Love Of A Lifetime

by Murphy, Riley

  “I can’t do it,” she growled a moment later. The bolt was fitted too tightly in the metal sleeve. Her forehead bumped against the glass as she bitterly complained, “Maybe I should try the other set of doors, this one is—” She tugged hard in a final attempt to release it, and just when she thought it was no use, the pin slipped and came undone. “Gah, I got it.”

  In a move that would make a performer in Cirque du Soleil proud, she jumped down, grabbed the knob and pushed the door open. But then a blast of cold air hit her square in the face and she quickly stepped back.

  “Cullen, are you okay? Damn, is your hair wet?”

  This was the first time she looked at Mr. Hayden Christensen’s twin and didn’t wonder why she felt no attraction for him. Having met Jack, that mystery was solved.

  “Yeah, a little. I didn’t want to take too long drying it in case he came back.” She stuffed a damp chunk of it behind an ear and said, “I took a bath and that’s when I had a vision—”

  “A bath?” His brows shot up so high they disappeared under the swoop of his bangs. “You’re being held hostage by a fucking vampire and you took a bath?”

  Finley supposed if one were to look at it that way, he had a point. Crossing her arms over her chest to hug away her shivers, she explained, “Yeah, well, at the time I didn’t know I was being held. I only just discovered the door was locked a few minutes ago. And he’s not—”

  “You’re cold. Here, put this on.” He shoved a down-filled ski jacket her way. “We don’t have time to chat. They’ll be back. They move faster than lightning so we better hurry.”

  Grateful for the coat, she accepted it and cringed as she put it on. It was freezing inside. Doing a move that was a cross between the worm and the slide she said, “Icy.” Jumping up and down to get her blood circulating, she attempted to do up the zipper.

  “Do you need help?”

  “N-n-no.”

  “You’re teeth are chattering. Pull up the hood,” he instructed before he looked down at her sneakers and groaned. “Fuck. Where are your boots?”

  She meant to shrug but it worked its way out of her body like a rolling shake. “I don’t know, probably with my coat. Is this Darren’s jacket? It’s kind of small.” He didn’t answer her. Instead, he turned and walked off. “Hey, wait.” She pulled the door closed and stumbled after him. The snow was half a foot deep in some places and she sank into it until she got smart and matched his stride while she skip-jumped to follow his pre-made tracks. “Where are we going? Where is everyone else?”

  By the time they reached the edge of the woods, she was out of breath, but much warmer. She nearly walked into him when he abruptly halted. Catching herself just in time, she swore, “Jesse.”

  He swiveled and grabbed her by the arm, pushing her ahead of him. “Come on, pay attention. We have to get out of here.”

  “I know that but I think it will be better if I follow behind in your footsteps. Otherwise I get snow in my sneakers.”

  “Don’t worry, we’re almost to it.”

  “What?” The moment she looked up, she saw the snowmobile parked not five feet in front of them. Now that it was no longer storming, the evening was still. Quiet and the moonlight glowed bright, highlighting the three separate paths that were carved in the blanketed white. Yet there was only one machine. “Where are the other two?”

  “These tracks were made earlier. If he follows, he won’t know which one to take.”

  Finley didn’t say a word as he half-pushed, half-pulled her along beside him until they reached the vehicle. “What path?”

  “We’re going to be taking the middle one.” He straddled the machine and cranked it on. “What are you waiting for?” When she hesitated, he shouted over the din of the engine, “Would you rather stay here with the vampire?”

  She would have corrected him because this was the second time he had called him that, and Jack clearly wasn’t a vampire, but he didn’t give her the time to. He revved the engine like he was going to take off without her if she didn’t hop on, so she did.

  “Here,” he called over his shoulder. “Put your hands in my pockets and hang on.”

  When the machine lurched forward she gasped and did as he directed. Leaning up against him she shifted forward until she was able to slide her hands around his waist and into his jacket pockets. She scrunched her eyes closed as he took off at a rapid speed until they hit their first bump and then she snapped them open.

  She was surprised to see how dark it was, until she noted how the thickly treed forest knitted a sheltering weave of naked branches overhead. The haphazard pattern allowed patches of filtered moonlight to shoot through, creating a strobe effect against the darkness. The eerie image reminded her of when she used to take the subway into work. The flickers of light moved past them at a phenomenal rate. Flashing. But once they broke through the branchy thicket and hit an open field, the scenery and landscape changed.

  It was stark and beautiful. The snow glinted to silvery-blue in the moon’s light, and off in the distance, she could see the endless rows of trees silhouetted on the rolling hills. Each one was so perfectly spaced, their limbs trimmed to such precision, she realized it was a grove or an orchard of some kind. And the second that thought came to her, her heart leaped in her chest.

  Orchard.

  Her most peaceful dreams or premonitions always lead to an orchard. Suddenly she felt unsure. Unsafe. Vulnerable. She looked back at the thick forest glen they’d gone through, but she couldn’t make out the slightest hint of the beautiful manor they’d left behind. Swiping a slice of frost-hardened hair out of her face she rose up to look over Jesse’s shoulder. When she spotted the spectacular cedars cut into the backdrop of the night sky ahead, she shivered. Those were the ones she could see from her—the master bedroom.

  “Hang on tight. This is a steep one,” Jesse yelled and she gasped when she looked down and caught a glimpse of the hill they raced down.

  “Don’t get us killed,” was all she shouted before she plopped down and buried her face against the back of his coat, squeezing in hard. She heard him laugh, but why he did was a mystery. At the speed they were going, it could happen.

  That thought made her wince. It also reminded her of the events she was running from. Which wasn’t good, because for some strange reason it felt like the further she got from the manor, the less safe she was when it should have been the other way around.

  She tried to concentrate on Jesse. He was just a normal and decent guy who was saving her. Saving her? Saving her from what? Who? Jack? She opened her eyes and stared at Jessie’s back. When had he discovered Jack was a...well, to use his term, a Vampine? She’d been so anxious to get away from the manor that she never thought to ask him how he’d known about that.

  Jack crouched down and peered into the safe. Only the one book was missing when so many more could have been taken and other things stolen. He reached in and picked up the thick gold band that sat off to one corner and sighed. This discovery, more than anything, assured him that this was no random robbery. The thief hadn’t even bothered with this heavy ring that was worth a fortune. He brought it up close to examine the inscription that read “Just because...” and smiled. Turning it over in his palm, he recalled the night she’d given him this. A beautiful night before everything was ruined.

  He sighed again and fitted the ring onto his finger. The weight of it felt good on his hand. Not as good as his silver one though, but that quirky bit of favoritism had nothing to do with the weight or style of the piece. It had everything to do with the inscription.

  Mia shandor lei.

  When he’d read those ancient words a century ago, he’d been humbled and heartened at the same time until— He closed his eyes, hoping the action would shut out the horrible memory he didn’t want to face, and refocused on present.

  Think.

  Turning his attention back to the moment, he swiveled in his crouched position and surveyed the rest of the room. Nothing was out
of place. No other safe had been tampered with. In fact, there was no sign that anyone had even been in here, other than the missing book, which was odd. The person who did this had managed to get through two solid deadbolts and one intricate maze lock, which was no easy feat.

  “There’s a snowmobile missing,” Wooly announced, stalking into the room.

  Jack slipped off the gold ring and put it back before he stood. “Didn’t anyone hear when the vehicle took off?”

  “No.”

  “Shit.”

  “Yeah, well, there’s something else that you’re not going to like.” He frowned when Wooly stopped in front of him and added, “There are no tracks.”

  “None?”

  “Nope, it’s as if the thing flew away. We looked everywhere for a sign and nothing.”

  “What about the reporter’s footsteps? Surely they’d lead to—”

  “There weren’t any.”

  Jack’s frown deepened and so did his voice. “Then he’s somewhere inside.”

  “He isn’t. The place has been scoured. I told you he’s gone. No noise and no tracks.”

  “That’s impossible.” Jack took another look around the room. Maybe he’d missed something.

  “Not if he had some special help.”

  That got his attention. “From who?”

  Wooly’s bushy brows came together in the middle, forming one thick line over his narrowed eyes. “Selig.”

  Jack froze hearing that name. It had been so long…

  “Oh, I know he was like a brother to you, but that was before he lost his heart and mind. He’s—”

  “Selig is no thief.” Jack wanted to say so much more than that, but shame kept him from speaking. How had he let all this time pass without reaching out in any measure to his brother? Selig was his brother, maybe not through blood, but through deeds and actions before their world was torn apart. And now that Jack had experienced just one-tenth of that man’s pain, he understood his friend’s madness.

  “It has to be him. He’s the only Vampine in this world not accounted for.”

  “Just because he’s mad with grief doesn’t mean he’s lost his honor. Did you check the cloak room and make a list of what Alt took? He’s not familiar with the terrain and he could have left ill prepared to deal with it. If he did, he may freeze to death before we find him and then we’ll never know if he had help or not.”

  “Aye, I’ll do it now. But think about what I said. Think about the last time your so-called friend was here.”

  Jack waited for Wooly to leave before he relocked the safe. All the while thinking about Selig as guilt and shame practically choked him. He should have been more sensitive. Spoken to his friend about the loss of his mate.

  “Jesus.” Jack stepped back and ran a hand through his hair as it hit him. He’d lost his mate for one human lifecycle and the shroud of grief that descended had nearly stripped him of reason. Selig had never found his mated soul. No wonder he had disappeared. The ghost of connection lingered just strong enough to feed the want within him, but never so strong to light the path that would lead him to her. “Selig.”

  He dropped his head back and closed his eyes, hoping this silent ancient form of communicating would reach him.

  I’m sorry for your pain, my brother. I’m sorry I wasn’t there for you when you needed me most. Please know that I am here now. I’m ready to listen and share the burden of your grief so the weight might be lessened. Be safe and always remember our doors are opened to welcome you in whenever you’re ready to come home.

  Home.

  Jack remembered the last time he’d mentioned that word to Selig. Only then he was speaking of their world, not this house. The anger and frustration his friend couldn’t contain spilled out into all of their lives until Jack was forced to ask him to return to their world and recover. But Selig swore he’d never do that, as returning home without connecting with his mated soul in this world would forfeit his right to ever return. Instead, he insisted he’d stay on earth wandering from one end of it to the other until he found her. Back then Jack had discounted his vehemence. Thinking that given the time he’d heal and choose another mate, but he hadn’t and now Jack knew why.

  It was the cruelty of hope. The burning need that flared like an eternal fire to have one’s mated soul back in their arms even if for just one moment. One instant to say the goodbye they were never afforded.

  “Jack?”

  “Anything?”

  Wooly halted in the doorway and Jack didn’t like the expression he sported as he answered, “A coat.” Jack waited for him to say more, because a coat was to be expected. “An extra coat,” Wooly added.

  “Jesus,” Jack whispered as he launched into action. “Finley.”

  He was out the door and down the hall before he heard Wooly shout, “I left the Polaris running for you. I’ll get Max and Payden and send them down.”

  Jack just kept on going. Exiting the front doors of Gilby, he didn’t bother with the stairs. He just leapt off them, landing beside the idling machine. He barely got his footing set before he hopped on. Within seconds he was racing down the moonlit path. Dodging trees and brush. All the while praying that he wasn’t too late. Hoping that he was wrong. He couldn’t lose her again. Not now, not when he’d just found her.

  Chapter Eleven

  By the time Jesse eased the snowmobile into low gear and eventually stopped, they were halfway down the western side of the mountain. Between the steep inclines and various sections of tree-lined brush they had to dodge, Finley was impressed they’d made it here in one piece.

  Now came the tough part. Getting him to take her back up to the manor. Given some distance from the situation and being able to think clearly for the last ten minutes she realized she’d made a mistake. Running away from someone as spectacular as Jack Midland wasn’t the thing to do. She was sure about that even if she wasn’t sure about a million other things when it came to him, but she’d deal with all those things eventually too.

  She got off and stretched her legs. Maybe she could walk. Looking around, that idea lost some steam. Although they stood in a small clearing, hundred-foot cedars creaked all around them and yet no bushes at ground level obstructed the view. It was barren and kind of creepy. If he didn’t take her back up, she could always go down. When that came to her she turned to her right and saw, less then fifteen feet away, a sharp ledge that dropped off into a huge canyon below. Not very encouraging in the getting to the bottom department unless she wanted to arrive there in a box.

  “Why did we stop here? And where is here, by the way?”

  Jesse ignored her and walked to the end of the clearing while she tried to kick away the icy snow that was tumbling into the gap of her sneakers, just beneath her ankle bone. Wetness slid in and she gritted her teeth. There was nothing she could do about that now. “Hey,” she called. “Are you looking for something?”

  He stood with his back to her, but then she saw the light of his cell screen and realized he was trying to make a call. After the attempt failed he stuffed the phone back in his pocket and took up searching the distance again. And being that he hadn’t answered her and she needed to make a decision one way or another about how to get back before she died of hypothermia, she tried again, “Are we meeting someone here?”

  Although he didn’t turn around, he did finally answer her, “Yes, we are.”

  She figured it was probably a few of the other reporters. The ones who made those additional track lines in the snow. But that didn’t make much sense now that she thought about it because he’d said they’d made them earlier to throw Jack off. If that were the case, wouldn’t they already be here?

  “Who exactly? I have Darren’s coat, don’t I?” Suddenly the thought that Jesse had called the police came to her and the immediate thought that followed that one was they’d harm Jack.

  He should be harmed after what he did to you in your last lifetime. That was her common sense talking, but her inner sense, her gut wa
s screaming, go back to him!

  There was no time to process any of this as Jesse whipped around and marched back to her. Literally. One knee and then the other, was lifted hip height as he fought his way through the snow until he reached her, completely winded and absolutely pissed.

  “What gives with you?”

  “What do you mean?” She would have stepped back, but she didn’t want to lose the foot tunnels she’d made. The holes actually worked like mini-igloos around her ankles and calves. Her feet were another matter as the soggy wet caused her toes burn and itch.

  “A bath? And you didn’t look any worse for wear to me.” His nose led his stance as he leaned over her. She couldn’t gauge his eyes as most of his face fell in the shadows, but his tone told her all she needed to know. He sounded jealous which was crazy because for the last eight months of them working in the same building he hadn’t given her the time of day. He was probably one of those guys that needed to get his male up when another came sniffing around. Not that it mattered to her. He wasn’t her soul mate.

  Jack was.

  Damn.

  “I don’t have to explain myself to you.”

  “I think you better. Are you in cahoots with them?”

  “Ca Hoots?” She purposely split the word for emphasis. “Who says that anymore? And no, I’m not. But I am interested to know when you learned about Jack. Was it before we got to the manor?” The idea that it could have been way before came to her at about the same time all kinds of other things did too. “Was this why you’ve been so nice to me over the last month?” She gasped and could barely believe how stupid she’d been. “Was I bait?”

  When he relaxed his stance and pulled that nose back she got a partial look at his face in the moonlight. Unfortunately it wasn’t enough to see if he was nervous now that she’d figured it out. He should be. She hoped.