Mandy M. Roth

by The Zodiac Gatekeeper Collection One (BOX SET)

  Sirius drew back from Phoebe’s bedside and stared at the warrior standing in the doorway. Sirius’ attention had been on his mate and he’d never sensed the other Constellaziogēn male nearing. The glint in Forest’s eyes told him the warrior was not pleased to find him in Phoebe’s room. If roles were reversed, he’d have been equally as livid. He could attack Forest but Phoebe liked him. Upsetting her wasn’t an option.

  “This isn’t your business. See to your own mate,” he whispered, not wanting to rouse Phoebe and alert her to who and what he was.

  Forest folded his arms over his chest. “The way I see it, it’s more than business. If Phoebe ends up abducted or dead because you dared to tip the others off that she’s your mate, my mate will suffer. That’s not acceptable. Hell, I’ll even be upset. Phoebe’s a good girl. She deserves better than a womanizing bastard who left her to defend herself all her life.”

  “I didn’t leave her completely alone,” Sirius said, unsure why he felt the need to clarify what was between Phoebe and himself. It shouldn’t matter what a third party thought. Yet it did.

  Forest tipped his head, seeming to size Sirius up. If the pup wanted to go rounds, Sirius would but only as a last resort. Phoebe’s happiness came first. Finding Forest battered and bruised would not please her.

  “You’re the voice she hears, aren’t you?” Forest asked.

  Sirius neither confirmed nor denied Forest’s charges. He simply stood there, waiting to hear what Forest expected of him. It wasn’t like he’d actually claim a human, regardless of how alluring and irresistible she was. Sure, they were good for a fuck but nothing long-term. Nothing serious.

  She’s your mate and you want her more than life itself.

  His inner conscience chastised him in spades. Not seeming to care if the truth hurt or not. Phoebe was human. It could never last. She’d grow old and die and he’d live on, forever mourning her. It was better for all involved if he just walked away.

  Forest chuckled, sounding anything but amused. “The great Sirius Baron left his mate unprotected and then thinks he can come into her life, take what he wants before leaving again.”

  “What do you know of me?”

  “That you’re a legend among the warriors. That the legends extend beyond the battlefield and into the bedroom. Tales of you with countless women are the things songs are made of back home. I know that you, Aland and others that have been Earthbound as long as you have are thought of almost as godlike by the young warriors. My father spoke of you often. Of how, if I worked hard, followed orders and applied myself, I too could be a great Pisces warrior—a Gatekeeper even.” Forest took a step towards him. “I know that you turned down the chance to be the King’s head councilor and a position on the Round Table.”

  Sirius eyed the man cautiously. “Who is your father?”

  “My father’s name was Talfryn of the Pisces.” Sadness radiated from Forest and Sirius could understand why.

  Having served with Talfryn back on Constellaziogēn for almost a century, he’d known the man well. Though, at the time, Talfryn had not yet mated or had children. A little over a hundred ten years ago, news of a rebel attack on a Pisces base on Constellaziogēn traveled to him. Talfryn and many other good men had lost their lives that day.

  “Talfryn was a good man and a great warrior,” Sirius said, still saddened by the fact Talfryn was gone. “I wasn’t aware he had a family.”

  Forest showed no emotion. “That doesn’t surprise me. I’m only a hundred and thirty. You’ve been on Earth a hell of a lot longer than I’ve been alive.”

  A hundred and thirty?

  “I’m impressed. You’re the youngest Gatekeeper I’ve come across.”

  “Old man, you seem to forget that you and Aland were made Gatekeepers around that same age.” The smile that slid slowly over Forest’s face indicated he was toying with Sirius.

  “I’m not accusing you of being unworthy of the position, Forest. I was simply stating that I haven’t run across anyone as young as you in a very long time.” Sirius expected a verbal sparring match to take place. It didn’t.

  Forest stared at him a moment before speaking. “I also know that you’ve not physically visited Phoebe before today.”

  “Because she wouldn’t let me.” Sirius clenched his fists as the truths Forest spewed forth hit their mark. They hurt worse than he ever thought words could. He had left her unprotected. His voice was only reassuring, it wasn’t something that could defend her. The fear he’d felt, knowing she was in danger but he couldn’t reach her, returned. He clenched his fists, needing to ground himself. Anything to keep from ripping her out of the bed and holding her to him. She wouldn’t understand his burning need.

  “How the hell could Phoebe stop you from coming? I moved mountains to get to Heather.” Something in Forest’s eyes said there was more to the story. The man was hiding something important.

  “Huh?” Sirius asked, staring at his brother-in-arms, seriously confused as to his line of questioning.

  Forest gave him a droll look. “You said she wouldn’t let you come to her. I want to know how she kept you away.”

  Sirius hadn’t realized he’d spoken aloud. Phoebe had that effect on him. She made him lose himself, forget what he was trained to be, a warrior, a Gatekeeper. The young human also made his body burn with a need to not only sink his cock into her, but to see her forever safe and by his side. He glanced at her sleeping form and then at Forest. “Why isn’t she waking up? We aren’t going out of our way to be quiet.”

  Forest’s lip quirked. “You really don’t know anything about her…about them, do you?”

  “I know that she’s found a way to enter my dreams, much the same way our kind would.” Sirius didn’t like how much Forest seemed to know about her.

  “Ah, so she really is connecting with you while she sleeps. I had a hard time believing that one when I overheard her telling Heather about it. You planning on telling her?”

  Sirius didn’t answer because he wasn’t exactly sure if he was or not.

  “See, like I said, you don’t know anything about them.”

  “I know Phoebe.”

  “If you say so.”

  Jealously ripped at his gut. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  A Gallic shrug was the only answer he got from the warrior. Phoebe stirred in her sleep and her eyelids fluttered open. He stilled as her green gaze locked on him. A sleepy smile covered her face before she drifted off again. He wanted to wake up every day for the rest of his unnaturally long life and see that smile but it couldn’t be.

  “Make your rights to her official or get out of her life. I’ll not have you bringing down the Rebellion’s wrath on her just because the Fates decided to give her to you,” Forest said evenly. “You should go before she wakes up. I really don’t want to have to explain what Detective Sirius Baron is doing in her room in the middle of the night.”

  Sirius nodded. He hated to agree with Forest but the man was right.

  * * * * *

  Forest watched the legendary warrior leave as quietly as he’d come. He’d known from the very minute Sirius had entered the apartment he was there. It went against every fiber of Forest’s being to allow the man alone time with Phoebe but he knew in his heart who Sirius was to Phoebe—her mate. He’d seen the possessive, hungry look in Sirius’ eyes and had experience the fierce need to protect his own mate that Sirius now felt. Still, it angered Forest that Sirius had taken so long to get to Phoebe.

  In truth, Forest had taken much longer to reach Heather than he’d have liked. Somehow, Heather had been able to hold him at bay. He’d hoped Sirius would be able to shed light on Heather and Phoebe’s situation but the warrior had been too busy struggling with his feelings for Phoebe to pay him any mind.

  Forest hated the fact that he carried the power of empathy. It always seemed less manly to him than the other powers he had. He’d inherited it from his mother and had done his best to hide it from the males on his home p
lanet for fear of being chastised. It also tended to make Heather view him as sensitive when he was anything but. Though, when he’d thought about her being alone with rebel Constellaziogēns on the prowl, it made his stomach tight and tears threaten to fall. Losing her wasn’t an option. He’d spent all of her life with her in some form or another. She was his everything.

  In the beginning, he was much the same as Sirius was to Phoebe, a voice, nothing more. Then he learned he could astral-project at various times. He used the ability to watch Heather and her cousins grow up. It had been innocent. The driving need to see them safe spurred him onward. It wasn’t until they were attacked by a group of rebels that Forest dropped everything and moved closer to them. It was difficult to befriend Heather when she was a teenager because of the fact that he was older. Though he appeared to be only thirty and would never age beyond that, it still wasn’t acceptable among humans for an adult male to be quite so friendly with such a young female—it mattered not that his intentions were only to see her safe.

  After much creative juggling he’d managed to become a fixture in Heather’s life. They became friends, the best of friends actually, and he watched her grow into a beautiful woman. The only problem was, she still saw him as nothing more than a friend and he couldn’t seem to sway her view of him. While that hurt, it didn’t dissuade Forest from being in Heather’s life. Nothing ever could. He’d resigned himself to the fact he’d spend the remainder of Heather’s life watching her marry another, start a family and move on. He would live long after her, always loving her and always wishing he’d been able to get her to love him in return.

  Forest stared out at the sun as it broke over the horizon and then glanced back at Phoebe. She was still under Heather’s sleep spell and wouldn’t wake until Heather permitted it. He smiled at his mate’s creativity. She had no clue he knew all about every aspect of her magik though she was aware he knew most. She was also unaware that he was her mate.

  The rising sun caught the highlights in Phoebe’s hair and left Forest nodding in affirmation. Just because he’d never have the happiness he wanted with Heather didn’t mean Phoebe and Sirius couldn’t find their own. Besides, if the legends were true and claiming a chosen mate really did mean she was immortal as well, he owed it to Phoebe to allow her a chance to live forever in bliss. Losing Sidney to mental illness had shaken Phoebe to the point that Forest and Heather thought she too might snap. If Sirius could lighten her pain, give her the gift of love, he would do it.

  He sighed. It was going to be a long morning but he knew he’d figure out a way to get Phoebe around Sirius that didn’t include the warrior lurking in the shadows of her bedroom. At least not unless Phoebe invited him to do so.

  Chapter Three

  Phoebe cast a wary glance at her cousin, wishing she’d kept her mouth shut about what had really happened in the alley the night before. For some unknown reason she’d opened up and confessed it all, sparing no detail. Now, as she looked around the precinct she couldn’t stop the knot forming in her stomach. The room was full of men and women who seemed to never stop moving. Many were in plainclothes and that shocked her. For some reason, Phoebe had assumed she’d be speaking to uniformed officers. Blue shirts and badges would serve to remind her of Sidney and how the men had responded to the calls of a frantic teenage girl—by turning her over to the “nut” house. She couldn’t slip up and say “crazy” things if she didn’t forget about her sister.

  Maybe she was crazy. Maybe she’d dreamed Xipil up. She’d read somewhere that mental illness could often be traced through families. Maybe Phoebe was losing her mind, too. It wasn’t like she didn’t hear voices in her head. That alone was enough to get her locked up or heavily medicated. Maybe both.

  Heather touched her knee and smiled softly. “It’s okay, baby girl. Forest set this up. He’d never send us to someone he didn’t trust.”

  “I know. I just don’t care much for police.” Phoebe couldn’t help but fondle the edge of the oversized walnut desk she sat next to. A computer sat at it along with a black wire basket full of files. Whoever was its owner was neat, meticulous to be exact. The thing shined. She wouldn’t have been shocked to see her reflection in it if she looked hard enough.

  The adjacent desk seemed to be in a permanent state of disarray. Files were piled high, sticky notes framed the computer monitor and two coffee cups sat next to the monitor. They didn’t look like they’d been washed recently. Okay, they didn’t look like they’d ever been washed.

  Curling her lip, Phoebe did her best to chase the butterflies away from her stomach. She ran her sweaty palms over her thighs, smoothing out her floor-length, floral-print skirt. The tiny deep blue flowers matched the denim bustier she wore. Its adjustable straps were the only reason she’d been bold enough to buy it—falling out and exposing her chest to the world was a persistent fear. So many of her dancer friends had horror stories to tell about embarrassing moments.

  “Hey, you okay?” Heather asked, setting her crocheted tote on the cleaner of the two desks. “Trust them, Phoebe.”

  Yeah. Like they’d really believe a man materialized out of thin air, started spouting off about her being his mate and then disappeared before her very eyes.

  Oh gods, I am crazy.

  Phoebe stood and drew in a deep breath. “I need some fresh air. This place smells worse than a locker room.”

  “It doesn’t smell that bad, does it?” a familiar voice asked.

  Phoebe’s entire body went rigid as she turned to find Detective Werner standing there. She knew his partner couldn’t be far behind. Sure enough, she spotted Sirius moving up through a group of officers, his royal blue gaze locked on her. “Phoebe, what’s wrong? Did something happen? Are you hurt?”

  In an instant he was so close to her that she had to take a step back to meet his eyes. The desk greeted her and prevented her from going too far. She’d spent the night dreaming about him being near her, touching her, worrying about her, wanting her. “I’m, umm, I’m fine, Detective Baron.”

  Slowly, his eyes closed as he let out a ragged breath. “Don’t scare me like that. And please call me Sirius.”

  Phoebe glanced at Heather for guidance only to find her cousin looking as dumbfounded as she felt. When Heather shrugged, Phoebe looked at Aland. A cocky smile covered his face as he grabbed his partner’s shoulder. “Easy there, Sirius. Give the young lady some breathing room. She’s clearly in one piece and here of her own accord.”

  Sirius took a step back and Phoebe shocked herself by closing the gap between them. The loss of his warmth and the safety he radiated demanded she seek more of the same. The corners of his mouth tugged slightly as if he were contemplating smiling but thought better of it.

  Wise man.

  I like to think I am.

  She froze at the sound of her invisible lover’s voice in her head.

  Are you going to ignore me again?

  “Yes,” she whispered.

  Sirius smiled and she wanted to trace the edges of his sexy lips. “Yes, what?”

  “Umm, nothing. I…erm…nothing.”

  Having trouble, Slatkiska?

  The slight hint of amusement came through his voice. Phoebe gritted her teeth and tipped her head to the side. She wanted to shout at him but managed to keep her voice low. “No.”

  Sirius bent down enough to look her in the eyes. “No, what?”

  If she didn’t know better, she’d have said that Sirius was well aware of the voice in her head. Her invisible lover’s voice sounded almost identical to Sirius’. Could it be?

  Shaking her head, she dismissed her foolish thoughts. “Nothing. Sorry. This was a mistake.” Phoebe glanced at Heather. “Let’s go.”

  “You need to tell them what you told me,” her cousin said, not moving an inch from her chair. “You do it or I will.”

  “It’s fine. Let’s just go. Please,” she pleaded. The need to avoid looking like a crazed woman was so strong she almost ran from the room. Knowing that w
ould do little to add to her credibility, Phoebe hesitated. The feel of familiar, safe power wrapping around her kept her rooted in place.

  Slatkiska, what troubles you?

  Ignoring the voice in her head, Phoebe tried to maneuver her way out from between the desk and Sirius. The power held her still. Her hand skimmed the file basket and flashes of symbols, signs, bright lights and stars moved through her. Her breathing quickened as the visions changed to images of women screaming and doing their best to break free of someone’s hold. They didn’t want to go towards the blinding white light. They didn’t want anything to do with the men who held them. It wasn’t until Phoebe recognized several of the women’s faces from the local news that she realized what she was seeing. Her gifts were giving her a firsthand view of the Zodiac Zone abductions.

  Terrified, she went to jerk her hand away but her arm refused to move. It seemed glued to the files. More images inundated her, leaving her clinging to something big and sturdy with her free hand. Part of her knew what she now clung to was Sirius’s arm but she didn’t care. For the moment, he was what she needed to keep what little bit of sanity she had left.

  Slatkiska, what’s happening?

  She couldn’t have answered him even if she wanted to. The visions were that strong. Her knees weakened and she was only vaguely aware of someone’s arms slipping around her waist. The horrors of the events surrounding the abductions left Phoebe on the verge of screaming.

  Make it stop. Please, she pushed out with her mind. Help me, please.

  There was a momentary stunned silence from her mystical man but then she “felt” his satisfaction that she’d turned to him for help. The next thing Phoebe felt shocked her to the core. Warm lips pressed down on hers. The second a tongue feathered over her bottom lip, she gasped, giving the welcome intruder the entrance he needed. His tongue darted in and traced a slow, lazy circle around hers.