Brian was burly, with wide shoulders and a head of thick dark brown hair. He had a five o’clock shadow and brown eyes that were surprisingly friendly. I’d expected him to be fearsome or to try to intimidate me, but he did neither.
“Danial is expecting you,” I said. “Have a seat. I’ll let him know you’re here.”
Leaving Brian and Devlin in the great room, I climbed the stairs to the study and notified Danial.
“Good,” he whispered, covering the receiver on his speakerphone. “Let Theo and Terian know.”
I passed on the news to Theo and Terian via the other office phone, then went back to the great room. Brian was waiting, but Devlin was nowhere in evidence.
“He left,” Brian said. “He said next week, same time.”
“Thanks,” I said and took a seat in a nearby chair. “Danial will be right down.”
A few minutes later, Danial, Theo and Terian arrived. After introductions, they settled in chairs and on the couch to do the interview. I excused myself and went into the kitchen, wanting to make a list of what I needed to pick up at the store tomorrow. My baking with Cia was later this week, and we were preparing several desserts, all of which had uncommon ingredients. I’d just completed my list when a loud animal bellow shook the room.
I trembled. I’d heard that same roar echoing in the air long ago when Theo and Terian had fought Devlin’s guards. Quickly, I splashed cold water on my face, angry at my ill-placed fear. This bear was going to protect me, not hurt me. Wiping my face, I followed the sound of the roaring outside to the front lawn.
Terian, Danial and Theo stood there, looking at the largest bear I’d ever seen. Brian stood on his hind legs and roared at them, standing easily twelve feet tall. His teeth were huge.
“Impressive,” Danial said.
“Climb a tree,” Theo said casually. “I need to check your speed.”
Brian turned fast and loped to the nearest tree that would hold him, a huge beech tree at the edge of the driveway. He climbed it so fast he seemed to run up it. Then he slowly backed down and loped back.
I had never seen a bear in the wild. He was fast, faster than I was by far. He was big, too. Really big.
Danial noticed me and beckoned. I came to his side, to stand between him and Theo.
“You should go over to him,” he said to me softly. “I can sense you’re afraid. If he’s going to successfully protect you, you need to trust him.”
Suri’s last words had been not to trust. Fear ran through me. “Why don’t we wait—?”
“Danial is right,” Theo interrupted. “Go and pet him, Sar. You’re in no danger,” he said, drawing his explosive bullets gun and slipping off the safety.
Emboldened, I walked up to Brian. He stood there waiting until I was almost to him, then lay down on his side and rolled onto his back. I smiled, despite myself and then reached down to pet him. His fur was thick and not very soft, more wiry. He licked my hand, then he rolled back onto his feet. He was so tall he could look into my eyes from all fours. Abruptly he stood up again on his hind legs, towering over me. His claws were huge, as long as my fingers were. He took a step and wrapped his paws around me gently. I was enveloped by him; he blocked my view of everything, even the sky, his scent oily and musky, yet not unpleasant.
Then he suddenly let me go, backed off a few steps and sat down.
“Thanks for the hug,” I said with a smile and returned to Danial.
“Go inside,” he said softly. “Brian is going to change back and needs some privacy.”
That meant the interview was over. “Will you meet Monica out here when she comes?”
“No, she called to say she’ll have to come in a few weeks, she has a few last contractual obligations to fulfill to her current employer. We’re done interviewing for tonight.”
“Her suddenly canceling sounds suspicious,” I said quickly.
“Not really,” Danial said, steering me toward the door. “It means she’s a responsible employee. That’s a good thing.”
Already not fond of Monica, I went back inside and grabbed my list and purse. As I was putting on my coat, Theo came in. “We hired him,” he said, hugging me. “He’ll start tomorrow on days.”
“Good,” I said. “He seems nice. I expected him to be more, I don’t know, terrifying.”
“It is probably his lack of that trait that caused Devlin to let him go,” Theo said. “But don’t worry. He won’t hug Manir or Al. Let’s go home.”
* * * *
Erin came the next day for her interview. She was beautiful, with long dark red hair and a shy smile. Again, I’d expected her to be cold and have a severe personality. But she was gregarious and very friendly. I didn’t see her transform into an eagle, but heard her screaming out her cry as she flew in the night sky for Danial, Terian and Theo.
My final private opinion was that Erin was too nice to kill to protect us. However, Theo said they had hired her when he came in to collect me that night. She started the day shift soon after. With the addition of her and Brian on days, my access to traveling to stores, parks and other places increased to what it had been before Al and Manir, something that made me very happy.
After the delay of a few weeks, Monica the sorceress arrived for her interview on a night I was visiting the foxes with the children. When Theo came to collect me, he announced with a strange note in his voice that Danial had hired her, too.
“Don't you like her?” I asked him later in bed that night. “You sound as if you think she might not be an asset.”
“She seems more than capable,” he said slowly. “Her illusions had us all believing we were at a beach—that it was daytime.”
“Danial must have liked that,” I said, laughing.
“He was worried,” Theo said, cracking a smile. “But once he relaxed, he enjoyed seeing the sun without having to worry about burning.”
“That’s good,” I said, pleased. “I take it she’s working nights?”
“Yes, and it’s a good thing. Terian told me tonight that he wants to leave at the end of the year.”
“I’m surprised he’s waiting so long,” I replied, my eyebrows raised.
“Only because of Suri’s message,” Theo said, pulling me close for a hug. “He’s worried about you and Theoron. But I’m beginning to think his leaving will be a good thing.”
“Why?”
“He doesn’t care as much about Danial or Elle as he does about you and Theoron. They’re secondary. He values the baby most of all. You can’t have favorites when you’re a guard. You make mistakes and take risks. That jeopardizes everyone.”
That was true, and I didn’t correct him. “Our marriage certificate finally came in the mail today. I left it on the counter for you.”
“I saw that. I’ll take it into Danial tomorrow. He’ll put in a request to add you onto my insurance and take you off of his.”
“Good,” I murmured distractedly. Switching insurance would break the last paperwork between Danial and me. Even though I wanted that, I felt a momentary pang of sadness and loss.
“Oh, here, before I forget.” Theo handed me a ring made of plain gold. Noticeable on his hand was one almost identical to it. “I picked them up today.”
“I never asked you,” I said, slipping the band on. “How did you know my ring size?”
Theo looked pointedly at the diamond on my other hand, the one Danial had given to me.
“Who do you think had to sneak into your room and check your other wedding rings for the size years ago? It sure wasn’t Danial.”
“No,” I said tenderly. “It would have had to be you.” I gave him a kiss.
* * * *
That summer was one of the best of my life. I had so much: a flourishing garden, plenty of sunny days and huge, fragrant flowers. I even enjoyed mowing the lawn.
Elle and I had mended our relationship. She was slowly accepting Theo into her life as a second father, much of that due to weekly hunting trips in cougar form on Dan
ial’s land. My pets were all happy and healthy. All the foxes were good, even Ivan finally ending his grieving for Suri and Demetri with the help of an attentive and loving Janice.
Elle turned two—in human years; her physical and mental development was still accelerated with all the time she’d spent during those years in cougar form—and I turned thirty-three that summer. We had a joint party at Danial’s house, with cake and ice cream and balloons in late July. All the foxes were invited. It was at that party when my perfect summer began to crack in places.
“Sar,” Danial said, drawing me aside into his bedroom. “I need to ask you something.”
“What?” I asked. “You’re upset, I can tell.”
“Are you able to remove the choker still?”
I slipped it off easily. “Yes. Why?”
“You’re still healing,” Danial said, both worried and relieved.
“I know,” I said quietly, casting a look at the door. “I’ve got to go back to Dr. Camlyn this fall. He’s probably going to tell me I’m completely healed.”
“Don’t you want that?” Danial asked neutrally.
“I don’t know,” I said evasively. “Why are you upset?”
“Your scar from me is healing,” Danial said sadly, his hand brushing my neck. “It’s noticeably lighter than Devlin’s.”
The one mark I’d wanted to keep was fading, while the other I would kill to get rid of was still as deep as the day it was made. “I’m sorry. I noticed it, too.”
“Do you miss us?” Danial asked softly, his dark eyes looking into mine.
“Yes,” I said honestly. “But why are you asking me when you already know?”
“Because I needed to hear you say it,” Danial said, turning from me. “Come, before we’re missed.”
That night, Theo awakened me, thrashing hard in the grip of a nightmare. I shook him awake.
“Thanks,” he gasped, his chest heaving.
“Do you want to talk about it?”
“No,” he answered, as he always did.
“Theo, you have to tell someone what you went through. Most of the scars you had when we reunited are gone—”
“Not the scar tissue,” he growled. “Those exploding bullets left their mark.”
“My point is that your physical wounds have healed, yet your psychological ones seem to be getting worse. Your nightmares are getting more frequent. You’re beginning to lose sleep.”
“My nightmares would become yours, Sar. I can’t have that.”
“I can handle what you tell me. It’s in the past.”
“I can’t tell you,” he said painfully. “Not now. I will someday, Sar, but not now.”
“Tell Danial if you can’t tell me,” I said softly, putting my hand on his. “Please?”
He nodded. “All right. I’ll do that this week.”
That next week, Theo stayed one night at Danial’s while Terian watched over Elle, Theoron and me at my home. After that, Theo’s nightmares seemed to stop. At least he slept better and no longer woke me up.
* * * *
The days grew hotter as August matured. Oddly, I found myself bonding with Erin more and more. I liked her a lot, despite her being almost a decade younger than I was. She was usually in a good mood and always willing to help me with whatever I was doing. It was with shock I discovered one afternoon that she had an ulterior motive to all her friendliness: Terian.
“He never treats me as anything but a coworker,” she admitted wistfully, mixing a batch of sugar cookie dough for me. “I have to admit that all his signs point to him not being interested.”
“Erin, ask him out. He’s single, and he’s been that way for a while. You’re young and good-looking. Do the math.”
She flushed slightly. “I’m wereeagle though. Are you sure he won’t care?”
“Not if you don't care he’s part demon,” I replied. “What’s the worse he can say—no?”
“He can say it’s unprofessional,” she murmured.
No way he was going to say anything but yes, not when he’d bedded all those strippers so voraciously. I held that thought in. “Ask him.”
“Okay.”
Brian walked in. “Sar, are you going to be here for another few hours?”
I looked at him in exasperation. “Brian, really, you don’t have to check on me every hour. I’m safe here. You only need to worry about someone getting into the grounds.”
“I have my orders,” he said, pausing to look at me for a moment. “Danial and Theo don’t want anything to happen to you.”
“You don’t do this with Elle or Theoron,” I complained, hands on my hips.
“Theoron is with me or Terian all the time,” Brian replied, courteous yet firm. “I don’t need to check on his whereabouts. Elle is either with her tutor, you or me.” He gave me a resigned look. “You are the only one who wanders alone. Even when you are on the grounds, I need to know where you are at all times to do my job. Please cooperate, Sarelle.”
Brian had been like this from the first: not too friendly, polite yet dogged. He was often solemn, or maybe the better word was committed. In any case, it was hard to fault him for it.
“I’ve told you I’d call you if I left,” I reminded him. “You can trust me, Brian. You’ll know my every move from the moment I step onto Danial’s grounds to the moment I leave with Theo or Terian.”
“Good,” he said, satisfied. “Erin, Monica told me to let you know she’ll be late coming on duty tonight.”
“She’s been doing that recently,” Erin grumbled to me as Brian left. “I’m not sure why Danial doesn’t reprimand her for it.”
“I’ll mention it to him tonight,” I said with secret glee. “I plan on staying late for my last voice lesson. Is the dough mixed?”
Erin nodded.
“Good. Hand it over. It’s almost two already.”
* * * *
I’d worked hard for five weeks as Devlin worked his magic on my vocal cords. I’d hoped for a grand finale; a big duet with him, or maybe for him to ask me to sing something to him now we were done. Instead, he simply shook my hand and told me I’d done a very good job. My letdown was palpable, though I tried to conceal it.
“Can’t we continue?” I asked hesitantly. “There is much more I could learn from you about music. You were obviously taught by a professional. Were you on stage?”
“When you have eternity, you find things to keep your mind occupied, or you go crazy,” Devlin replied tiredly. “But no, I’ve taught you all you need to sing passably, Sar. Go forth and burst into song with aplomb.”
Try to be graceful, damn it. “Thank you again,” I said, walking him to the door.
“You’re welcome,” he said, turning away.
Impulsively, I hugged him. “I’m sorry for what I said. I don’t hate you.”
Devlin turned in my arms and then hugged me back. “I know you don’t, not anymore at least.” His lips grazed my ear, and I froze. “Be careful, Sar,” he whispered. “One of these new people is a spy.”
“Are you telling me not to trust Brian?” I said, trying to pull back from him.
His arms tightened around me. “You can trust him,” he whispered. “But not the other two. Remember that.” He let me go and left, shutting the door behind him.
Not to be thwarted, I followed him out the door and down the steps, calling for him to wait. Devlin kept walking, ignoring me. I caught up with him finally at the door to his Hummer.
“Explain yourself,” I said, grabbing his arm with my hand.
Devlin turned to me, held my eyes for a moment, and then said:
“I find no peace, Sar and all my war is done
I fear and I hope; I burn and I freeze like ice;
I fly above the wind and yet I cannot arise;
And naught I have, but all the world I seize on.”
He gave me one long look and then got in his truck and drove off, ignoring my yells at him to stop.
“What’s that even sup
posed to mean?” I grumbled, watching his taillights fade.
“That he is unhappy,” a feminine voice said from behind me. “He was quoting Wyatt.”
I turned quickly at the unfamiliar voice. Behind me stood one of the most seductive women I had ever seen. She had perfect features, long black hair and green eyes, like mine though with more blue. She was a bit taller than me, close to Danial’s height.
“You must be Sar,” she said. “I’m Monica. Good to meet you.”
I almost told her not to call me Sar, but stopped myself. “Nice to meet you, too.”
We walked in together, and she hung up her coat. I didn’t like her instantly, envying her beauty which was so much more than mine. Yet I couldn’t help but look at her in admiration.
“It’s good to finally meet you,” I said once more, making myself smile at her.
She smiled back at me. “I was beginning to wonder if we ever would meet. But you prefer the days and I the nights.”
I gave her an odd look, then heard Danial behind me say, “I was wondering when you’d get here.”
His words weren’t a reprimand; they were teasing.
“Thanks for letting me come in late,” she said lightly. “I caught up on my sleep.”
“Good,” Danial replied. “Please wait for me upstairs. We need to go over some of the perimeter loopholes you discovered. But I must see Sar out first.”
“I’m fine,” I made myself say hastily. “Go ahead. I’ll see myself out. Goodnight.” I walked quickly to the door and outside to Theo in the truck.
There was no giggling or murmuring, no soft sighs of passion from behind me. But Danial did not come after me and that somehow hurt more than seeing them embrace.
“I saw you meet her,” Theo said gently as we drove down the driveway. “I couldn’t tell you. I’m sorry.”
“It’s fine,” I sighed. “I’m with you, and he has no one. I’ll get used to it. I want him to be happy.”
“You’re practically enraged. Is some of it because she resembles Angel?”
“Don’t say her name,” I replied harshly. I didn’t want to hear about my old hated rival for Danial’s affection when a new one had just caused me fresh pain.
Taken For His Own Page 18
