Dark Hearts

by P. L. Midnight

  My hands shook so badly that I barely got the door opened as the shouts came closer. I threw my things in the car and peeled out of there as fast as I could. It was a good thing I knew the area. I knew that was my only hope. I had to evade them on one of the backcountry roads. The sweat was running down my face. I was out of breath from running so darn fast to elude my would-be assailants. I had a pain in my side and I was panting, but I drove as fast as possible.

  I drove like a crazy person around curves and across bumpy back roads. Another set of headlights became visible in my rearview mirror. I had my telephone but who was I gonna call, the Ghostbusters? I couldn’t call the guys any more than I could call the idiots in that movie.

  There really wasn’t anyone I could call so I just kept driving. I pulled off onto a particularly curvy road using every driving skill I possessed to keep the car on the road at the high speed I was going. There were several abandoned homes with hidden driveways along the winding and hilly tree-lined road. I just had to get far ahead of my pursuers to allow me to slow down enough to turn into one of those driveways.

  I remembered a particularly creepy abandoned old farmhouse down a long winding drive surrounded by heavy foliage. It would be the perfect place to turn. I stepped on the gas knowing that the house was only a mile or so down the road. I could no longer see the headlights of my pursuers as I hit the last hill before the turnoff I planned to take.

  I braked at the last moment and turned sharply into the drive. I instantly killed the headlights. I quickly pulled over into a dense bank of trees and coasted to a stop. As soon as the car sped by the drive, I inched my way behind the dilapidated old farmhouse. It was the perfect cover at least for the time being. I made sure my doors were locked. I turned off the engine to eliminate any noise.

  An old owl perched nearby let out a screeching sound, which darn near had my head hitting the ceiling, I jumped so hard. I’d forgotten how eerie the place was in the stillness of the night. Fortunately, it was a dark night with the new moon phase just beginning. I don’t see how it could’ve gotten much darker. Due to the lack of moonlight, I was well hidden from my enemies, which I’d begun to believe were a couple of men from Dark Hearts. They looked too professional to be anything but hit men.

  I didn’t want to turn on the radio in case they were snooping around. Staying hidden and silent was my safest option, I believed, for the time being. Therefore, I was left with my thoughts.

  The clock on my telephone showed two o’clock in the morning. I quickly hid the light knowing that it was a beacon in the darkness. I pulled up the blanket I’d grabbed from the motel and the warm fuzzy one that Julian had covered me with in the garden. So much had changed since our lovely interlude in the garden.

  I took stock of what I had with me. I’d been fortunate enough to get my oversized book bag out of the motel along with the aforementioned blanket. I didn’t have any food, but I did manage to grab one of my bottles of water. I pulled it out of the large pocket in my coat.

  I sat there sipping on my water, huddled in my blankets, watching my breath turn white in the cold car. I decided it might be wise to make the car appear abandoned, so I huddled deeper in the blankets and curled into a ball on the front seat. If someone looked inside, I hoped it would appear that there was just a pile of blankets and an old book bag inside. Well, it made me feel better to cover up my head anyway. I’d pulled the hood over my hat and tucked the scarf in around my face, trying to keep out the frigid air.

  I lay there for a while just breathing and trying to think warm thoughts. My mind, of course, began to drift to thoughts of the guys. Had what I’d heard been the truth? I had a sinking feeling it was. Did creatures such as gargoyles, wendigos, sun seraphim, and shapeshifters really exist?

  Actually, I was pretty sure that shapeshifters existed after my second siting of Miles changing. I’d been filching a look out my window last night, after Sebastian had gone for a break, before Miles took over watch duty. I’d watched as a gigantic bird of prey swooped down into the garden. One moment it had been a fierce, black fowl and then it had become Miles. The only reason I hadn’t screamed was that I’d been too transfixed by the perfect nude male form that I was watching.

  As he walked out of the shadows of the dimly lit garden, his naked form absolutely enthralled me. Miles had the stealth and grace of a panther as he silently moved across the garden. He was all male muscle as the moon shone on his sinewy form. I couldn’t take my eyes off his nakedness as he strode towards the house. His limbs were long and his backend was a spectacle to behold. Miles hid his muscled bulk in oversized clothes. I knew he was well formed, as were all the guys. I just didn’t realize he was absolutely perfect. I remembered watching him until he was out of site and wondering what it would be like to be loved by such a man.

  My thoughts then drifted to the others. I knew they were all equally as magnificent. I’d seen a few of them shirtless and knew how well put-together they were. I already missed them more than I thought possible as I shivered, cold and all by myself on the hard car seat.

  I finally managed to doze off in the frigid night air. Dreams of my guys filled my head until I was abruptly awakened by the cold. I was freezing. It was frigid in the car.

  I slowly uncovered my head and tried to keep my teeth from chattering which seemed to echo in the silence of the night. I stealthily glanced all around me. I raised my head just enough to see over the dashboard as I peeked around. I knew I had to make a break for it or I’d likely freeze to death in the car. Even with the blankets and my coat, I was chilled to the bone.

  After looking around a while, I decided to risk leaving. I thought it would be a good idea to leave while it was still dark. If they hadn’t found me by now, they’d likely have left the area.

  It was almost four in the morning according to my cell phone. I quickly shut it back off to conserve the little charge it had left. I guess I hadn’t gotten much of a charge on it at the motel before those guys showed up. I also hadn’t managed to grab the damn power cord when I’d left. I’d have to pick one up as soon as possible since it was my only link with my friends. I knew Tori would call if there were any word about my mother. I could see that the guys had already called several times. I’d have to get another cell phone as soon as possible, too.

  The gage showed that I had almost three-quarters of a tank of gas. It was enough to put quite a distance between those men and me.

  I slowly creeped down the driveway using just the parking beams for light. I barely pressed the accelerator, being careful not to alert anyone to my presence. Stopping at the end of the driveway, I turned off the parking lights. I checked as much of the road as I could. There wasn’t a sign of any other cars in either direction.

  I pulled out of the drive and headed towards the small village of West Liberty. I knew that area had the hilly terrain I needed to stay hidden. I didn’t want to think about how many people could be looking for me.

  I’d also need to trade the car in, now that it was identifiable. I cranked up the heater and headed towards my destination, trying not to think of the obstacles in my way. At least I was getting warmer. I could finally feel my fingertips.

  Chapter Twenty-One - The Guys

  “What the fuck were you thinking, taking her out in the cold in the first place, Julian?” Vince was in his brother’s face. His short fuse was about to ignite yet again.

  Raven immediately got between them, “Calm down immediately, Vince. I won’t take any argument tonight. You know as well as I do, Emma could have sweet-talked any one of us into leaving her for a few minutes to get her whatever she requested. Besides, this bickering isn’t getting us anywhere. We’ve got to find her.”

  “There’s no way she could have left without being able to see.”

  “Oh, I believe she could see. I’ve had my suspicions about her eyesight for several days. However, without outright calling her a liar there was nothing I could do. I was hoping she’d have shared the return of her eye
sight with one of us by now.”

  “Someone still had to have helped her.”

  “She escaped much too quickly to not have had an accomplice.”

  “I bet it was that bitch, Tori. She was jealous. I could tell. She wanted Emma to be alone and would gladly have helped get her away from us.”

  “You can’t blame Tori. She wouldn’t hurt Emma even if she were jealous. After all, she is one of her best friends.”

  “Are you sure there’s no sign of a forced entry into the garden area?”

  “Surely Dark Hearts didn’t kidnap her from the garden?”

  “Hell no, this place is like Fort Knox.”

  “I don’t think so, either. Dad has this place wired for security. There are alarms all over the place, not to mention the gargoyles which are an intimidating factor even as statues. I’m sure they didn’t, but I’ll go upstairs to the camera room and take a look at the footage from earlier today.”

  “There’s no need to check the cameras right now. You may want to check them after this meeting to see who helped her. I think I can shed some light on the situation,” Sebastian said in his calmest voice, knowing how his news would be received. He just hoped they didn’t shoot the messenger. Everyone got quiet as Sebastian walked further into the room carrying a note in his hand and continued, “I found this in Emma’s room. It’s a note she left for us.”

  As Sebastian began to read the note, the room fell silent. He could feel the tension filling the room as he read aloud, “Dearest Raven, Vince, Alex, Julian, Sebastian, and Miles, I appreciate everything you’ve done for me. I’ll never forget any of you. Thanks to you, my eyes are healed. I just couldn’t stay any longer. I have to do something myself about finding my mom. I also heard some of your conversations and knew I had to leave before I caused a rift between you. You know in your hearts we can’t all be together. It would never work. Unfortunately, I can’t choose just one of you, because you’re all so special to me. The best thing is for me to leave now before our feelings become any stronger. Please don’t try to find me. Emma. P.S. Don’t be too hard on Julian, it wasn’t his fault. I’m sorry Julian, but it’s for the best that I leave now.”

  “I just have one question, who the hell was talking in front of her?” Miles asked in his old-style language.

  A chorus of “I didn’t tell her, well neither did I,” rang around the room. It seemed no one had even discussed the situation in front of her.

  “She found out somehow, which leaves me wondering how she did. I don’t think she wandered around the house eavesdropping. I don’t believe any of you discussed anything aloud about Emma or our situation that she shouldn’t have heard. Did any of you possibly talk near her room about us all wanting to be with her permanently as her mates?” Raven asked.

  “I did telepathically discuss the situation with Sebastian one night, but Emma was asleep anyway. Sebastian checked to make sure she was sleeping before we started projecting our thoughts to each other. We certainly didn’t project our thoughts to her. Even if we had communicated with just our minds, she isn’t a telepath. She couldn’t have heard our thoughts,” Julian said.

  “I believe we all had thoughts about Emma and the situation. You can’t be near her and not have those thoughts from time to time,” Sebastian said and continued in a thoughtful tone, “None of us understands the anomaly of Emma, or why we are so attracted to her or why she’s so attracted to us. Perhaps she isn’t what she appears to be, which leads me to believe that she may also possess gifts that we aren’t aware of.”

  “If she were telepathic I think I would have picked up on it. After all, I’ve known her for several years now,” Vince said. Raven and Julian nodded in agreement.

  “That’s true, but maybe it’s something that has just developed due to her coming of age.”

  “Well, she is turning eighteen soon as I told you, but I don’t believe there is anything magical about the age of eighteen that would turn on one’s telepathic gifts or anything else.”

  “Maybe not, but it is a theory of mine that I can’t rule out yet. I’m curious about something, which may shed some light on the subject. Vince, if you wouldn’t mind answering something that has been puzzling me for a while,” Sebastian inquired.

  “Go ahead, Sebastian, but I’m not sure any of this shit matters. She’s gone and we have to find her. That’s all I care about.”

  “I think it does matter. It can’t hurt to know a bit more about her. Maybe it will help us find her. I’d just like to know something that may answer a few questions about her. Vince, I know you’ve cared for Emma for a long time, correct?”

  “Yes, it’s no secret I’m in love with her just like the rest of you seem to be, but I don’t know what that has to do with anything.”

  “Please be patient. I’ll try to explain my theory. Have your feelings become stronger for her recently? I’d also like the rest of you to answer that question, too, if you don’t mind.”

  “What the fuck does it matter anyway, but if you must know, my feelings for her have increased in the last week especially. I’m not sure I can live without her, Sebastian.”

  “Don’t get mad, Vince, but I feel the same way. What about the rest of you?”

  There was a consensus around the room that their feelings towards Emma had intensified dramatically over the last couple of weeks. They all admitted to loving her and while she was special, none of them understood why they felt the way they did. It was more than just lust or love. It was a need to possess and protect. It was a need so fierce that since the discovery of her disappearance, their tempers had been short and arguments bordering on vicious had taken place.

  “I theorize that there are some things in Emma that are triggered by her eighteenth birthday, which is tomorrow. I’m not sure what they are or if she’s even human.” Noting Vince’s defensive stance, Sebastian changed his tactics a bit. “I know you think she’s human, but my magic reacts strangely to her for some reason. Her body fights it. Her eyes should’ve healed almost immediately with the potions I gave her. However, it was several weeks before she could see again, as you know. I do believe she’s been able to see for at least a few days, maybe longer.”

  “It’s really no one’s fault. I thought I noticed her move a little more confidently when I was watching her eat last night. However, it’s as you said, I couldn’t make any accusations without sounding like a prick,” Miles stated in his normally almost haughty tone.

  “It seems the closer to eighteen she has become the greater our feelings are for her. I know I could hardly keep from touching her, which is not the way a doctor normally feels about a patient. I could barely contain my emotions where she was concerned the last few days. I know it was becoming more difficult being around her without claiming her for my own, especially the last couple of days and I noticed her reacting the same way to all of us. Would the rest of you agree with that statement?” Sebastian asked.

  All of the guys agreed with Sebastian’s statement. Vince didn’t look too happy, but strangely enough, he seemed to be in agreement with everyone else. They all seemed to agree that Emma needed to be with the six of them no matter what it took to make it happen. She was the immortal lover that each of them had sought for so long. She had to be found.

  “Now that you mention it, I’ve felt like a rutting boar these last few days. My damn dick went crazy around her.”

  “Fuck, angel boy, could you knock it off? None of us care to hear about your damn dick,” Vince growled.

  “I agree, Alex, that’s a bit too much information, although I believe we can all understand how you were feeling. I think we felt the same way without being so crude about it. I don’t know what we’re going to do about it. We must find her and convince her that she needs to be with all of us. She is our family as we are hers.”

  “We will find her.”

  “Okay, when we find her we are going to have to tread softly or we will lose her. If what Sebastian says is true, perhaps she is developi
ng some abilities that may develop fully when she physically turns eighteen. Therefore, we are going to have to guard our thoughts. As Sebastian has told us, Emma is inexperienced with men. If she could read our thoughts, as she apparently did, then I’m sure we scared her off with our intensity towards her.” Raven paused and hearing no comments continued, “I know you aren’t going to like this Vince, but we’re also going to have to come to some kind of agreement about sharing her and hope we can convince her it will work. As it seems none of us wants to face a life without her in it, I don’t think we have a choice, since it seems to be physically painful to be away from her.”

  “As much as I hate it, I don’t feel we have much of a choice. You’re my brothers and most of us have become good friends over the last few weeks. I’d trust any of you with my life or Emma’s. I’d just appreciate it if we could all keep our private sexual thoughts about Emma to ourselves,” Vince stated as he looked directly at Alex. Alex smirked, but nodded in agreement as Vince, keeping his temper in check finished, “I have a feeling that we all told her we cared about her, too. I know I did. I also told her I looked forward to spending time with her when she got better. Maybe all of us stating basically the same things scared her.”

  “Yeah, I’m sure the thought of eventually having a physical relationship with six guys scared the hell out of her,” Sebastian grumbled.

  “Yeah, she had to know we all wanted to eventually screw her,” Alex said.

  “Crudely put by the angel, as usual,” Miles interjected.

  “Yes, I believe we all wish to have one-on-one time under the sheets with her, but I think all of us want more from her than just sex, Alex.”

  “I love her and have for a long time,” Vince piped up.

  “I believe we all love her or are starting to develop similar feelings, as Sebastian mentioned. The problem is convincing her that we can make it work with all of us. I’m going to do some research as to why we’re all so drawn to her. We continue to feel this intense desire to love, protect, and constantly be near her as well, which isn't normal in such a short period of time for all six of us. If it’s alchemy of some kind, I’ll find it. I’d also suggest we start learning to block our thoughts in the event my hunch about her psychic abilities is correct.”