by Lacy LeRoch
“Wait, what? I thought Philli helped you with a blood bond? If you can’t get hold of him that can only mean one thing…”
I shift all my energy and power into one final blast. My eyes flutter open slowly, my shoulders, chest and back all hurt as I pull myself into a sitting position. The cough that rumbles out of my chest burns from the inside out. Damn Dragon healing.
“It can mean two things, McKinley. But neither one are good,” I tell the room, my voice croaking from the smoke and soot.
My vision slowly starts to adjust to the light in the room. As my gaze flitters around, I become aware of the fact that it isn’t just Jay and McKinley in here. Owen and Laron stand leaning against the basin in the corner of the room. There’s a bed on the other side of the room with someone in it, so I squint and find I can breathe a little easier when I notice the large lump in the bed is Jordi.
“Thank the Goddess Lylian that you are still with us Philli. You owe me one,” Owen says walking over and sitting at the edge of my bed.
“I would not leave you yet, my brother, I am sorry I scared you,” I speak into his mind. Aloud I reply to everyone else, “You are finally able to cross one of your debts off the list there Owen.”
Owen nods, the smell of pain and relief rolling off him in waves. He’s having a hard time keeping the tears from falling, his eyes are watering. The slightest tremble racks his body. He’s still grieving and we have been walking on eggshells around him because we’re never sure how to handle it. This must have shaken him, and I can’t fault him with that. The thought of losing another friend must have been hard on him.
“Can someone please explain to me what the hell happened?” I ask the room.
As I wait for someone to answer me, I glance over to the bed were Jordi is lying and see him roll over to face me. His face is black and blue, with the bruises forming on his cheeks and under his eyes. My poor friend, I get up with a grunt and stumble over to sit on the side of his bed. His eyes flutter in pain as I reach out and take hold of his jaw in both my hands.
“Don’t move, Jordi. I will not lie, this will hurt, but it will help,” I tell him softly.
My poor friend shakes and groans in agony from the slight hold I have on his jaw. I want nothing more than to take the pain away and carry it for myself. I know I can’t do that, so I’ll do the next best thing and heal him the only way I know how.
“You know, it’s against our rules to send healing out into another,” McKinley’s voice bellows with authority.
Little does he know, I couldn’t give a crap about what he wants right now. My only thoughts are about getting Jordi healed and as fast as possible. The nerve of him to even try and order me around. I’m a lot older than he is, and I won’t back down, but I will put him in his place if needed. The only reason I allow him to is because I promised my father that if I wasn’t going to take the lead on the council table and I would, at least, respect the person who took the chair. I’m not about to break a promise to my father.
The grunting and curses flying around the room at his declaration, are proof that the other Watchers don’t agree with him. I glance over my shoulder and keep my hands firmly on Jordi’s face.
I need to grit my teeth and speak carefully, “I will heal any of my brothers in need. You may do with me as you wish later. I do not want to start thinking about what has made you this cold my Lord, but when a brother is in need, I will break any rule to help them, regardless of the consequences.” Anger bubbles in my veins as I turn back to Jordi.
I close my eyes briefly and communicate with Dragon, “Send him healing, please.”
“I don’t like that Watcher,” he huffs in frustration.
Vibrations start to tingle in my feet, they slowly warm and wiggle up my body. Inch by excruciatingly slow inch, getting stronger with each upward wave of motion until I feel like I’m sitting in a fire. I would never tell my brothers the extent of the pain it takes for me to do this. When the council was first formed, my father was the one to add that rule to the charter. He always said, if the brothers knew the pain we bared to make this happen, then the guilt they would feel over being healed would be too large. There are only a select few on the council who know about the pain involved in doing this act and McKinley happens to be one of them.
The power surges from my arms to my fingertips and into Jordi. His eyes roll back into his head, his large shoulders thrash wildly on the bed.
“Someone, please hold him down,” I call out.
Laron and Owen come running across the room to hold the wolf down. I feel for Jordi, I’ve heard the healing for a wolf is worse, because it feels like they’re being electrocuted. Owen and Laron both take a seat and use all their strength to hold him down. The healing itself only takes a few minutes, but when you have that much power and pain running through your body, it feels like a lifetime. Jordi’s breathing evens out and his color returns to normal, his jaw chatters as he curses and sits up.
“Fuck me, Dragon, you know that hurts like a bitch, right?”
The room erupts into fits of laughter. Owen is laughing that much he has to start wiping the tears from his eyes and Laron is bent over trying to catch his breath.
“Trust you, Jordi, you wouldn’t know how to say thank you, would you?” I tell him.
I rise from the bed and start to make my way over to my own. The healing has taken its toll on me and I need to rest. My arms and legs feel heavy as I stretch out on the bed. I need to find out answers before I fall asleep from the exhaustion.
“Someone better start talking and fast,” I tell them.
Owen glances at Laron and his face drops. McKinley is rocking back and forth on the balls of his feet. I turn my head and search out for Jay when our eyes meet he looks nervously out the doorway like he wants to bolt.
“Oh, come on, someone tell me what the fuck we know so far?”
Something is seriously wrong with this whole situation.
“Philli, I don’t like the energy I’m getting,” Dragon cautions.
“I agree, but you know as well as I do, never to push the council. It will only come back and backfire on you,” I tell him.
“Philli, you first. You know more than we do at this stage,” McKinley grunts.
I don’t understand what’s going on. I take a deep breath and stick the tip of my tongue out. I’m testing the emotions that linger in the air.
“What the hell?” I say out loud.
I can’t sense anything, not a thing. There’s not a single emotion in the air, and that’s not right. Even with everything going right now, there would be at least the taste of happiness. But to get absolutely nothing at all…
Mon Dieu, that’s never happened before.
“You as well?” Owen asks. He pushes off from the wall he was leaning against and steps forward. My gaze darts over to the Watcher confused. He’s more uneasy and upset than he was before. He discreetly lifts his hand and taps the side of his head.
“He wants to speak to you telepathically, Philli,” Dragon informs me.
“You must think I’m stupid these days, Dragon,” I growl inward.
As if I could miss that signal. I would have to be blind or a child not to understand what he wanted from me. I make sure to keep my focus on the other Watchers, as I use my gifts to tune into Owen’s mind. Damn, there’s some serious stuff floating around in here. This boy is one freaky dude, and I mean freaky in the sexual sense. Not in the serial killer—I get excited about chopping your head off—kind of way. He scrunches his eyes and scowls, I know he can feel my power floating around in his head.
“What is going on, Owen?” I ask telepathically.
I don’t want the other brothers to get suspicious of my silence. So I turn my attention to the others in the room. “I was called to the Seer’s today, they wanted to see me about a vision. They had seen a major battle taking place.”
This is going to be interesting, trying to have a mind talk with Owen, and one with the others out loud
in the room.
“I have lost my powers, Philli. I can’t do anything,” Owen tells me.
“What else did they see?” Jay asks while leaning against the wall.
He has one leg crossed over the other, with his hip casually resting on the wall. He looks completely at ease, but I know better. I can read that man like a book, he’s pissed at everything that’s going on.
“When did you lose your powers, Owen?” I ask into his mind.
This is going to drain me faster than I’d like. But the other Watchers are hiding something, and if Owen has the answers, then I’m going to use that to my advantage.
“Just before the blast. That’s all you need to know,” he growls.
I know enough about Owen to know he’s hiding something big. But right now, I don’t have the time nor the strength to try and piece it all together. Jay raises his eyebrow in question.
Shit! That’s right, I need to answer him. This talking telepathically, and aloud to two different people is confusing.
“From the Globe, the Seer’s were able to see many of us on the battlefield dead and wounded. There’s more, but I have no idea how you are going to take it,” I tell them.
Jay straightens up and walks over to stand next to McKinley. They stand side by side, arms crossed over their chests and legs parted slightly. I would have laughed at the mirrored stance if it was under different circumstances.
“Go on Philli, leave nothing out. Things are serious,” McKinley states.
God, like he needs to remind me things are serious? I know this. The problem is, what exactly do I tell them? And do I tell them everything? Why can’t this be simple?
“Our life would be boring if everything was simple. You need to tell them everything, but the stuff about the doctor that’s our business, not theirs,” Dragon murmurs.
“I know you Philli, don’t think you can leave anything out. We will go to the Seer, who spoke to you and mind connect,” Jay says with a smirk on his face.
That little fucker was in my head. How did he sneak in and out without me noticing? Jay winks and chuckles softly to himself, earning a scowl from McKinley.
I wanted to keep the female to myself and not tell them, but with Jay in my head, it complicates things. He may always have my back, but if he thinks I need to tell the council about her, he will make damn sure they know.
I feel deflated as I tell them, “They saw a woman, a human woman. She’s needed to help with healing. She’s important to Lucy and the babe.”
There, I didn’t exactly lie. I just choose to keep some things to myself. Like how Dragon has a strong need to claim her. They don’t need to know that.
“Where can we find this woman? If she’s needed for Lucy, we must get her right away. Lucy is in a room a few doors down and is resting.” Owen sighs and continues, “From the reports that have started to come in, Rafe and Lucy were the targets.”
“That’s what I was thinking myself,” I mutter under my breath.
Brother Owen shakes his head lost in thought and continues, “Rafe was on patrol when the blast hit. He wasn’t meant to have that run, it was mine.”
“Owen, do not blame yourself for anything that has happened. None of us had any idea we would be attacked on our home soil.” I scratch my chest and yawn. “I do not know where to find her.” My eyes half close and I yawn again. I must be more exhausted than I thought I was, it must be from the healing. Reaching up, I cover my mouth with my hand, as another yawn bubbles up and my eyes begin to feel heavy. Just trying to keep them open is becoming hard. I shake my head and growl softly, trying in vain to shake off the sleepiness. My chin hits my chest, I lift it with a start. Shit, this is bad.
“Philli, are you all right?” Jay asks his voice nothing but a whisper in the room. “Philli?”
Why is everyone whispering? Don’t they know I’m right here? My vision is starting to get blurry. My stomach starts to lurch and turn like I want to be sick. I have no idea what’s happening, but whatever it is I don’t like it.
“Did those fuckers drug us? Remind me to kill them all when we are able, no one fucks with Dragon.” Dragon’s slurs are becoming faint.
I hear the men calling out to me, but try as I may, I’m unable to focus on anything in the room. The shapes jump, shift and tilt. My head flops around and my eyes roll back into my head as I groan in misery.
The pounding in my head stops, and I gingerly open my eyes.
I’m no longer in the medical room.
I’m standing in a dark room.
Sniffing the air, I wince when I don’t recognize the scent. The smell is floral, sweet, and alluring. My skin prickles with awareness. There’s something so familiar about it. I tilt my head to the side and look around. Green thick lined curtains hang in the large wide bay windows. There’s a king-sized bed in the center of the room. It’s covered with a green blanket and a pile of lighter green pillows. I smile when I notice just how many pillows there are on the bed as they take up half of it.
What is that? I squint my eyes trying to get a better look. I feel like a creeper as I step quietly over to the edge of the mattress. In the middle of the pile of green pillows, is a woman lying face down. Well, I will be fucked? This is new. Not that I’m complaining, but Mon Dieu if I did this… I shudder with excitement. I want to try and do it over and over again.
“I don’t think we did this, Philli,” Dragon says in awe.
I feel the heat of his gaze as he stares down at the half-naked woman. His attention focused on her backside.
“What do you mean, Dragon? And for heaven’s sake, stop staring at her.”
“I will look all I like. I may be trapped in your body, but come on, she’s lying face down in black panties and not much else.”
I have to agree with him, the woman has an amazing body. With her blonde hair fanned out over her pillow, small locks fall across her downturned face blocking my view of her features. Her back is bare, apart from the straps of her bra. A single scar runs down the full length of her left side.
My gaze drops low and settles on her beautiful round ass. Looking at her from this angle is killing me, I’ve always been an ass man and hers is incredible. I shift uncomfortably as my cock starts to rise in my jeans.
“Can we bite it?” Dragon purrs.
“Dragon… behave,” I chastise.
It’s almost like talking to a child. I feel his need and it matches my own, not having felt heat like this in a long time. Women haven’t done anything for me, haven’t caused me to react and need a release.
Shit, this could be dangerous.
“One bite, that’s all we need,” Dragon begs.
Lust and desire rush through my body, as I groan at the sudden need flooding all my senses. The need to overpower and claim is almost too much to bear. I reach down and pull at the crotch of my jeans as they have suddenly become tight and are cutting into me.
“Just once, Philli, give me this please,” Dragon groans in frustration.
“Dragon, we don’t know what’s going on? This could all be a dream or we could be hurt and passed out. This might be all in our minds.”
“Well, if it is all a dream, don’t you want to take advantage of it? We may never be able to claim a woman as perfect like her. Why not enjoy the pleasure when we can? You can’t tell me you don’t desire her as much as I do? You’re hard and I can feel your need. Your need and mine are connected, remember?”
Dragon has a point, but I’ve never been one to take without knowing her. Call me old-fashioned, but I don’t believe in hooking up for… what do the kids call it these days? Ah, yes, a one night stand, and most importantly I can’t take without knowing it’s what she wants as well.
“Stop thinking, Philli, for once, give in. Just once, that’s all I’m asking. Please Philli, we need this.”
The heat is too strong to deny, there’s something about this woman that makes my desire run hotter than lava. Fuck it, if it is a dream, I have nothing to lose. My confidence
grows as I reach down and untie my laces, remove my boots, kick them to the floor, and begin to sneak up to the end of the bed.
“That’s my boy,” Dragon growls in approval. “We will have her tonight,” he hums excitedly.
Chapter Five
I don’t think I’ve ever been this tired before. I’ve just finished an almost twenty-four-hour shift at the hospital. I was that exhausted that when I came home, I stripped off my uniform and jumped straight into bed without even showering.
Waking with a start, when I hear the sounds of what can only be described as a low growl. It has to be that damn cat from next door again, that pussy is always breaking into my home. Okay, so it might just be my fault for leaving a few windows open. But come on, that cat should know better. I roll over and almost die in complete shock when I come face to face with the man from my dreams.
“Roll back over onto your stomach.” The order caresses along my skin like a lover’s touch. God, just the sound of his voice has me wet and wanting. He’s never spoken in my dreams before. I thought just looking at him was amazing. But dear God, his voice… mmm, that could make a nun sit up and pay attention. The fact he’s spoken makes my nerves rise. This feels too real, not like the dreams I’ve had before.
“I don’t know who the hell you think you are, but you need to leave right now,” I tell him.
I sit up and lean across the bed, grabbing for the pistol I keep in the top drawer of my bedside table.
“I won’t tell you again, roll over.”
My whole body shivers with the impact of his voice. I’ve been dreaming of this man for months now, so to have him in my room has me sitting on eggshells. Not once, have I dreamt that he was in my room, we’ve always been on a sandy beach with a forest set behind us.
“And you underestimate who you’re talking with, I won’t hesitate to shoot you right between your eyes,” I growl raising the pistol and taking aim.
The male makes no move to back out of the room. He stands before me and puffs his chest out while widening his stance. My gaze is drawn to the incredible width of his shoulders, he’s solid, but not in an over-muscly way. He stands before me clear, not hidden in a mass of clouds or blurred vision. I shake my head and chastise myself, needing to stop thinking of him naked and start thinking of him as the intruder that he clearly is.
