Thank you, my-goddamn-mother-fucking-King.
“No, there’s nothing else that can be done.” And just like that my heart sunk pitilessly. “Any spirit Elemental that overly exerts themselves, pulls the stunts she did, without proper exercise goes into a,” he hummed quietly in thought, “I can’t say exactly what happens, but imagine a Com coma. But, never ending. That is where she is. I’ve never known a spirit to free themselves from it before, and she would have known this had she stayed at the Temple longer, but she left too damn early.”
“Elder Merrick?” King Collins asked instantly.
His voice was choked, even though he was frozen still under me. “Truth.”
My mind blanked…then screamed at myself in fury.
“I can scent her emotions,” King Zeller rambled hurriedly, and my brain stalled listening to him. “She has to be able to hear us, if she’s as furious as what she is right now.”
“That doesn’t surprise me. Rare Com coma patients have been known to wake and say they heard those around them.” I felt the brush of his fingers glide down the side of my face. “I’m sorry, kitten, but this is the only way. I really had wished you’d awake on your own.”
Instantly, fear and misery transfused my being, swirling with the anger at my own lack of knowledge, but I still couldn’t fucking move or speak.
“What is she feeling now?” King Collins asked instantly.
“What anyone would in her situation.” King Zeller’s voice was quiet. “Fear. Despair. Anger.”
The One sighed heavily. “I’m not so bad, kitten. I had hoped you’d learn I’m nothing like Jacob Angel before this occurred. And on your own. He poisoned your mind with preconceived notions about me on purpose.” Another stroke of his fingers, his tone quiet. “We’ll work through this.”
“King Collins, she’s strong,” Elder Merrick rumbled instantly, and I felt his hand land on my forehead, holding me firmly against his chest. “Damn strong and powerful. Given time, her Core might heal, if that’s the issue. Just…just give her the time to see if she can pull through this, instead of taking away her choice.”
“I have witnessed others, a few anyway, who are just as strong as her, or even more so, still in this state from their lack of control, even though they knew the rules.” Slow words. “She will not wake from this.”
Quiet words from King Collins. “Elder Merrick?”
He gurgled, and I felt his chest heaving under my chest. Choked. His wolf growled softly. More choking, then he growled, “Truth.” He inhaled hard, stating angrily, “It still doesn’t mean she can’t make it through.”
King Collins sounded tired. “Elder Merrick, I know you feel guilty and responsible for this, but it sounds as if it was only lack of knowledge. It was no one’s fault.”
“The One should have told her.” Elder Merrick spoke gruffly, his wolf snarling. “He’s had ample amount of time, and yet, he spoke nothing of it. Who’s to say, he wasn’t waiting for this to happen so he could,” his wolf huffed, “awaken her?”
The One’s tone was bordering on angered. “That was not my plan. I did not wish this for her, and I never expected her to have to overexert herself without going into damn battle as she did because as you have said, she is damn powerful. I would have much rather her find all this out on her own. Let her come into her own without my help. Now, she is going to think I forced it on her when I have no other choice.” He paused, tone turning to a lazy growl. “And yes, you know that’s the truth, so sniff the fuck away.”
Elder Merrick’s wolf growled quietly, the sound reverberating against the back of my head, but he didn’t contradict the One’s words, so I prayed they were the truth.
“And now?” King Collins asked. “What is she feeling now?”
One quiet word from King Zeller. “Despair.”
Yes, all I felt was despair of the unknown. The man I hated with a vengeance, the one who seemed to complete me and somehow…held me captive…behind me. And the man before me I was somehow bound to, who irritated me at times with his stubbornness, but did seem to be a caring individual…was going to hold a piece of me…all from my reckless choices in life.
“I’m sorry, kitten.” I felt the gentlest of kisses land on the corner of my mouth, soft rolls of hair tickling my cheeks. Elder Merrick freezing completely under me, his muscles so tight they started to tremble, his grip on my forehead unbreakable. The hair brushed, moving slowly, another soft kiss on the other edge of my lips, and then he whispered, “It was always meant to be, so please don’t blame me.” He lips hovered over mine, their heat penetrating. “King Collins, I will ask your permission once.”
In the still of the room, King Collins asked, “And if I say no?”
Simple words, no fanfare, his warm breath brushing over my mouth, not moving from whatever he was preparing to do. “I will do what needs to be done to save her.”
My mind churned, in despair and confusion as I felt one man’s breathing begin to accelerate over my lips, while another man’s heart skyrocket, beating frantically against the back of my head, time ticking incrementally slower than all three actions, my mind, the breaths, and the heart.
Elder Jacobs slowly prompted in the quiet, “King Collins…”
A loud shaky inhale from my King. “Caro, I’m making the hard choice for you.” A pause. “Do it. Save her.”
Wait, my mind screamed, just as the One’s lips landed on mine gently. Reverently. The softest caress of his plump lips against my unmoving mouth, before his thumb pressed my chin down, and I heard him inhale before his hair stroked over my face and his opened mouth captured mine, his heated breath rushing through my mouth, the tingle of the stars, but potent, so much stronger than my own as my chest lifted, my lungs filling with his given air and power, even as he laid a hand over my Core, tingling and magical, zapping my flesh in a warm caress before his power plunged deep within me, a straight shot at my Core, a magical feeling of rightness. Then, he pulled, his magic grabbing hold of mine in an iron fist, and started a slow pull toward his own. Mine bowed, a low groan flying into his mouth over mine just as my power touched his, injecting, weaving instantly, and I heard him whisper in my mind, my very being, “Awaken, the Chosen.”
My eyes shot wide open to a blue ceiling with painted whimsical clouds, and I knew instantly I was in King Collins’s office as my mind tumbled in a blurred double vision, also seeing my face from a downwards view. My chest heaved, and I shoved at Leric, pushing him away, no longer at any way just the One to me, feeling a damn tether connected to him, feeling…him. “Jesus Christ!”
He sat back instantly, actually falling back, blinking just as hard at me as I scrambled up…Elder Merrick’s body…gripping his neck tightly with one arm, curled up on him as my heart rate shot off like a damn cannon, rubbing my eyes repeatedly, “Christ, I’m going to puke!”
Leric was rubbing his eyes, shaking his head hard, then more rubbing. “I can’t say that was what I always thought I’d hear the first time my Chosen and I connected, but,” more rubbing, “fuck, I can’t say I disagree with you, either.”
King Collins grabbed my face, bending over the back of the couch, staring down into my frightened gaze. “What’s wrong?”
“Jesus,” Leric barked, waving a hand drunkenly in my peripheral from the ground, “Not so damn close, man. Move back.”
My eyes damn near crossed and I swallowed the bile down hard as I saw not only King Collins face, but me at a distance on top of Elder Merrick, my Kings hands gripping my face. “Leric!” My voice was shrill and frantic. “Turn this off!” Okay, maybe I was yelling. A little.
Instantly, part of the double vision went away, blankness, as I stared up at King Collins, and I sighed a bit in relief, until Leric barked, “Caro! Close your eyes!”
I did instantly, realizing he was probably still seeing what I did, even with his eyes shut. My chest heaved repeatedly as beautiful nothing surrounded me…except for a damn emotion I could feel starting to radiate down
through the tether, and I waggled my finger in Leric’s general direction, shouting, “Keep that to yourself, buddy.”
His quiet chuckle sounded behind the blankness. “You can feel that, can you?”
“Just stop it.” My chest heaved…and I shuddered the barest bit, since he didn’t stop. “That is not funny.”
“You know I find you attractive.” More chuckling. “This shouldn’t be a surprise.”
I jerked my face from King Collins’s hands. “Somebody tell me how to stop this shit!”
King Collins cleared his throat. “What exactly is it you’re…er…experiencing?”
Instant from Leric. “Double vision. I can see what she sees, and it appears, vice versa.”
I talked over him. “Emotions. I can feel his emotions.” Shuddering again, I snapped my fingers in his direction. “Goddammit, stop that!”
“You’re frightened,” Leric murmured softly, a quiet purr. “I’m just trying to compensate.”
“Oh, bullshit. I don’t even have to be a Shifter to smell that,”
“Lie?” Leric whispered on a purr inside my head. “Is that what you were going to say, kitten?”
I thumped my head hard. “And his voice.” More thumping. “His voice is in my head.” And it wasn’t stopping as I began hearing every damn thought, but suddenly, I jerked on top of Elder Merrick, sucking in a harsh breath as I felt an influx of power down our joined tether, a heady dose, and I knew I was glowing. “And his power. I can feel his power.” Yeah, my voice sounded a little awed, but still…”Someone tell us how to stop this!”
Dead silence reigned.
“Hello?” I was starting to sweat, his voice, his thoughts, I could tell were trying to be quiet, but…they weren’t so much. “We need some damn help here!”
King Collins instantly growled, “You said she wasn’t your mate!”
“She’s. My. Chosen.” Leric’s tone was a growl. “And I would really like to be able to walk fucking straight again, so somebody give us a damn hand with this.” And…a tiger’s growl echoed.
Instantly, I jerked, and the force I had felt when I had awakened bubbled up like a fountain from my Core. I grabbed at my chest, choking. Coughing hard. Pushing it…down…frightened as a fury built within me. Coughed hard, my body racking…and it burst forth, my lips parted.
The tiniest tiger growl I had ever heard emitted from within my chest.
“Ahh!” I screamed, scrabbling at my chest with my free hand. “What. The. Fuck?”
Leric sighed, his own growling stopping, sounding damn content. “There you are.”
My chest was pumping in frenzy as quiet surrounded us, and I screamed, “I am going to start hurting people if you don’t quit staring, and help us!” I thumped on my chest as another…goddamn…bitty growl erupted. “And this shit, Leric. You are going to explain.”
“It’s a…baby tiger,” Queen Ruckler murmured, sounding awed, her voice coming closer. “Is she going to shift, or something?”
I froze. Utter and completely. “If I’m going to be turning furry, you had better warn me right fucking now before I rip your goddamn balls off for doing this!”
“Just calm down…and nothing will happen.” Elusive words, which I didn’t like one damn bit…and I instantly felt him trying to soothe me down the tether, which only worried me more. “Really, people, I know you’ve had mates before. This runs parallel. Just a little advice would go a long damn way.”
Realizing—belatedly—I was probably choking Elder Merrick, even as I sucked oxygen, I loosened my hold…a bit…and held still on his frozen lap, feeling his heartbeat pound like rapid fire against my side, racing as fast as mine, waiting…for someone to get over their damn shock.
King Collins eventually cleared his throat. “Alright,” another clearing of his throat, “normally as I’m sure you both know when two individuals of like faction are mated, they receive one mate gift.” A pause. “You’ve apparently received all, plus…others. The double vision and “tiger”…thing, aren’t usual. The other three are. To control the other three, you need to envision your power. Your gift, which would probably work best as the stars. Imagine building a wall of this between you and the other in your mind…”
He continued babbling in a calming voice, but I was already working aggressively on my damn wall of stars. It wasn’t easy. Not at all. Beads of sweat started perspiring down my temples, and I started trembling the barest bit at the effort it took, because the expanse was so damn vast. Eventually, after what seemed like forever, I muttered on a defeated breath, “It’s too much.” It was the fucking galaxies. It would take a lifetime to accomplish.
Leric grunted, his own voice breathless. “This is ridiculous.”
My brows pinched, even as Elder Jacobs started in, stating patiently how to do it, and I shook my head, murmuring, “It’s too much! Imagine the endless sky. How long would it take to block that?”
Everyone was silent for long moments, and then Elder Merrick spoke softly, his voice hoarse, “Encompass just yourself.”
Keeping my mind blank, I instantly started firing stars around myself in the ether, pulling from the ones I had already placed on the wall, twisting and turning, floating upside down at one point, my hair floating about me, until I had finally constructed the wall, placing the last fireball in place, then blowing on it, bathing it, to one large ring of stars fire around me, strong, but clear enough to see through…and instantly, Leric’s voice cut off inside my head, the emotions gone, the added power I had felt sizzling just within my reach gone…and I inhaled, wiggled my shoulders…and fucking growled like a damn tiger. A baby one, anyway, that not gone. But, I slowly peeked open one eye, not seeing anything wickedly twisted, so I let both eyes open, seeing Leric on the ground, still working on his wall, eyes closed in concentration, his face a bit pale. He was much larger than me, so it would probably take him a while longer, but he didn’t react to me opening my eyes, so the double vision must be gone.
I tilted my damp face toward Elder Merrick…only to have my cheek brush his, and through all my swirling emotions, I felt an instant jolt of arousal low in my gut, quickly pulling my face away, stuttering, “I-It…worked.”
His jaw was clenched tight, eyes hooded, black thick lashes hiding his gaze, lips thinned, but his brows slammed together with his next inhale, and if it was possible, he froze even more under me, his lips parting on a shaky exhale.
I cleared my throat, damn shocked, realizing I could still feel that…because mates weren’t supposed to feel arousal for another. “Um…” My mouth flapped for a moment, then I patted his chest awkwardly with my free hand. “I’d…uh…say thanks, but I still need to kick your ass.”
My attention jerked to Leric when he asked, eyes still closed, “You’re done? It worked for you?”
Eyes a bit wide, I mumbled, “Yes. Nothing going in or out from what I can tell.” Mind swirling, but confusion reigning, I quickly released Elder Merrick, practically tumbling down his chest I had been resting against, swiftly moving to the far end of the couch, shoving his legs off it. He was dressed, but only in a pair of white athletic shorts, his feet bare, so I didn’t look anywhere near his gorgeous body. Instead, I curled up on the edge, placing a hand over my forehead, staring at Leric as he worked, his handsome face one I had dreamed of many times after first meeting him, knowing he was creating his barrier meticulously, just as he had done with the terrible cookies we had made together.
What the fuck was the Chosen?
What the hell did it mean in correlation to the One?
…and how the hell was I able to still get aroused for someone else?
King Collins moved around the couch to squat in front of me. “Are you alright, Caro?”
“Not really.” My voice was a bit breathless, not caring if I was showing weakness right now, and I knew my gaze was wide, frightened. “I’m freaked and confused as hell.” I rubbed at my chest, feeling the…animal…the definite damn tiger inside me. “Weirded…most
definitely weirded out.”
King Collins placed his hand on my bare knee, still dressed in the damn tiny match clothing. “I had to make this choice for you given the facts.”
“I know.” I placed my cold palm over his, squeezing it. “I wasn’t upset about that. I would have made the same decision if I were in your place.” I inhaled shakily, and tried to breathe out calmly. “This is just a bit much.” With not enough answers.
King Collins grabbed the blanket on the back of the couch, blankets he had placed all over the Elemental section now that I was here, a kind, thoughtful gesture, pulling it over my shoulders and wrapping me up tight.
My smile was small with my emotions as they were, but my heart expanded for him, a definite place there for him, and I whispered quietly, “You’re going to make a good dad one day.” It was safe to say.
Brown eyes slammed to mine, and he swallowed hard, his voice gruff. “Yes,” he cleared his throat, tucking the blanket under my feet, “well…I’m definitely getting practice in patience and anxiety lately, so I hope so.” He cleared his throat again, straightening, but when he moved, he only sat on the arm of the couch, directly next to my elbow, placing his hand on my shoulder, leaving it there.
Only a minute later, Leric opened his shadowed eyes slowly in the quiet around us, and he blinked a few times before he sighed heavily, sitting up straight, not bothering to stand while he stretched his arms over his head, his V-neck cashmere white thin sweater pulling against his muscles, and yeah, I noticed more than a little, but my gaze was dead on his when silver eyes met mine. He held it steadily, keen intelligence in their depths which he didn’t try to hide. “I imagine you have questions.” Simple words.
“Understatement.” My own tone was brusque, and I couldn’t hide my agitation. “You’ve know this…since when?”
“Since Tristan reacted as he did with you in my study.”
My fingers tapped on my forehead. “And you didn’t bother to tell me?”
“I wanted it to be a natural acceptance. For you to awaken on your own, no matter how long it took, instead of forcing the issue.” He stared at me pointedly. “You weren’t ready for it, either, with what that bastard did with my face.”
Chosen One Page 17
