Bonded (The Raegan Mason Trilogy)

by Cheryl Courtney

  Marina smiled slightly and looked back and forth between us again. Kyler had returned the necklace and stone around his neck. I had my bracelet on my right arm careful not to touch his skin but feeling the buzz of the connection strengthen between us, pulling me toward him.

  “I figured this would be a good time to arm you both before going on. This way you both are feeling, hearing and experiencing the powers of the enhancers you both inherited. Raegan, your bracelet is a very old enhancer. It enhances the dormant powers you already have. Kyler’s enhancer is his necklace that was given to him by his father. Kyler has had his longer than you and has learned to master many of his powers. He doesn’t need it to use his powers, but it will be helpful as you learn how to use yours.”

  “Now there isn’t any need for embarrassment or hiding your feelings. As Kyler indicated, I can hear your thoughts. I do not feel your emotions since we are not bonded as you and Kyler are. Bonded means exactly what it sounds like. You two are what people have coined ‘soul mates’. Your souls, or life forces, have bonded. Your bodies have not bonded in union, Kyler has admitted earlier, but I am afraid that if you cannot master your emotions, that time is not far away. However, you must control these urges until a unification ceremony has been performed. You have already ignited one another. That means that your bodies and emotions will continue to crave and desire situations where a union will be made.”

  “She’s talking about sex? We’re going to glow until we have sex?” My heart was beating so hard and my face was burning.

  “Yes and no. A union could involve intercourse, but for you two it will be different. Please let me back up and give you some insight to this so you can better understand our situation. Based on the bracelet you are currently wearing, your family must be one of four royal families from… an ancient civilization.” Her eyes quickly flicked to Kyler and then back to me so quickly I wasn’t sure it happened. “There are some Elders and descendants from our civilization here in the United States. Some are living near other ancient cities like Egypt. There are some in Europe, but all can trace their heritage to one of the four families. There are the Celosia, the Stones, the Ores, and the Vales. Each family has had one pure blooded family for thousands of years. Your mother and father, or at least your mother, must have been from one of the four families or you would not be here. It is impossible for our kind to procreate outside of our families.” She glanced at Kyler when she said families but I couldn’t catch the exchange in his thoughts. “Your father was a Mason by birth? Or was your mother a Mason and you took her name?”

  “My father’s last name was Mason. My Aunt Sarah raises me now and her name is Mason, too. But she doesn’t know about any of this.” I confessed to Marina.

  “What about your father’s parents?”

  “I don’t know much about them. They died when my father was young. Aunt Sarah kind of raised him, too.”

  “How did they die?”

  “Um, I’m not sure. I think I remember hearing that my grandfather had a heart attack and my grandmother had died before then, but I don’t know for sure. Aunt Sarah and Dad didn’t really talk about them much.”

  “Was your mother an only child?”

  “Yes. She didn’t speak of her family either. She seemed to have always been on her own.”

  “What was your mother’s maiden name?” She continued her line of questioning.

  Blank. “Um, I don’t remember.” The holes in my memory were beginning to freak me out.

  “Well, we must make a point to visit with your Aunt Sarah soon to find out what she knows of all of this. It is not unusual for our kind to have multiple children but it is rare. But we’ll get into that more once we figure out which family or families you are from. Let me continue. We are different from most people. We learn quickly, we adapt to new environments quickly, and we mate for life. Our bonding is deep rooted. It is usually fatal to break a bond. Your parents perished together. Your mother’s parents most likely perished together. However, the bonding is something that is rare amongst our kind. Many of us go our whole lifetime without bonding. As you may have heard or seen, Kyler did not date other girls. He has never found someone that is his match, until you. Have you had other bonds with other males?”

  “I’ve had a few friends, but nothing serious or disgraceful, if that’s what you mean.”

  “So you are pure? You’re a virgin?”

  Heat soared over my body. “Yes.” I answered and wished for this to be over so I could leave.

  “Please do not be embarrassed. I do not mean to make you feel uncomfortable. Please understand that I am asking these questions as a mother concerned about the well being of my son. He has bonded with you. If you are no longer pure, the union cannot happen between you and it will result in a lifetime of agony for him. I do not say these things to frighten you. I am confident that your union will be successful and that we’re on our way to a new beginning for our kind.”

  I was reaching my limit for insane conversations. “You talk about us like we’re some kind of alien species and that we’re the only chance for survival.” Silence deafened my ears and my thoughts. Both Kyler and his mother stopped breathing. Kyler stopped thinking. I couldn’t hear his heart beating anymore. “What just happened?” The moment passed and the both stared at each other and then Kyler spoke.

  “We are not from here, Raegan. We have been here for a long time, but yes, we are like an alien species. Most humans on Earth are not from Earth. Earth was populated millions of years ago by our kind and others. We can survive as humans, but our bodies crave the ocean more than the dry land and air.”

  I’m a freaking alien? I began to hyperventilate.

  Marina interrupted, “Raegan, please keep an open mind. Your headaches began after the passing of your parents. Your parental bond with them was broken. I’m guessing a few months later they started?” I nodded. “You were dying. We moved here shortly before the accident on the bridge. I sensed others like us living here and we moved in search of the families. I was not here when the accident happened, but Kyler was. He was pulled to the accident like a magnet. He found you, but not your parents. He made sure you were found by the fishermen. You were not injured because your choice to jump from the car prevented the injuries that would have occurred in the vehicle, and the water healed most of the other injuries. I believe you had a few scratches remaining when they found you. We do not know what happened to your parents.”

  “Kyler searched for them but couldn’t find any sign of them in the car or in the water. Kyler enrolled in school in hopes of finding you and getting to know you, but your illness prevented that. A few nights ago, Kyler was on the beach when he found you unconscious. Your life force was withering from the loss of your parents and from lack of sea water. We must be near the ocean water for rejuvenation and overall functioning of our organs. Yours were shutting down.” Her face was neutral as if she were reading a recipe, not describing my almost death.

  I turned to Kyler, “So it was you that night on the beach? I heard you in the water but I didn’t see you.”

  “Yes, you couldn’t see me, but I was there. I was in the lighthouse that night. I had watched you come every night and sit at the rock. Every night, I felt the pull toward you. I became very protective of you and wanted to be with you even then. That night I had to intervene. I rehydrated your body enough to keep you alive and stayed beside you for hours before you woke. Then your instincts must have taken over because you returned to the water. When I saw that you were okay, I left. It wasn’t right for me to stay in the water while you were recovering.” A flash of me floating exposed in the water crossed his mind before he blocked it.

  Marina cleared her throat and continued. “Your bond is now to Kyler and your headaches have ceased. However, in the early stages of your bond, it is like a new addict to a drug. The more time you spend with him, the longer you can be away from him. If you are away from him too long, your body will experience withdrawal symptoms such
as headaches, nausea, vomiting, shakes, agitation. I’ve seen that it’s already happened for you earlier today. Wearing the bracelet will help with the symptoms, but you both will need to work on the time together and apart to find something that is bearable. Since Kyler has a double bond working, the focus will be on you, Raegan. Kyler still has a parental bond and his time away from you is not as painful as your time away from him will be. Since you are still under age and your Aunt Sarah is your guardian, we do not want to cause distress by breaking any kind of bond she may have with you.”

  “It is still unbelievable that she exists now considering that she has lost both parental bonds and never bonded with another. I must speak with her soon. It is also very late and you need to get home before she worries.” She stood up and motioned toward the front door. “Kyler, I trust you will be able to handle the ride home now?” She asked.

  “Yes, Mother, I can handle it.” Kyler reached for my hand and pulled me gently toward the door.

  “Raegan, we will speak more soon and I’ll be here to answer any questions you have.” She placed her hand on my shoulder and smiled.

  We walked out the door to his motorcycle before he relaxed. “I know this is a lot to understand and accept. I will protect you and respect your decisions. I hear your thoughts and know that you are confused and scared. Things do not have to move so quickly if we can work on the timing together. We’ll need to work on our control and your powers. You’ll need to learn how to block your thoughts better.” He smiled his crooked smile at me and kissed me on my forehead. The vibrations rocked through my body. “Control it, Rae.” He commanded.

  “How?” I whispered trying to force myself to endure the pleasure instead of attacking him in the driveway. “Show me.” I spoke as I kissed him on his chest. His mental walls fell as the vibrations rushed through his body. His arms tensed around me and I watched as he let the vibrations rip through his muscles, his heart, and explode into bright white stars. His music intensified and increased tempo until the vibrations ran their course. His breathing increased and then slowed as the brightness faded. When I opened my eyes, his were glowing again.

  “You have to surrender to the emotions and hold on tight. Your body will want to do more, but we must be strong and wait. It’s not time for us to unite, but that time will come soon enough.” He smiled and stroked my cheek with his fingers. I could see my eyes in his thoughts, glowing like emeralds. “It will be unlike anything we have experienced and if the timing is right, you and I will be the beginning of a new era.” He gently grabbed my arms and walked me toward his motorcycle. Our eyes faded and he sat on the motorcycle and started the engine. I climbed on behind him and wrapped my arms tightly around his waist and held on tight as fireworks exploded in my body.

  CHAPTER 17 - PRACTICE

  The rest of the night, or early morning, I lay in bed thinking about everything Marina and Kyler told me. My mind was overflowing with questions. I wanted to go and wake up Aunt Sarah and ask her the questions I had that I couldn’t seem to form at Kyler’s house. I couldn’t bring Julie into this, she would understand less than I did. At least I knew what I felt and heard wasn’t me going crazy. But it still isn’t easy to explain that part. The questions kept coming. Who was I? What was I? An alien? Why didn’t my mother and father tell me about this? What happened to my parents? What happened to my grandparents? What did Kyler mean, “The beginning of a new era?” What is all this about a union at the right time? I knew I had strong feelings for Kyler and was ready for the next step, but bonded, death do us part, love? I knew he loved me, but why? I wasn’t even eighteen yet, was I ready for this type of commitment? Life?

  It seemed like I tossed and turned forever. I couldn’t sleep. I grabbed the picture of my parents off of the night stand and thought about them. They were so happy together. My memories didn’t fail me there. I tried hard to remember where we lived before here. I couldn’t. It was almost like my memories began exactly when we moved here. I remember setting up my room and starting school. Julie was there and we became friends instantly. But I couldn’t remember anything before then. I searched my parents’ eyes in the photo. What’s going on, mom? I miss you so much. I really need your help. I held the picture tight to my chest and closed my eyes. The tears ran softly down my face. I tried to empty my mind of all of the questions so I could get some rest. The tears kept flowing as I drifted off to sleep.

  Sleep wasn’t peaceful, but it was filled with dreams-real dreams. I dreamt of my parents. They were sitting on an isolated island under some swaying palm trees. The island was something you might see in Hawaii. Volcanic hills covered with a green jungle and exotic birds filled the background. My mother was wearing a white sun dress and her auburn hair hung loose around her shoulders. My father was in long khaki shorts and had his favorite button down golf shirt opened slightly at the top. They were barefooted and rose to walk toward me. They waved at me from the shore. I couldn’t tell if I was in the water or on a boat but I kept trying to reach out to them. My mother spoke, “Not yet, Rae. We are with you always. It is not time to join us. Listen to your heart.” She stepped away from the shore. My father smiled at me. His blue eyes sparkled like the ocean. “Rae, dear, he will be good to you. Trust him.” He turned toward my mother holding her hand. They reached their little shelter of trees and turned back toward me and blew a kiss. I felt the warmth of their love envelop me and push me back away from the island.

  I woke up in my bed wet from head to toe. My clothes were soaked but my bed was not. I shivered as the cool air hit my wet body. I jumped out of bed and grabbed a robe. I had sand on my feet like I’d just been swimming at the beach. The dream was still playing in my head. Did I go swimming? Was that a dream? This is getting out of hand. I grabbed some clothes from my dresser and went to take a quick shower.

  It was still early in the morning, but Aunt Sarah was already up cooking breakfast. I finished my shower and dressed before going in the kitchen. I still wasn’t sure if I should bring anything up or wait for Marina and Kyler to make their appearance today.

  “Good morning, dear. I’ve made some bacon and eggs this morning if you’re hungry.” She was finishing up the dishes and dried her hands to come sit at the table with me. “You’re up early. I didn’t expect you to be up so soon after being out so late.” She gave me that I know what you’ve been up to look.

  “I was out late at Kyler’s. His mother came in late and he wanted me to meet her. She actually wants to meet you soon. I’m thinking she might call today.” No use hiding anything anymore. If she knew my thoughts like Marina, there’s no use pretending.

  “Oh, well that will be fine. I didn’t have anything planned today. How did you sleep?”

  “Not very well. I dreamt of Mom and Dad.” I kept my eyes on my food and continued to eat.

  “Really? How were they?” she asked matter of factly as if I had really visited them. I looked up into her brown eyes.

  “What do you mean, How were they? They’re dead.” I spat in anger.

  “Yes, I realize they are, but in your dream, how were they?” She sipped her coffee and kept her eyes on me.

  “Fine, I guess. They seemed happy. I tried to swim to them but Mom said not yet.”

  “And your father? Did he say anything?” She continued to drink her coffee.

  “Um, yes, he said to trust him that he would be good for me. I’m not sure what that would mean.” I looked down and stabbed some eggs with my fork.

  “I think you do know who he means. Is there anything else you want to tell me?” Aunt Sarah encouraged me with a smile.

  “Like what? I’m not good with riddles, you know.” I looked back at her waiting for more questions.

  “I see you are still wearing your bracelet.” She nodded looking at my wrist.

  “Actually, yes I am. Do you have one like it Aunt Sarah?”

  “Me? Oh not me. That’s silly. Why would I have one? It was an heirloom from your mother.” She looked at me curiously.<
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  “Dad didn’t have anything like it?” I asked a different way.

  “Your father? No he didn’t have a bracelet like that either.” She sipped her coffee and looked out the window.

  “What about a stone like the one on the bracelet? Did you or Dad have anything like that?” I was getting braver with my questioning.

  “I don’t remember seeing anything like that, Raegan. Where is this coming from?” She was getting agitated.

  “Oh, I don’t know. I was talking with Kyler and his mom last night and it got me thinking. Kyler has a stone just like mine. He wears a necklace with one on it. His mother has one too. They told me a little bit about them and I was just curious if my father had one.” I finished my breakfast and stood up to wash my plate.

  “You both have a stone?” Aunt Sarah asked as I walked away.

  “Yep, and things really get enhanced when we both wear them.” I hated playing this cat and mouse game with her, but I was tired of being the one lost in the conversation.

  “What’s that supposed to mean?” Aunt Sarah stood up and faced me with panic on her face.

  “What’s the big deal, Aunt Sarah? Nothing happened. Well technically I guess I was out of my mind, and into Kyler’s.” I smiled ever so slightly at her.

  “Raegan, you’re not making any sense. Are you feeling okay? Give me the bracelet.” She held out her hand like she was talking to a two year old.

  “Excuse me? You said it was mine and that my mother would have wanted me to have it now. Who are you to tell me what to do?” Aunt Sarah’s mouth dropped open at my tantrum.

  “Raegan, please calm down. Don’t cause trouble.” I gasped slightly as I heard Kyler’s thoughts.

  “Forget it.” I told her and turned away. I tried to control my anger by breathing deeply. “I’m going to my room.” I started to walk away when Aunt Sarah stopped me and put her hand on my shoulder.