Their Mating Rituals [Paranormal Protection Unit 4] (Siren Publishing Classic)

by Honor James

  “You mean you were hurting and half-dead,” she retorted. Rubbing her cheek to his, she shook her head. She couldn’t give her name, couldn’t believe. “How?” she whispered. “How could he not have known? Isn’t that something pretty important if someone writes them to tell you that she is pregnant?” She needed to know, had to know. “Because my mother did write to him and all the letters were returned unopened. One would think that would be something that he would want to know.” Her hurt shone through, the hurt that she wasn’t good enough to have been wanted by her father.

  Frowning slightly, Aiden turned his head gently to breathe her in. Where were they sent, little one? he asked quietly. It’s important, otherwise I wouldn’t ask, angel. Please, just tell me where they were mailed to and I might be able to clear up this mystery. Like I said, I’ve known Talon a very long time. I practically grew up with him. Close enough really.

  She tried to get into his mind, following the path that he gave her and whispering back to him in his mind. Talina. That’s my name, she told him quietly. Everyone calls me Lina though, she added. And they were sent to the only address that my mother had. She met him when she was a freshman in college. He was working as a teacher’s assistant and she said she fell hard and fast for him. Knowing her mother, the hard and fast was one day. According to her they had a one-night affair and then he was gone the next day. She said that she wrote him at the address she found on his license. Stalkerish, crazy, but that was her mom, too. She was just that.

  Crap, crap, crap, he thought to himself Sighing, he rubbed his thumb lightly to her skin before speaking to her again. Talon was undercover as a TA. The license and every piece of identification were part of his cover. Nothing was real. The address was one that we chose at random. We’d never even been there. The mail would have been returned unopened because whoever actually lived there would have believed it was completely in error and would have wanted to get it back to its originator.

  Wouldn’t someone who slept with another, came inside of a young virgin girl, think to follow up with them to make sure that there wasn’t a child created? Lina asked quietly as she let out a breath. All my life she’s pined for that man. All my life she has told me just what happens if you put a man before yourself. She turned so very bitter, so bitter that in the end I think she even hated me.

  I can’t answer that, but I do know he has a picture of a woman on his desk that he occasionally looks at with a sad expression. I believe it might be her, he said quietly. Missions are odd things, Talina. They sometimes get to us. The mission we were on, when he was playing a TA, was a kidnapping and murder case, a serial killer. One of the school administrators had a thing for young boys. He took them, did vile things to them, and then, after giving them hope because they’d done what he asked, killed them in a way that they knew they were dying and listened to their pleas and screams. He taped everything, which is why we were able to convict him and ensure his execution.

  “Well that’s good at least,” Lina said with a sigh and shook her head. Even though she hated him after him leaving her pregnant, she didn’t give me up for adoption nor did she abort me, which had me forever thankful to her. Her mother had instead instilled a deep fear of relationships and men in Lina, joyous…

  You were her child, Talina. The woman’s last tie to a man she’d never see again. Sighing, he noted the others moving in closer. They need to move me now. The helicopter is close and ready to extract me, you, and Allister. The others will move the prisoners in a couple of vans that should be coming soon. He relayed everything that Allister was telling him. Will you stay with me? He couldn’t force her even though he knew she was his bond-mate, but he much preferred the idea of her remaining willingly.

  “For now,” she told him quietly. “I will stay with you until I know for sure that you will be all right.” She didn’t want to, no, she had to be honest with herself. She had to stay with him until she was certain that he would be all right. She needed to know that he would be okay just so that she wouldn’t feel as lost. Why is it that I feel the need to be so close to you? To protect you? I’ve never, ever felt that way about anyone. Ever.

  I swear I’ll explain, Aiden said quietly. But I will likely pass out as soon as they lift me up. Just don’t let go of my hand, please. I’ll know you are there with me. I’ll be able to rest easier. If she let go, he’d force himself to wake and he wouldn’t be happy. Stay right next to me, and when we reach the helicopter, bend your head down, duck a bit, and climb in when we get there. Allister will help you up since Mac and Sully will be carrying me.

  All right, she murmured. Sleep, honey. You need to sleep because they will need to do surgery on you, at least. Gods, they would have to. I do not understand how the heck you are still awake, she admitted. “I’m going to trust them, mostly because you do.” All right, so she was still a little more than talking loudly because she still couldn’t hear, and her sight was still filled with spots, but that was fine. “I’m not letting you go.”

  Smiling in his head, he gave a mental nod. Good, you’d better not let me go, darling. And I promise I’ll explain absolutely everything to you later. Squeezing her fingers lightly, he closed his eye and flinched when Mac and Sully lifted him. Too soon the pain took him under, but he never once let her hand go.

  Holding onto him tightly, her hand between her breasts, she cast her eyes down so that no one could see the far-too-distinctive color. She had to leave. She hated that she had to meet him now only to leave him, but it was what it was. Sighing, she pressed a kiss to his hand and squeezed it tightly. Running along at his side and the men’s side, she bent her head when she came to the helicopter and winced only a moment when the man who looked like her man lifted her by the waist to put her onto the copter.

  “Sorry,” Allister told her quietly as Mac and Sully slid his brother into the copter. Shaking their hands, he hopped in next to the gurney and slid the door shut. Tapping the pilot, he circled his finger and then sat down. Passing her a headset, he put on another and pulled the mike up into place. “If you need anything, let me know,” he told her quietly.

  Lina nodded and looked down at him once more. “Will he be all right?” she asked, again a little too loud but she couldn’t help it. “With as badly injured as he is, I’m worried he won’t be able to come back from this fully.” He was hurt so very, very badly there was no way that he would be able to survive this, at all.

  “He’ll be fine,” Allister told her honestly. “Couple weeks he’ll be back to his normal self.” Of course it would be better if his brother could shift. But he knew that Aiden wouldn’t until he told his bond-mate everything, including what he was. After that he could shift in one of the large warehouse-type safe rooms and sleep until he fully healed. But he would need his bond-mate close to his side to feel safe and to heal properly.

  “Couple months more like it.” At least. God, he would have to have physical therapy after all of the stinking treatment that he needed in order just to live. “Jesus, I just don’t see how it will happen.” She made the mistake then of looking up at him, her eyes catching his as she did so. “There is just no way that he will survive this and be his old self within a couple of months.”

  “Weeks, Talina, weeks,” he told her and smiled at her horrified look. “He’s my twin. I know everything he’s thinking and he knows everything I ever think. Whether we acknowledge it or not, we know it. I also know you are Talon’s daughter. Don’t worry, I won’t tell him anything. But I wouldn’t look him or anyone else dead in the eye until you get some glasses or contacts to hide the color. It’s a little unique and only the Royal Dragon line has them.”

  “The who?” she asked with a shocked look on her face. “Oh God.” She whimpered and looked down at the man stretched between them. Taking in a deep breath, she sighed. “I can’t do this.” She didn’t think that she would survive being tossed away by a father that didn’t want her a second time.

  Chapter Four

  “Hey,” Al
lister said softly, “no one is going to hurt you, Lina, I swear it. Especially Aiden, you are incredibly special to him. I know you don’t understand and I really shouldn’t say too much. It’s his right to tell you but…” He paused. Shit, he shouldn’t be the one telling her all of it. That was Aiden’s right and honor to do so.

  “I don’t want him to feel beholden to me because I saved his life.” And she had. Lina wasn’t trying to make herself out to be a hero because she wasn’t. If she were he wouldn’t have been there for nearly two weeks before he was found. She couldn’t deny, however, that she felt something profound for him. Very much so.

  “Beholden isn’t how I’d put it,” Allister said with a grin. Letting the smile fade, he looked at her. “I can tell you everything or you can trust in me and Aiden and wait until he’s conscious enough to tell you himself. It should be him, it’s his right, but if it will help allay your fears in any way, I’ll do it.”

  She shook her head and sighed. “I will wait.” Because she rather liked it when Aiden talked to her. She especially loved the intimacy of him talking in her mind. She looked back down at Aiden again. “Are you sure that he’s going to be all right?”

  “Absolutely, we’re nearly indestructible, darling,” he promised with a grin. “A couple weeks of healing time and he’ll be back to his normal brash and smart-assed ways. I’m his twin. If I’m not worried you definitely shouldn’t be. Now, when we reach the base he’ll be taken straight to surgery because he’ll need to be looked over and some of those wounds debrided. I’ll take you to my office. You’ll be safe there and we’ll get you something to eat and you can catch a nap if you want. He’ll likely be in surgery for about three hours before they are done. From there he’ll go down to one of the big rooms and, hopefully, he’ll wake you enough to give you a heads up about what’s coming next. If not”—Allister shrugged—“just trust in him and your feelings for him, Lina. Never let fear guide you away from what your heart and soul are telling you, even with what your mother said to you.”

  “I can’t find myself turning from him if I had to,” she admitted grumpily. “Even when it would have saved my life time and again I was still right back there with him. I can’t seem to put myself first when it comes to him.” First. Time. Ever. “And that scares the bejesus out of me.”

  Staring at her, he nodded slowly. “I wish I could say something to help ease your fears. All I can tell you is that no matter what, Aiden will always place your safety and happiness above his own. You are the most important person in his life,” he said quietly. “I know you met under difficult circumstances, Lina, but believe me in this if nothing else. You mean more to Aiden than just the woman that helped to save his life, much, much more.”

  She looked down at him and smiled. “I hope that you are right.” Because good Lord, if not, if not it would break her heart. “I guess that we won’t know until he wakes and talks to me and all that fun joy, huh?” she murmured and found herself leaning over him and stroking her hand gently over her fallen warrior’s forehead.

  “I know, Lina,” he said gently but knew there would be no convincing the skittish female. Shifting, he pulled out a bottle of water and held it out. “You should drink some fluids,” he said quietly to her. “I also have some sandwiches and some fruit if you want to eat something. We’ve got about a ten minute flight, give or take a minute.”

  “That would be lovely.” She hadn’t eaten a true meal or drank any truly cold water in nearly two weeks, so this would be very wanted. “Are you sure that it’s all right?” she asked. “Because I really and truly would love that, a great deal.”

  Passing her the bottle, he dug out two sandwiches. “I have roast beef and ham and cheese.” He held them up. “You can have one or both if you want. I also have some oranges, apples and some grapes.” He dug out the container of grapes. “Not the best spread, but it should suffice until we can get you a hot meal.”

  “Ham and cheese and the grapes please,” she asked and opened the water bottle. Taking a drink, she sighed. “So nice and cold. Love it,” she murmured with a smile. “Thank you for this. You have been very nice to me. Thank you for it.”

  “You are welcome,” he said, passing her the requested items and a napkin. “Eat up. We’ll get you something hot once we’re on base. I’ll take you to the mess hall since Talon and the others will be a few hours still.” They were taking the bird’s route, but the others, once the vehicles got there, would have to come back the same route.

  “Thank you,” she murmured. “I really and truly do appreciate it. I also very much appreciate the fact that you are willing to keep my secret.” Good Lord, it was a secret that would ruin her. She closed her eyes and sighed. “Will he get in trouble for keeping my secrets?”

  “No, neither he or I will,” Allister told her softly. “We can discuss more when we’re in my office. It’s secure and soundproofed. Until then guard your words. You never know who might be listening or watching on the base. It’s a sort of military setup. We’re deep cover operatives so it’s a little…odd I suppose. Just”—he winced at how he was mucking everything up—“don’t say anything you don’t want someone hearing and possibly repeating. Only when you are in safe zones like the offices or where we’ll be putting Aiden after surgery can you speak freely. But you and he won’t need to speak aloud now, will you?” he asked with a smile.

  “How did you know that?” she demanded, the sandwich only halfway to her mouth when she stopped suddenly. “How could you know that?” she added on, her eyes narrowing on him. “Or is it one of those twin things?”

  “It’s one of those twin things,” he said softly. “Like I said earlier, what he knows, I do, and what I know, he does. He was also seriously wounded. He was letting little bits leak to me because I have the easiest connection to his mind. The others didn’t hear anything he didn’t purposely direct to them. They can’t. They don’t have that connection that you or I do with him.”

  “Thank God,” Lina whispered. “Because it would suck to have been broadcasting my fears like I was.” She sighed and shook her head. Leaning back, she rubbed her temples and rubbed her eyes, the sandwich forgotten beside her. “I have a killer headache,” she muttered. Likely from the flashbang that she had endured so that she could protect him as best as she could.

  Digging around, he held out a container of aspirin. “You can take a couple if they will help,” he said. “But you should also eat. You look like you’ve missed a couple meals in the last while. That and the stress is likely making the headache worse. Get some food in, some more water, and the pills. You’ll likely feel a whole lot better pretty quick.”

  “Good Lord, you are bossy. Are you that bossy with your twin as well?” she asked with a frown. “Because somehow I don’t see that going over too well with him,” she teased. “But it’s all good. I won’t tell him if you don’t.” She rolled her eyes at herself. “God, I’m sure that I’m making less than zero sense and I’m totally sorry about that. My head hurts, I’m cranky, I’ve likely lost my job because they probably think that I’ve ditched it.” She sighed and realized just what a mess her life was, for once thinking about her life and not the big man before her. Wonderful!

  “Worry about yourself for now, Aiden once he’s out of surgery, and everything else much, much later,” he advised her, holding out the pills to her still. “And I’m not bossy. How can you be bossy when you’re so obviously right?” Allister asked and smiled angelically at her. Chuckling at the look he got, he shook his head. “My mate gives me the same looks when I’m right and she knows it but doesn’t like it. Aiden just ignores me.” He rolled his eyes. “I don’t know why, but he does.”

  “Likely because he wants to deck you and ignoring you is far better than hitting you,” she said and took the pills. “Mate? What is that? Your wife, girlfriend? Some new lingo-speak that I don’t know yet?” She had thought she was up to date on all the “street” terms people used to refer to each other in relationships. She
was obviously missing one.

  Allister smiled at the thought of his sometimes opinionated and prickly yet so loving Jackie as he said, “She’s my wife, my heart, my soul mate, my everything. To us a bond-mate is much, much more than just a wife or lover. They are everything. They are literally the missing piece of our hearts and souls. They are what completes us and makes living so much easier and joyful.”

  Emotion swamped Lina and she nodded. It sounded like a simply beautiful relationship, like something that was beyond forever. So that he wouldn’t see how his words affected her, she looked down to Aiden once more and was saved, thankfully, from another comment when the copter started to dip and the pilot announced their landing.

  “Take the tablets and we’ll get you food so they don’t rot your gut once he’s in surgery,” Allister told her with a frown, gathering up the sandwich and fruit. Setting them back in the minifridge in the corner, he shut and latched the lid. Shifting, he checked to ensure that Aiden was still strapped down solidly and then relaxed back in his seat as the base came into view out the side windows.

  Taking the tablets quickly, Lina held the water bottle in a death grip and whispered, “Have I mentioned that I’m scared spitless of heights?” She was terrified of heights, lived on the first floor because looking out even a second-floor window gave her severe vertigo. Yep, she was so loving this landing thing they were doing and the water bottle paid the ultimate price.

  “Talina,” Allister said softly and waited until her head lifted, “heights mean nothing. There is nothing beyond Aiden and getting him to the doctors. Focus on Aiden, little one, and you will be fine.” They would be on the ground in mere seconds with the rate they were dropping. It was smooth as silk. No wind was definitely a bonus for that particular landing.