by Susan Bliler
“Damn it, Monroe! You need to wait. Listen to me! We need to give this time. She could come out of this tonight, or wake up in the morning as though nothing happened. Stop!” Jenny ran after him, clutching her stethoscope, to keep it from thumping against her chest. “Monroe! If you force this, push her too hard in the early stages, while she’s still fragile, you could cause irreparable damage. Now STOP, damn it!”
Monroe slowed his charge down the hall, finally coming to a hard stop, his chest heaving as he stood staring down the hall.
Jenny hurriedly planted herself in front of him, grateful he seemed to finally be listening. She watched as a wounded expression flashed across his features before disappearing, his face settling into his Dominant scowl.
“I need to see her, Jen, and it’s going to happen.”
“Fine.” Jenny held up a placating hand. “We can do that, but let’s do it my way. Okay?”
Monroe nodded, then followed Jenny down the hall, growling when she turned into a room that led away from Eden’s scent.
Chapter 3
Dressed in scrubs, Monroe stood over Eden’s bed, staring at where her sooty lashes rested against flushed cheeks. Even like this, she was the most exquisite creature he’d ever seen.
Jenny brushed past, checking the IVs attached to Eden.
Chocolate eyes fluttered open, passing only a cursory glance over Monroe. A glance that spoke volumes.
“How are you feeling?” Jenny asked.
Clearing her throat, Eden moved to sit up, and Monroe instinctively lowered to help her. She flashed him a grateful smile, but didn’t hold his eyes.
“Thank you,” she muttered, dismissing him to focus on Jenny. “Fine. I guess.”
“Good. Maybe we can get you out of here soon.”
“Did you contact him? Is he on his way?”
Monroe’s gut twisted, and he backed up to clutch the door frame as he turned accusing eyes to Jenny. “Who?”
Jenny turned her head to the side and hissed quietly, “I told you to wait!”
“Doctor?” Eden prodded.
Jenny stepped forward. “My staff is on it, don’t worry.” She patted Eden’s hand. “Please excuse me a moment, I need to confer with my colleague. I’ll be back shortly.” Jenny nodded at Stoney as she entered the room.
“Please come with me, Doctor StoneCrow.” Jenny’s formality had Monroe bristling, and he didn’t immediately follow. Instead, he lingered in the doorway, waiting for Eden to look at him again. He just knew that if she looked at him, really looked at him, she would recognize him, remember him and their life together, and this nightmare would be over.
Dark eyes lifted to his, staring with no recognition at all, before darting uncomfortably to Stoney, then back to him. “Is everything okay, doctor?”
The wood frame of the door creaked under the pressure of Monroe’s hand, and when Eden’s eyes darted to it, he quickly released the frame, muttering, “Please excuse me,” before exiting the room behind Jenny.
As he stepped into the hall dismay tore through him, and it felt as though a huge chunk of his heart had been ripped from him. His Angel didn’t remember him. The revelation rocked him to his core, and he stood staring at the wall, staring unseeing for long minutes until a cough from Jenny jerked his attention to her. Growling, he stalked over to her, gripping her elbow and dragging her further down the hall. His eyes flitted to Eden’s door before he finally stopped, growling, “What in the fuck is going on?”
“I was trying to tell you this earlier,” Jenny snapped, jerking her elbow free. “She’s lost the last few years, but that’s not all. I told you. Her mind has reverted to a previous place and time. We’re not sure exactly when that is yet, but,” Jenny licked her lips, hesitating a moment before backing up a step. “We know that, in her mind, she’s living the life she had before the academy.”
“What the fuck does that mean?”
“It means.” Jenny lifted her chin. “That she believes she’s actually living in that time. That she still lives in her apartment in town, still works where she worked at that time. And . . . still dates the man she was dating then.”
The look that came over Monroe’s face made Jenny step back in shock. He would never hurt her, not normally, she knew that. But his absolute rage was beyond anything she had ever seen.
Hands curling into tight fists, the talons of his cat breaking through his skin to pierce his palm, he sucked in a breath at the realization that his Angel believed she belonged to another. Worse, she was asking for him.
“Who is he?”
Jenny shook her head. “I don’t know. Someone named Finn.” She looked up. “Do you know him? Has she mentioned him? I know you’d hate it, but it’d help if we could get him here to soothe her.”
Monroe let his head fall back, disgust filling every cell of his body. His Angel needed him, but was asking for another. And not just any other. Finn was the man she’d dated before meeting Conley, and Conley was the man who’d inspired her to join the academy by liberal application of his fists. Eden had only ever spoken highly of Finn, and that made it all the worse. A firefighter with the city fire department, Finn had been, in Eden’s words, perfect for her in every way. The flaw in their relationship? A lack of “spark” as Eden had so eloquently put it. A lack of spark she had nearly ignored when she’d seriously considered committing to Finn and accepting his marriage proposal.
Monroe was paying for his feral jealousy whenever she spoke of past lovers. Now, he desperately need information on Finn, and he didn’t have it.
When Monroe’s interest in Eden had spiked early on, he’d investigated her past and the men who were part of it, but he could have done more. He should have listened, been more patient when she spoke of ex-lovers, but his damnable jealousy hadn’t permitted it. All he knew was that Finn had no criminal past, no marks on his record, and the last time Monroe had checked, the man had been single and still pining after the one who’d gotten away. Eden. It hadn’t mattered to Monroe at the time. Eden was his. But now . . . Now, he’d give anything to go back in time and ask his Eden what she’d meant when she’d told him she’d considered overlooking the lack of spark between her and Finn. She’d spoken of how sweet, understanding, and romantic the asshole was, and Monroe had cringed at each endearment, making mental notes to be more than Finn had ever been. Fuck!
“No!” he gritted out. Jenny was out of her damn mind if she thought he’d bring in some ex-lover to soothe his Angel!
Jenny leveled him with a stare. “No, because you can’t find him? Or no, because you won’t find him?”
Monroe gnashed his teeth. “I can’t, Jenn. I just . . .” He shook his head as thoughts of watching Finn attempt to woo Eden back to him flitted through his mind.
Understanding flashed in Jenny’s eyes. “I know how hard it would be for you.”
“Do you?” he snapped. “I’d fucking end him!”
“At cost to her?” Jenny glared up at Monroe. “She needs this. I suggest you put aside your damn pride and jealousy for five minutes and think of her!”
Stoney spoke from behind her. “Jenn, she’s asking for you.”
Monroe turned to follow as Jenny stepped toward the door, but she spun, placing a hand on his chest. “I know this is killing you. I know it is. I know what she means to you, we all do, but I’m going to ask you for another sacrifice. She needs some time here, Monroe. Who knows, maybe it’ll all come back in a flood once she’s been awake awhile and fed. Just… Just, please, give her some space. Anything could cause a setback here, and trying to explain the war out there,” she jerked her chin toward the end of the corridor, “to someone who is human and currently has no knowledge of the existence of Skin Walkers, let alone Megalya and Soul Sentries…” She heaved a great sigh. “You see where I’m going? She just can’t be exposed to any of that right now. Finding out about us, you, the kids… It could all do more damage than good at this point.”
Monroe stepped back. “Fine. I’ll giv
e her whatever it is she needs to recover.” His eyes looked longingly over Jenny’s head before he cleared his throat and turned, tossing over his shoulder, “Whatever she needs! I’ll be in my office finding this Finn fuck! Contact me when she’s ready for me.”
Jenny watched him go, her heart sinking. Eden needed to recover soon, because the Walkers couldn’t afford to have a distracted Dominant. Not now, not with the war that he was about to wage. The Megalya had come into the very heart of the Dominants home, leaving injury and destruction in their wake. Even worse, they’d taken his Angel from him. There was a reason Monroe StoneCrow was the most respected and feared of all Walkers, and the Megalya were about to find out just how fatal fucking with Monroe StoneCrow could be.
“Jenn?”
“Yeah, I’m coming Stoney.”
Chapter 4
“I, Remy McCabe, take you, Harlow EnemyHunter, to be my friend, my lover, the mother of my children, my wife, my mate . . . my Angel.”
Shock tore through Harlow. “Wh…what?”
“I will be your strength in times of weakness, your want in times of need, your joy in times of sorrow. I will sacrifice my health, my triumph, my hopes, and my desires to put your needs ahead of my own. I promise to cherish and respect you, to care for you, and protect your life, and the lives of our children, with my very own. I vow to comfort and encourage you, to guard and keep you, and to love you until my time in this world ends.”
She tried to pull her hand away. “Stop! Remy, stop!”
“You belong to me now, Harlow. Forever! And know this. Whether you accept me or not, whether you want me or not, I vow to follow you to the ends of the Earth. I vow to follow you until the last of my days, where I’ll be waiting, ready, ever hopeful of being claimed by you. In this I will not falter.” He dipped his head, his brows spearing down. “In the pursuit of you, I vow to be the most relentless creature on the face of the Earth. I have never been known for being kind, loving or gentle.” He studied her face. “You’ll be my first. My last.”
His eyes dipped, and Harlow looked to see what held his attention. He lifted a large knife, one of the kind assigned to Sentries. “I have no way to prove to you…” He raised his eyes to hers. “There is no means for me to seal my vow without claiming your body, and I’ll not do that until you ask it of me. So, I offer you my blood instead.” He lifted his knife and tore it through the palm of his opposite hand even as Harlow opened her mouth to protest. Lifting his bleeding hand, he fisted it and squeezed until blood dripped out, dripping onto the floor in a thin stream. “Accept my blood vow to you, my Angel. Ever yours.”
Harlow watched him with rounded eyes. “You can’t mean that. You can’t mean any of that. You don’t like me! Remember?”
Remy’s head jerked toward the door. “You’re right, Harlow. I don’t like you. I love you.”
Harlow EnemyHunter grabbed another brick, passing it down the line of men and women assembled at the main gate of StoneCrow Estates as the memory of the last time she’d seen Remy faded. She couldn’t stop thinking of his declaration, of the words he’d said and what they’d meant. Ever yours. Could it be true? With the Estate embroiled in battle, there’d been no time for a proper courting. Everything had happened so fast, just as it was often wont to do in Harlow’s life. When her brother Mason found her, she’d been hauled off by Walker Sentries and her world had changed that fast. And when Remy McCabe decided she was his Angel, he declared his love and made his vows, and again her life had changed that fast.
She eyed the devastation surrounding them and, for the thousandth time since they’d been attacked, she was disappointed in herself. It left a burning sensation in the pit of her stomach that was so bright it dried her throat and had tears pricking the backs of her eyes. She should have done more, she should have done better. Part of her wondered if it was because she’d been so distracted by Remy that she’d been so unlike herself over the past few months. During training she’d let David bully her, and right now she hated herself for it. It wasn’t like her. She’d grown up a fighter, but she hadn’t fought back against David, and she finally understood why. She’d been so focused on learning the Walker way of combat—of impressing Remy—that she’d stopped trusting herself. She’d tried so hard to be like Beth and Nyree—the only two other female Sentries she’d encountered—she’d completely ignored the fact that, while she didn’t know an ounce of martial arts, or have any real combat training, she at least was schooled in throwing a damn punch. And yet she hadn’t. No, David had bullied her and, like a fool, she’d met him on his terms, determined to beat him like a Walker would beat him. That was the problem. She wasn’t a Walker. Hell, she wasn’t even a Sentry yet, and she’d tried her damnedest to be better at Sentry combat than a man who’d trained with Remy for God knows how long. She’d begged Mason to let her be a soldier, and vowed to Remy to be as good as any other, but that hadn’t been the case. Instead of being an asset to the team, she’d wound up being a detriment. Remy wasted precious time and energy rescuing her, and while she was grateful for it, she was also humiliated by it. The first time David challenged her she should have trusted herself and punched him out. Then, there was a good chance none of them would be in this mess.
Some fucking fighter!
It was obvious now that David was linked to the Megalya, and that the attack was incited, or at least advanced, by David’s expulsion from StoneCrow. And that was her fault. Remy had forced David out over his treatment of her, and everyone at StoneCrow had paid.
Lifting sad eyes, she glanced at the Walkers to either side of her, and the line of men and women, both Walkers and human staff, as they toiled together to rebuild what was lost. Did they know this was all her fault? Her heart contracted painfully.
“Why so glum, sister?”
Recognizing Mason’s thick English accent, she looked up. Her brother was dressed in black BDUs, the first time she’d seen him in anything other than an expensive business suit. Smiling weakly, she deflected. “Looking good, Mace. What’s up?”
His wane smile slipped, and she stilled, then whispered “Excuse me” and stepped out of line. “What?”
Mason frowned. “Tyce would like to speak with you.”
“Tyce? Who’s Tyce?”
“He’s the Dominant at Apex, our sister compound. He’s here to take temporary control. They’re trying to weed through what happened, and all of Commander McCabe’s Sentries and trainees, except for you, are out hunting for our missing Walkers and Fatal’s Keeper. You’re the only one still on the grounds who has had contact with David, the rogue Sentry. Tyce would like to see if you have any intel that may be of use.”
Harlow dusted her hands on her thighs, nodding. “Whatever I can do to help.”
Mason grinned, nodding once in approval as he reached for her elbow.
“Any word on Remy?”
Mason’s hand stilled in mid-air as his smile vanished. When they’d last spoken, she declared to Mason that Remy was her man, then she’d gone after Remy to tell him as much before he’d left the Estate to help search for their missing people. Now, Mason’s entire demeanor changed in a flash, but Harlow couldn’t bring herself to feel bad about it. Mason needed to accept that things were happening between her and Remy. Getting angry and stone-faced wasn’t going to change that.
“You know I’m not with him to hurt you. Right?”
Mason flicked a glance to where Remy’s halo was hidden behind her collar. “As far as I’m concerned, you’re not with him at all. That thing around your neck doesn’t change anything for me, Harlow.”
She frowned as sadness washed over her. “I’m sorry you feel that way, because it changes everything for me, Mace. You’re all the family I’ve got, and your support would be great, but I guess…I guess I understand.” She shrugged. “It’s not like I haven’t gone my whole life without any familial support.” Lower, she muttered, “Why should things change now?” She started to walk away, but Mason caught her arm with a snarl.
>
“Damn it, Harlow!” He dropped her arm and paced in front of her, plowing a hand through his pecan-colored hair, mussing its perfect style. “You do know what you’re asking of me?” He didn’t stop pacing. “You want me to just forgive that…that…that bloody animal!”
“No, I’m not.” She wanted to grab his hand, but she still wasn’t that comfortable with his presence in her life. “I’m not asking you to forgive Remy, or to forget anything. I’m asking you to trust me.”
Mason’s expression softened. “I’m supposed to protect you, Harlow. I was supposed to keep you safe, and look what’s happened. The Megalya captured you, and you were forced to rely upon the one Walker I told you not to rely on.” He shook his head, looking down. “That’s my fault. All of this is my fault.”
“It’s no one’s fault, Mason. No one could have predicted the attack, and we should both be grateful that Remy came for me. If he hadn’t…” Now she was the one shaking her head. “He came for me, Mason, but that’s not why I love him.”
He cringed at her words, letting his head fall back as he frowned at the sky, his chest expanding with a great sigh.
“I love him because he feels like home to me.”
When Mason lowered his head he couldn’t hide his wounded expression.
“No!” Harlow held up her hands. “I’m not taking anything away from you, Mason.” She grabbed his hand, drawing his eyes to hers. “You’re my family. My only family! Nothing will ever change that, but what I feel with Remy is different. He makes me feel safe.” She lifted her hand to reveal the halo hidden behind her collar. “This means something right? Something big to Walkers?”
Mason nodded reluctantly.
“Remy gifted me this, and I know it holds great significance.”
“Then why hide it?” Mason challenged.
“I’m waiting for Remy to return so we can announce it together. Do it properly. And don’t change the subject.” She narrowed her eyes on Mason. “He’d never hurt me…would he?”
