Bonded (The Raegan Mason Trilogy)

by Cheryl Courtney

  By then, a crowd of football players were forming around us. My ribs hurt from the dog pile I was under and my heart was beginning to race. Nate was bigger than Jaxon and both were obviously drunk. Nate’s speech was slurring and his movements were sluggish. He looked at me and started toward me again.

  “Look Nate, I’m not interested in being your anything tonight.” I stated boldly. “I think you should go on back to the bonfire.” “Jaxon, we should get you to the hospital.” I reached down to help Jaxon up when Nate grabbed me around my waist and started pulling me into his body. “Let’s dance, baby.” I tried to wiggle free from his arm but he squeezed tighter and pushed the air out of my lungs. I tried kicking and pushing his arm out, but he was too strong. “I can’t breathe you idiot.” I gasped.

  By then, my heart was pounding in my head. My ribs were burning intensely, and I had no idea where he was taking me. Some of the other guys were yelling cheers toward him, and a few yelled to let me go, but he just fanned them off with his free hand. Jaxon had stopped trying to get up and lay sprawled in the sand. Nate was walking away from the bonfire, dragging me toward a sand dune when my fear escalated. I couldn’t fight him off and he was taking me somewhere secluded. “Let me go!” I yelled as loud as I could muster which was barely a whisper. I continued to kick and scratch at him. He laughed. “You’re a feisty one, aren’t you? This will be a lot of fun. Don’t fight it baby, you know you want me.”

  He threw me on the sand roughly forcing out the little air I had left in my lungs. He crouched down on his hands and knees over me and started groping me and pulling at my shorts. I tried kicking him and nearly connected with his groin before he straddled my legs and backhanded me across the cheekbone. My eye started swelling instantly and the pain shocked me so much I stopped fighting. My eyes blurred with tears. His weight on my body was too much. I couldn’t breathe and the panic inside of me was too much to control. He pinned my arms down above my head, and started pulling my shirt away with his free hand. Each of his legs pinned my legs down and he started grabbing me in ways that I knew he was about to rape me. I started crying and tried to scream when he put his mouth on mine forcing his tongue around. I tried to bite him but he slapped me again, sending my head spinning. I could taste the beer mixed with what I could imagine was my blood, and almost threw up. I turned my head away and his mouth planted on my neck. “You taste so sweet.” He groaned and then I felt a sharp sting in my neck. The pain quickly faded to a numbness that spread from my neck down my left arm. I could only compare it to the Novocain shot I once got at the dentist.

  The numbness was spreading to my face and my body and I couldn’t move. He released his grip on my hands and began pulling off my shorts. The numbness spread and within a few seconds, all of my limbs were paralyzed. My mind was racing but I couldn’t move. Tears filled my eyes again as I tried focusing on the stars above. His mouth returned to my neck then slimed its way down my chest. I tried to scream again but nothing came from my mouth. I could feel his mouth on my body but I couldn’t move. Tears ran down my face and he licked them.

  “You’re ssstill pure.” He hissed. “I’ve found you just in time, princess.” His hands began to molest my body. Instead of being repulsed, my treacherous body began to respond to his touch. “That’s right, princess, let your body respond to my touch.” His hand hovered over my abdomen, rubbing circles. “Let the bond happened. Soon you’ll carry my seed and our future will change history.”

  This guy was more psycho than I realized. I still couldn’t move but the feeling had returned and I could feel every nauseating touch.

  “After tonight, that earth mover will be a figment of your imagination and you’ll be mine forever.” He began to unzip his shorts and my heart slammed into my chest with fear. “Ahh, that’s it, princess, you know how to drive me crazy. Your fear smells delicious.” He returned his repellent mouth to my breast, and then he was suddenly ripped off of me. I couldn’t focus through the tears and my body was still not cooperating. Angry music filled my ears along with the blood rushing back through my body. Feeling and movement were returning to my limbs and I tried to sit up, but I still couldn’t command my body.

  Everything was spinning and I heard the fight going on just feet away from me. I heard a fist to a face and a groan that sounded like Nate. I couldn’t see who was fighting him, but I knew the music. The panic was still there, but somehow I felt safer knowing Kyler was near. I knew I had to try to move but I still couldn’t. My mind was foggy and my eyes were struggling to stay open. I felt very sleepy suddenly and I began to drift.

  The heat on my neck slowly brought me back to reality. My neck was burning and the flames were quickly running through my veins. My eyes flew open and I reached for my neck. I was still lying in the sand exposed. The flames were coursing through my body and I screamed. I tried to sit up but the pain was unbearable. I couldn’t cover myself because my shirt was ripped to pieces. I managed to sit up on the sand clutching the remnants of my top and wiping away tears and blood that continued to flow down my face. I couldn’t move further. My ribs hurt to breathe, the left side of my body still felt numb as if my arm and leg fell asleep. And the burning slowly ate away inside of me. The dizziness and burning overwhelmed me and I curled into a ball on the sand.

  The fighting finally stopped and the angry music changed to panic then to anxious as it got closer to my location. “Raegan?” the sound pulsated through my body. I couldn’t speak. He got closer and the music intensified, fear resonating through my body. Not my fear, but his. “I’m here.” I rasped. My throat was dry from screaming. Relief sounded through his music. I felt the electricity arcing from his body as he kneeled next to me. I sobbed and he wrapped his arms around me. I couldn’t believe the rush of pleasure that surged through me the instant he touched me. I couldn’t stop myself from latching my arms around him. I heard him inhale sharply and freeze for a moment then exhale elatedly. “Are you okay?” His voice trembled as he spoke.

  “I think so.” I whispered still holding on. He gently pushed me away to examine my face. He looked at my body and then began pulling his t-shirt off. He helped me put on his shirt and I flinched when I raised my left arm. “Ouch.” I grimaced. My left side felt sharp stabbing pain. “I think my ribs might be bruised.” He placed his hand on my ribs and the fire intensified that coursed through me and I moaned with aching hunger for him. I closed my eyes and let him hold me. My breathing got heavier and reached for him to hold me closer. His breathing got faster and he picked me up to my feet. He kept his hands around me in an embrace. The electricity flowing between us was intense. I thought I was going to burst into flames. I wanted to kiss him but he was holding me tightly to his chest. His heart was pounding as fast as mine. “We need to get you cleaned up. You’ve got blood on you. Are you hurt anywhere else?” He reached for my shorts and helped me put them back on.

  “I think he stuck me with something. It felt like a needle but it came from his mouth?” I turned my head to show him where the pain came originally came from. “It felt like a Novocaine shot. My face and my arm started going numb and I couldn’t move. Now there’s this intense burning.”

  Kyler ran his fingers over my neck wiping blood off with the collar of his shirt. “I don’t see anything or feel any kind of mark where it would have been. I need to get you away from here before he wakes up.” He took a deep breath and slowly let me go. “I think your ribs might be broken though.” He stated without the shakiness in his voice he had earlier. “We should get you to the hospital and get you checked out. Are you sure he didn’t…I mean, are you hurt anywhere else?”

  “No, you stopped him just in time. But no hospitals. I’m sick of hospitals. They just want to stick needles in me and poke around my body. I’ve had enough of that tonight.” I stumbled as he led me back toward the bonfire. “I can’t go back that way.” I hissed and stopped. He sighed and turned me away from the bonfire.

  “I can take you home but I really think you sh
ould go to the hospital and get that rib checked out.” His music sounded persuasive. I was glad I couldn’t see his hypnotic eyes clearly. I’m sure I would have just agreed with him and let him take me to the hospital.

  “I can’t go home right now either. My Aunt Sarah would force me to the hospital too. She can’t see me like this. She would lose her mind if she knew that I almost got…” I shuddered again and the tears started falling. Kyler’s music got angry again. “It’s okay.” I tried to comfort him, feeling his emotions in the music.

  “What?” Kyler asked incredulously. “What’s okay? That animal almost raped you. It is definitely not okay!” The anger was still there, but it was different. He was angry that I was dismissing the situation.

  “No, not that. It’s okay now. You don’t need to feel…” I couldn’t find the words to describe what I was feeling from him. “Don’t be angry anymore. I, I can feel your anger.” There I said it, out loud in the dark so he couldn’t see my face. Embarrassment swept over me as I acknowledged the indescribable music emotions I felt and heard from him.

  He was staring at me, not breathing. “What do you mean?” He asked cautiously.

  “I don’t know what I mean. I just know that you are angry, and now I hear panic or is it fear? When you’re near me…I know.” He was breathing again, but not talking. He didn’t move for a long time. His music started to calm down, but it was still the panicky beat. Uncertainty flowed from him. “Right now you are feeling uncertain about something. Now shock.” I felt stupid right now. I shouldn’t have told him. He’ll think I’m a nut.

  He exhaled quickly. “You’re not a nut.” Now it was my turn for stunned silence. Could he read my mind? “I feel… very connected to you.”

  Feel what? My emotions too? I wanted to say it out loud, but I didn’t want to know the answer. If he could, he knew how he made me feel. Sympathy was flowing from him now.

  “What is going on? Why can I feel every emotion you feel when you’re near me?” I asked him point blank.

  “I don’t know.” He answered flatly. I could feel the tension in his words and his body.

  “Why are you so tense now?” He stepped away from me letting my arms drop by my side. He was keeping something from me. I knew it and so did he.

  “Let’s get you off this beach.” Changing the subject he turned toward the strip. He reached back to grab my hand and I instantly took hold of his. I relished in the pleasure as he led me stumbling through the dunes back to the parking lot.

  CHAPTER 10 – THE LIGHTHOUSE

  He stopped at a motorcycle and sat down. The motorcycle roared to life and he motioned for me to get on. Between the vibrations of the motorcycle and the vibrations I felt pressed up against his bare back, I wasn’t sure how long I could hold on to him flying down the road. My legs were shaking and my ribs were burning with pain. The internal flames burned more in places where I touched Kyler, but it wasn’t a painful burn anymore, it was pure pleasure. He rode away from the bonfire toward the low hills of the island. Several of the University’s research labs were out this way. A few houses were scattered along the hillside, and a lighthouse was situated near the ship channel.

  We stopped at the lighthouse. I reluctantly let go of him and tried to dismount the motorcycle. My legs were unsteady and I was light headed. He chuckled and wrapped his arm around me for support. I groaned again feeling his arm around me and his energy flow through my whole body. The heat was building inside my body.

  He led me to the lighthouse entrance and I could feel an excited energy from him now. He was not feeling the anxiousness I felt earlier. The happiness confused me and I began to doubt my connection to his emotions. He kept his hand on my back as he took keys from his pocket. I caught a glimpse of his bare chest and his strong arms as he opened the door and ushered me inside. The heat in my face was smoldering. I couldn’t hide my desire for him. I hated feeling controlled by this internal inferno. But I craved his touch. I felt as if his touch alone energized me like a battery. As soon as his touch left me, I could feel the energy drop.

  We were inside the lighthouse now. This part of the lighthouse was where the keeper must stay. There was a couch to the right and a small television set. Behind the couch was a small kitchenette with a refrigerator, stove and sink. There was another door that was closed toward the stairwell on the left, winding up to the top of the light house. Kyler pointed to the closed door and said, “That’s the restroom if you’d like to wash up. I’ll get you some more clothes to change into, and an ice pack.”

  He headed for the stairs and left me standing in the middle of the room. I looked around the small space looking for any indication that Kyler lived here. Everything was in order, nothing lying around. I opened the door to the restroom to find a shower stall, toilet, and sink. I looked in the mirror at my face. Tear streaks mixed with mascara ran down my face and my auburn hair was a mess. Dried blood was caked on my neck and on Kyler’s shirt. My right eye was swollen and my cheek was bruised. My other green eye stared back brightly. That didn’t match the rest of my face or body. I looked in the hutch next to the shower to find clean folded towels and other toiletries. I turned on the water to the shower and grabbed the shampoo and soap from the cabinet.

  I heard Kyler’s music approach and a knock at the bathroom door. When I opened the door, Kyler had a clean shirt and some pull on shorts with a drawstring. His electric blue eyes locked on mine and he smiled. “These should fit you. The shorts will need to be cinched up, but should work for now.” My heart flipped as his voice trembled through my soul. He looked at my chest at the same time my heart fluttered. His music intensified and he looked in my eyes again. His crooked smile faltered and he blinked looking away from mine. He handed the clothes to me and looked to the door to grab the doorknob. “I’ll let you clean up. Take as much time as you need.” He shut the door and his music flowed endlessly through me. I felt safe here. Kyler made me feel extremely safe.

  The hot water from the shower helped loosen the tense muscles in my body, but the burning adrenaline still coursed through me. My ribs still ached and I looked down to see a faint area of purple near my lower rib cage. I ran my hand over the area to see if any were jutting out of my skin. Nothing was poking out, just tender. I washed my hair and body and tried to relax the tension in my shoulders. I rubbed along my neck feeling for any kind of puncture wound but couldn’t find anything. Maybe I just imagined the whole thing? I could hear Kyler’s calm music now. It was the same music I remember hearing when I woke up at the Rock. It was relaxing and soothing. I knew it had to have been him that night. I still couldn’t understand the connection or the reason. We were connected somehow and I needed some answers.

  The hot water was energizing, not as much as Kyler’s touch, but enough that I wasn’t about to fall on my face with fatigue. I toweled off and put on the clothes he gave me. The shorts were big, but the drawstring helped. They were warm like they just came out of the dryer. The shirt was big too. It was another of his t-shirts. This one was pale green with white lines depicting a monster wave. I couldn’t find a brush in the cabinet so I dried my hair as best I could. I looked at myself again in the mirror after wiping away the fog to see the mascara trails gone. My face was flushed still, whether from the heat of the shower or the heat of his presence, I couldn’t tell. My eye would be black by tomorrow and I hoped my cheek bone wasn’t broken. He was seeing me at my worst, so no way of salvaging my appearance now. I grabbed the doorknob and opened the door.

  Kyler had set up a table and chairs and set out two plates of spaghetti. He looked up when I opened the door and flashed a big smile. “You look amazing.” His voice sang. He must be delusional too. His eyes never left mine. “Have a seat.” His voice commanded my movements again, and he pulled out the chair nearest to me and I sat down. “Here, hold that on your face for at least 15 minutes. It’ll be cold, but we need to see if we can get the swelling down.” He sat across from me and watched as I obediently held the ice pack
to my face. I winced from the pain but tried to control my reaction so he wouldn’t force me to the hospital.

  “Eat.” He directed me again. My wide eyes wouldn’t leave his until he picked up his fork and looked down at his food. I could blink again and breathe. I looked down to find my fork and lifted it to twirl the spaghetti and shove it in my mouth. I was hungry, despite the trauma. The shock of everything that happened was taxing my energy level. I didn’t want to look up at him again and lose my concentration and control, so I kept my eyes low. He had put on a clean shirt too. His hands were strong and he ate quietly. I shoveled bite after bite into my mouth. This was the best spaghetti I had ever eaten. He had stopped eating and put his fork down. He crossed his arms across his chest and I could tell he was staring at me again. He chuckled again and picked up his napkin. He reached across to my face and wiped at the corner of my mouth. Even through the napkin, I felt his charge. I closed my eyes feeling the pulse of energy and the heat that briefly touched my face. When I opened my eyes again, his sapphire blue eyes were gazing warmly at me. “What do you feel?” He questioned me sincerely.

  “I’m not sure how to explain it.” I sighed. “Right now, I feel safe and protected. When you touch me…” I looked down as the heat soared through my body. He stiffened and sucked in air. I looked up to find his eyes closed. His face was beautiful. I knew he was feeling what I was feeling. His music increased tempo and my heart began to race again in sync with his music. His eyes opened suddenly and he leaned closer to me staring deep into my eyes. I closed my eyes expecting his lips when my cell phone went off. We both froze and he backed off jumping out of his chair to recover my cell phone from the restroom. “It’s Julie.” He called from the restroom.

  The phone was still ringing as he handed it to me. “She’ll be so worried if I don’t answer.” I looked back up at him for his permission.