by Zoe Forward
Charlotte nibbled at a nail. “Do you and he have…you know, amazing chemistry?”
“Yes.”
“Have you two already slept together?”
She swallowed irritation and refused to answer. “Do you know how to break this bond so I can find the right druid? You know I need to start a family and all that jazz, but this guy has me in limbo.”
“I’ve never done anything like break a bond. I’ll consult the ancestral writings. Perhaps you didn’t really bond with him. Maybe it’s infatuation, and you just need to find the right druid.” Charlotte shook her head. “Makes no sense. You’ve got all the destined pair signs, but that death creature cannot be the one for you. Did he mark you or do something funny to you like a curse?”
“A mark? Like the marriage tattoo between one of us and our destined?”
Charlotte shook her head. “Like a regular tattoo or a raised mark—you’d know it came from him. It would’ve burned when it appeared.”
“No. I don’t know if I’d recognize if he cast a curse on me or used a spell, but I don’t think that’s in his arsenal of powers.”
“We really don’t know much about what he is capable of. But the lack of a mark makes it less likely there’s black magic at play here. Gosh, sweetie, I’ve never heard of this kind of situation. We’ll find a way to make this right.”
“I know all the druids. None of them are like him, at least with regard to being someone I’d want to hop into bed with.”
“Does that…man feel the same about you?” Charlotte choked out the man part like she swallowed a sour grape.
“He’s an overbearing asshole about me taking risks, like all the Sentries. Beyond that…okay, the guy left me in bed in Bulgaria last year. No note. Nothing. Just ran.” She expected Charlotte to croon sisterly support.
“That’s interesting. You scared a death reaper.”
“I hadn’t thought about it that way.” She smiled. “Not much scares him.”
“It’s never happened before that I know of—that a Pleiad bonded with someone that’s not a druid. What did the ghost of your mother say at the Confirmation a few months ago? Anything about this?”
“Nothing about this. She said I was the one destined to be Pleiad, not Liz.” That weird meeting in the middle of that freezing-cold Irish field was her first Confirmation, a communication with her ancestors that had to happen on Samhain every twenty years.
“I already know Liz isn’t meant for this. She’s never really believed in us and all this. Tell me about her kidnapping.” Charlotte nibbled on her nail again.
“Someone took her. I don’t know where or how. Just that they phoned me on my cell. They’ve been making me jump through hoops to get her back. I couldn’t ask for outside help or risk them killing her. The whole thing doesn’t feel right. They got into my apartment, which you know means it’s someone on the inside.”
“That is concerning. Any suspicion on who?”
She shook her head.
“Which druids do you trust?”
“I think Eli, Matt, and Bryce are fine. Kat would’ve picked up something if they weren’t being honest. I don’t like Shane. I haven’t been able to talk to any other druids.”
Charlotte squeezed her hand. “We’ll figure out where Liz has gone and how to separate you from him.”
She should be reassured to have Charlotte as an ally in her quest to sever her bond to Alexi, but instead she realized she enjoyed her cat-and-mouse dynamic with him. He challenged her like no other man. Druids wanted to lock her in a castle tower and throw away the key—safe, protected, and treated like the fine china only pulled out on major holidays. They didn’t accept that she was trained and probably better equipped to protect herself than the majority of the Sentries.
Charlotte rose as if to depart. “That boy will be madder than a mule chewing bumblebees when he wakes up. You sure you’ll be okay, honey? You could try to shift him back while he’s asleep and then leave before he wakes.”
“I’ll deal with him. What’s the worst he can dole out? Death? He’s had plenty of opportunity, if that was his intent.”
Charlotte chuckled. “Oh, my. The worst? Honey, that boy knows how to play at the deep end of the naughty pool, believe me. If you two are bonded, even if inadvertently, then that means you’ve got the draw to him. I see by your face that you know exactly what I’m talking about. That crazy lust will enable him to torture you in ways you can’t even begin to imagine.”
“Did Brian do that to you?”
Charlotte’s cheeks blazed red. Her eyes darted away from direct contact. “Like most of us Pleiades, he and I had a very bumpy beginning.”
“I’ll deal with Alexi. What brought you here? I suspect a message or directive from Bryce or Matt.”
“Those boys were mad as hornets when you jumped. I don’t blame you. The last thing any one of us wants is to be locked away. They mean well, but Bryce…” She rolled her eyes. “I swear, that man…and now there’s his son-in-law. They continue to think they can control us. Anyway, Matt demands you return and meet him at five o’clock at his house in the Hamptons. I told him I’d find you and confirm you’re okay. Beyond that…” She shrugged.
“I’m not going back to meet him.”
“I figured that. What do you want me to tell the boys about him?” Her gaze darted to the sunroom.
“Tell them I’m safe and that I have protection. I’m going to determine who’s behind the kidnapping and get my sister back.”
“They know about him. Okay, they suspect you went to him for help.”
“Did Kat say something? She picked it up from me.”
“No. She’s good at secrets. Eli was pretty convinced you’d run to the death reaper. Those boys are all worried and pissed. Is there anything I can do about Liz?”
“Help me find the mole among the druids. There’s someone.”
“Call me if you need help. Otherwise, I’ll see you at the end of all this. I don’t have a good feeling.” Charlotte jumped off the stool and smoothed her gauzy skirt. Crystals tinkled melodically.
“Hey, how’s Eli?” Serenity asked.
Charlotte’s eyebrows shot up. “He’ll live. That boy has got it bad for you. You should have heard him trash talk your death reaper.”
“Great. That won’t help matters. His name is Alexi, not death reaper.”
“Eli won’t be on your side when it comes to…Alexi.” She brushed her hands together as if removing dirt. “You know, it’s high time you got those ovaries out of storage. I’m just not sure how thrilled I am for you to have babies with that…guy. We’ll find your right mate. Let me go do some research. I’ll see you around.” Charlotte disappeared.
Serenity snagged the Post-it she’d left dangling from the table’s edge in front of the still sleeping Alexi. Her trip to the grocer up the road hadn’t taken as long as she’d expected. Damp but shower-clean hair fell into her eyes, which she tucked behind an ear. She whispered, “Time to wake up.” She sprinted to the kitchen, uncertain what kind of hell beast would awaken. She also worried her spaghetti sauce might bubble over.
A quick grip on the tactical knife tucked into her pants calmed her. She tended to the sauce on the stovetop and started the pasta water boiling.
“What was that?”
Serenity whirled and backed up against the dishwasher.
His eyes glittered dangerously. Her pulse leaped.
He crowded her and pressed his hard body into her, smashing her tight against the dishwasher. The pale green of his eyes darkened like an ocean in a storm. “What just happened? Tell me what you did to me. No lies.”
“Didn’t you study Greek mythology? You’re caught up in its clutches, like us. The Pleiades were the seven daughters of the sea nymph Pleione. The sirens were sea nymphs. That means we can lure or work some magic by song when together.”
“The queen witch asked you to sing me to sleep?” He wrapped one hand around her throat, and his thumb tipped her face u
p toward his. His grip wasn’t choking, just controlling.
Fear skated down her spine. Her heart slammed against her ribs, and as hard as she tried to summon her will to fight him for release, her body melted in response to his aggression, his show of strength, and the raw hunger in his eyes.
He said, “We can’t work together unless there is trust.”
“Trust? This, coming from the guy who would only answer questions when I had my mouth on his cock?”
His cheeks flushed. “Maybe we should not work together anymore.”
“You want me to figure out what’s going on and who threatens me by myself?”
He blew out a frustrated sigh. “No.” His lips thinned, and brows dropped low. He gritted out, “Don’t ever do that again.”
“I’m sorry. How am I supposed to trust you when you obviously don’t trust me? We had sex. I’ll grant you it was good. Beyond that we have no commitment. You said so yourself. You don’t want to share what or who you are with me.” She paused, waiting for him to reply. He said nothing so she pushed onward. “You can rule me in the bedroom, as you’ve proven twice. I’m sure that’s a great turn-on for you. But you don’t own me.”
Softly he asked, “Do you want more from me?”
A dam holding back all prohibited wants burst in her mind. “I want you to admit you’re stalking me because this is personal, not something you were ordered to do or obligated to do because you think I’m some sort of Chosen broodmare for future death reapers.” She added softly, “Have you asked yourself why you protect me? Are you as messed up about all this as I am?”
He closed the distance between their lips and took possession of her mouth. Not with the savagery she expected, but with such tenderness that it nearly wrenched her heart right out of her chest. Tears burned behind her eyelids, but she blinked the moisture away. She kissed him back. She could blame chemistry or exhaustion, but truthfully the moment he touched her, she was his. He owned her. And there was no doubt she wanted him and everything he offered.
He slowly pulled away. “I cannot change what I am.”
She rested her hand against his cheek and said softly, “I’ve got the world’s top assassins competing to execute me for who knows what reason and hired by only God knows who. My life expectancy is short, even with your help. Forget what’s allowed. For me, there’s only now. Besides, whether you want to admit it or not, you’ve been in a relationship with a woman—me—for eleven years. Has your boss ordered you to back off at any point during that time? To leave me alone?”
“He pushes me to do the jobs he needs done. To leave you and do them.”
She traced his cheekbone down to his lips. “But you didn’t listen…so stubborn. I’m sorry I sang to you. I did it to protect you. Charlotte is dangerous and sometimes impulsive.”
“I’m dangerous.” His eyes swirled with challenge.
She smiled. “Exactly. You two would’ve killed each other.”
“I’ve crossed paths with her before. She’s a bitch.”
“A smart bitch, though. She really doesn’t like you.”
“Most people don’t like me.”
“I like you.” She grinned.
Color crept up his neck. “You shouldn’t.”
She curled her arms around his neck so she could play with the hair at his nape. “You ruined my other relationships, you know. They just didn’t…they weren’t you.”
His gaze darkened. “Who were these others?”
“We both have history…what about Camille?”
He rested his forehead on hers. “How about we never talk about history again.”
She loved him jealous. “I don’t like you all the time. You can be a real dictatorial ass.” But she did like him most of the time. She feared her addiction for this man. More than that, she feared him getting hurt, possibly dying. She didn’t want to be in a world without Alexi.
Oh, my. Was this love? She’d never experienced love for a man. She’d had a few transient crushes, like Eli in college, but never this.
He lifted her chin with a finger and claimed her mouth again. He didn’t rush but kissed her thoroughly. When he pulled away he said, “Let me figure out who is trying to kill you. The why isn’t as important as the who. I shall then eliminate the person. After that, we’ll see where we are.” Profound sadness flitted through his gaze as if the ending, their ending, was a foregone conclusion.
“We will eliminate the person. We.” She had to fight for her independence, cling to her self-worth.
“I think your water’s boiling.” He nodded toward the heavy spiral of steam from the boiling water.
“Crap.” She pushed him away to dump the dry spaghetti into the pot. “I hope you like pasta.”
“Yeah,” he grumbled hoarsely.
She glanced his way. “What? I can make something else for you. I’m not a gourmet cook or anything…” His face was a void of shock. She asked, “What’s wrong? I bought fresh French bread, which is actually pretty decent out here in the middle of nowhere. I’ve got sherbet for dessert. Oh, God. You don’t like spaghetti?” She wanted to please him as a way of apology for knocking him out.
He shook his head. “I like spaghetti. I just…no one’s ever cooked for me. And now you’ve done it twice.”
“Oh.” She liked being the first to do this for him. With a wave, she directed him to the nearby kitchen table. “It’s just pasta and marinara. I didn’t know if you have meat restrictions. If not, then maybe next time I’ll add meatballs.”
He remained wide-eyed and frozen.
Maybe the effects of her singing hadn’t entirely worn off or something. “Okay, maybe you should sit. Let me crack open the merlot. And you can watch me finish cooking.”
“Merlot?” he intoned.
“I know. Maybe not the best choice, but I thought it a balance between a white and a heavier red like a cab. I think I’ve got a white in the refrigerator, if you prefer that.”
“Merlot is good.” He sat, but watched her so intently that she fought not to fidget.
She slid the wine bottle his way along with the corkscrew then retrieved two wineglasses. “It’s a pretty good vintage.”
He silently opened the bottle and poured. The ten minutes to ready spaghetti seemed like an hour. Finally, she drained the pasta and loaded plates. “Bread?” She held out the bread to him and sat at the opposite chair.
He broke off a piece.
“Crap,” she muttered.
“What?” he asked, his forkful of pasta inches from his mouth.
“I forgot to buy Parmesan.”
He shook his head. “I don’t mind.” He bit into the spaghetti.
“I do.” She jumped up and riffled through the refrigerator and then the pantry. After a failed search she resumed her seat. “That’s the problem with only being here temporarily. Nothing’s stocked. We always have Parmesan at home. Most of the Sentries are addicted to it. They seem to put it on everything, even cereal.” She screwed up her face. “It’s gross. But I guess I just assumed…bummer.”
He finished chewing and said, “This is good, even if missing the cheese.” His eyes sparkled with laughter.
“Thanks. This is one of the few meals I’m pretty good at, but it’s simple enough that it’s tough to mess up. I wish we had the cheese.”
“How often are you here?”
“Off and on. I come here when I need to get away.” She glanced around at the familiar rooms she’d been reluctant to alter since her parents died.
“Do you only jump when you’re in danger, or do you come here other times?” His gaze darted up to hers and then back to focus on winding pasta against his spoon. His manners and technique were impeccable. She’d never entirely mastered the art of efficiently winding against a spoon.
“Once in a while I need a break. I try not to jump during a mission unless there’s no other option. Miraculous disappearances are tough to explain to superiors.” She focused to wind some pasta, frustrated that it didn
’t work as well as his technique. “It’s been in my family for a long time as the safe place for the Pleiades of my lineage. I think my mother brought my father here a lot, since I found so much of his stuff in the house.”
“I like the location.” He glanced out the windows to the view of the water. “Have you tried to find this place in the real world—well, in my real dimension?”
“I looked once, but never had time to follow through. A house exists on the property, although different architecture. It was owned and wasn’t for sale.” She nibbled at the spaghetti, unusually nervous at the intimacy of small talk. She took a swallow of wine. Its acidity burned her throat. If she didn’t eat more, the alcohol would go straight to her head. With a mental shrug she took two more sips of wine.
“Would you want to own the house in both places?” he asked softly. The openness of his tone urged her to answer.
“I’m happy here.” She shrugged. “Maybe it reminds me of my parents and a happier time in my life or something.”
“You’re safe here?” he suggested. “No one tries to kill you here, other than that Charlotte bitch?”
“She’s only a threat to you. We’ve shared tea here several times. We’re not best friends, but she can be cool.”
“The house?” he asked again.
She nodded. “I think I’d like to look into that someday. It’s far enough at the end of the road in both dimensions that it could be adequately fortified. It’s just so beautiful here.” She cast a glance out the window, loving the chaos of the ocean waves far below the cliffs. She muttered, “Bet it’d cost a fortune to buy in your dimension.”
In silence they gazed out the window for a few moments. “You think we’ll find my sister alive?”
“I don’t know.”
“You can’t see that far into the future?”
