“Don’t worry, I’ll help you learn,” Reaper said.
The shutter on his gaze must’ve lifted because he watched as Ara’s face flushed with color. His eyes moved down over the simple tee and jeans they had purchased the day before, and he could hear her heartbeat accelerate at his scrutiny. It was another question on her gifts that brought him out of his lust haze.
“Does this deplete your energy?” Seth asked.
“Not that I’ve noticed, but when I’m tired, I find that it takes more strength and concentration to use them.”
Ara’s gaze moved to Liv and Kai, and Reaper could see the guilt on her face. Ara watched the couple for a few minutes before she relaxed enough to turn back to the larger group.
For over an hour, Ara had entertained them with her abilities. She laughed and enjoyed her time with his friends, but he needed to get her home to rest.
“I need to take Ara home, but first I need to speak with all of you,” Reaper announced.
Ara maneuvered them back to the ground, and once they were on solid ground, they erupted at his statement.
“What home?”
“In Snowfall?
“Since when do you have a home?”
“Reaper?”
Ara placed her hand in his and squeezed, giving him reassurance. He had no reason for not telling them about his house; it just hadn’t come up in conversation and he’d been too busy searching for Ara to share the information.
“I wanted to be close, so I had a house built up the mountain.” They seemed placated by his true explanation, so he continued with the real reason he’d brought Ara to the house. “Xander, I need you to delve into Dr. Ames’s background to see who could’ve been funding his research. Liv, I know you haven’t gotten to it yet, but could you test the blood of those who were captured with Ara and see if they have any abnormalities that we have to worry about? After we find out more, we’ll see where else we can find information on how to find the man after Ara.”
“We’ll figure this out together,” Ghost promised.
Reaper reached for Ara’s hand, and after they said their good-byes, he led her out to the SUV. He needed to get her alone.
Chapter Six
Ara
Ara had savored Reaper’s heated glances as they sat through dinner with his friends. Although she should have been intimidated by his intimate gaze that promised heaven, she felt her blood heat at the possibilities for the night. Anytime he pulled her close, there had been no hesitation on her part. She found that she craved his touch. As the night wore on, she found that her gaze was drawn back to him as he enjoyed her getting to know his friends. As they said their last good-byes, her mind drifted as they walked toward his SUV.
Although she thought it impossible, she found herself relaxing around the close-knit group as the night went on. Reaper’s friends were welcoming and although they were curious about her, treated her as though they’d seen her abilities before. She’d never shown anyone what she could do, afraid of what people would think, but here, she was accepted.
Her parents were both selfish creatures, and if her mother hadn’t gotten pregnant with Ara, their connection would’ve been severed long before she became a possibility. Even with the responsibility of a child, they were never present, seeking oblivion instead. Their behavior and unpredictable nature had turned her into a loner, someone who had been afraid to form relationships. Her parents had taught her that relying on others was a detriment, and she learned that lesson the hard way.
Long before she had been captured, she had kept to herself while she worked her way through getting her GED, and later her bachelor’s in accounting. She had a job in which she excelled, but from time to time, the loneliness crept in and she wished for a different life. One in which she could trust those around her. But those wistful times were short-lived. Although she didn’t understand why she had been captured, she now appreciated her time with Reaper more because of it.
Reaper slid his hands around her waist, and she shivered at his warm touch. She bit her lip to keep the groan of need from pushing past where it stuck in her throat, but when she glanced up to see the passion reflected in his eyes, the sound escaped. In a fraction of a second, he pressed her against the closed door of the SUV and kissed her.
She lifted her arms around his shoulders and returned the kiss with equal fervor, loving the taste of him and his scent surrounding her. Everything but Reaper and his touch fell away. Another sound of need let him know how much she wanted him.
Breathing hard, he ripped his mouth from hers and studied her face. She had no idea what he searched for, but he must’ve been satisfied by what he’d seen. He kept her pressed close to his body and stepped back in order to open the door. She laughed as he lifted her and settled her on the passenger seat, taking the time to put on her seat belt. He cupped her chin and bent for a kiss, growling when she moaned in anticipation, but changed his mind and pressed his lips against her forehead. Before she could understand his actions, he stepped back and shut the door.
Tilting her head, she smiled at Reaper as he strode around the hood of the SUV. He caught her gaze and winked. The hot flush to her cheeks was becoming a normal routine whenever he glanced at her, and she enjoyed that she could show him how much he affected her.
Before he could reach the door, she watched his right shoulder jerk back and something wet hit the windshield.
It took a long moment for her to understand.
When the situation became clear, she could do nothing but watch in horror as a barrage of bullets pierced Reaper’s sweater and embedded in his chest. As if in slow motion, she watched each hit; his blood sprayed as each bullet exited his back. Her body sat frozen as she watched Reaper disappear out of view, dropping onto the ground the moment the gunfire ceased.
Without a thought to anything but her urgency to get to Reaper, she wrenched the passenger door open and stepped out into the darkness. She didn’t feel the cold or hear the wind, but the movement from her periphery broke into her shock.
The man who had fired at Reaper stood ten yards from the SUV near the pines that surrounded the property. It took her a long moment before she realized why he didn’t continue firing; the gun had jammed.
The gunman glanced up at her and met her eyes. “Fuck, fuck, fuck.”
His frantic movements increased, and with brute force, the empty casing exited the gun before the next one slid into place. His relief was palpable the moment he raised the gun and pointed it at her.
Rage and hatred surrounded her, pulsed in her veins as it coursed through her, and she welcomed the alien feelings. She didn’t care that this man wanted to kill her. This stranger had shot and killed Reaper, because of her.
The guilt mixed with her other swirling emotions, until revenge and resentment took precedence. She wanted more time with Reaper, to truly get to know him without her problems coming between them, but life had played the cruelest trick on her. The one time she found a place where she fit—a person who accepted her—all of her, and it had been taken away from her. Pain and death. That was all she brought.
Footsteps and shouts came from the direction of the house, but her glare never left the one man who would suffer because of her mistakes. The voices came closer, and she knew that she had to keep them from the fight. Not wanting to take a chance that his friends might be hurt because of her, she pushed them back onto the wrap-around porch and erected an invisible barrier to keep them from interfering and becoming targets.
When the gunman had thought her attention was diverted, he lifted his weapon, finger on the trigger and a sneer of hatred disfiguring his face.
The rage had taken hold. Without knowing what her actions would cause, she waved her free hand at the gunman and a sense of satisfaction washed through her when he dropped to his knees and a scream of pain tore through the quiet of the night. She watched in calm detachment as his fingers gouged deep, prolonged gashes in his skin, moving from his arms to his face. Wanting him
to suffer more because of what he had taken from her, she clenched her hand into a fist and squeezed. A strangled cry erupted from his throat, but instead of any prolonged effect, his eyes rolled up into his head and he fell over, dead.
The moment she had killed the man, reality came back to her in a rush.
“Reaper.”
Rushing to his side, her eyes scanned his chest for movement and a desperate cry escaped her throat. She pressed her fingers to the side of his neck to check for a pulse and found none.
“You can’t leave me,” she choked. “I’m a freak, but you searched for me. You took me in and made me feel whole for the first time in my life. You have to live, Reaper. You have friends; they can’t lose you either. I am so sorry. I don’t know how to make this right.”
When the last words left her mouth, a warmth surged into her hands where they rested on his chest. Glancing down, her eyes widened at the scene before her. Light and heat radiated from her palms into his chest. Unable to understand, she closed her eyes and concentrated on the heat that traveled between them, and let out a gasp of surprise. Although she had thought him dead, she could sense his response to her touch and knew that Reaper was alive.
She concentrated on healing his injuries, not caring when she had acquired this specific power, only grateful that she had. Within minutes, she could feel him growing stronger, but with that strength came the realization that he was trying to shift into his wolf form. Acting on instinct, she bound him and prevented the shift. She remembered that Reaper had told her that shifters were stronger in animal form, but she held fast despite the vehement growls that ripped from his throat. Tears sprung to her eyes because she knew she prevented him from a natural act, but something inside loudly protested and she listened to her intuition.
“Ara.” Liv’s voice broke through her concentration.
She glanced at the woman she considered a friend, but turned back to Reaper when he started to fight harder against her hold.
“A few more seconds,” Ara said through clenched teeth.
As if her words triggered the end of the healing process, the luminosity from her hands dimmed and the heat slowly faded. She sent up a silent prayer that Reaper would survive and thrive, and find someone who made him happy. She had made a mistake. She believed that Reaper and the assassins would be safe from those who chased her, but tonight had shown her that she risked more than her life by being near them. Blackness pulled at her vision, and with one last look at Reaper’s face, she slid into oblivion.
Chapter Seven
Reaper
Reaper’s eyes snapped open the moment the heat ebbed from his body, and he found himself in a defensive crouch before he thought about moving. His wide, focused eyes scanned the woods and property that surrounded Kai’s house, watching for any movement that would alert him to danger.
After several seconds, his eyes settled on the man lying prone with no pulse that he could detect, and a Colt M4 discarded next to him. He ignored the firm hands that gripped his shoulders while he assessed more of the situation, pissed that Ara could’ve been hit by the bullets that struck him and the SUV.
Ara.
Did the man get to her? Was she dead?
Through his haze, he spotted Ara in Gunnar’s arms several yards away. Even from that distance, he noticed that her eyes were closed but he watched as her chest rose and fell with steady breaths. He stepped closer to confirm that she was unharmed, and as he scanned her, he blew out a breath. Other than his blood on her hands, she seemed fine. He sank back against the SUV as relief flooded through him.
He closed his eyes to regain his strength and remembered that she spoke to him sometime after he had been struck by the shots. The desperation in her voice became more important than the warmth that spread through his chest. He had wanted to answer her, to reassure her that he would recover, but couldn’t force the words past his throat. He cursed inwardly because although he’d shown her his wolf and answered her questions, he’d neglected to tell her about his healing abilities.
But what bothered him wasn’t the desperation in her voice when she thought him dead, but the way she had described herself as she begged him to stay alive. Knowing about her past made the words hurt worse than the bullets that penetrated his chest.
Each of the assassins had a past, ones they’d forgotten once they’d become immortal. Ghost had found them and had given them each a purpose, a reason to wake up in the morning. Before becoming assassins, their long existence had grown tedious and unfulfilling. Over time the assassins had become as close as any family related by blood, and without their support, Reaper would be lost.
He remembered the sadness in Ara’s eyes when she told them how she watched out for herself throughout her life. The explanation had left him with a better understanding of her, but it also made him want to rage against those who had ignored and abandoned her. The protectiveness that had driven him to find her, despite all the indications that she would rather be left alone, had grown over the last couple of days. Although he couldn’t protect her tonight, he vowed he would be vigilant and never let her come close to harm again.
When he opened his eyes, he gathered his strength and stumbled his way toward Gunnar and Ara. He needed to touch her, to see for himself that she hadn’t been hit by a stray bullet or hurt herself when she passed out.
“She’s okay,” Gunnar reassured him before he placed her into Reaper’s arms.
Reaper mumbled his thanks as he pulled her closer in the cocoon of his arms. Once he caught her familiar scent and sensed her strong heartbeat, he allowed himself to relax a fraction. Voices flared in unison around him, but he concentrated on the steady beat of her pulse.
With the noise that surrounded them, he thought that she would have regained consciousness. Minutes passed and other than her strong vital signs, she hadn’t stirred. His arms started to shake as fear washed over him, his gaze never leaving Ara’s face. He could still hear the loud conversation around him, but one voice carried through the rest. When Reaper glanced up, Kai stood closer to him than he realized.
“What?” Reaper asked.
“Let’s get her inside. Liv will make sure she’s okay.”
Rage and fear shook him to his core, but he willed himself to relax so he wouldn’t hurt her. He grunted his agreement and turned toward the house, making sure that he didn’t jostle Ara in his arms with his long stride.
“Gunnar and Jade, perimeter. Check for other dangers,” Ghost directed somewhere behind him.
He had no idea how long he’d been unconscious but when he awoke, it was without any aftereffects of being shot or losing a copious amount of blood. Each pierce of the bullets that struck him burned and it took all of his concentration to try to reach Ara, but the subsequent strikes that followed had him pinned to the spot. His body had shut down in order to recover from the injuries he sustained, and he cursed his weakness.
His worry grew with each step as he headed toward Liv’s lab. But when he spotted Liv hovering close to the couch, ready to check Ara, he blew out the breath he’d been holding.
He settled Ara on the couch gently, but found that he couldn’t loosen his stiff muscles to move out of the way. Liv, sensing his reluctance to move away from Ara, shoved him into her lab chair and rolled him to the edge of the couch where Ara’s head lay. All the while, he kept Ara’s tiny hand in his. He couldn’t bring himself to sever their connection.
“What happened to her? Was she hit with something I can’t sense?” Reaper asked.
Ghost strolled in the room, a mask of concentration and rage on his face. “No, she killed the man without touching him. We watched as she kneeled over you, mumbling. It stunned the hell out of us when her hands started glowing over your chest and gradually intensified over several minutes. Gunnar caught her as she passed out, and you woke up as soon as the light dimmed.”
Liv had completed her examination of Ara, and when she stood, she had a look of bewilderment on her face. “I think that sh
e healed you. It seems as though it’s the one thing that does deplete her energy.”
Something inside him bloomed at the truth of what Liv had said, and he couldn’t help but stare at Ara in amazement.
When he thought about the powers that lay dormant inside her, it shouldn’t have surprised him that she could heal. He should have suspected it when she reached for Xander earlier, ridding him of his motion sickness. But he’d been savoring her happiness too much to delve into the reason Xander had felt better.
His eyes never left her chest as it rose and fell with deep breaths, and it wasn’t until Liv had slid a needle into his arm to draw blood that he pulled himself out of his thoughts. Liv ignored his protests and proceeded to check his vitals, poking and prodding him until she was satisfied that she had enough to work with, and turned to her lab equipment, giving him a chance to focus back on Ara. For long minutes, they were quiet as he willed Ara to wake.
“Unbelievable,” Liv gasped.
Reaper had no idea what Liv had been talking about, but he was grateful when Kai and the others walked into the room.
“What is?” Kai asked.
Without answering her mate, Liv turned to Reaper. Her eyes flashed with excitement, and Reaper knew her well enough to know that she’d discovered something, but she needed his answers to verify the evidence.
“What do you remember?” Liv asked.
He had been in a hurry to get back home, determined to get Ara alone and explore the heat that flared between them throughout the day. His focus had been so concentrated on Ara that he’d ignored everyone and everything around him.
His body thrummed with need as he spotted the flush of her cheeks and heard the accelerated beat of her heart, and it had been vital for him to get her alone and explore their attraction. The more time he spent with her, the more the need to claim her clawed in his chest, but he would never take her choice away from her.
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