by Aleah Raynes
* * *
I glanced over the top of the sofa and saw my dad nod. He looked…lost. I sighed. “Dad, I’ll be fine. Love you.”
A smile tugged at his lips. “Love you too. I’m going to worry. It’s my job.”
“I know.” I reached a hand over the back of the couch and he took it, giving it a little squeeze.
“I’ll call you tomorrow.”
I nodded and watched him leave. A sudden wave of sadness crashed over me, tightening my chest and making it hard to breathe. I gasped but couldn’t get enough air. What the hell was happening?
Pain arched through my skull and I screamed. Visions formed in my mind, flashing like a slideshow on fast forward. An explosion, then a crippling pain gripped my heart. Death settled around me, dark and inky.
The last image to flash in my mind before I passed out was of my father.
I woke in the king-size bed in my new room. The curtains on the windows and the French doors were drawn shut, making the room dark. I was glad because my head ached.
The vision came back to me. A memory now.
A sob escaped me. Strong, warm arms snaked around my waist and drew me into a hard chest. “Shh. You don’t have to talk about it. I can pull the memories when you’re ready.”
I just nodded, not trusting my voice. I was surprised Cal hadn’t gone into my head and saw the vision already.
After what felt like hours, although it was more like minutes, I glanced up and met Cal’s gaze. His lips twitched but his brows dipped. Worry clouded his brown depths. Pressing my cheek to his chest, I closed my eyes again. Then opened them. The vision was still there.
“I can’t get images out of my head.” Maybe if I told him, they’d go away. “I saw my dad die. In an explosion.”
“Have you ever had a vision without touching anything before?”
“No.” Fear froze me in place. “Is it a new ability?”
“It seems like it. Forecasting. Your other powers will start to make their appearance in the next few days and months. It’s hard to tell when.” He paused, running his fingertips up and down my back. “Being around us will trigger your powers to awaken faster.”
That made sense if I was truly their soulmate. I still wasn’t so sure. How would I know? Then again, I was in bed cuddled up to Cal and completely comfortable. Like I belonged there. “How do you know I’m a mate for the five of you?”
“It’s in your aura. Everyone has a signature of their own and traces of something else that would call out to your mate. Yours called out to us. Although Dalton hasn’t confirmed, the way he suddenly had personal business to take care of tells us he recognized you.” Cal hugged me closer. “You definitely called out to me.”
A shy smile formed on my lips. Cal, like the others, was very handsome. His brown curly hair begged for my fingers. I lifted my gaze to him, studying his strong jawline and slightly crooked nose.
There was so much my dad never told me about our background and people. I should be mad at him. Why wasn’t I? He obviously knew. However, I was ten when my mom died.
As if listening in on my thoughts, Cal sighed. “Your dad did the best he could. He had to hide you while allowing Tyler to connect with his team. I’m not sure if I agree with keeping information from you. Maybe he thought he was protecting you.”
“I know. I don’t think everything has completely sunken in yet. I don’t know how I should feel about all this.” I sat up and peered down at him. “Don’t make it a habit to read my thoughts.”
He frowned and rolled to sit up with his feet on the floor and his back to me. Oh, no. He didn’t do it on purpose. I touched his back and scooted closer to him. “I’m sorry. This is all too new to me. Tyler is a telepath and in my mind all the time.”
Cal glanced at me over his shoulder, his eyes sparked with an unfamiliar light. “Are you tired? Want to get a midnight…well, 2:00 a.m.…snack?”
Wow. Was it really that late? Or early? I nodded and crawled off the bed. “Do you have chocolate?”
“We should unless Kent ate it all.”
Chapter 5
I sat on the barstool at the kitchen island watching Cal open and shut cabinets, searching for a snack. He wore only a pair of flannel pajama pants, leaving me to ogle his bare back and chest. Muscles flexed as he moved.
It was captivating. How could someone be so sculpted?
He twisted to face me and raised his brows. A blush heated my cheeks. I’d been caught admiring him.
Something flashed behind his brown eyes as he stalked closer. My heart raced and parts of me warmed the closer he got. When he reached me, his lips lifted in the corners. “I know where there’s chocolate.”
I giggled and he pressed his fingers to my lips. “We have to be very quiet.”
When I nodded, he gripped my hand in his and waited for me to hop off the stool before he tugged me through the living room to the hallway where the other bedrooms were. That was when I noticed my room was on the opposite side of the apartment.
“Where are we going?” I whispered.
“You’ll see.”
We came to a door and I prayed it wasn’t Sawyer’s room. Would he be pissed if we snuck into his room? I wasn’t sure I wanted to see Sawyer mad. Tugging on Cal’s hand, I stopped. Cal glanced back at me and I shook my head, my eyes wide.
“Stay out here. You can be my lookout.” He leaned in and kissed my forehead, then opened the bedroom door.
He was inside before I could say anything. The door was cracked open, so I peeked in. It was too dark to tell whose room it was. Wrapping my arms around my waist, I waited, hoping Cal would hurry up. If he wanted chocolate bad enough, I could have conjured some.
Sneaking into one of the guys’ rooms seemed wrong. A creak in the floor stilled my heart for a moment. Then a groan sounded from inside the room. I wrung my hands together. Hurry up, Cal.
Large, warm arms circled my waist. “What are you up to?”
With a gasp I whirled around, coming nose-to-nose with Sawyer. My heart pounded in my chest and ears. “I, um…looking for the bathroom?”
A lazy smile lifted his lips. “Try again.”
“Sleepwalking?”
He walked me backward until my back pressed against the wall. “Then I should take you back to bed then.”
Heat flooded me at his words. The way he said them sounded more seductive than I thought he meant them to be. I averted my gaze, wanting to escape the cage of his arms. The full-on contact was almost too much for me.
A crack formed in the shield around my psychometry and fear burned in my chest. Something had happened to Sawyer. Or he’d seen something.
He touched my cheek and I lifted my gaze to his. He frowned and released me, stepping back. “Everything okay?”
Nodding and releasing a breath I didn’t realize I’d been holding, I side stepped him. “Fine.”
Sawyer glanced to the door as Cal slid out and closed it again. In his hand was a bag of miniature candy bars. I laughed while Sawyer rolled his eyes.
Cal glanced from me to his brother then back to me. One brow rose as if asking me if everything was all right. I gave a short nod and moved down the hall.
My skin felt too sensitive and my awareness of my surroundings seemed too sharp.
I reached my room and picked up my pace, heading straight to the balcony. I jerked the French doors open and cool mountain air kissed my skin. Breathing in deeply and exhaling, I closed my eyes and stepped out. The concrete floor of the balcony was cool against my bare feet.
Glee fluttered inside me. I wouldn’t dare walking bare foot in a new place before Cal helped me shield the psychometry.
What was happening to me?
Shuffling of feet at the door drew my attention. Cal stood staring at me, a frown on his face. Behind him was Sawyer. I dropped my shoulders and leaned against the railing. “I’m changing. Not sure how else to explain it. I’m not used to all the touching.”
I wasn’t sure why I told them t
he latter, but it felt right to do so.
“Come inside,” Cal said.
A gust of wind blew by and I shivered. The temperature had dropped from the day before. When I turned to them fully, they moved away from the door. The earlier tension I felt was gone.
I sat in the middle of my bed and watched the two of them lay on either side of me. It was a good thing I was a little on the small side and didn’t need much room. I had a feeling they were going to camp out here tonight.
The thought put a smile on my lips. I liked them being around. I didn’t like the changed in my power. It seemed like it was growing.
“What happened in the hallway?” Sawyer asked. His tone was soft, almost a whisper.
With a sigh, I took his hand and brought his knuckles to my lips. After pressing a kiss to them, I rested my cheek on them. All the while watching Cal. He stared back but didn’t seem to mind. In fact, the corners of his mouth lifted slightly.
Sawyer relaxed and rolled closer to me. “Your powers will grow, especially now that you found your team and your soulmates. I sense you and Cal have already started to bond.”
I tensed. We what?
As if sensing my surprise was slipping into panic, Sawyer squeezed my hand gently and continued. “It’s nothing either of you did on purpose. Plus, it would happen at some point anyway. My guess is when he entered your mind and helped you build your shields, a bond started. It’s the magic that calls out to your soulmates. You can’t stop it once it starts.”
I settled on the bed between them. “And my powers will grow because of the bond.”
Cal nodded and traced his hand up my arm. “And because you are the chosen one.”
The prophecy. “How do you know I’m the one? Besides I’m the fourth girl in the Thornehart family.”
“Do you have a birthmark?” Sawyer asked.
“Yeah, on my hip.”
Cal shot up, turned on the lamp on his side. “Show us.”
One corner of my mouth dipped to form a half smile. After a moment, I pushed down the waist band of my yoga pants to reveal the purplish mark that resembled a set of angel wings.
The guys leaned their heads over me looking at my birthmark. They bumped heads then glanced at each other. After a moment, they turned to me, smiling. “You are Michael’s chosen.”
I frowned, sticking my bottom lip out a little. “Reed mentioned your all were chosen too. Do you have the same marks?”
Sawyer stretched out beside me. “Yes. It is why we are your kidetos.” He yawned and added, “Get some sleep, you meet your uncles and aunt tomorrow.”
Cal snuggled up to my other side. Since they told me about the bond starting, I could sense him. It began when he finished helping me create the shield. “Cal?”
“Um huh.”
“When Tyler came back from getting food and you left the room…”
I trailed off not sure how to form the words for what I was asking. I wasn’t sure I knew what I wanted to know.
Cal apparently knew because he pulled me closer to him and kissed my temple. It warmed my heart that he and Sawyer felt comfortable with showing affection in front of each other. “Sawyer recognized the bond locking in place the moment it happened. I knew. I’m sorry I didn’t say anything. You have so much going on…anyway, I don’t need Tyler on my ass right now.”
“Tyler has no more say in what she does.” Sawyer snapped before adding. “Of course, he will always be the overprotective brother, but he knows the rules. Now, go to sleep. You have a busy day tomorrow.”
I didn’t feel tired, but I closed my eyes anyway. When the guys’ breathing fell into a steady rhythm and Sawyer started to snore softly, I drifted off to sleep.
Chapter 6
The sound of birds singing woke me. When I woke, I noted the French doors were open. Had we left them open? No, it was too cool last night.
Flinging the cover off me, I got out of bed and went to the balcony. Cal was standing against the railing. As if sensing me, he glanced over his shoulder and smiled. “Good morning.”
“Morning.” I padded onto the balcony, wrapping my arms around myself. Had it gotten colder?
His brown curls were an unruly mass on top of his head, giving him more of a rugged, sexy look. His smile fell into a frown as if he noticed how chilled I was. Turning to face me, he held out his arms. “Come here.”
Without hesitation, I went to him and sank into his warm embrace. He kissed my temple while curling his arms and body around me. A low hum vibrated between us. Our magic. Well, his and my growing powers.
“What’s the plan today?” He and Sawyer had said we’d go to the school and meet my mom’s brothers and sister, but beyond that, I didn’t know. Surely, they had things to do besides babysitting me.
“I’ll take you to the school where we’ll make sure you get set up for classes that start next month. After that, we’ll go to the Order office building where you’ll meet your uncles and aunt. After that, we’ll wing it. Do whatever you feel like doing.”
I turned in his arms and looped mine around his neck. It just felt like the thing to do. His smiled was infectious and beautiful. “You think my family will exhaust me.”
A cocky grin formed. “They are pretty intense.”
“Have you met my brother?”
Cal chuckled. “Well, Joel, Aaron, and Amber are much worse. But it’s their power that will overwhelm you. I just want you to be prepared.”
“I’m not prepared for any of this, but I’ll manage.” I stepped back to escape his embrace and caught movement at the door.
Kent came out holding a black robe. “This weather is crazy and you will freeze.”
A laugh bubbled up as I allowed him to put the robe on me. Did he not notice I was in Cal’s arms? Studying Kent, I realized he did know but was pretending not to. Did it bother him?
I sighed and took Kent’s hand, linking our fingers together. He snapped his gaze to me and a shy smile lifted his lips. “Have fun with Mr. Boring.” Kent nodded to Cal and winked.
Another giggle escaped my lips. “You’re not coming with?”
“No, Sawyer, Dalton, and I have an assignment. Reed may be around.” Kent glanced to Cal as if needing confirmation.
“Reed is working today. He’s always working.” Cal moved past me, grabbing my hand as he tugged me behind him.
There was tension in the air that I couldn’t place. I didn’t think it was jealousy. Something to do with a mission or the war, maybe. I glanced back at Kent and drew my brows together. He shook his head while offering a small smile.
“What should I wear? Something casual?” I tried not to sound concerned, but the way Cal turned and studied me said I failed.
“Try for business casual. I don’t know your family that well. Except for Joel because he’s our boss.” He lifted my chin with his finger so I’d meet his gaze. “I’ll be there the whole time.”
I nodded. It was strange how that comforted me when I just met him. The magic. It linked us. Sawyer said Cal and I had started the bond. Unintentional, but it happened. With a sigh, I gently pushed him toward the door. “I need to shower and dress. I’ll be out in fifteen.”
“I’ll wait for you in the living room.” Then he left, closing the door behind him.
I stared at the door and waited briefly before entering the bathroom. I stripped out of my clothes and turned on the shower. Butterflies filled my belly, fluttering around like they were racing each other in circles. I was meeting my mom’s family.
Taking deep calming breaths, in and out, I stepped under the hot sprays of the shower. My mind was unusually blank. Maybe it didn’t know what to focus on and decided nothing was good. For now. Or maybe I was waiting on more information.
After bathing, I stepped out of the shower and dried off. A knock sounded on the door. Frowning, I secured the towel around me and when I was sure the important parts were covered I opened the door.
Dalton stood on the other side. His eyes scanned me from he
ad to toe in a quick swipe, then he met my gaze. “I…umm…thought you were Sawyer.”
“He went to work. Cal said something about a mission.”
Dalton nodded and turned to pace away from the bathroom. “Surveillance. They told you?”
Moving to the sink, I conjured a brush and stroked it through my hair. “I’m sure there are things they left out, but I don’t think on purpose. There’s a lot to take in.”
"Yeah." His voice was soft, almost a whisper, but I heard it.
I laid the brush on the counter and exited the bathroom. He turned and followed me with his stare as I opened the walk-in closet, pulling the door closed enough to give me privacy to change and still talk to him. His dark energy intrigued me. I'd never been around anyone like him before.
The other guys were like me, white, pure-like magic. Dalton held something darker within. Yet he was working with the Order to fight the evil side.
I touched the towel to remove it when I heard his footsteps move closer to the closet. I stilled and waited. He didn't come in. When I glanced through the crack at him his back was turned.
"With the conjuring power, you could just will clothes on your body."
I could? I opened the door and stared at his back. "Show me."
He whirled around and cursed. "I don't have the power. My sister does. I could get her."
I wasn't sure if I wanted to meet anyone else at the moment. As an introvert, I’d met my quota in the past twenty-four hours. "If you know how she does it, I could try."
He shrugged. "I think it works like conjuring anything only you are placing the items in a specific place."
Um. That made sense. A little. I’d never tested my abilities before to see just want I could do. That was about to change.
I walked back into the closet, not bothering with closing the door, and thought of the outfit I wanted and envisioned it on while calling my summoning power. Less than a moment later, I was fully dressed.
