Mandy M. Roth

by The Zodiac Gatekeeper Collection One (BOX SET)

  Sidney glanced at Heather, giving a small sigh. “How long do you think she’s going to keep making us draw the same thing?”

  Heather laughed. “You don’t want to know.”

  “You’re not putting all of them on there again,” Phoebe protested, her bottom lip stuck out in a pout. “Why?”

  Pushing her long black hair from her face, Sidney stared out from blue eyes, seeming annoyed with the child. “Because you just keep making up new ones so I have to draw more.”

  “No I don’t,” Phoebe said. “Lynx is real. It’s just not as old as most of them. But it’s really up there. It’s another gate point. A secret one. Don’t tell anyone that it’s a gate point too because they’ll know I visit and they’ll get mad.”

  Sidney and Heather stared at one another. “What do you mean ‘visit’?” Sidney forced a smile to her face as she centered her focus on her sister. “Phoebe, please tell me you’re just making up more stories.”

  “What?” Heather asked, nudging Sidney lightly. “You don’t believe her, do you? I mean, no one can…” She seemed to ponder something for a moment, biting at her lower lip before speaking once more, “What if I told you I dreamed about this constellation?”

  “Ooo, want to go for real? Here.” Putting her tiny arms out in the air, Phoebe began to twirl. Flower petals appeared out of nowhere, floating about the girls’ heads. Sidney and Heather raced toward Phoebe.

  “Phoebe, stop!” Sidney pleaded. “They’ll sense you! They’ll come and steal you like Daddy said they would. Stop!”

  “But don’t you want to see it?” the younger version of Phoebe asked. “It’s very pretty. It’s like when we go to stay at great-grandma’s house. Lots of trees, birds, really big birds. I saw a purple one before. Honest-to-Gods purple.”

  Renegade warriors filled the screen, converging on the girls. One grabbed Phoebe and the dog bit the warrior’s arm, causing him to release the young girl. Sidney and Heather lunged for her, grabbing her and then tumbling into a heap. The renegades continued to come for them.

  Pushing her way to the top of the pile, Sidney glared at the men, as if daring them to make another move. They did and when she spoke, it was with the native tongue of his people. Her words, loosely translated, were a call to open a portal to another realm. Aland couldn’t look away. Never had he seen any female, let alone a human one, do something such as that.

  The renegade warriors were sucked through the portal quickly. A terrified Phoebe clung to her cousin all the while Sidney remained calm and collected. She whispered something softly, again in Aland’s native tongue. “Forget that which you have witnessed upon this day. I shall take the memories, the fear and the knowledge of this with me to my death for it is my duty to protect those who cannot protect themselves.”

  The words were ones that would be spoken by ancient warriors. They weren’t ones said by a human child who was barely in her teens. The image faded to black and Aland almost foolishly revealed his location in hopes of seeing more of Sidney. How dare the renegade drag up memories best left forgotten. How dare he know anything about events that had obviously taken a toll on not only Phoebe but her sister as well—a female Aland felt an unnatural pull toward.

  “Do you know what she did for you, Phoebe?” Xipil questioned.

  Aland wanted to level the man but Phoebe was still in the way.

  “Of course not,” Xipil said. “She cast a memory spell on you and Heather. She did it so you could both still sleep at night. Though in doing so, she isolated herself, never able to talk about what had happened, what she knew was going to happen.” He took a step toward her. “You see, Phoebe, your sister was well aware we would keep coming for you all. She shouldered that burden on her own to allow you, the baby girl, to live without fear. It drove her mad. You drove her mad.”

  Phoebe shook her head. “No. I didn’t drive Sidney crazy. I didn’t. Did I?”

  “Come. I can fix her, Phoebe.” Xipil extended his hand. “I can make Sidney whole again. All you have to do is agree to come with me. To join me.”

  Phoebe got down fast. Aland struck without warning, as did Sirius, thrusting their power out and above Phoebe’s body. Xipil tumbled backward. A fellow renegade appeared, this one bearing scars on his arms.

  Phoebe rose slowly, her attention fixed on the newcomer. Anger radiated off her in powerful waves.

  He gave a lecherous smile. “Xipil, she is even more glorious than you said.” He took a step toward her and she laughed. “You think me funny, human?”

  “Very,” Phoebe replied.

  The scarred renegade blinked away only to reappear directly in front of Phoebe, blocking Aland’s clear shot of him. “I visit your sister often, Phoebe,” he said. “Shall I tell you what I do to her while she’s strapped down?”

  White-hot hate filled Aland. For a moment, the only sound he heard was that of his heart thumping in his ears. He clenched his fists, his power coursing through his veins at the thought of Sidney being hunted by the renegade. All too easily Aland could picture her being tormented by the man.

  He snarled, the desire to kill great.

  Much to Aland’s surprise, Phoebe took matters into her own hands, delivering a wicked kick to the groin. “What have you done to my sister, asshole?”

  “Well done, Phoebe,” Xipil said, clapping. “Do you have any idea how hard it is to take down a Constellaziogēn even when you are one yourself? I find it nearly impossible to believe one as young as you can do it. Had I not seen it with my own eyes I would not have believed it.”

  The scarred warrior made a move for her again.

  Phoebe surprised Aland more by tapping into gifts he wasn’t aware she possessed. She locked the scarred warrior in power, holding him in place. He tapped the force-field surrounding him. “I sensed this in you when you were just a child,” he said. “I knew. I told the others that you and the other girls were more than just human. I bet you’re as sweet to taste as your sister. I bet your—”

  Aland roared, his magik breaking free of him. He lost himself in the moment, the primal need to kill the man who had dared to harm Sidney all consuming. He gave in. The room shook as a ball of yellow light shot forth from Aland. It struck the scarred renegade, going through Phoebe’s power, circling him, causing pain the likes of which the man had never known before.

  Aland walked with purpose out from his position behind the locker, his gaze never leaving the scarred renegade. “What did you do to Sidney?”

  “N-nothing. I-I swear,” the man said, stumbling over his words. “She doesn’t let anyone near her. S-she’s powerful.”

  “You’re lying!” Aland shouted, thrusting additional power at the man. “What the fuck did you do to her? You had no right to look upon her, let alone touch her! No right!”

  Aland’s magik continued to do as it pleased. It wanted to exact revenge. So did he.

  Doing nothing to stop it, Aland watched through narrowed eyes as a funnel-shaped white portal opened directly behind the enemy. It was not his doing. This portal was forced open by Sirius as he thrust Xipil through it. Aland stared down at the scarred man as he prepared to deliver a killing blow.

  Sirius rushed toward him, shaking his head. “Aland, don’t do this. Send him to the King’s dungeons to await trial. Killing him isn’t the answer.”

  “He hurt Sidney,” Aland whispered, pain lancing his chest.

  “You know my sister?” Phoebe questioned, sounding surprised.

  Sirius grunted, his gaze still on Aland. “You can’t help her if you’re being held on charges by the King.”

  His friend was right. Aiding Sidney would be impossible if he was sitting in one of the king’s cells. Pulling back on his power slightly, he tapped into Sirius’ residual energy, opening another portal. He kicked the scarred warrior through it, waiting until he was sure there could be no hope of rescue before forcing the portal closed at its midpoint.

  If Sirius asked, Aland would tell his friend what he’d want to hear—
that he’d sent the renegade to a cell in one of the king’s dungeons. The truth of the matter was far more grim.

  The renegade was dead.

  Nothing could survive a portal being terminated in mid-stream. Aland would risk the wrath of his king if it meant Sidney was safe. He turned to stare at the now-blank television screen.

  One thought held firm.

  She’s my mate and she needs me.

  The image flickered and this time his magik latched onto it, causing his mind to see the truth of the matter. She was indeed all grown now and alone. For a split second Aland was positive Sidney’s soul called to his. He lost his footing and stumbled, catching himself with a hand to the wall. With a ragged breath, he gathered his wits about him and pulled his power back into himself. Soon, he’d make his move. Very, very soon.

  Chapter One

  Aland Werner walked through the darkened halls of the hospital, wondering how it was he could have missed Sidney’s signal, missed she was so very close to him all these years. Literally within his precinct. He still marveled at how destiny had seemingly laid her out before him. Had Aland not been aiding Sirius, in concerns with his mate Phoebe, he’d have never known Sidney was his, and so very close. Had a renegade warrior from his own race not tipped his hand, revealing he’d been in contact with Sidney, he would have never seen his mate’s face frozen on a television screen on a dance studio in the Zodiac Zone. He’d have never known she’d been in danger.

  Anger welled inside him once more. A slow, calculated grin slipped over his face as he thought of the painful way in which the renegade had met his death. Aland wanted to summon the man back from the afterlife and torture him for eternity for daring to terrify his mate. Already he chanced too much, tempting the fates by killing the man when he should have sent him forth to be tried in the king’s courts. Aland had to keep his nose clean and his power off the radar for a while, just until he was certain no one would notice the death of a renegade. As strict as their king was with traitors, he respected and abided by the rules of the realm, expecting those who served as his head guards and Gatekeepers to do the same.

  Aland shook his head, trying to will the thoughts from it. He was too close to finally coming face-to-face with his mate to let anything, even fear of his king, interfere.

  How many times had he and his partner driven past this very hospital? How many times had he responded to calls generating from the emergency room on the lowest level? Here she was, under his nose even though she’d seemed so far away. In truth, she’d seemed more like a figment of his imagination or even wishful thinking on his part.

  When he was but a boy his father had talked of true mates, women destined for the men of their race from birth. He thought the stories to be just that—fairy tale. He was wrong. He could still see the happiness in his father’s eyes as he spoke to Aland of women from Earth who were said to be fated to wed warriors of their kind. It was as if the man knew something of Aland’s future that he did not. Like he knew one day Aland would find his slice of happiness among humans. Since the female population in his home realm of Constellaziogēn was low—only one female to every twenty men—he’d always assumed the stories were created to give young warriors hope of one day finding happiness. He never dreamed the fates had aligned and selected that one person to complete him. And his one person was here, locked away from other humans, treated as a second-rate citizen, her rights stripped away, all because she knew too much.

  The hospital environment was sterile, smelling heavily of disinfectant and lacking anything noteworthy. No matter where he looked, all Aland found was shades of gray and white. Devoid of color and emotion. He wondered how anyone could survive staring at the same setting, day in and day out. It had to be mind-numbing.

  Exactly the way it was intended to be.

  The night security guard sat with his feet propped on the counter behind unbreakable glass, watching various screens. The man switched ankles, lifting one and crossing the other. His keys jingled on his side. It was the only noise to be heard.

  Aland walked right past him, knowing he would not be seen unless he willed it. Humans were almost too easy to manipulate. They presented next to no challenge for him. Long ago he’d learned the only real threat to the Gates between his realm and the human one came from his own kind. He’d never heard of a human accidently stumbling through one or being able to open a portal at all. Though he had heard of them being dragged through by renegade warriors of his race.

  He sighed. Where once portals being opened let off a certain energy signature, the enemy was becoming crafty. Already they’d found ways to shield their activities, hiding their movements between realms.

  He let his power trickle out and over the hospital level in search of the woman who had captured his attention—the woman he knew to be his mate. She’d been locked away for years, believed to be insane when all along she was gifted beyond the humans’ limited comprehension. She had at least bits of his people’s powers. Somewhere in her family history there had to be a Constellaziogēn. Since his kind had been among humans for many centuries, the ancestor could be further back than even Sidney’s family could trace. All Aland was sure of was Sidney had been able to draw upon enough power to open a portal when she was just a child. That was saying something.

  Aland sensed her there and, for the first time in centuries, a feeling of completion came over him. She was in the room at the end of the corridor. Her signature was unmistakable. It thrummed the air, beckoning him closer. He quickened his pace, the need to see her to freedom too great to dismiss.

  As he approached her large metal door, he felt something brush past him, going toward the room. Raw and pure animal lust raced through his veins, seeming to center in his groin, wrenching a moan from him. His cock stood at attention, almost as ready as he to find what had caused such a reaction in him.

  Aland stalled, glancing around, positive someone or something had touched him. He found nothing. He wasn’t human and his powers were greater than normal while on Earth. For something to make it past him, unseen, it had to be very powerful.

  Powerful and able to make my dick hard.

  As a Constellaziogēn, an immortal Gatekeeper sent forth hundreds of years ago to guard the portals on Earth, his mission was to protect against unmonitored passage between realms. A task easier said than done since their presence was a closely guarded secret for good reason—their powers, normal in their own realm, were the thing of fantasy on Earth, and there was a risk he and his kind would be revered as gods by humans, or pandemonium would result should the public learn of their presence.

  So Aland hid among humans, assuming the same day-to-day lifestyle as they did. His position as a police detective afforded Aland the chance to enforce laws, as he was accustomed to doing, and to receive firsthand information in the event something was to go wrong with the portals, as had been the case recently.

  When Aland had seen Sidney’s frozen image on that television screen, he’d known deep down who she was to him. At the time, forced to help Sirius protect Phoebe, Aland had struggled between aiding another or going to his mate, locked away from the world in an institution. He’d done what was required of him at the time, but it was time to seek Sidney out and protect her. With the band of renegades broken up, Aland felt secure she was safe from them, but still, risking losing her wasn’t an option. If nothing else, he needed to simply be near her, even for a little bit until he could devise a plan to get her released through the proper channels.

  He continued down the hall, coming to a stop just outside of the door to her room. Putting his palm to the cool metal, Aland let additional power rise from deep within him, scanning the room. He found her there, lying in the bed. Desperate to finally see her, he utilized his power and walked directly through the door, materializing on the other side. The moment his gaze landed on the tall, slender frame in the bed, Aland froze.

  Sidney had sacrificed herself to ensure her baby sister and cousin lived as normal lives as the
y could considering they were destined to mate with powerful Constellaziogēn warriors—a fact their father apparently was well aware of and had tried to stress upon the girls.

  Long, silky black hair hung in waves over the edge of the bed. One pale white shoulder showed and he visually traced a line down the length of her body. She was thin. Thinner than she should be and that only served to infuriate Aland more. He should have sensed her need of him and not left her to rot slowly in a mental institution. He’d never bought into the idea of having a special someone and had been content with sating his baser needs with random woman when his cock required attention. It wasn’t until Sidney’s presence was made known to him that nature seemed to take its course—demanding he go to her.

  She lay perfectly still as he took a step closer. He reached out tentatively, needing to make contact with her. Something struck Aland, knocking him back into the cinder brick wall with a thud. He blinked, shocked he’d not sensed anyone with him, and stared around the room. Other than the female he’d come for, he was completely alone. His cock once again stiffened at the feel of the energy around him.

  He felt it then, something brushing past him once more. It headed straight for her and his insides tightened. “Sidney, wake up!”

  She didn’t stir. Instead, whatever power had passed by him, struck her sleeping body and she jerked. Aland cried out and reached for her, knowing then there was no mistake—he’d sacrifice all for her.

  Sidney Fisher came awake with a start, gasping for breath as she sensed one of them near. She rolled out of the bed and onto the floor, ignoring the stab of pain running up her leg from making contact with the linoleum too hard. Her mane of black hair fell forward over her face, masking her view of the room. She swept it back and remained crouched like a tiger ready to strike.

  Her breathing was shallow as she let her eyes adjust to the darkened room. There was little doubt in her mind that one of them was close. The men from the stars paid her frequent visits, each time trying to take her with them or torment her. They seemed amused by either outcome and eager to test her limits. Where she once welcomed the challenge, Sidney was growing tired of the continual battle. Giving in wasn’t an option. So long as she drew the men to her, her sister and cousin stood a chance of living lives free of them.