Boxed Set

by Brenda K. Davies

  "Been better. Sure as hell been warmer. Help me get these freaking boots off. They're killing my feet!"

  Sera moved toward the foyer as Mike shut out the blasting wind. Doug turned to look at her but didn't stop her. "Come on in."

  Mike frowned at her. "I told you to stay in the living room."

  "Don't start, Mike," she muttered.

  He shook his head as he grabbed her shoulders, turned her around, and gave her a nudge forward. "Come on, let's get David warm."

  She scowled at Mike's highhanded manner and shot him a look. She would have argued with him, but the pleading look in his eyes froze her words. He was just trying to make sure she stayed safe. She glanced over her shoulder as Doug clasped hands with David and slapped him on the shoulder.

  "Where are Liam and Jack?" David inquired.

  "They went to look for Beth. They've been gone all day."

  Sera settled back onto the couch as Doug came into the room, followed by a very wet, very unhappy looking David. His boots clumped loudly over the hardwood floor as he settled into the recliner.

  Tall and athletically built, David’s light blond hair was wet and windblown. It added a boyish charm to his angled face. His eyes were a brilliant electric blue. His lips were thick, and a deep ruby red that were now chapped and sore looking. His nose was elegantly carved, but it was the only thing about him that wasn't perfect. It had been broken at one point, and was a little crooked, but it only seemed to add to his appeal.

  He was almost as good looking as Liam, and Sera found herself staring at him in astonishment. She looked over at Kathleen and Danielle, who were both gaping at him. "This is Kathleen, Danielle, and Sera," Mike introduced as he gestured at them. "This is David."

  "Well now," David said as he glanced at them. "Don't we all look cozy."

  "Oh yeah," Danielle replied sarcastically. "We're a happy bunch!"

  "How far did you have to ski?" Doug asked as he helped David struggle out of his boot.

  "About ten miles. Freaking roads are a mess. Shit Doug, leave my feet attached to my body!"

  "Sorry," he muttered.

  Sera watched in amusement as Doug and David tugged and pulled at the boots. Finally, they managed to get them off. David pulled his leg up and began to massage his feet. "Do you have any dry clothes?" Mike asked.

  "My bag by the door. I'll get them when I can feel my hands and feet again." David looked them all over again. "Which one of you is Liam's girlfriend?" Sera raised an eyebrow as his eyes settled on her. "You?"

  "Yes."

  David studied her a minute longer before turning away. Sera scowled at him. She had the distinct feeling he wanted to say or do something but hadn't.

  "Hey!" Kathleen shouted. "I do recall a promise that revolved around this man!"

  Sera closed her eyes and shoved the blanket off her. "We'll wait until Liam gets back," Mike said.

  "We've been waiting all day! I'm tired of waiting!"

  "He'll be back soon," Doug said.

  "I don't care!"

  Sera stood up, suddenly exceptionally pissed off. She was tired of Kathleen's demands and tired of all the lies. She was tired of being worried about Liam, tired of staring at the clock and not having him return. She needed him here. She felt as if a part of her was missing without him. She paced over to the window. It had grown dark out, but she could still see snowflakes as they continued to fall.

  "How much snow is out there?" she inquired.

  "About three feet," David replied absently.

  Sera closed her eyes. Where was he?

  "Would someone please tell us something," Danielle pleaded.

  Sera turned and walked out of the room. "Where are you going?" Mike demanded.

  "Bathroom!" she called over her shoulder.

  She walked right past the bathroom and into the kitchen. Hastily lacing up her boots, she grabbed her jacket and slid it on. She suddenly couldn't stand being in the cabin one minute longer. She didn't care what Liam had said, he left her here, and she needed to get out before she went insane. Flinging the back door open, she plunged into the thigh-high snow. The wind howled around her, and the frigid air seared her lungs as she trudged toward the woods.

  "Sera!" Mike yelled as she made it to the edge of the woods. "Sera! Get back here!"

  She deftly ignored him as she plunged into the forest. Her breath came in ragged pants, and her legs ached from trying to get through the thick snow, but she forced herself to keep going. Suddenly, her foot got caught on a tree branch. With a cry, she fell into the snow. Her fingers were cold and raw as they buried into it. She clawed at it as tears of frustration blurred her eyes. With a muffled cry, she collapsed, not caring about the cold as it seeped into her bones. She was just glad to be free.

  "Goddamn it!" Mike roared as he shoved his way through the tree branches toward her. "What are you doing?"

  "I needed to get out of that cabin. I couldn't take anymore of the anger," she answered. He loomed over her, a sinister scowl on his face as he planted his hands on his hips. She couldn't help but laugh at him.

  His scowl deepened as he stared at her in disbelief. "I'm glad you think this is funny. Are you trying to kill me?"

  "Of course not."

  "Liam will kill me once he finds out you did this! Sera, get up!"

  "He's not going to care."

  "Not going to care! He's going to rip my head off! I found her!" he called out as footsteps sounded to their left.

  "Is he coming back?" she asked.

  "Of course he is."

  Sera found herself unable to meet his gaze. "He's been gone a long time, Mike, I'm worried."

  "There's nothing to worry about; now come on, get up."

  She had to gather her courage for her next question. It was something that had been nagging at her all day. Finally deciding the best way to ask was just to say it, she turned back to him. "Do you think he might stay with her?" she whispered.

  Her distress finally seemed to penetrate through to Mike as he sat in the snow next to her. "Are you serious?"

  "Yeah."

  "No, Sera, he will not stay with her. He's more than likely going to kill her if he finds her."

  "But she said she was stronger than him."

  He ran a hand through his tangled hair. "She knows more about her powers, and she's more adept at using them than we are, but he will kill her."

  "He seemed so unhappy when he left this morning," she whispered forlornly.

  Mike tilted her chin up with his finger. "Trust me; he will be back. I've known Liam my entire life, and I've never seen him as happy as he is with you, or as possessive. He would walk through Hell to get back here for you, okay?"

  She gnawed on her lower lip as she nodded. David burst out of the woods beside them. He was panting as he glowered at them. "Are you two trying to freeze to death? Get out of the freaking snow!"

  Mike laughed and laid back. "I don't know; I think Sera's got the right idea. That cabin was driving me crazy too. The infuriated estrogen level was getting a little too high."

  "Hey!" She punched him in the arm as he grinned up at her.

  "You two have lost it," David muttered. "This shit sucks! I should know, I've been stuck in it for hours!"

  "It's worse in there," Mike said. "Trust me."

  "Yeah," Sera agreed. "I don't want to go back."

  "You two are going to freeze to death out here, and then Liam is going to kill Doug and me."

  "Oh, stop bitching," she said. "I'll freeze to death, not you; you don't die."

  David gaped at her as Mike burst out laughing. "She's got you there!" Mike cried.

  Sera laughed and picked up a handful of snow to throw at him. She caught him square in the face, stopping his laughter in mid-tirade. He blinked in surprise and then grabbed a handful of snow. She tried to scramble away, but it was too late, he grabbed the back of her shirt, and shoved snow down her sweater. She squealed as a freezing tremor racked through her. She jumped on him and began tossing
and throwing snow.

  "Children!" David yelled.

  Sera stopped attacking Mike and lay panting on the ground. "I say we get him," she whispered.

  Mike grinned at her, and they both hopped up and sprinted toward him. David didn't have enough time to get out of the way before Mike knocked him into the snow. Sera grabbed handfuls of snow as she charged forward to help Mike. They rolled around, shoving snow at each other as they squealed and laughed away some of their tension.

  "What are you doing?" Liam roared.

  They all froze, snow falling from their hands, as they stared guiltily at one another then at him. Liam and Jack stood a few feet from them. Sera's delight at seeing him vanished in the face of his obvious wrath. Jack looked extremely uncomfortable as he glanced at the three of them, and then at Liam. He took a small step away from Liam. Liam's eyes burned with fire as they landed on Mike's hand on her arm. Mike instantly released her.

  "I told you to watch her!" he barked at Mike.

  Mike ran a hand through his wet hair. "I am watching her."

  "Hey, I do have a mind of my own! I'm not a child!" Sera yelled indignantly.

  "You're acting like one!" Liam retorted.

  Sera's mouth dropped open. She knew he was angry, and she supposed he had a right to be, but he was the one who left her alone all day. And now that she was finally having fun, she was not about to stop just because he was mad.

  "Really?" She climbed to her feet and brushed the snow off her. David and Mike nervously shuffled along behind her.

  "Yes, really."

  "That's good to know."

  She gathered the snow from her clothes and threw it at him. "What are you doing?" he demanded.

  "Being a child."

  She ran at him and flung herself forward. The force of her small impact was enough to knock him into the snow. He cried out in surprise as she shoved snow in his face. Then, he started to laugh as he rolled her over and pinned her down. She grinned up at him. His hair was now white, and wet, as it hung around his magnificent face. His eyes lit with desire, and her body immediately arched into his. For a moment, she forgot about everyone else as she gazed at him.

  "Get him!" Mike yelled.

  They were suddenly on top of them, throwing and tossing snow, screaming and yelling happily. Liam rolled off her as he tried to fend them off. She was instantly on her feet and joining in the fray.

  Ten minutes later they lay spent and panting. Sera stared up at the stars, happy, tired, and freezing. Snow adhered to her clothes and skin. Her feet and hands were numb, but she didn't want to move. She didn't want to go back into that cabin to face Danielle and Kathleen.

  "Come on," Liam said as he extended a hand to her.

  "Do we have to?" she asked.

  "You'll freeze to death."

  "I think I might prefer it."

  He smiled down at her as he took hold of her outstretched hand. "I'll give you a piggyback ride," he offered.

  She wrapped her numb, wet legs around him as she tightened her arms around his neck. He carried her through the woods, moving with a swiftness that startled, and enthralled her. She nuzzled her face into his neck as she sought his warmth and strength. She kissed his cheek and rested her head on his shoulder.

  "I love you," she whispered.

  "I love you too." Her smile was so angelic it melted his heart. He forced himself to look away from her before he was completely lost. "How have you been?" he asked David.

  "Cold, and she seems to enjoy keeping me that way."

  Sera laughed as she nestled closer to Liam. "Did you find Beth?" Mike asked.

  Liam's hands tensed on her calves. "No, she wasn't there. She was at one point in time, though; she left enough signs of that. We looked for her, but she seems to be gone, for now anyway."

  "Wonderful."

  They moved out of the forest, and Sera lifted her head to look at the cabin. It looked so peaceful, but she knew how much looks could be deceiving. "Well, guys," Jack said. "Here goes all hell."

  "Yeah," Liam muttered.

  "It'll be okay," she said.

  He squeezed her hand, and David opened the door. "Have you decided what we're going to do?"

  "No," Mike answered. "We'll decide that now."

  "Why don't you go join them," Liam suggested as he set Sera down. "We'll be right there." She stared at him for a minute before leaving the porch. "Sera!" She turned to him, a puzzled look on her face. "Stay here."

  "Liam," David said quietly.

  "She stays."

  She had been out of his sight all day, and it had eaten him up. He had done nothing but think of her. She probably shouldn't be here now, but the minute she turned to leave he realized he didn't want her where he couldn't see her anymore. He didn't know what was going on inside of him, but he did know it was getting stronger, and it was getting worse. When he came across all of them in the snow, he’d almost attacked David and Mike. It was only the fact she was present and might be injured that halted him. He had never even gotten into a fistfight with any of them, but he'd felt the insane urge to kill them both when he'd seen them with her.

  "She is part of what we need to talk about." David took a step back as Liam glared at him. "It's not what you're thinking," he added quickly.

  "If it concerns her, then she stays," Liam insisted.

  "She may not want to hear what I have to say. You may not want to hear it. I'm telling you, Liam, let her go."

  He glanced at Sera standing just outside the doorway. He turned back to David and shook his head. "I can't."

  David ran his hand through his hair. "Fine, but just remember I warned you. Can we talk in here?"

  "I don't want to be too far away from Kathleen and Danielle, just in case. But they shouldn't be able to hear us."

  "I can go if you want me too," Sera said.

  "No," Liam said brusquely.

  She didn't say anything as he walked over and pulled her into his arms. Leaning against the counter, he braced her between his legs and relished in the refreshing, sweet scent of her hair. His body quickened as he heard the blood rushing through her veins. He could smell himself inside her. The realization caused his mouth to water and the beast to stream forth again. His hands clenched on her as he closed his eyes in an attempt to keep the demon at bay.

  "So, what do we tell them?" Mike asked. "Do you think they could handle the truth?"

  "I don't know," Sera answered. "I didn't handle it too well, and I love Liam."

  "We can't tell them the truth," Jack said.

  "Do you have another idea? Because I know I've been racking my brain for hours, and I can't think of one," Mike said.

  "Can we force them to accept another truth?"

  "You can't do that!" Sera cried.

  "It may be the only way," Doug said. "It will be trickier since so much time has elapsed, and they're not drunk, but with all of us we should be able to do it."

  "There has to be another way."

  "Sera, there may not be."

  Liam's breath warmed her neck. It sent shivers down her spine at the same time tears sprang to her eyes. She turned to him. "Liam, please," she pleaded. "I don't want to see them hurt."

  He clasped her face in his hands and held her. "They won't even know what happened."

  "And if Beth comes back and tries to harm them?"

  The tears in her eyes, and the quiver in her voice, tore at his heart. He didn't want to see her hurt, but telling Danielle and Kathleen the truth only placed all of them in more peril. This was for the best, and she had to realize that.

  "We will keep them safe, Sera," he vowed.

  Tears slid down her cheeks as she stared at him with melancholy eyes. He wiped the tears away with his thumbs. "Promise?" she breathed.

  "Yes, I promise. We all promise, right?"

  "Yes," they answered.

  "It really won't hurt them? Are you sure?"

  "I am absolutely positive."

  Sera's lip trembled as her head fell forw
ard and tears spilled down her cheeks to wet his hands. He pulled her against him as she cried silently into his shirt. He closed his eyes against the anguish filling him.

  "Go do it," he ordered in a hoarse voice.

  It took all he had to keep Sera standing.

  "We need to talk about something else first," David said.

  Liam ground his teeth. "I think it can wait!"

  David looked at Sera and then back at him. "No, Liam, it can't."

  "David," Mike warned.

  "Mike, this cannot wait. You're losing it, aren't you? Losing control of your ability to keep the demon at bay?" His gaze focused on Liam.

  Liam stared back at him relentlessly. "Yes."

  David ran his hand through his wet hair. "I thought so."

  Sera pulled away and tilted her head back to stare at him. His jaw clenched, and his eyes gleamed dangerously as his nostrils flared. "Liam?" she asked questioningly.

  He glanced down at her before looking away, but she’d already seen the torment in his eyes. Her hands clenched on his shirt. She’d known he was struggling to be around her, but she hadn't realized how bad it was until right now. She had pushed him yesterday; she had completely ignored his need to get away from her, in her own need to be close to him. She was doing this to him. She felt like the most horrible person in the world.

  She took a step away from him, but he grabbed hold of her waist and pulled her back.

  "No," he said so quietly she knew no one else had heard him.

  "But—"

  "I said no!" his eyes flamed with fire as his jaw clenched.

  "But it's because of me!" she protested as she squirmed to get out his embrace. His hands clenched on her. She winced in response, and he immediately eased his grip. "It is, isn't it?"

  "Yes." It was David who answered her. Sera stopped struggling as she turned to look at him. David's eyes were pitying before he looked at Liam. "You've tasted her?" Liam nodded sharply. "And she tasted you?"

  Sera's face flamed hotly.

  "Yes," Liam grated.

  "But she's not one of us," Doug stated.

  Sera felt herself turning redder as she realized they knew everything. "No, she's not," David said. "That's the problem."

  "What is that supposed to mean?" Liam spat. His body trembled; his arms locked around her were as taut as a bowstring.