“Lena! Lena! Wake up!”
She felt strong hands on her shoulders, shaking her. Still, she screamed. The hands moved to cradle her face, trying to sooth her. The voice she heard softened. “Come on, Guardian mine. That's it, open your eyes. You are safe, I promise.”
Safe? It had just been a dream. Oh God! Thank you! She placed her smaller hand on the one still cradling her face and sighed. She cracked open an eye just to check and her breath raced out of her. Her eyes flew open to meet amber on gold eyes. Oh. My. God. Thorn!
“W-what? What's going on?” Goddess, she sounded pathetic as she scrambled up the bed.
Bed? Where the hell was she and more importantly, why was Thorn Blackwood waking her from a nightmare?
“When I went to do check on Kaden, I found you asleep in the chair. I couldn't very well let you stay there so I brought you up here. I didn't know you'd scream the place down though.”
Lena chose to ignore that. She looked around and saw she was safely ensconced in the guest-room that doubled as her quarters when she was required to stay at HQ. The super-king sized bed rose to around four foot from the ground. The quilts, pillows and cushions, all in functional beige, were no longer neatly arranged on the bed, but instead looked like they'd spent the night with a Tasmanian devil.
Lena gulped. “Erm, thanks?”
“You're welcome. Now, I'm going to hit the shower, and then you and I are going to talk. Got it?”
She couldn't speak. She couldn't form the words even if she knew what to say. She just nodded, clutching the duvet to her like a scared little girl. Thorn was going to have a shower. He wasn't going to use her bathroom, was he? Confusion clouding her mind, she glanced back at him and he shook his head. Panic rose in her chest. She hadn't said that out loud, had she?
“You are an enigma, Lena.” With that, he swept out into the corridor, taking his long legs and oh-so-perfect arse with him. Lena exhaled slowly. He really did have a perfect arse.
To her, Thorn Blackwood was the enigma. He was like her own private riddle. He was aloof, domineering, demanding, authoritative, and irritating as hell. All the things Lena hated in a man, not that she'd had much luck with men.
She'd had the odd on-off relationship, — on for sex, off for everything else — but they never really worked out. She was married to her job and there weren't many men outside of the Order who could handle what that meant. The ones that said they understood were either lying or… well, there wasn't really an “or.”
Yet, despite his worst qualities, Thorn could also be kind and gentle. Lena was almost wistful when she thought about how his face lit up whenever his sister was in the room. He adored Soraya and was vehemently protective of her.
Lena wondered what that felt like. She was part of a brotherhood, but it wasn't really the same as having your own kin. Nobody had ever looked at her the way Thorn Blackwood looked at his sister. It left her confused and she didn't like it.
Inevitably, thoughts of Thorn led to visions of that backside of his. It was enough to make her blush, if Vampires could that was. Not for the first time in her life, she thanked her lucky stars for her Fae genes.
Sighing, she pulled back the covers and stopped dead. She was no longer in her uniform but had on some sort of pink nightie thing. What the fuck? The colour told her it was Soraya's. What she didn't know was why the hell she was wearing it and more importantly how she was wearing it.
Oh God. Please, please, please let Soraya have changed her.
She did a quick check and discovered, to her relief, that she was still wearing her underwear. Thank Glory for small mercies. Still, the thought of Thorn seeing her anything so girly, so pink, and so, there was no other word for it, small, didn't just make her want to blush; she wanted to set herself on fire. She jumped into the shower instead.
She thought about drying her hair, but then changed her mind, instead scraping her long, poker straight locks into a high ponytail. She raided her standby wardrobe for something more appropriate than the nightie and smiled when she saw a full set of leathers hanging up. They would do nicely. Steeling herself, she headed down to Thorn's office.
This was not going to be fun.
The King was head of the Order, but it had always been an honorary title. Not in Thorn’s case. Thorn had only been second in line to the throne so he’d been inducted as a Guardian at the age of twenty-one. He wasn’t just a King, he was a Warrior, and a bloody good one. If Lena was honest with herself, he was a fucking scary one too.
When Lena peeked into his office, there was no mistaking the man leaning against the antique bureau for anything other than a King. Her King. His amber eyes flashed pure gold. He was furious.
She closed the door behind her and waited. Inside she was squirming and desperate to turn heel and run. Outside, she stood stock-still. Thorn pushed himself off the desk and was in front of her in two long strides, his arms crossed over his broad chest, shirt visibly straining to contain his biceps.
“Did you have a plan or were you not thinking at all?” His voice was surprisingly calm, though Lena didn’t relax. The anger rolled off him and she struggled to stand still.
She may be stubborn, but it didn’t mean she wasn’t sorry. Bile rose in her throat and her knees were in danger of giving way as she remembered Kaden’s blood all over her hands. She considered answering, but Thorn stopped her.
“I don’t really want to hear it, Guardian. You’ve always trodden pretty close to the line. We indulge your need to tiptoe over it, but this time you went too far. Kaden’s not just another Guardian, he’s my friend and my fucking Keeper. You don't seem to understand that you endangered not only your life, but all our lives. Kaden is the glue that holds us all together, keeps us safe. We cannot afford to lose the Keeper of the Watch.”
“I’m sorry.” She knew it was lame, but what else could she say? She was sorry, sorrier than Thorn would ever know.
“Yeah, I’ll just bet you are. If whatever shit those bastards put in that arrow has any lasting effects on Kaden, you have no idea just how sorry you’ll be. I’m holding you personally responsible.”
Well, that was to be expected. It was what Thorn said next that threw her off guard. “Soraya is insisting on Kaden having at least a month on the side lines. Since I hold you accountable for this bloody mess, you are going to stand in for him.”
“What?” She must have misheard. There was no other explanation.
“As of this moment, Guardian Lena, you are Steward of the Watch.”
Lena made it her life’s work to appear contained, prepared, serene even, in the face of adversity. Adversity just jumped up and kicked her in the head; she was far from serene. She was however doing a mighty fine impression of a goldfish. What an idiot.
“S-steward of the Watch?” she stammered. Yeah, real serene, Lena.
“Officially we haven’t had a Steward since before my Father’s time, but the Order was much bigger then. I’ve always liked the old traditions though and Kaden needs a deputy. Since you put him in the hands of my sister and out of my Order, you can fill in for him.”
Lena's eyes flew wide open. If Kaden's injury proved anything, it was that there was no way she was ready for this kind of responsibility. “But I can’t!” she cried.
“Can’t?” His eyes were now a brilliant white gold. “It wasn’t a request, Lena. You can, because I told you to. I will not negotiate. We allow you too much freedom and it’s about time you learn that there is more to the Order than saving your own hide.” With that, Thorn walked straight past her and out the door, face drawn tight, jaw locked.
As for her own face, she guessed she pretty much still looked like a goldfish. Damn it.
Thorn set a fast pace as he strode down the corridor. He had left abruptly, but he had been in danger of losing his cool. He never had that problem with anyone under his command. Until just now.
Lena was not easily ruffled, nor was she often lost for words but he’d accomplished both in a matter of mi
nutes. He had to hand it to himself; it was quite an achievement.
Kaden would probably go blood-lust-crazy when he found out that Lena was his new Steward. It was true that there were several other candidates on the list of people who had what it took to be Steward, but Thorn wanted to teach her a lesson. Honestly, he thought this might just be the making of Lena. Either that, or he’d just handed her enough rope to hang herself.
When he'd been in the drawing room, downing a stiff brandy with the rest of the guys, he’d been shaking with fury. Skylar was the one who’d talked him down, and plied him with more drink. Thorn had never considered harming a woman, but in those few moments as he watched his comrades drinking away their worries for their Keeper, he had considered it. Seriously considered it.
He hated to admit it, but it was true. Thorn knew he was the best hand-to-hand, bare-knuckle fighter the Order possessed and if Lena had been one of the guys, he might just have killed her.
Jesus. Kaden wasn’t just his Keeper, he was his oldest friend. Until now, Thorn hadn’t realised how much the man meant to him. Tonight had been far too close for comfort.
He thought of Kaden again, not relishing delivering the news about the new steward. He heaved a sigh. Turning on his heel, he marched back down the hallway towards the medical centre. No time like the present.
Thorn drew to an abrupt halt outside the recovery room. A large pane of one-way glass, to the right of the door, allowed staff to check their patient without disturbing them. When he glanced inside, Thorn got a view he wasn’t entirely comfortable with. Kaden was conscious and staring into Soraya’s face as she held his hand and gently mopped his brow. The Keeper looked enthralled.
Not standing on ceremony, Thorn barged into the room. To her credit, Soraya didn’t blanch when she met the thunderous look in Thorn’s eyes, though she did drop Kaden’s hand as though it was on fire. Kaden adopted a murderous look of his own but it softened slightly when he realised who had caused the interruption.
Thorn was busy trying to convince himself that Soraya was just being professional and caring for her patient. He strode over to the bed his sister made a discreet exit. He clasped his friend's shoulder and sighed heavily. “How you doing?”
“Fine and dandy,” Kaden replied.
Thorn nodded, taking in all the equipment. Kaden looked a damned sight better, but he still looked pale. Fear at the thought of losing his friend bubbled under his skin. “Mother of Fae, Kaden, you scared the shit out of me!”
They'd been brothers-in-arms for centuries, but Thorn couldn’t remember a time when he genuinely thought he would be without his Keeper or his friend.
“It wasn't exactly a bundle of laughs from this end either. That fucking arrow hurt like a bitch,” Kaden replied.
“A millimetre the other way and you’d have a new nipple ring!”
“Nah. One’s enough.” Kaden’s brilliant, blue eyes sparkled with amusement.
Thorn's own eyes shone and the corner of his mouth tilted upward. Both men stared at each other before they laughed.
Still chuckling Thorn, shook his head and collapsed into the easy chair next to Kaden’s bed. The Keeper’s face had turned serious though and Thorn could guess why — Lena.
Kaden frowned at him. “What have you done with Lena? I know she fucked up but this was as much my fault as hers. I should have reacted quicker.”
Thorn glowered back him. “Do not protect her, Kaden. I hold her entirely responsible for this. You know as well as I do that if she hadn’t been there, neither would you.”
“Be that as it may, I should have stopped her.”
“Well, you didn’t, so she has to face the consequences.”
Kaden’s brow arched in a question. His face had “what have you done?” written all over it and Thorn couldn’t help but smile.
“She’s your new Steward” he said in a light tone, as if appointing a deputy to the Keeper was an everyday occurrence.
“I beg your pardon?” Kaden’s voice hit a pitch it rarely found.
“You heard.”
“Have you lost your bloody mind? I could swear on the moon that you just said Lena is my Steward!” Kaden’s voice rose higher still.
“Lena is the best Fallen tracker we have. She’s an excellent swordswoman, is not afraid of a fight and the responsibility will do her good.” Thorn knew he sounded like he was defending the woman, and the thought confused him. She had, after all, nearly cost him his best friend and yet here he was telling Kaden why she’d make an excellent Steward. Well, that was odd.
The sight of Kaden trying to swing himself off the bed brought him back to reality with a bump. “What, in the name of all that is Fae, are you doing, man?” He leapt up to help the man back on to the cot, but Kaden wasn’t having any of it.
“I’m not staying here. We haven’t had a Steward of the Watch since before your father’s time, and we’re not about to start now.”
Kaden was strong, but Thorn was surprised at how easily he managed to push the Keeper backwards. He sighed seeking to pacify him. “I know you don’t like this, but Soraya isn’t playing when she says you need time to recover. If she says you’re off duty for a month then that’s what is going to happen."
Kaden’s brilliant blue eyes stared back at Thorn for what seemed an age. Finally, he whispered, “Is that an order?”
“It is,” Thorn replied.
“But Lena?” Kaden said it all. He had no faith in her.
“Yes, Lena. I admit when Soraya first told us you were going to make it, I wanted to rip her head from her shoulders. You know Lena though, she’s harder than ice, and a physical fight wouldn’t teach her anything. It’s about time she took responsibility.”
Kaden exhaled slowly. “What did Lena say?”
Thorn couldn’t hide the amusement in his voice when he answered. “Not a lot.”
“Well that’s a first.”
The two warriors looked at each other and the room filled with laughter once more.
“You’d better watch yourself, Thorn Blackwood. That woman is nothing but trouble.”
Thorn supposed his friend was right, but he had a feeling that Lena really would make an excellent Steward. The more he thought about it, the more it resonated. It was the right decision.
Thorn smiled to himself. God, but she was a fiery one. He’d have to watch her very carefully. Not that he wouldn’t enjoy the view. Now then, where did that thought come from?
Lena punched the pillow for the umpteenth time. She was still in shock. Steward of the Watch? Jesus. She had no doubt she was being punished, but what she couldn’t work out was whether Thorn had completely lost his mind, or whether he genuinely thought this was a good idea.
Lena, Steward of the Watch. Yeah right. Genius.
She hadn't remade the bed, but considering she’d added to the mess by throwing the pillows across the room she figured it didn’t really matter. She sat up and surveyed the scene. The door of her antique, solid oak wardrobe was hanging off its hinges where she had flung it open. Her clothes had been hastily stuffed into her kit bag and the hangers were scattered across the floor. The bathroom door had fared better, but the same couldn’t be said for the bathroom itself. Through the open door she could see slivers of mirror sparkling on the tiled floor.
Closing her eyes, she tried to remember what had happened in her en-suite, but the details were sketchy. She recalled stomping in with the intention of packing up what little toiletries she kept there but had been distracted by her own reflection.
It was a convenient myth that Vampires produced no reflection. The race established a few of the most commonly held beliefs themselves. The wilder the stories, the easier it was for them to fit in with the human population, and carry out their duties.
The image she faced wasn’t anything new but as she stared, trying to match the girl she saw before her with the responsibility Thorn had laid at her feet, nothing made sense. The rest of the guys wouldn’t be thrilled by the idea either.
They'd see it as it was, a promotion, and it would piss them off. Really piss them off.
Her anxiety rose another notch, her eyes going to those shards on the bathroom floor again. She still couldn't remember what happened to the mirror. The recently healed scars on her hand said enough, however. They hadn’t been there earlier. She must have punched it.
Looking down at her holdall, she sighed. What was she going to do? Run away? As soon as she thought it, she knew how ridiculous it was.
For a start, no one just left the Order. Second, Lena had never backed away from a fight in her life, so she wasn’t about to start now. She was used to doing things her way. Alone. Now she was responsible for the whole Guardianship and the thought made her feel more than a little ill.
Her phone beeped with a text message. It was Thorn summoning her to the Command Centre. Steeling herself, she headed for the door.
On approaching the Command Centre, she could hear voices inside. She had hoped she would make it there before some of her comrades. Judging by the racket, she was going to be disappointed.
She stood in the corridor trying to get a handle on the situation. Thorn wasn’t there either, but the rest of the team was, and it did not sound good.
“You’re joking right?” Skylar asked with a squeak.
“I ain't. I wish I was.” Definitely Mercury. Considering he was always winding everyone up, Lena could understand why Skylar questioned him.
“Jesus. Is Thorn mad or stupid? Lena as a fucking Steward? What the hell?” Lena swallowed hard as Skylar questioned his friend further.
“It’s true! I swear. I went down to see 'ow Kaden was doin' but Thorn was there. I didn’t wanna interrupt so I just hung about outside for a while. Thorn said it 'imself. He’s made Lena Steward of the Watch.” Mercury’s voice was shrill as he answered his comrade.
“Well if Blackwood thinks I’m taking orders from Lena, he’s got another thing coming. Look what happened to Kaden! She’ll get us all bloody killed,” Phoenix chimed in.
“Listen. I don’t know what this is all about, but if Thorn’s given the order, then what can we do? It might not be that bad. If I know Thorn, he’s set her up for a fall and all we have to do is watch,” Ryver added.
Bound to Blackwood Page 5
