The Wraith's Mate [Paranormal Protection Unit 9] (Siren Publishing Allure)

by Honor James

  “Absolutely.” He grinned at her, leaning in to kiss her hard and fast. “Just wait until it’s time for my midmorning snack,” Davyn teased.

  Chapter Nine

  Grabbing the phone automatically as he kept reading the site he’d found, Davyn grunted a greeting into it. Freezing as he listened, he stood up. “Where?” he demanded, already on the move. Racing up the stairs, he got more details even as he looked for Dahlia on his way to his room to get changed and grab his bag. “I’ll be under way in five minutes, tops,” he said, hanging up. “Dahlia!?” he bellowed.

  Dahlia stepped out of the bathroom and looked at Davyn with wide eyes. “Davyn, what’s wrong, honey?” she asked and moved closer, noting the bag in his hand, the look in his eyes, and the cell phone in his other hand. “You have to go?” she asked softly. “Go. I will be fine, honey.”

  “You sure?” he asked her, moving in closer to her. Leaning down, he kissed her softly. “I don’t know how late I’ll be.” He didn’t even know more than the barest of information. “Call me if you need me,” Davyn said against her mouth before kissing her again.

  “Go, honey.” She pressed another kiss to his lips. “I love you, Davyn. Be careful, honey. Please,” she whispered in a near-silent plea. “I will be fine, love. Go. Do what you need to do,” she whispered. “I’m fine. Just go.”

  “I’ll call you as soon as I can,” he promised, leaning in to kiss her once more. “You need anything, you call the office and let them know, promise me,” Davyn demanded as he stepped back before he couldn’t and grabbed his flak jacket and a coat.

  “Don’t worry, honey. I know how to set the alarm. I know how to call. Just go, honey.” Before she somehow worked her way into going with him. She knew that she would only be a hindrance to him, so she shooed him again. “Go, love. I promise that I’m good.”

  “I love you.” He smiled at her before he spun and left the room. He was a mere second from lifting her up and hauling her with him. Racing out of the house, he jumped into his truck and raced for the gates, slowing only long enough for the gate to open enough for him to slide through. Hitting the road, he let out a breath.

  * * * *

  Fallen Angel(s): Typically synonymous with a wicked or rebellious angel. The term fallen angel isn’t actually found in any of the classic religious documentation, i.e., the Hebrew Bible, the Deuterocanonical Books, or the New Testament. Many therefore use the term to describe angels who have sinned or who were cast down to earth. (paraphrased from Wikipedia online)

  Depending upon the religion or belief system of the people at any given point in time there are several theories about those termed Fallen. The following are just a few of the theories revolving around these beliefs.

  Watchers: Some believe these particular angels were sent or came willingly to Earth and inevitably had intercourse with human women thereby corrupting mankind. (paraphrased from Wikipedia online)

  Sons of God: In a time immediately preceding the composition of the New Testament some identified the “sons of God” with Fallen Angels. Those who adopted this view saw the “sons of God” as Fallen Angels who married human women and by their unnatural union gave birth to the Nephilim. (paraphrased from Wikipedia online)

  Grigori: Identified with the Watchers who 1) went down to Earth from the Lord’s throne, resulting in defiling/befouling the earth with their deeds, 2) were angels thrown out from the height when their leader came to gain power equal in rank to the Lord’s. (paraphrased from Wikipedia online)

  Another claim is that Fallen Angels are those angels who rebelled against God along with Lucifer, an archangel who became the Devil. Many scholars agree that a third of the angels fell into sin and became demons. (paraphrased from Christian Apologetics & Research Ministry © Matthew J. Slick, 1995 - 2012)

  May 5th, 2012

  Who was the first to fall? Does it even matter? Why did they fall? Was it a forced confinement to Earth, or did they come willingly and create their own downfall? How does Chaos come into this all?

  May 30, 2012

  No records of the first to fall by any name in any of the historical records I’ve managed to find about the Wraith. There is mention of the first and several others. They who cometh bring the word from on high. “On high.” Heaven maybe? Note to self, check such references in all databases and see if Q can dig up anything.

  June 6, 2012

  Best we can figure, Q and myself, looks like “on high” quite probably is a reference to Heaven. Records on the beginning of Gaia’s children are a little sketchy at best, and most are in crypts to ensure they are temperature and climate controlled. Will need Talon’s okay to go looking. Not sure what if anything I should tell him. Will decide after digging up a little more.

  June 12, 2012

  Did more digging and found some papers of a fellow Wraith long since past at an auction, pure coincidence I think, but with how things are going, who knows. Anyway, some more details that sort of agree with all of the Christian and such outlooks on the Fallen Angels. But then things go a little wonky and weird. From what I’ve found the “Fallen” were Angels. They were sent here in capacity of Watchers. Now, some did indeed have, how was it phrased? Oh yeah, “intercourse with human women,” but I’m not finding anything about the “corruption of mankind”—yet. What I do have is that these Angels who had relations with human women succumbed to the sin of the flesh and thereby gave up their place in Heaven. But from what few records I’ve found it doesn’t sound like they minded. They could no longer be Watchers though since they themselves were corrupted, but beyond that it seems they lived normal and happy lives until their time was done. Where they went after is also unclear, but I suppose a question and answer session with Gaia might be pushing my luck. Will find out more.

  June 28, 2012

  Hell of a few weeks, things around here went to the shits for a time, but we’re back on the hunt. Q dug up a few more papers at an auction and I managed to get them. Again, more vague references, but I’m hopeful once I get through translating them I’ll know at least a little more.

  July 3, 2012

  On duty tomorrow for the big event in town and then I have my shifts, so I’m not going to be doing much research for the next while. I did finish translating the papers Q and I got at auction a couple weeks ago. Looks like Chaos didn’t bother with the Fallen that were setting up homes with human women. He was going after those that were still Watchers on their mission of guiding humans and ensuring Heavenly law wasn’t broken. He was sneaky about it, insidious as the writer said in the papers.

  Apparently Chaos put various temptations in their path all to no avail. But none of it worked from what was written. All of a sudden, though, Chaos apparently got some sort of brilliant plan and the Wraith was born. What that plan was, not a clue. The writings just sort of end. It’s like I’m missing a huge chunk of them, the important stuff! Oh well, Q is still keeping an eye out for pages at auctions. Hopefully we come up with something.

  August 4, 2012

  Everything’s been on hold for the last while. I met her, the woman of mythology to the Wraith, my bond-mate. Her name is Dahlia, and Gods, she is bloody amazing. The way she looks at me makes me feel like the only man in the world, the best man in the world. I just hope I can live up to the image I fear she has in her head of me.

  Found a few more clues from a random source, kind of a run-in with another Wraith. Apparently his family has passed down their heritage very carefully. I mentioned that I had nothing and why Mom and Dad never had a chance to give me anything. He’s going to scan whatever he has and send it to me, may give me the answers I need and/or where I can search next. I’m hopeful. He seems to have a good hold on his history.

  November 2, 2012

  Dahlia’s parents were killed today. She’s…Gods, she is so broken I don’t know what to do. She’s breaking my heart. The research is on hold until further notice. I need to try and help her all I can to get through this horrible time in her life. I j
ust hope I can.

  Dahlia read through all of Davyn’s carefully kept work and felt her tears shimmering as she did so. It was the mention of her parents, of his loss of parents, and honestly her heart was breaking because of his loss of self. He didn’t know who he was and where he came from, and that broke her heart as well. Turning, she looked up at him and licked her lips. “How long have you been trying to piece together who and what you are, my love?” she asked quietly. “And how can I help you continue with your work? This is something that we can’t put aside. It’s not something that we can put off, because you need to be able to know about yourself. You deserve to know about yourself as well.”

  Shrugging, he stroked her hair gently. “I’ve been working on it off and on for the last several hundred years. But only of late have I actually been steadily working at it. I have all the documents from the other Wraith, but so far I just haven’t had the time or inclination to go through them. Mostly I’ve been surfing the web for any hits, and it’s been pretty miniscule. I get a lot about the Fallen and Wraiths, but the correlations between them don’t exist in any of the religions, as far as I can tell, though I still have about four hundred bookmarks to work through.”

  “So you think there is someone in your family tree who was an Angel, a Watcher who Chaos was able to persuade to fall?” Dahlia asked him with a frown. “It makes an odd kind of sense. When I can feel your other half he doesn’t feel evil. He feels of light and shadows. I think you are the reason that he doesn’t feel dark. Does that make sense?”

  “It’s the theory I’m working on,” he told her honestly. “From everything I’ve read, the first Wraiths were Angels who were turned from their paths and became Fallen. And, as Fallen they no longer had to live by Heavenly Law, except that obviously somewhere on the path some rethought that and began to live their lives by that Law once more. They shunned Chaos and, I think but I could be wrong, the more they tried to live a good and right life, the weaker their ties to Chaos became. With each new generation those ties began to slip more and more. With how hard it is for us to impregnate a woman”—he really had to mention that to her before she started to notice—“there are even fewer ties to Chaos, and he must be becoming even weaker. Again, just a theory.”

  “That makes sense,” Dahlia said with a nod and then frowned. “Wait a minute, you mean we won’t be able to have a child, or if we do it will be very difficult for us to become pregnant?” She wanted children. She really and truly wanted them. “We can always adopt though, right? I mean if we can’t have a child we can always adopt them, right?”

  “Well…” Oh he so didn’t want to have this conversation right then. “Do you remember how I may have maybe mentioned how it is we Wraith mate with our chosen one?” he asked, trying to desperately buy some time. From the look on her face, he might get a few seconds, but she was too bright really and likely would kill him.

  “No, I am a little vague on that.” She was sure that he had mentioned it, but in that moment it was a complete blank to her. “How is it that you mate with your chosen one? I know how we made love the first night, and it was stunningly spectacular.”

  Not really wanting to say the words, he pulled up one of the documents and enlarged it so she’d be able to read the spidery writing on the scanned page. Watching her face, he carefully shifted so that if she did decide to hit him he’d be ready and wouldn’t take it somewhere he would painfully feel for months on end. Davyn also grabbed the tissue box and moved it closer. He still wasn’t sure how his mate would react to any given situation, and her mind was eerily silent at the moment.

  “Is this why you came looking for me that night?” she asked softly, her body completely still. “Because I was a virgin and I was heartbroken?” She didn’t even seem to notice the tears that ran down her face. “But how could you have known that I would be drinking?”

  “No, I felt your pain tugging at me and I couldn’t stop myself from finding out what was wrong. I was planning on taking you home, ensuring you were in a safe environment, and leaving you to sleep it off.” Pulling a second chair, he sat and spun the computer chair around so he could see her face. “Babe, I wanted you to have only the best in life, and I honestly didn’t think that was me. When you grabbed me, I wasn’t even thinking about the mating ritual. I just knew I had to have you even if it was the one and only time, I swear it.”

  She really hadn’t given him much of a chance to tell her no when she thought about it. “I do love you, Davyn,” she whispered. “I really do love you, but…” She took in a deep and shuddering breath. “You are amazing. I’m happier than I have a right to be, and I love you more than I ever could have believed possible, but…” She sighed. “I don’t know,” she whispered. “I refuse to give you up, I really do, but I just don’t know what to think.”

  “Then don’t think about it and think about the rest of what I have to tell you,” he told her in a wary tone, not sure how to take her less-than-thrilled words. “When a Wraith finds his bond-mate and they join together in that less-than-ideal yet perfect situation, a child is created. It’s the only way to have a first child. After that it’s like any other union, and when they want a baby they go about having one, but that first time has to be under the strenuous conditions.”

  It took her several minutes before she was able to actually breathe. “What?” It was spoken on an exhaled breath. Her hand flew to her stomach and she looked at him with wide eyes. “You mean now? Right now I’m…?” She couldn’t say the word because it was—“Oh God.” She felt faint. Dear God, their child had been created in the lowest time of her life, in a moment where her heart was broken and she’d been working to being so drunk that she could barely stand up.

  He nodded. “Yeah,” he said softly. Sitting back, he let out a breath. “I know this is a lot to take in, Dahlia.” Looking at his watch, he bit off a curse. “I have to get going or I’m going to be late for my shift.” Glancing at her, he waited warily. “Are you all right?” he asked softly.

  Dahlia had tears shimmering in her eyes, but she nodded. “I’m just ducky,” she whispered and pulled back from him gently so that she could look up and into his eyes. “I love you, Davyn, I really do, but this is a lot to process. It likely is for the best that you need to go to work because I need time.”

  She definitely was not “ducky” as she put it, but he knew when she didn’t want him around. Nodding, he brushed his fingers over her cheeks to dry them. “I love you, Dahlia. I know our relationship hasn’t exactly been by the book on anything, but I would give everything for even a moment more in your life. If you want to talk or need to talk, call my cell. I’ll have it on all night, and unless I’m in an emergency situation, I will answer.”

  “I know,” she whispered and looked up at him. “I need time, Davyn. If I need you I will call you first and foremost, I swear.” She swallowed hard, past the lump in her throat, and fought the urge to cry. “Go, honey. Go and save some lives.”

  Nodding, he kissed her lightly and stepped back from her. Turning, he left her alone even as a feeling of absolute dread settled in his gut. He had a bad feeling that he’d come home at the end of the shift and she wouldn’t be there.

  Chapter Ten

  Dahlia had no idea how long she sat there staring blindly at the wall after Davyn left. Shaking herself out of her sulk though, she realized that she was the one who had initiated everything. It had been her to all but attack him, so for her to be upset with him was ludicrous. Wiping her hands over her face, she grabbed her cell phone and sent him a text message. It simply said, “I’m sorry. I love you. Come home soon?”

  Rising to her feet, Dahlia wiped her hands down her jeans and nodded. “All right. Dinner. Get dinner on and then I will worry about what to do for the rest of my day,” she muttered to herself. Before she got to the kitchen, the doorbell rang. Changing paths midstep, she walked to the door and looked out the peephole. Seeing a delivery man, she frowned but opened the door all the same. “Hello, can I
help you?”

  “I sure hope so, ma’am.” He held up a large box. “I have a delivery here for a Doctor Davyn Montrose. Do I have the correct residence, and can you sign for it?” he asked, flashing her a faint smile as he turned the clipboard around toward her.

  “Yes, yes, this is the correct address.” Grabbing the clipboard, Dahlia signed her name to the signature line and passed it back to him with a small and tight smile. Her inner senses were screaming at her to run, but she fought them because it was utterly ridiculous to be afraid of the delivery man. “I can take that, thank you.” She offered to take the box from him.

  “It’s a little heavy,” he warned her. “It’s also slightly lopsided. Why don’t you step back and I’ll set it on the flooring and then you can just give it a shove wherever you feel like stashing it?” he suggested ever so pleasantly as he assessed her. Not much to look at, and she really needed to do something about all that blotchy skin. Seriously, how had one of his come to fall for such a woeful creature?

  Stepping back, Dahlia nodded. “All right. Just put it here beside the door. I will have Davyn move it when he gets home,” she said firmly and opened the door just enough to allow the man to put the box on the floor. “Thank you very much,” she told him and began to close the door, stopping when it touched him. “I need you to move now please.”

  “And I needed my children to actually behave as they should instead of acting like such whiny, driveling fools,” he told her, pushing the door open again. “But instead they all feel the need to be good, to play by His rules instead of reaping the rewards of ruling this world for their own. It’s sad really when one of the more powerful beings on this planet has to settle for”—he sneered at her and waved a hand up and down her body—“this. Isn’t it, Dahlia?”