River put her hands on Jonathan’s cheeks. “I admire your courage and willingness to take Gabriel’s punishment. But if you ever try a stunt like that again, no matter how noble the cause, I’ll never forgive you.”
Jonathan opened his mouth, but before he could speak, Reuben interrupted. “You are speaking to the son of Ephraim, woman. You will harken to his council and obey his every command. Do you understand me?”
River’s hands fell from Jonathan’s face, then hung limply at her sides. She curled in on herself, bowing at the waist, and whimpered.
Jonathan gathered her to his breast and growled at Reuben. “That was not necessary.”
River continued to shiver as she raised her chin. “I am Jonathan’s mate. Not his servant. He would never force me to do anything against my will.”
Jonathan’s heart fell to the floor and shattered. “River.”
She lifted her face to his. Her eyes burned bright with purple fire.
His heart resonated with hers. The air acquired a green cast. He knew his own eyes were glowing. He felt the love and trust and loyalty flowing from her body to his. “I will never give you a direct order; unless it’s a matter of life and death.”
River pushed away from him and crossed her arms over her breasts. “What’s going on?”
“I’ll ask for your cooperation, but if you refuse, I’ll use any means to protect you.”
“Protect me from what?” River glared at him.
Jonathan didn’t glare back, but he kept his gaze locked on her eyes. “The revolution to free New Eden.”
Her trembling increased. “How do you propose to protect me?”
“I’m taking you, Gabriel and Paul to my father’s house.”
“If we disappear, Reuben will be executed.”
“No I won’t.” Reuben looked and sounded as if he’d aged twenty years. “I have a plan to fake your deaths.”
“There won’t be a revolution without the son of Ephraim to lead it. Jonathan and I can’t leave.”
Jonathan’s heart ached for River. “As soon as I’m sure you’re safe, I’m coming back.”
“No!” River slammed her palms on Reuben’s desk. “I am bound to you. I go where you go. I live where you live. I fight where you fight. And if you die, so do I.”
“I’m not going to die.” Jonathan wrapped his arms around River. Instead of melting against him, she stiffened so hard he was afraid she’d break. She must have clenched every muscle in her body.
“You don’t know that.”
Jonathan stroked her hair. “I’m the promised son, remember?”
River pressed her palms against Jonathan’s chest and turned her head towards Reuben. “This was your idea, wasn’t it?”
”It was Jonathan’s idea for him to return. But I agree with him.”
“How can you do this to me? You know I’m bound to Jonathan. You know the kind of pain we’ll both suffer while we’re apart.”
“You’ll live.”
“I’d rather die.”
Jonathan gazed into River’s eyes. “I need you to be brave. War is a nasty business. I need to know you’re safe so I can do my job.”
“You need me by your side. Why else would the son of Ephraim’s mate even be mentioned?”
“Can I trust you to honor my wishes?” Jonathan glanced at Reuben. He shook his head.
River didn’t answer.
Jonathan had no clue how it worked, but he knew without a doubt that if he commanded River, and meant it, she’d have no choice but to obey.
He gripped her chin and lifted her face to his. He pressed his lips to hers and opened his heart. He didn’t care that Reuben was watching. Or that tears flowed down his cheeks. He poured all his love, passion and pain into that kiss. He wasn’t sure which of them ended it, but when it was over, he was completely drained. “I need you to stay with my father until I come for you. Paul and Gabriel will need your comfort and strength. It won’t be easy for any of you. Will you do it?”
River nodded.
Reuben cleared his throat. “Say it out loud, River.”
Her words fell from her lips between broken sobs. “Yes, I’ll do it.”
“What will you do?”
“She said she’d do it.” Jonathan didn’t like the way Reuben was bullying River. “That’s good enough for me.”
“I will do all that you ask, Jonathan, son of Ephraim.” River took another shuddering breath. “But I won’t like it.”
River
River found it hard not to burst into tears every time she looked at Jonathan. She found it even harder not to glare at Reuben. She had to hold it all in and pretend that everything was fine all the time.
Reuben and Jonathan had decided it was safest to keep the truth from Gabriel and Paul. The only time she was able to let her feelings show was at night when everyone else was asleep. She refused to let Jonathan mate with her until after he merged, but she did let him share her room and her bed.
He spooned his body around hers. “Gabriel’s back has healed enough to travel.”
River’s heart stopped. “How soon?”
“Reuben is going to get the drugs from Shula tonight.”
“We’re leaving tomorrow?” River’s lungs refused to draw breath. She wasn’t ready. She’d never be ready, but she’d thought Reuben and Jonathan would have at least warned her. She needed more time to prepare herself.
“Shhh…It’s okay.” Jonathan ran his fingers through River’s hair. She unbraided it for him every night before bed. “We aren’t leaving tomorrow.”
“When?” River’s voice cracked.
“In about three days. Reuben is going to dose our food with an emetic to make it look like we’re sick.”
It made sense. It would be more believable if they appeared sick before they appeared dead. “I’m scared, Jonathan.”
“I’ve been put under before. It’s just like falling asleep.”
“What if we never wake up?”
“Did you know that Shula has the equivalent of a real medical degree? I had no idea there was so much modern technology inside Sanctuary Mountain.”
“Shula hasn’t been allowed inside Sanctuary Mountain since she joined us on the surface.”
“They can’t take away her knowledge. Reuben assured me that Shula will be able to mix and measure the right dose of anesthetic for each of us.”
“I don’t trust her. She wanted me to mate with Eli.”
“I don’t trust her either. Reuben agreed to watch her mix and measure everything. Eli and I are getting the same dose.”
“Is Eli going with us?”
“No, it’s just a precaution, to be certain Shula doesn’t try to knock me off.”
River smiled for the first time in days. “That was clever.”
“You sound surprised.”
“I am.”
Jonathan growled quietly and rolled on top of River. He nipped her neck but didn’t break the skin. “Show a little respect, woman.”
River giggled. “Woman?”
“I’m practicing my role as the legendary son of Ephraim.”
River’s mood plummeted. “If it’s only a ‘role,’ you’ll never survive.”
“Seriously, River. I’m a trained soldier.”
“Have you ever led an army?”
“No, but—”
“How’re your archery skills?”
“Stop it. I need you to believe in me.”
“You need to believe in yourself. You need to know that you truly are the son of Ephraim.”
“Then tell me the big secret about merging. Reuben said once that happens, I’ll be converted.”
“I can’t tell you.”
“Why not?”
“I don’t know. I just can’t.” River’s wolf squeezed her throat every time she thought of telling Jonathan about shifting. “It’s frustrating me, too.”
“Yeah, right.”
River cupped Jonathan’s cheeks in her hands. “I don’t wa
nt to waste one second of our remaining time arguing.”
Jonathan smirked at her. “How do you want to waste our remaining time?”
“You could teach me a little more about the different bases of mating.”
River smiled when Jonathan’s heart skipped a beat. She loved the benefits of her enhanced hearing. She sat up. “Let me have your pillowcase.”
“What?”
“I’m going to hide it until after the omegas purify my room; then take it with me to your father’s house.”
“Why?”
River’s cheeks warmed. “So I’ll have your scent while we’re apart.”
“Can I take your pillowcase with me?”
“They’ll notice if more than one is missing.” River pulled her tunic off and handed it to Jonathan. “Take this instead.”
Instead of ogling her bare breasts, Jonathan brought River’s tunic to his face, closed his eyes and inhaled. He sighed with obvious pleasure. “Thank you.”
“If that doesn’t prove you’re one of us, I don’t know what would.”
Jonathan
By the third day, Jonathan was no longer able to crawl to the bathroom. If it weren’t the only one in the house, he would have just slept on the floor in front of the drain under the sink. He hugged the wooden bucket to his chest and dry heaved for what felt like the thousandth time.
Shula squatted down next to his bed. She slipped her arm behind his neck and pressed the lip of a glass bottle to his mouth. “This will stop the vomiting.”
Jonathan took a tiny sip. She was right. His nausea disappeared immediately, but three days of vomiting left him as weak as a newborn baby.
“And this,” Shula pulled another vial out of her pocket, “will make you sleep.”
“How much do I drink?”
“All of it.”
It smelled like vinegar. “I’d like to see River before I go to sleep.”
“You’re supposed to be on your deathbed. Now drink.”
Jonathan slammed the potion like a shot of tequila. It burned going down, but whatever Shula had given him to ease his nausea, was still working. He couldn’t puke if he wanted to. “Will this last until after we’re out of the mine?”
Shula slid her arm out from behind Jonathan’s neck then leaned over and kissed his forehead. A hot tear splashed onto his cheek. It wasn’t his.
“I’m so sorry, Jonathan. But I won’t let another woman’s son steal Eli’s place in history.”
Sorry? Jonathan stuck his fingers down his throat. His gag reflex was gone. “I’m not going to wake up, am I?”
“Forgive me.”
River
When River woke up in her own bed, she knew something was horribly wrong. She tried to sit up, but her body refused to cooperate. She couldn’t even lift her hands. Her mouth was so dry she could barely speak. “Jonathan?”
Gabriel’s head seemed to appear from nowhere. “River?”
“Where’s Jonathan?”
Gabriel buried his face in River’s pillow and sobbed. The hair on the top of his head brushed her cheek. It took a tremendous effort, but she managed to roll her head to the other side, away from him. She refused to think about why she was in her own room or why Gabriel was crying or why Jonathan wasn’t lying next to her.
“I’m so sorry.” Gabriel brushed the hair off River’s brow.
“Don’t touch me.” She knew he was only trying to comfort her, but it should be Jonathan’s fingers on her face. Jonathan’s scent in her nose. Jonathan’s voice in her ears. Not Gabriel’s. “Please leave me alone.”
Gabriel left, but he didn’t leave her alone. River barely had time to blink before Shula arrived with a mug of broth.
“Go away.”
“Stop acting like you’re the only one that’s ever lost a mate.”
Shula’s words attacked the fragile shield of denial River held in front of her heart. Jonathan was gone. But that didn’t mean he was dead. River clung to that tiny shard of hope even though its jagged edge sliced her to the core. “What happened?”
“He didn’t make it.”
“What do you mean he didn’t make it?”
“He died, River.”
“NO!” She pressed her hands over her ears and squeezed her eyes shut. But her sense of hearing was too acute to block out the words.
“I misjudged how much sleeping potion to give him. He never woke up.”
“It’s not true. You’re lying!”
“You need to drink this.” Shula slid her hand behind River’s neck and brought the steaming mug of broth to her mouth.
River used what little energy she had and shoved the mug away, sloshing the steaming broth onto Shula’s hand.
She hissed in pain then stomped out of the room. She returned a few minutes later with a green bottle in her hand.
“I’m not drinking any more of your poison.” River clamped her jaw shut.
“If you insist on acting like a spoiled child, I’ll treat you like one.” Shula climbed into bed behind River and clamped her knees around her head like a vice. She held the bottle in one hand and pinched River’s nose shut with the other.
River’s lungs screamed for air. Her heart raced in a futile effort to deliver increasingly lower levels of oxygen to her starving cells. But she refused to open her mouth. Her vision blurred then went grey around the edges before she passed out.
River’s traitorous lungs only managed to gulp one mouthful of air before Shula poured her wicked brew down River’s throat and clamped her jaw shut. She choked, gagged and spewed a good portion of it out her nose, but in the end she had to swallow.
“You’re just making it harder on yourself. You might as well cooperate, since I’m not going to stop until I’m sure you’ve taken the full dose.” River continued to fight until she couldn’t remember what she was fighting for. The room spun.
“Are you ready to drink some broth now?”
River could barely keep her eyes open. Her mind was in a fog but she knew she didn’t want any damn broth.
“What are you doing, Shula?” Reuben sounded angry. River hoped he wasn’t mad at her. “I told you, no drugs.”
“She purged for three days. Add the two days she’s been asleep…do the math, Reuben. If she doesn’t at least drink something soon, she’ll die.”
“Get out.”
Shula slammed the door as she left.
Reuben sat on the edge of River’s bed and stared at his hands. He looked broken. That, more than anything else, confirmed her worst fears. “It’s true?”
Reuben nodded.
How could the almighty Alpha let this happen? What about the prophecy? Was none of it true?
“Will you drink a little broth? For me?”
River would fight Shula all day and all night but she couldn’t deny Reuben’s gentle request. She pressed both hands against her heart and drew her knees to her chest. “It hurts so much.”
Reuben scooped her up and carried her to the kitchen. He held her in his lap like an infant and spoon fed her half a cup of broth.
“I can’t drink any more. I’ll get sick.”
“It’s alright. You did good.” Reuben stood up with River still in his arms. But instead of taking her back to her own bed; he carried her to Gabriel and Jonathan’s room.
River buried her face in Reuben’s shoulder. She couldn’t bear the sight of Jonathan’s pristine bed. The omegas had already purified this room. His scent was completely obliterated. “No, Reuben. I can’t.”
Reuben laid her next to Gabriel, who wept, even as he slept.
“He lost his best friend. Maybe you can comfort each other.”
Jonathan
Jonathan woke up with the worst hangover of his life. He recognized the smell and the sounds immediately. It was more intense than he remembered. Hospital.
He opened his eyes. The room was dim; but what light there was shot a bolt of agony through his brain like an icepick. Jonathan covered his eyes with his left forearm an
d stretched out his hand, searching for River.
A pair of thin, dry hands enveloped Jonathan’s. “You’re alright, son.”
“Dad?” Jonathan lifted his forearm and blinked, forcing his eyelids open, just a crack. He barely recognized the fragile old man. Franklin’s death had been hard on everyone, but it took a visible toll on Dad, aging him ten years. Turning his charcoal hair to salt and pepper grey. Deepening the lines around his eyes and mouth. Rounding his shoulders.
Jonathan had only been gone a few months, but Dad had aged at least twenty years.
His hair was now completely white, all salt, no pepper. Skin hung from his face and neck in loose folds. Purple bags drooped below his bloodshot eyes.
Dad rocked forward and pressed Jonathan’s hand against his tear-stained cheek. “I can’t believe it’s you.”
Jonathan struggled to sit up, but he was too weak. His voice cracked. “I missed you.”
“I never gave up.” Dad smiled through his tears. “Somehow, I always knew I’d see you again.”
The squeak of rubber-soled shoes on linoleum was the only warning Jonathan got before a doctor and two nurses descended on him and kicked Dad out of the room.
Anxiety dampened Jonathan’s joy. “I came with three other people: a fifteen-year-old boy, a four-year-old boy and a girl, River. Have you seen them?”
The doc shook his head. “I met the young man that rescued you, but he was at least twenty. And there was no one else with him.”
“They have to be here. They ate the same berries that made me sick.” Jonathan decided to stick to the cover story Reuben had given him until he figured out what was going on.
“No other poisoning victims were admitted.”
Jonathan’s heart raced. The monitor next to his bed beeped faster. He didn’t want a sedative. “My heart rate’s up because I’m worried about my friends and my girlfriend.”
“Mm-hmm.” The doctor continued his examination while the nurses checked the various machines attached to Jonathan’s body.
River's Recruit (The Sanctuary Series) Page 28
