curtains looked like someone had set the world on fire.

  Daisy sniffed. Nothing smelled right. Every scent her nose picked up smelled the same, like it had been covered over with something she couldn’t see or touch or taste.

  “Lie down.” Aiden pulled the pillow closer. “I’ll take care of everything, beautiful. I promise.”

  “But—” She knew she should be asking why she felt this way. It wasn’t right.

  “Where’s your satchel of money, beloved? I’ll buy us a car. So we can go to Abilene.” Aiden smoothed her hair from her forehead. “Don’t worry.”

  He scooted off the bed.

  “Daisy, love,” Aiden touched her shoulder. “If you wake up before I get back, drink the water. It’ll make you feel better.”

  Aiden dug around in the drawers of the dresser before standing up straight, her money in his hand.

  He looked over at her.

  “I promise.”

  Chapter Eleven

  The room’s lights blazed on.

  Daisy blinked, the world suddenly, completely rushing back in.

  Aiden plopped onto the bed next to her and kissed her temple before wiping her hair from her face. “Feel better, beautiful?”

  Her guts lurched like that time she had the flu in middle school. She’d throw up if she even looked at food.

  But she rolled over and glanced around the room. Four suitcases she didn’t recognize lined the wall. Two were open—one with what looked like Aiden’s clothes and another full of stuff that appeared to be for her.

  “You bought me clothes?” She sat up. Her head throbbed and every line and surface of the room gleamed too brightly. “I feel like shit.”

  Aiden pulled a big digital thermometer out of a plastic bag. The sack crinkled too loudly and Daisy groaned, fighting the desire to push her fingers into her ears.

  Aiden fiddled with the thermometer. “Let me check your temp. I’m wondering if you caught something, being out in the storm like that, when you crashed your car.”

  She rotated her head and presented her ear. The thermometer screeched a beep at her eardrum and Aiden pulled it away, looking at the number.

  He held it up. “No fever. That’s good.” He kissed her cheek. “Can’t have you driving if your temp’s a hundred and two.”

  “I feel like I passed out.” Daisy rubbed her forehead. Every muscle in her head pulsed tight and rock hard. “Or I have a hangover.”

  Aiden frowned. “I don’t know what to tell you, beautiful.” Gently, he stroked her arm. “We were… kissing…” He smirked and pulled his hand away so he could rub the back of his head. �
�And you said you didn’t feel well. The next thing I knew, you were asleep. So I got off my poor baby boy backside and took care of you.” He smirked again.

  “I don’t understand.” The last thing she remembered was getting him a cool washcloth. “You had a migraine.”

  Aiden frowned. Or pouted. Daisy couldn’t tell.

  “My headaches will not keep me from taking care of you,” he said.

  “You don’t have to do that.” Slowly, she pushed her legs off the side of the bed. It seemed weird, too, that someone with a “migraine” could have gotten up and bought her clothes. Maybe his head hadn’t been that bad.

  His bottom lip popped out before pulling in a definite pout. “I know. I want to. Finding you was the best thing that has ever happened to me.”

  She wanted to ask how he knew for sure, but then remembered he was a Fate. And a future-seer. Something about his talisman, too.

  She’d accidently found the world’s most perfect boyfriend. Gorgeous, smart, and attentive. And manifesting in the present some deep feelings for her that shouldn’t happen until the future.

  Fates were confusing.

  She sniffed again, looking for any telltale scent hints, but her nose refused to work. The room—and Aiden—all smelled flat.

  “I think this… cold … stuffed up my nose.” Daisy rubbed her forehead again. Damned headache made her nauseated, too.

  Aiden nodded knowingly as he handed her a bottle of water. He leaned close and smirked again. “You were snoring.”

  “What?” She didn’t snore. Her mom snored. She’d never snored in her entire life.

  Aiden chuckled and kissed her cheek. “I bought supplies for the trip, and stuff to settle your stomach, and some protein drinks because I figured if your tummy is upset, you might not want real food.” He swept his arm around the room.

  Two cardboard boxes sat on the floor under the room’s little table, one filled with water bottles and other drinks, and one filled with shelf-stable foods like nuts and bars, plus apples and bananas.

  He’d gone out and stocked them for the trip.

  “I bought a small camper. It’s used. And not big. But if you need to lie down while we’re driving, there’s room in the back.” He kissed her shoulder. “I know you feel bad, but if we don’t leave now, we’ll miss our opportunity to find your mom.”

  They had to go right away? Now? Leaving the room sounded like the worst possible action she could take.

  Aiden nodded as if he understood her thought, even though she didn’t say anything. “She vanished after this moment. I didn’t say anything before because you were feeling sick and I didn’t want to worry you but since you’re better we really do need to go. The window of opportunity is closing.”

  Not just her stomach rolled this time. Her chest did, as well. Rolled like she was in a boat on a river and some asshole had just gone screaming by in his massive speedboat and she had to ride out the waves he caused.

  “I don’t think I can travel right now, Aiden.” She’d puke all over the inside of camper.

  “You travel. I saw you traveling. You’ll be okay.” He curled his arm around her waist. “You rest and I’ll drive. Hell, I’ll drive the entire way, if I have to. We’re going to find your mom. Make sure both of you are safe. Then we’ll get your dog and you can finish your education. Then you can live your life.”

  Something about how he spoke sounded odd. Like he was reading a script someone else wrote. Sort of like his words had been meant for someone else.

  Or maybe her rolling stomach made it seem that way.

  Daisy sipped the water Aiden handed her. It no longer tasted like mud, but, like all the smells, it had flattened out into something without depth. Or something covered over by layers she couldn’t see.

  “We have to leave now?” She took another sip. “My mom’s not safe?” He’d said Make sure both of you are safe like she wasn’t.

  Daisy had refused to think about the possibility of her mom being in danger. Up until now, she hadn’t been able to do anything about it. But now she had Aiden.

  His eyes narrowed. He watched her for a moment as if recalibrating to her question. “I don’t know. We’d better go.”

  Why they needed to leave so soon fought with the rolling and pitching in her gut. “For my mom?” she asked. The world seemed fuzzy again. No smells. No sensations on her skin. No tastes. Just the too-bright lights and her insides waging a civil war in her belly.

  Part of her wondered why she didn’t scream in terror because she’d never felt this bad. Even the flu hadn’t cut off her senses. But the room had a fog to it. Seeing beyond what floated right in front of her took too much energy.

  But I should see. She shouldn’t hand over understanding to Aiden. No matter how connected they’d become. Some things she needed to always do herself.

  “You look pale, beautiful.” Aiden kissed her cheek. “Lie down again.” He patted the pillow. “I’ll load the camper and come back for you in a couple of minutes. I’ll check us out, too. Pay with cash, so they don’t follow us.”

  His frown looked exaggerated. And that wondering part of her wondered if she should be scared.

  “Who are you talking about?” Was someone following them?

  He tipped his head to the side and watched her for a long moment. “The dragons, beloved. Can’t help the dragons, right?”

  Dragons. “I’ve never seen one.” Daisy remembered something about a dog. “I have a dog, don’t I?”

  Aiden patted her shoulder. “Yes, you do. And if we don’t find your mom in Abilene, the dragon will eat your puppy.”

  “What?” Her wondering part switched from wondering about scared to yelling and screaming about terrified.

  But she didn’t hear it. Because of the fog in the room. The fog that kept her from smelling and feeling and tasting.

  “It’s a joke, beloved.” Aiden pushed her over so she’d lie down again. “I’ll be back in a couple of minutes. You rest.”

  “I’ll rest.” Daisy watched him for a moment as he closed the suitcases.

  Her boyfriend had everything under control. She’d be fine. And her mom would be fine, too. Daisy obviously couldn’t see what she needed to see, so he’d do it for her.

  Everything would be fine.

  Chapter Twelve

  When Aiden helped Daisy out to the camper, the parking lot was dark and there weren’t a lot of people around.

  The old and rickety camper was some sort of mini-RV with two seats in the front, a tiny bathroom that could be hooked up to an outlet, a sink, a mini-fridge, a two-burner stove, and a table that converted into a double bed. It smelled no different from the hotel room. If she licked a cabinet door, Daisy doubted she’d taste anything at all.

  It should smell rusty. Maybe a bit musty. The upholstery glowed in the low light, an obnoxious orange and yellow striped floral pattern. She knew that come morning, when the light increased, looking at it would only make her headache worse.

  Aiden helped her into the back and laid her down on the lumpy mattress. He tucked her in, kissing her forehead the way a worried boyfriend should kiss, his lips lingering and his eyes closed. Then he set a bottle of water on the ledge and moved away, to the driver’s seat.

  The camper grumbled to life. Aiden looked back once, his face unreadable in the low late-night light, and pulled them out of the lot.

  They got on a freeway heading south. Every so often, lights from oncoming traffic filled the cabin. Daisy dozed.

  Sometime before dawn they stopped. Aiden crawled into bed with her, spooning against her back, his forehead against the nape of her neck and his arm draped over her waist. He mumbled something about missing her touch as he caressed her belly, his fingers tickling though her t-shirt. How she felt nice without her bra poking into his flesh. But she fell asleep again.

  A kiss pressed into the delicate area just behind her ear. “Daisy,” Aiden moaned. His arms were bare, as was his chest.

  His jeans did nothing
to hide the erection he pressed against her back.

  Shadows crawled the interior of the camper. Nothing stood out in the pitch black night—not the cabinets or the bed or Aiden. A little starlight bounced through the windshield but it wasn’t enough to do anything more than delineate a few edges.

  The camper smelled as empty as it looked. Her nose distinguished nothing and it only added to her confusion. “Where are we?”

  She tried to roll over, to look at his face, but he only pressed his front tighter against her back. His hand snaked under her t-shirt. His fingers stroked and caressed, and snagged the ring on the chain around her neck. “What’s this?” He kissed the back of her neck again.

  “Something my mom left me.” She didn’t want to talk about the ring or its embossed crest that Aiden flicked with his fingernail.

  “Hmm.” His fingers let go of the ring and glided over her skin to her breast. He massaged, pinching and rubbing the pad of his thumb over her nipple, but her body couldn’t decide if she liked it or not. The tickle-shock of pleasure filled her breast, but annoyance made her chest feel not all that different from her unsettled tummy.

  Another breathy sigh flowed over the sensitive skin of her neck. “I had a nightmare,” he whispered. “I tried to sleep but I dreamed you were gone.” He rubbed his erection against her back once again.

  He sounded so distraught Daisy hiccupped. “Aiden,” she whispered. Maybe she should focus on the pleasure of his touch and not the pains of her own body.

  This time, he let her roll over. His mouth descended onto hers, his lips forming a seal and sucking her breath away. His tongue darted into her mouth.

  He moved on top of her, pressing down enough that his weight made her woozy again. His hands gripped her shoulders. Another kiss groped her mouth.

  “Aiden, I can’t breathe.” Daisy pushed against his shoulders but he didn’t move off her.

  His hands pushed up her shirt, uncovering her chest.

  He sat up. He’d wiggled between her legs, spreading them so the insides of her thighs rubbed his hips, and looked down at her breasts.