“I am so tired. Don’t get mad if I fall asleep on you, Helios,” Madison said, giggling from the wine.
“Hmm, pretty sure that might thwart my ego a bit,” he said as he picked her up and carried her to the bedroom. “Of course, I did make love to you earlier,” he said as he started taking off her clothes and dropping them unceremoniously on the ground. “So I suppose I can’t get too upset.” He grinned at her lazy smile.
He lifted her up and placed her on the bed and then headed to the bathroom. He grabbed the little bottle of lotion on the counter, thinking that Madison might like a massage. Unfortunately, by the time he got back he saw that Madison was already asleep. He stripped his clothes off and slid in next to her, watching her beautiful face as he touched her cheek softly. She immediately rolled over and wrapped her arms around his chest holding him tightly.
“I love you, Madison,” he whispered before kissing the top of her hair.
~*~
The last day of the festival consisted of a huge beach extravaganza. Madison and Andrew were amazed by the many booths and vendors that encompassed the park overlooking the beach. Of course, the Bennett’s were VIP’s so were allotted early entrance into the festival and a separate shaded area to sit. The afternoon was filled with more wine and food than Madison ever imagined was possible and lots and lots of laughter.
“You know, I’m not a wine drinker but I have tried some great stuff since being here,” Andrew said as he sipped his wine.
“I have too. I’m going to hate to leave this place,” Madison concurred, squeezing Andrew’s free hand.
“This is one of our favorite festivals,” Liam stated. “The surroundings are breathtaking, the people are kind, and the atmosphere is welcoming.”
“Plus, we always have some down time to play,” Jayden interjected.
“Speaking of which, what are your plans for the evening?” Elias asked.
“Callie wants to hit up Tonic tonight,” Jayden said and then looked over at Madison and Andrew. “You guys want to come?”
Madison glanced at Andrew who looked ambivalent. That wasn’t exactly what Madison had in mind for their last night. “I kind of want to hang at the beach tonight and watch the sunset. Is that alright?” Madison asked, not wanting to upset her friends.
“Of course it’s alright, that sounds very romantic,” Callie said sweetly as she hugged her. “Don’t forget to bring an extra blanket to cover yourself up,” she whispered in her ear and Madison had a grin that began to spread across her face at the realization that Callie knew exactly what she wanted to do.
“What about you two?” Andrew asked curious.
“Oh, I think we will just relax indoors tonight, maybe light up the fireplace,” Liam said, glancing at Elias who gave him a sexy smirk.
“Well, that sounds pretty good,” Madison said with a smile.
When the event ended they all went their separate ways, Callie and Jayden to get ready to go clubbing while Elias and Liam were headed to their suite for a romantic night alone. Madison snatched the duvet off the bed and then the lighter blanket in the closet. Andrew was watching her peculiarly.
“What are you doing?” Andrew asked, curious.
“I want us to go down to the beach. The sun will be setting soon.”
He smiled and grabbed the duvet and blanket from her. “Are we supposed to take these out of the room?” he asked as they entered the elevator.
Madison shrugged. “Probably not but...” she paused and got a mischievous glint in her eyes. “We are the very special guests of the Bennett’s and the manager said we could do anything we wanted.” She winked.
“I’m not sure that’s exactly what he said but you’re right, that guy was kissing Elias’ ass so much I’m a bit surprised Liam didn’t smack him, telling him that ass was his,” Andrew laughed.
Madison snorted. “I know. Well, what can we say? We are in the company of rock stars.”
They made their way down to the beach, no one stopping them to ask why they were bringing the presumably expensive bedding of the hotel outside. The sun was just starting to drop below the horizon as they laid out the duvet and sat down. Madison drew her knees up and wrapped her arms around them.
“It’s breathtaking, isn’t it?” she asked dreamily.
Andrew smiled at her, running his hand down her spine before looking out at the sunset. It truly was magnificent. He had never really paid much attention to the setting of the sun aside from the fact that it marked nighttime. He had always dreaded the night because bad things happened in the dark and usually if he hadn’t found a place to crash by sunset he knew he was sleeping on the streets. But this was different, watching it with Madison. Her face expressed all the awe and wonder of someone who had always been loved and cared for. She saw beauty in the world and in him and it amazed him that, in spite of everything she knew about him, she still wanted him with her.
“It’s almost as beautiful as you,” Andrew finally replied as he kissed her temple.
She turned towards him, reaching one of her hands to cup his face. He brought his lips to hers, unable to stop the force that always drew him to her. Their kiss was filled with all the love they felt for each other. He laid her on the blanket and settled between her legs as he brought the other blanket up and over them. Madison wanted him, but more than that, she needed him, always.
“I love you so much, Andrew,” Madison stated as she grasped his face in her hands.
“And I love you, just as much, Madison,” he replied before their lips touched once again.
They kissed sweetly yet fervently under the stars, the ocean serving as the soundtrack to their lovemaking. They weren’t sure if anyone else was around but neither cared at that point. It was the perfect ending to a wonderful weekend. All that mattered in that instant was each other and the life they would be sharing together. Madison knew that things would be different in New York but she couldn’t help but feel optimistic about the journey they would soon be on.
Helios Illustration © Alex Marin
AUTHOR NOTE
I want to thank you for reading Helios Awakened, the first book in The Helios Chronicles. This story has truly been a labor of love for me. Oddly enough, many of the things that happened to Helios and Madison are things that I have seen in real life, be it professionally or personally. Now, don’t get me wrong. I do believe the registry is very important and has saved many, many lives but there are situations where people are on it that shouldn’t be and that’s something that taints them forever.
When I was putting this story together I decided to consolidate Andrew’s backstory versus intermixing it within Book 1. As a result Helios Beginnings was created. It is available right now so go check it out. Helios lived a difficult life and I hope that after reading his story you will understand him a bit more and the decisions that he’s made or will make. What I love about him is that he is such a beautifully flawed character that reminds us to not judge a book by its cover, but to always dig deeper, looking for the reasoning’s behind behaviors. So be sure to check out how Helios became who he is.
Many of you are probably wondering what will happen next for Andrew and Madison now that they have decided to head East. Will going to New York be a good thing? Will Helios be able to get past the stigma of his status? Will Madison’s new position prove to be more of a hindrance than a help? Find out in the second book of the series, Helios Exposed, which will be released on December 6th, just in time for Christmas.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Author Tawa Witko lives on the Standing Rock Indian Reservation with her children, Adam and Deanna. They are accompanied by their many animals, which includes an Australian Shepherd/Border Collie mix named Bella, a couple of ornery cats (Edward and Lil Bit) and their horses, Eagle Bear and Wild Spirit. She and her family enjoy attending wacipis, participating in tribal ceremonies, and living a quiet life without the hustle and bustle of the cities.
Ms. Witko is a licensed clinical psychologist, a
full time writer/editor and one of the co-founders of Winyan Press, LLC, an independent publishing house geared at helping female writers find their voice. She is a multi-genre author who writes Young Adult Fiction, Crime/Suspense Stories, Adult Romance and Native American Fiction. She has put together a collection of short stories called SNAPSHOTS which is geared at giving readers a sample of her various writing styles. Look for it on Wattpad and as a FREE e-book, Fall 2016.
Helios Awakened is the first book in an Adult Romance series that will chronicle the life of Andrew ‘Helios’ Harrison and Madison Ellis as they fight for their love in a world set on tearing them apart. The prequel novella, Helios Beginnings is also currently available, and the second book in the series, Helios Exposed, will be released December 2016.
SOCIAL MEDIA CONTACTS
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The Helios Chronicles
By
T.M. Witko
Helios Beginnings (August 2016)
Helios Awakened (August 2016)
Helios Exposed (December 2016)
Helios Renewed (April 2017)
Helios Forever (May 2017)
HELIOS Beginnings
Prequel To the Helios chronicles
Andrew Harrison lived a difficult life, wrought with pain, anguish and addiction. This prequel novella for the Helios Chronicles, will explore Helios’ life before he becomes Helios, beginning with his time in Detroit and ending in Bakersfield with the arrival of Madison Ellis, the woman that would forever change the way he saw the world.
Available on Paperback and Kindle
Now for a Sneak Peek of
Book 2 in the Helios Chronicles
HELIOS
Exposed
In Book 2 of the Helios Chronicles, Helios Exposed, we will find out whether or not Andrew and Madison can survive a life in New York City, where they find that things aren’t as simple as they hoped they would be. They soon discover that there are just as many enemies back east as there were on the west coast. When everything begins to crumble around them will their love be enough to hold them together?
THE ICE QUEEN
The rest of the week Andrew and Madison fell into a comfortable routine. For Madison, she resumed her regular duties in the office along with the ones assigned to her by her boss, Mr. Turner. Kurtis avoided her, and when they had to work together he was distant, although every so often she would catch him watching her. It was an uneasy and awkward situation. Madison would definitely be glad when he moved to the other office. There had only been one time he spoke to her about Andrew and that time had left her feeling extremely troubled.
“So that’s what you want?” Kurtis asked, watching her.
“What are you talking about?” Madison answered, not looking up.
“Does he even have a high school diploma? Hell, Madison, if you had told me I needed to dumb myself down for you to take me serious, I might have considered it,” he said with a sneer.
“You’re already an asshole so being dumb as well would have been overkill,” Madison said with a satisfied smile and then looked up. “Besides, he isn’t dumb. He’s very sweet and kind and talented. He has a lot to offer and...”
Kurtis laughed, cutting her off. “Sure, Madison, you keep telling yourself all that poetic bullshit but...” He paused and smiled evilly. “Do you really think he belongs here?”
Madison narrowed her eyes at him while he smiled and leaned back against his chair.
“And what about work, do you honestly believe you can advance with him by your side?” He cackled and rested his arms on the table between them. “That look tells me you know you can’t.” He ran his finger along her hand and grinned when she pulled it back. “I can bide my time because I know,” he tapped his finger on her nose, “that you will tire of him.”
“I won’t!” Madison glared at him.
“We’ll see,” he said, picking up the file he had been reading.
Madison rolled her eyes at the memory and glanced at the clock, wondering how things were going with Andrew. He had interviewed for a position as a mechanic at a shop near Harlem earlier in the week. Andrew said the interview went well and that the owner had told him to come back on Friday, which was today, so that he could see if it ‘worked out’, and if it did he would hire him. She took a deep breath, hopeful that it would. She knew that Andrew would feel much better about everything once he was working.
~*~
Andrew had already done a couple of tune ups, helped one of the other guys work on an alignment and was now under the hood of a Nissan that had just come in, trying to determine what was wrong with it. It felt good to work, and, so far, he liked the people at the shop. The owner was a man everyone called Sonny, and he seemed nice enough. It appeared that he hired a lot of ex-cons as most of the other employees seemed to have served time at one place or another.
“Andrew,” Sonny called to him.
“Yeah,” Andrew looked up from the hood.
“Why don’t you come back on Monday at 9:00?” he said simply and then walked away.
Andrew smiled and nodded. “Thank you, Sonny.”
“Congratulations,” a man named Leroy said nearby.
“Thanks,” Andrew replied, unable to stop smiling.
He worked for several more hours before they closed up the shop and he headed back home. He was excited and couldn’t wait to tell Madison. He was actually surprised that he made it to the apartment before she had. He went to the fridge and made himself a quick sandwich. He knew she would be cooking when she got home but he couldn't wait. He inhaled half of it before he heard a knock and set his sandwich down, wiping his hands on his thighs before opening the door.
“Can I help you?” he asked.
A woman who appeared to be in her mid to late forties was standing at the doorway. She was very beautiful with long brown hair and dark eyes. The woman was impeccably dressed with what appeared to be expensive jewelry on. She was eyeing him up and down and did not seem
to be impressed by what she was seeing. He immediately felt like shirking away from her. She placed her hand on her hip and arched her brow and he immediately knew who she was.
“Who are you and why are you in my daughter’s apartment?” she said with a tone that made him feel unworthy and insignificant.
Andrew’s eyes widened. “Mrs. Ellis?” he asked, shocked.
She sighed. “And you are?” she said, tilting her head to emphasize her annoyance.
“I’m Andrew.”
Now it was her turn to appear shocked. “I see.” She shook her head and walked past him. “I can’t believe she brought you with her. Let me guess, you’re living here?” she asked as she sat down on Madison’s sofa.
“Um, yes, I am.” He walked into the living room and started to sit down.
“Do not sit on my daughter’s furniture with those greasy clothes on,” she screeched and Andrew stopped suddenly.
“Sorry, ma’am, um, I’m going to change,” he said quickly and darted into the bedroom.
Andrew slipped out of his soiled clothes and threw on a clean T-Shirt and jeans. He looked at the clock in the bedroom and wondered where Madison was. He needed her to get home and quick as he didn’t want to be alone with her mom. He took a deep breath and returned to the living room.
“Can I offer you anything?” Andrew asked, hoping for a distraction.
She huffed and eyed him speculatively. “I find it humorous that you are offering me something that is not yours to offer.”
Andrew stared at her, he wasn’t certain, but he felt as if she was insulting him in some way.
“A Greyhound would be fine,” she said, clearly annoyed and then turned to eye a ring she was wearing.
Helios Awakened (The Helios Chronicles #1) Page 40
