Heku : Book 1 of the Heku Series

by T. M. Nielsen

  With a gasp, Emily sat up in the unfamiliar room. Her hand suddenly grasped her side as the broken ribs screamed at the movement. Chevalier was sitting by her side in an instant, slowly lowering her back onto the bed.

  “It’s ok, Emily, lay down,” he assured her, gently positioning her so her head was propped up a bit, making it easier to look around.

  “Where am I?” she asked, her eyes taking in the large bedroom.

  “You’re safe. You are in my home.” He stayed on the bed, a hand firmly on her shoulder so she wouldn’t hurt herself trying to get up.

  Her piercing green eyes looked deep into his and narrowed slightly, “How long have I been here?”

  “Four days, what’s the last thing you remember?” He was hoping it would save some time if she remembered some of the night they left the ranch.

  She thought for a moment, and a sudden realization showed on her face, she nodded, “I was on Coal, and I was looking for you.”

  He smiled, “You found me.”

  She frowned as the memories came back to her, “He fell, Coal did... I… I don’t remember anything after that.”

  “Coal fell on you, that’s why you are hurting, a broken collar bone, several broken ribs, and a concussion.”

  “How is Coal?” she asked suddenly, worry showing in her eyes.

  Lying always came easily for him, but he didn’t want to lie to her, “He wasn’t hurt in the fall, he stood right back up and then I brought you here.”

  “Where is here?”

  “That’s something I will tell you later, for now, you only need to know you’re safe. I won’t let anything happen to you.”

  She cocked her head slightly to the side and listened, “We’re alone?”

  Chevalier simply nodded.

  She studied his face, “Am I a hostage?”

  “No,” he said, and smiled broadly. “You may leave when you want to… and are well enough to travel.”

  “Does Keith know where I am?”

  “No”

  “Does anyone?”

  He sighed, “No.”

  “I have to get back. I have to watch after the ranch and…” She paused, her mind taking it all in, “Keith is going to kill me.”

  Chevalier shook his head, “You can’t travel yet, plus… there’s a severe snowstorm out there, we won’t be going anywhere. You must be hungry.”

  Emily nodded.

  “I’ll get you something, behave and stay in bed.” He stood up carefully and was out of the room before she could even see him move.

  As soon as he was gone, she braced her ribs with her hand and swung her legs out of bed. She was tangled briefly in a long white nightgown but was able to free her feet after some effort. She wondered how she had gotten into the gown and where it had come from. It was long sleeved and billowy, similar to one she’d seen in a museum.

  Once she was sure she was steady, she stood up, gasping softly as her ribs protested against the movement. Her left arm seemed weak, and when she moved it, a sharp pain raced down her shoulder. She braced herself against the headboard as her head swam dangerously close to unconsciousness and black started to encroach on her vision. After a few moments, it cleared, and she took a cautious step away from the bed.

  With sore, stiff muscles, she made her way to the large window. Her hand touched the soft lace curtains and pushed them aside. The view was breathtaking. Her bedroom was on the 2nd floor, and the window looked down over the side of a mountain where the trees were barely visible beneath the deep snow. Emily wasn’t sure how far she could actually see on a clear day, the snow falling made it hard to see more than half a dozen yards or so.

  She jumped as his hands slid around her waist, “What part of stay in bed did you not understand?” he asked softly.

  Her eyes were locked on the window, “It’s so beautiful out there.”

  “Hm, well I prefer what’s inside,” he said, smiling slightly.

  She felt heat rise to her face. She always hated when she blushed, but had no control over it. Chevalier led her away from the window with his hands still tight against her waist in case she started to fall. He picked her up effortlessly and laid her back in bed. She inhaled deeply, the food smelled wonderful and she realized she was starving.

  The room was silent as she ate. The food burned her mouth but her hunger won out. The taste was exquisite, like nothing she’d tasted before. It had been so long since she’d eaten that she filled up quickly.

  “Aren’t you going to eat?” she asked, noticing him watching her.

  “No,” he said, amused.

  She put the fork down on the dainty silver tray and turned to look at him fully, “You’re a vampire.”

  “Ok”

  “Aren’t you afraid of Keith finding you?”

  Again his voice sounded amused, “No.”

  Her lips thinned, “He has a way of finding vampires and killing them.”

  “Yes I know, but Child, I am not a vampire.”

  “Am I here so you can kill me?”

  “No”

  “Are you going to tell me why I’m here?”

  “Eventually”

  She wrinkled her nose, “Are you always so cryptic? Hey, if you aren’t a vampire, what are you?”

  Chevalier had been waiting for this, “I am a heku.”

  “A what?”

  “A heku. My kind was here long before your ancestors were mere specks on the ground. We’ve watched civilization grow and have tried to stay out of the way. Mythical creatures of the night, the vampires, werewolves, ziang shi, zombies… they were all designed to explain our presence, but we are none of those.” It wasn’t nearly the entire story but was enough for now.

  He removed the tray and she lay back against the soft down pillows, her sore muscles complaining.

  “It’s my turn,” he said, pulling the rocking chair closer to the bed.

  “For what?” She tensed.

  He braced himself, for a brief moment wondering if her reaction was any indication that the burning pain would begin, “For questions, I have some for you.”

  She relaxed some, and in return, so did he.

  He started his well thought out plan, which began simply as getting to know as much about her family as he could, “I want to know about your Mother.”

  “My mother?”

  “Yes”

  She looked up at him, confused, “She’s dead.”

  “Yes I know, but what do you know about her?” He smiled warmly, making sure his sharp teeth didn’t show.

  “Well… she died when I was 2. She was in a car wreck.”

  That answered one of his questions, about how truthful Sam and her Dad had been to her. This would complicate some of his plans. He would have to start further back in her history if he was to make her understand her abilities.

  “And your brother?”

  She frowned, “I don’t have a brother, I’m an only child.”

  “So sorry, my mistake. Do go on.”

  “She wasn’t very old when she met my Dad. He inherited the ranch from his father. All I really know about her was that she had a way with animals and that she was very beautiful.”

  Chevalier nodded, he had no doubts about that, “I see. What about Sam, do you know much about him?”

  Her face lit up, a smile forming, “Sam… what’s not to say about Sam? He’s taken care of the ranch and my Dad for as long as I can remember. Dad once said that Sam’s dad worked for my Grandpa.”

  He leaned closer to her as she continued, her eyes suddenly faraway.

  “He’s always been a friend. I remember when I was 6, and a strange man followed me home from school. Dad was out with the cattle, so it was just Sam when I got home. I was so afraid.” She shuddered slightly, “He held me like his own daughter while I calmed down and then left me with hot chocolate and instructions to stay put. When he got back, the man was gone.”

  “Strange man?”

  She nodded, “Yes.”

&nb
sp; “Did a lot of strangers follow you home?”

  Again she nodded, “Dad said I had a magnetic personality.” Her face was suddenly serious, “He warned me to stay away from them, but there always seemed to be someone there, in the shadows. Sam helped them stay away somehow, he is like a Grandpa to me.”

  “Did anyone ever tell you anything about the strangers?”

  She looked over at him, “How could they know anything about them? They were just strangers.”

  He shrugged, “Just asking.”

  “Dad once mentioned that Mom had the same problem, I guess everyone does if it comes down to it.” She looked back up at the ceiling.

  Chevalier wondered if he could ever convince her how wrong she was. He noticed how she winced a bit, her breath catching.

  “Enough for tonight, it’s time for some pain meds it seems.” He stood up and grabbed the syringes from the bedside table. When he turned back, Emily was watching him, her eyes a mixture of pain and fear.

  Suddenly, her face dissolved into a relaxed gaze and her eyes became unfocused and glassy.

  Thinking quickly, he yelled, “Emily, stop!”

  She jumped slightly, her eyes coming back into focus and staring at him. The look of fear had returned, “Don’t come near me with those.”

  He fought to control his breathing, aware that he had been only seconds from the burning pain, “It’s Morphine, for the pain.”

  She shook her head, “No.”

  He hesitated, afraid to move near her, “Are you saying that you aren’t hurting?”

  Emily set her jaw, “No shots.”

  “Are you hurting or not?”

  She flung the covers back and threw her legs off the bed, grasping her side and groaning when the world began to spin. She was barely aware that he was at her side. The slight pinching in her arm let her know she had lost, she’d had the pain medication. Emily began to protest, but felt herself fall back into unconsciousness. She fought to surface, but soon the Morphine took over.

  He laid her back in the bed and covered her with the blankets, his hands shaking. He flashed to the front room with his hands against the windowsill. Chevalier’s entire body was shaking, realizing how close he had come to becoming a pile of ash. He thought of how suddenly it happened, her fear turning to nothingness. None of her attackers had a chance. He was sure they ran as soon as they were done with her, too far away to stop what was inevitable.

  Once his nerves calmed and his hands were steady, he stood up and gazed out the window. The snowstorm had added at least 24 inches of new snow. He couldn’t leave today if he wanted to, even the snowcat would have problems on this night. Sighing heavily, he returned to Emily’s room and sat in the rocking chair. He watched her sleep, again marveling at her intense beauty. With the patience that centuries granted him, he waited, going over the plans again in his head.

  ***

  Emily opened her eyes slowly. She still felt groggy from the Morphine. She looked around the room and noticed she was alone. Light was shining from the window and she wondered how long she’d been out this time.

  She sat up as quietly as she could and took the remaining syringes out of the drawer and had them well hidden before Chevalier appeared in the doorway with another tray of food.

  He smiled, “How are you feeling?”

  She turned and glared at him, “Drugged, thank you very much.”

  Chevalier found this amusing, “Well, do you want to eat before you begin yelling at me for it?”

  “How do I know you aren’t poisoning the food?” Studying his face, she frowned.

  Chevalier chucked, “Child, if I wanted you dead, you wouldn’t be here right now.”

  She grimaced at the title ‘Child’ and then sat down slowly into a chair by the frozen window, “Fine.”

  He sat the tray down on the small table and looked out the window, “The snow is letting up.”

  Emily ignored him as she ate, her mind going over her possible options. After she finished, she looked up at him, “You have no right to keep me drugged.”

  He raised an eyebrow, “Who is going to stop me? Besides, it’s not like I’m being mean, you need pain medication to recover.”

  “I’m feeling fine.”

  He smiled, “Mmhmm. I need you in perfect shape soon, and I’ll do what I need to, to get you there.”

  “What for?”

  “In due time.” He walked over and stoked the fire.

  She stood up while his back was turned and fought to keep from groaning. The pain seemed a little better, but turning incorrectly caused extreme pain, “Where are my clothes?”

  “Are you going somewhere?” It infuriated her that his tone was light and still amused.

  “Yes, I’m leaving.”

  Chevalier stood up and turned to look at her. The light from the large window behind her illuminated the white nightgown and showed the silhouette of her body underneath it. He composed himself before answering, “No, you aren’t.”

  Emily put her hands on her hips, “You said I could leave when I wanted.”

  “No, I said when you wanted and when you could handle the trip.”

  “I can now.”

  “No, you can’t. Why don’t you lie back down before you fall?” He noticed the color was draining from her face.

  Emily didn’t answer, the darkness was invading her vision again and her head began to throb. She took a deep breath and steadied herself against the chair until it had passed. When she was sure she wouldn’t faint, she turned her hauntingly beautiful green eyes to him, “I’m not going to fall.”

  Chevalier shrugged and went over to the nightstand. He opened the drawer and began to reach for a syringe when he noticed they were missing, “Where are they?” he asked, knowing she wasn’t going to tell him.

  “Gone”

  “Damnit, Emily, where are they?” The anger in his voice made her take a step back, putting the wall to her back.

  “Gone,” she said again, a little more timidly.

  In an instant, Chevalier was at her, his hands on the wall at her shoulders, pinning her. She jerked her head away, her hands rising defensively to cover her face. The gesture infuriated him, not at her, but at the reason she did it. It immediately calmed him down.

  He took her wrists gently in his hands and pinned them at her side. Chevalier placed his cheek against hers. Breathing in her scent, he flicked her earlobe lightly with his tongue and was pleased that she shivered, “I will never hit you,” he whispered into her ear.

  He pulled his head back to look directly into her eyes. He locked her gaze and concentrated. It was only a few moments before her breathing matched his. His eyes boring deeper into hers, he whispered, “Where is the Morphine, Emily?”

  He could see the conflict in her face and could tell she was struggling to unlock his gaze, to regain control. Softer, he asked again, “Emily, where is the Morphine?”

  He was amazed at her restraint. Mortals normally became his to control with just a single glance, yet she took immense concentration.

  Her voice was soft, his acute ears barely picking up her words, “In the bottom of the dresser.”

  He responded by gently brushing his lips across hers. Emily pressed her body slightly against his, arching her neck up toward him. He couldn’t control it any more. He pressed his lips against hers and felt the warmth of her touch. He let the instincts forward, the aching he had in his body for her coming out.

  Chevalier let go of her hands, moving one to the small of her back and one to her neck, he pulled her in closer to him. She didn’t hesitate, her body fit closely into his. His lips pried hers open, the smell and taste of her breath sent spasms deep within him. Emily bit his bottom lip gently.

  Suddenly, she tensed, her entire body became rigid and she placed her hands on his chest, trying to push him away from her. She breathed heavily, “Please, I can’t.”

  The instinct within him demanded that he take her and he refused to move as his mind fought wit
hin itself. She pushed harder against him, her arm and rib screaming in pain.

  “Chevalier, don’t,” she begged.

  He took a deep breath and stepped back, caging the beast that had nearly taken over. As his breathing slowed, he trusted himself to look at her. She was still close enough that he could smell the blood pumping quickly through her veins. Emily was watching him, her face a mixture of embarrassment and confusion and her eyes began to water.

  Chevalier moved to her, pulling her into an embrace with her face pressed against his chest. He caressed her cheek with his finger and pressed his lips softly against the top of her head, “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have done that.” He could feel her wet tears against his skin.

  “Please lay down,” he encouraged. “I’ll behave, I promise.”

  She nodded against his chest and pulled away from him, refusing to meet his eyes. When she laid down, she admitted to herself that the bed felt nice. The pain in her side lessened as she rested against the soft pillows.

  Chevalier pulled up a chair, realizing that she still wouldn’t look at him. Her eyes were shut, but her body was not yet relaxed, “Let’s continue.”

  Emily looked up at him suddenly.

  He smiled, “The questions… I didn’t finish.”

  She nodded.

  “Tell me about Keith,” he began.

  She frowned and shook her head slightly, “What about him?”

  “Start at the beginning… how you met.”

  She watched as her hand absentmindedly traced the pattern on the bedspread and shrugged, “He worked for my Dad, as a field hand. I was only 14 when he started, but I think I had a crush on him from day 1. When I was 17, he finally talked Dad into letting us date.” She paused, her eyes becoming thoughtful, “I don’t think Dad ever trusted him, I never quite understood why. Then a few months later, we got married.”

  Chevalier couldn’t help but comment, “I can understand why Allen didn’t trust him.”

  Emily looked over at him, “Keith can be a handful, yes, but all-in-all, he’s a good guy and he’s good for me.”

  “What makes you say that?”

  She shrugged, “How else could I handle the attacks? He takes care of them for me and all I have to do in return is put up with his temper. He also helps me run the ranch. I’m not sure I could do that on my own.”