by Fay Walsh
The electricity built inside of them, and the two looked at each other, keenly aware for the first time, that they were able to sense the electrical pull between them.
Roan buried his face into her neck and kissed the nape of her throat. Harmony’s legs quivered as his lips pressed there, hitting another spot. She ran her fingers through his hair and let the words breach her lips without thinking, “I love you.”
Her eyes widened seconds after saying those three words. She hadn’t even known or even thought of saying those words, but it was something inside of her that wanted too and knew those words were right.
Roan paused and looked at her. She thought she might have scared him away, that finally, after finding someone she could be close too, and comfortable with, she ended up scaring him away.
Incidentally, it was purely the opposite.
Roan stretched his lips into a smile and he slightly chuckled. At first, Harmony didn’t realize it, but his eyes were watery, and tears trailed down his chiseled jaw structure.
He lifted her body slightly and had her sitting on top of his lap, her legs around him, and her knees into the bed. “Thank you,” he whispered to her and rested his head into her chest. She reached for his cheeks and lifted his head, so she could look into his eyes.
“For what?” she asked and smiled, pushing his hair back with the slight of her hand.
“For being you, I love you, Harmony. Always and forever, I will.”
A smile came over her lips and she felt a tear escape her eye. She had never been in such a position as this, and she had never felt happier.
“Always and forever, I will.”
Roan laid her back on the bed, her head gently rested on the pillow, and he kissed her, taking in all of her, and she all of him, becoming intimate once again.
Nothing was more perfect at that moment.
***
The bright morning sun from the sky above her head, made Harmony squint her eyes. She had her arm securely wrapped around a pillow and she looked around seeing that her naked body was wrapped in a gray sheet and she wasn’t in her hotel room. She noticed clothes strewn around the floor and her satin panties had found its way on the lamp on the nightstand.
Beside the lamp was a note. Harmony stretched out her arm to grab the thin paper in her hands and unfolded it.
Harmony,
I have never felt happier than I did last night. I had never felt more riveted and alive than I did when we made love. I’m sure you felt it too as we came together in a blissful moment. I do hope we can continue to share moments like these because I meant it when I said, I love you, and that you are, and will be my always and forever.
Roan
Harmony’s smile stretched at the last part of his note and it let her know that last night had not been a dream, but it was reality; Roan was her reality and he wasn’t going anywhere.
“Someone is happy this morning.”
Harmony looked up to see Roan, in nothing but his boxers, carrying a tray in his hands. She noticed the glass of orange juice; the smell of pancakes and bacon wafted up her nose, her stomach growled letting her know that it was hungry.
“I take it that’s a good sign. I wanted to make you something to eat, a nice bed and breakfast.”
Roan sat the tray on the bed and Harmony held the sheet close to her chest, scooting over so he, too, could have room.
“And will this be a one-time thing, or a special occasion, making breakfast in bed?” She teased him, taking a strip of bacon and bringing it to her lips. The taste made her tongue want more.
“Whenever you want me to. I want to always make sure that you’re happy and provided for, Harmony. I never want to see you sad or unhappy because I know it would make me sad.”
Harmony grinned to herself and her cheeks burned.
“Last night was amazing, Roan, no one has ever looked at me, or treated me, the way that you do and I’m happy that I met you. I wouldn’t take back what I said, ever.”
Roan smirked. “What, that you love me?”
Harmony with a mouth full of bacon covered her mouth, and playfully rolled her eyes. “Don’t get cocky, but yes, I do, always and forever, as you said.”
“Always and forever.” He repeated.
The constant electricity that she had been feeling since meeting Roan had simmered down, but it was different this time. It felt more constant and controlled as if the pent-up energy they had been feeling was now conjoined within each other.
“I should probably eat this before it gets cold, and get back to Chrys. Who knows what things she ordered on the menu?”
Harmony picked up the plate of pancakes and used the knife to cut into the fluffy dough.
“Luckily, your car is parked in the driveway. I was going to bring it to you if I didn’t see you.”
Harmony grinned. “Thank you.” She pushed her hair to the side so she could continue eating, but she stopped, seeing Roan looking at her from the corner of her eye.
“What? I don’t have syrup in my hair, do I?”
Roan shook his head and leaned forward, he tapped on her shoulder where there was a mark that looked like the symbol of the sun.
“I noticed that this morning, it seems, familiar…”
Harmony raised her brow at the hesitant tone in his voice and shrugged her shoulders. “I don’t know, it’s a birthmark. Chrys and I both have one.”
Before Roan could open his mouth to reply, the doorbell rang.
Immediately, Harmony saw Roan’s face frown, and his brows knitted together in worry.
“Roan?” She questioned him. “What’s wrong?”
But he didn’t answer her as he quickly got up from the bed and left out of the door.
Chapter 9
Damn, why now. Why is he here? Roan kept thinking as he made his way down the steps and toward the front door. He could hear Harmony moving upstairs and he swore under his breath. The last time Kiran asked about a person he smelled on him, it was a close call, what would he say now?
The doorbell rang again, followed by a knock this time.
“Roan, brother, you in there? I see your car outside.”
Roan grumbled under his breath and reached for the doorknob, opening it to reveal his brother grinning at him from ear to ear.
“Hey, what took you so long?” Kiran stepped into the house and patted his brother on the shoulder. Roan shut the door behind him.
“Yeah, I was just about to leave for the ranch. What are you doing here?” Roan asked. He darted his eyes upstairs and then back to his brother, who was walking in the small dining area, and to the kitchen.
“Mm. I’m just reporting back from patrol, that’s all,” Kiran said. He went to the fridge and pulled out a can of soda bringing it to his lips.
“Oh, well, that’s good. I’ll meet you back at the—”
“Hold on, you smell that?” Kiran said interrupting his brother, holding up a finger.
Roan’s muscles tense and his Adam’s apple slightly bobs as he watched his brother’s nostrils wince.
“It’s that smell again, that same smell that was on you the other day.” Kiran walked out of the kitchen and placed the soda can on the dining table. “Brother is there something you want to tell me? Your whole entire house smells like a damn human infestation!”
Roan’s heart fell in his chest as his brother’s bright blue eyes cast a dark shadow. He knew there was no getting out of this one, but he wasn’t about to drag Harmony into this situation.
“Wow, no words, Alpha? You aren’t going to explain to your brother why you are fraternizing with a human. A human, for cripes sake!”
Roan cleared his throat and straightened his back, asserting his dominance and Alpha status. Kiran backed away an inch, sensing the power of the Alpha radiating off of him.
“It isn’t like that, Kiran, now calm down.”
Kiran smirked and nodded. “Right, calm down, okay... Do you think I’m stupid or something, brother?” Kiran yelled at h
im, he inched closer to him. Roan narrowed his eyes at his brother’s movements, surprised he was even able to step an inch closer to him when he released his Alpha’s dominance.
“I can smell the sex in the air, on you. Hell! I smelled it the minute you opened the damn door and it hit my face, and don’t think I didn’t see the truck out front.”
“Kiran, you need to leave. Now,” Roan said, asserting his dominance once again to make Kiran leave, but there was something oddly wrong that Kiran wasn’t budging or wincing in pain from his Alpha’s presence.
Kiran dug into his back pocket and tossed the item to Roan.
“I took that from the pretty brown-haired girl’s truck. I knew there was something off about her, then, I smelled her scent on you, and low and behold, I smell it again.”
The item that Kiran had thrown at him was an ID, but not just anyone’s, Harmony’s, and Chrys’ were there as well.
“How did you even get these?” Roan asked, infuriated that his brother had snooped into someone’s things.
Kiran snorted and hunched his shoulders. “Really? You know that I am a part owner of the garage, right? I saw on Daniel’s invoice that that car came in, under your name, and when I saw that name, I couldn’t believe it.”
Roan frowned, not understanding what his brother was leading up too.
Kiran sucked his teeth and rolled his eyes.
“She’s an Ashur, a damn Hunter, you’re sleeping with the enemy. Didn’t that occur to you?”
Roan’s eyes slightly widened. The name did seem familiar, but it never crossed his mind that it was The Ashur, one of the famed Hunters that killed Shifters. Then, the sun-shaped birthmark appeared in his head, the job that Harmony’s parents had, and the cabin in the woods. Hunters always had a cabin safehouse or somewhere to conduct business.
How had it not come to him sooner? Was it because he mated with Harmony? But, even if he hadn’t, Harmony wasn’t just some Hunter.
“Letting it sink in, brother? Yeah, I know, this is some big stuff, but as long as you’re willing to dispose of the girl, the Elders and the Herd don’t have to know.”
Kiran headed for the stairwell against the side of the wall, but Roan’s movements were quicker, and he stood in front of him, blocking his path. Kiran stepped backward.
“Really? Can you be any more cliché? Okay, Roan, enough games.”
Roan didn’t move. “If you take another step, I won’t be held responsible for what I do next, brother.” Roan stared dangerously at Kiran, who tilted his head up at Roan.
“So, that’s it? You’re just going to throw away all kinds of knowledge and history about Hunters for one girl? She’s a Hunter for crying out loud, and there’s two of them! And let me tell you, females make the best Hunters, so they’ll keep breeding and breeding.”
“Harmony, or Chrys, isn’t like that, they don’t even know they are related to Hunters.”
Kiran stretched out his arms and smiled. “Then, this should be easy, they won’t have any reflex or skills, we can easily kill them in their sleep if we wanted too.”
Again, Kiran tried to get past Roan, but Roan’s amber eyes glowed brightly. He gripped Kiran’s shoulder tightly and pushed him all the way back against the other side of the wall. The wall cracked underneath Kiran’s weight. Roan leaned closer to his brother and bared his fangs at him, threatening.
“Do not speak to her as if she is some cattle, do you hear me?”
Kiran’s face was expressionless, and he raised his arms in surrender.
“Yeah, whatever, you say, but I think you have company...”
Roan’s fanged exterior faded away, his hand still on his brother’s shoulder, and he turned to see Harmony standing at the foot of the stairs with a worried expression on her face.
“Roan? Is everything alright?”
Kiran smiled, with his hands still raised in the air, he waved his palm back and forth. “Hi, you must be Harmony, I’m Roan’s equally attractive brother, Kiran. And might I say, you are gorgeous, but have made my brother drop to a new low, dating a Hunter.”
“What?” Harmony gasped in surprise. “What are you talking about?”
Roan eye twitched and turned to his brother for saying such reckless things.
“Oh! Was I not supposed to say anything? She doesn’t know who she is? I mean, does she even know that you hate Hunters because of what they did to Celine?”
“Shut. Up. Kiran,” Roan gritted out each word. He grabbed the collar of Kiran’s shirt and rung it in his hands. “You are stepping on thin ice.”
Kiran chuckled. “I’m stepping on thin ice?”
“Roan, what is he talking about? Hunter? Do you mean like shooting deer or something? What does that have to do with me?”
Kiran snorted. “Yeah, or something. Guess what, baby girl? You’re going to have to deal with a lot of baggage.”
“Harmony, it’s nothing, just—”
Harmony’s eyes grew wide suddenly and Roan knew she was scared.
“Harmony?”
He released Kiran from his grip and walked over to where Harmony stood, where she stared fearfully into Kiran’s eyes. What was she looking at? Did she know him from somewhere? The cogs in his head were turning as he came to a conclusion, but it was so far fetched that even he couldn’t believe it.
“Harmony, Harmony, look at me,” Roan calmly said, instructing her to look at him. She turned to look at him, her eyes vibrated with fear. Roan’s heart clenched at what horrors were going on through her head. “I want you to get in your car and go home, alright? I will talk to you soon, okay?”
Harmony blinked several times as if she hadn’t clearly heard Roan and steadily got to her feet.
“You know, I should be heading out too,” Kiran said making his way toward the door.
“You stay,” Roan forcefully said, standing in front of Harmony, shielding her from his brother. Kiran narrowed his eyes at Roan but did as he was told.
Harmony quickly left the premises.
“She must have a really good—”
“Not another word.” Roan interrupted him.
Kiran grinned.
“I’m just saying, it must be really good to sack your position for a Hunter. How does it feel by the way?”
Roan heard the sound of Harmony’s car before it drove away from his house. He turned to Kiran and glared dangerously at him.
“Listen to me, brother,” Roan said and approached him until they were nosed to nose. “Harmony, Chrys, they are off limits. Do you hear me? Neither you, nor anyone else will touch them, do I make myself clear? I am your Alpha and you will do what I say!”
Roan’s pupils shrunk before returning to their normal size as he was controlling his brother with the Alpha’s calling.
“Do I make myself clear?”
Kiran’s lip twitched, his expression blank.
“Crystal.”
***
Kiran walked out of Roan’s house, his hands tucked in his pockets. He headed toward his car which he had parked around the corner. When he was out of sight and earshot of his brother, he pulled out his cellphone, and then he pulled out another silver phone from his pocket, Roan’s cellphone.
Kiran smirked. While his brother had lost his cool and threw him against the wall, Kiran had managed to dig his phone out of his pocket.
It was risky, but Kiran knew that it could be done. Roan was so blinded by the girl that he wouldn’t be able to notice anything.
Kiran couldn’t help but keep replaying the same memory in his mind, over, and over. He touched the scar on his eye and suddenly grew angrier by the minute.
Not only had her Hunter mother killed one of his comrades, but she also had the nerve to beat him. It still annoyed Kiran to this day that he let a child Hunter beat him when he had been a full-grown beast, he could have easily ripped her apart if she didn’t have that silver knife.
Kiran grunted.
“No matter, like they always say, better late than never.”
He dialed a number from his cellphone and pressed it to his ear. It rang a few times before a Russian accent answered the phone.
“Yeah, Dmitry, it’s me.”
“Did you find anything out on the girl?” He asked.
Kiran grinned and held up his brothers' phone. It was encrypted with a password, but he unlocked it easily and went to his brother’s contacts where Harmony’s name stood out to him like a sore thumb.
