PANDORA

by Rebecca Hamilton

  He sighs and cups my face with his hands and kisses me sweetly on the lips. “I miss holding you,” he whispers and places his lips on my forehead. “I miss hearing your sigh when you fall asleep,” he murmurs against my forehead. “But we’ll have plenty of time for that,” he says pulling away slightly. “Remember,” he grins and waggles his brows, “We are teenagers.”

  I laugh. “Why can’t you just be sneaky?”

  He makes a noncommittal noise and shrugs. “I’ll see you early tomorrow for training,” he says and moves his left hand to the back of my neck to pull me in for a kiss. I sigh, and he chuckles.

  “Tomorrow,” he whispers against my lips.

  “Can I react like the rebellious teen that I am?” I mope a little.

  “Would you throw a temper tantrum like Alex?” He grins.

  I giggle. “Maybe.”

  “Tell Henry to record it for me. It sounds rather amusing.”

  I snort.

  “I love when you do that,” he says and wiggles his fingers against my side, effectively turning me into a laugh-snorting puddle of goo.

  When he stops, I lean against him and sigh. “I love you.” His arms tense around me. I become as stiff as a board. Why did I just say that? What the hell is wrong with me?

  My breathing comes faster and my palms moisten. Why isn’t he saying anything? I’m too much of a sissy-la-la to look at him or check our bond.

  Ever so slowly, his fingers travel up my arm, lightly touching my shoulder, neck and cheek, before resting on my chin and forcing me to look up.

  “Jasmine?” He whispers. A full blast of love washes over me just as his breath fans across my face. “I love you, too.”

  Tears fill my eyes, so I close them and press my lips to his.

  Flashing lights strobe behind my closed eyes, popping them open quickly I see the porch light flickering.

  Seth chuckles. “Your mom?”

  I smile. “Probably.”

  “See you tomorrow?” He questions. I nod before squeezing him once more and walking to the door.

  Shutting the door, I giggle and jog up the steps. I just told my soul mate I love him. And he loves me! I mean I already knew it, but it’s been said.

  My phone rings, pulling me out of my head.

  “Hello?” I answer without looking, still giggling.

  “Why won’t your extremely gorgeous, hunky brother just leave me the hell alone?” Skeeter screeches into the phone.

  “What did he do now?”

  She growls. “He sent me another text today!”

  I sigh. He should still be out with Barry and Tristan. “What did he say?” I’m hoping that he’s actually done something offensive this time. Last time the text that pushed her over the edge was him asking her if she thought bringing ingredients for S’mores would be alright for the cookout her parents were having.

  “What he said was that he thought it would be fun if I joined him and the guys at the bowling alley! I hate bowling!” She shrieks.

  I snort. “Are you kidding me?”

  “Look, I’m not you,” she sighs. “I can’t just join a bunch of guys for a fun outing by myself! If you went, then yeah, of course I’d go! But I can’t be alone with him, Jazzy! Ever!”

  “Sweetie, you wouldn’t have been alone with him. Tristan, Barry, Tony, and Flynn would’ve been there, too. I’m sure it would have been highly entertaining.”

  She growls again. “Jazzy, you don’t get it!”

  We spend the next half hour arguing the fact that just because I’m not in the group at all times, doesn’t mean that she is alone with one person, while four to seven other people could be around.

  With Seth chuckling and making jokes telepathically, during this conversation, Skeeter gets mad at me because I’d laugh at the wrong times.

  I take a deep breath. “Okay, honestly, I’ll be good now.”

  ‘I’ll leave you to the lovers quarrel, I’m sorry,’ Seth says, and I have to bite back my giggle again.

  She huffs, “Are you seriously done laughing at my expense?”

  “I hope so,” I say half seriously.

  “I don’t know why I bother talking to you about this. Some best friend you are.”

  I roll to my back on my bed. “I really am sorry. It’s just . . . ” How do I put this? “I don’t . . . ”

  “Right, you don’t care,” she says interrupting me. “Because you have your soul mate, you don’t have boy troubles anymore!”

  “I do care about you and your boy troubles. I am sorry.”

  She sighs. “I don’t know why I let him bother me so much. I wish he would just chase after his fan club for a while and leave me alone,” she whispers.

  “He only wants to be your friend,” I offer.

  “I don’t think I can do that, Jaz.”

  “You’ll be fine. It’ll all work out in the end. I promise.”

  “How can you promise that? What if he finds his mate? I don’t think I can see that happen!” She nearly shrieks her panic.

  ‘Maybe it’s that time of the month.’ I ignore Seth. Every time a girl gets emotionally out of character, it’s always PMS, according to the male gender.

  “Don’t worry about it,” I try to reassure her.

  “I’m thinking I should take my parents up on the moving offer. I don’t want to, but it’s better than seeing him find a mate or deal with him.”

  I sit straight up. “Just hold on! You can’t do that!” I nearly shout as my lungs shrink. “Don’t think so negatively. Besides, he does have your number, so I’m not so sure that moving will stop him from contacting you.” I smile at my genius moment.

  “Ugh! Alright, I’ll take your word on it for now.” She sighs. “I don’t want to move away from you just yet.” I can hear the smile in her voice.

  “I love you, too, Skeeter,” I laugh.

  “Yeah, yeah, I’m the best and we know it,” she laughs, finally.

  “As interesting as this has been, I’m going to get off of here and go talk to my mom and Leland. Leland gave me the eye when I walked in,” I lie.

  She laughs. “You’re in big trouble, missy!”

  After dinner, I start my homework so I won’t have to do it tomorrow after training with floppy arms and Jell-o legs. I’m sitting at my desk preparing my math assignment, when I hear Henry, Leland, and Mom in the hall talking.

  “I’m sure she’s just fine,” my uncle says in a hushed tone.

  “I just worry about her. She’s so young and has a mate, or whatever, now. She’s seventeen and doesn’t act like it! I don’t want her running off with that boy. She’s gotten letters of recommendations from artists and professors for art school, her dream. I don’t want anything to mess that up,” Mom says. The art show was a success. She’s right about that, and my dream of art school. But, Seth wouldn’t mess any of that up.

  “That boy is very responsible for his age as well,” Henry says.

  I feel Seth pick up on this conversation, too.

  “Both of them act older than they are, Lil. You have to trust at least Jasmine,” Leland says.

  “I just don’t want her getting pregnant before she graduates! Imagine what Curt would say to that!”

  Someone sighs heavily.

  “Mom, no one knows what Dad would truly feel about any of this,” Henry snaps. “I highly doubt Jazzy will let that happen. And even still, heightened senses remember? I’m like a walking, talking, chastity belt. But they aren’t intimate that way anyway, they both stop before it gets too far.” Henry nearly growls.

  I put my pencil down soundlessly and stare at the door with wide eyes.

  ‘He heard us!’ I practically scream to Seth at the same time my cheeks heat.

  “What if she’s snuck him in? Or snuck out? Even tonight! Right now!” I hear her stamp her foot in exclamation.

  I can’t listen to this anymore. I walk to my door and open it.

  “Hey. What’s up?” I look each one in the face. Mom blushes and lo
oks down. Henry shifts on his feet, knowing that I heard them. Leland just stares at me.

  “We were just talking about you,” Leland says.

  “Want to do a bed check while I finish up this last math problem?” I open my door wider and walk back to my desk.

  “No,” Henry says harshly. “You get back to work. I’ll be back in a few minutes, Jazzy,” Henry says and closes the door.

  ‘That was . . . Um, informative.’

  ‘No kidding.’ I can’t believe this. ‘Did he really just call himself a walking, talking chastity belt?’ I groan.

  Seth laughs. ‘That was a good one on his part. But I thought your mom trusted us.’

  ‘Maybe we should spend some more time here, around her. Maybe she hasn’t seen us together as a couple enough.’

  I feel him agree as he brushes my mind with a calming balm again. ‘I love you.’

  ‘I love you, too.’ I sigh.

  This is normal.

  This is what I wanted.

  Seth is my forever. I have no doubts about that. I know it won’t be normal forever. I just have to enjoy it while it lasts. My forever is mine to control and I will do that with Seth’s help, always.

  One day my wounded heart will heal and I will claim the “happiest girl alive” title.

  ‘I’ll fix you.’ His husky voice fills my mind. I’ll never grow tired of hearing it.

  Henry . . .

  Running always helps me calm down.

  Right now, I’m going to run off the weird-ass conversation I had with my mom and uncle.

  Did I really just refer to myself as a walking, talking chastity belt? I wish I had some freaky ability to know when they were going to bring up unpleasant conversations, such as my sister’s virginity status.

  I shrug out of my clothes behind the trees near the lake, grateful for mostly elderly neighbors. Not many people will be able to notice my wolf in the dark.

  I take a deep breath and let my wolf take over. Barry was right. The pain does ease with time, though it never fully goes away.

  I set off on my usual path, sticking close to the lake where the trees are the thickest. This route brings me through Skeeter’s back yard. My wolf rumbles with the thought of seeing her. I sigh, as much as she pleases me and my wolf, she won’t even talk to me. I can’t pinpoint when that happened really, probably after my wolf showed up. Everything is just a big confusing mess.

  I sigh and ease into my surroundings.

  Running will clear my head.

  Rustling to my left halts me in my tracks. A brown owl lands on my back the minute I stop. I shake my coat, but he doesn’t depart.

  Tristan.

  I growl and drop to my left side. The movement launches him from his perch on my back. His bird makes a strange noise that my wolf ears recognize as a laugh. He isn’t supposed to be this far out from the flock at night. I hope there isn’t a problem. Knowing Tristan, he’s just messin’ around and being a rule breaker. As always, he’ll get away with it. The perks of being the Phoenix’s son.

  I reach the farm where I can run full speed without worries.

  A hoot-screech above makes me look up. ‘Hey man, I’m just doin’ some flyin’ tonight. You can dodge air-bombs another time.’ Tristan says in my head. It’s weird how the firebirds do that. Tristan said they have to really focus or be touching someone else to receive a response, unless it’s a flock-mate. All members of the flock communicate telepathically, no matter what. That has to be annoying.

  After a twenty minute run, I head back to the house and retrieve my clothes.

  Barry said that our wolves know when we find our mates. If she was my mate, I would’ve known by now, right? But if she’s not, why do I have this desire, need, and want? It’s all for her.

  The day my mom and cousin were taken, my wolf kept telling me to protect Skeeter. Me and my human brain, kept saying “Jazzy needs me.” I couldn’t do anything for Skeeter, except keep her in the house, and even that wasn’t needed. She said she wasn’t going anywhere until Jazzy was home. She seemed relieved when I left to help the guys get Jazzy back.

  That was a scary thought, not knowing what I would find when I arrived, or if we could even get her.

  “Jazzy, I need your help,” I say as I walk through her bedroom door without knocking.

  “I know, but you need to trust me on this. Just give her time.” She knows exactly what I need to talk about. I don’t know how, but she always does that.

  Having just relived the night I almost lost her, I pull her into a much needed hug. Smelling her peach shampoo that’s been somewhat of a security blanket for me since that night, my chest doesn’t feel as tight. I can still smell the spicy, wooded musk that I know is Seth. Her scent is more of a warm cinnamon, and with her shampoo, she’s like a walking peach cobbler.

  I smirk at my thought. I’ll never tell her that. She would freak. I’m surprised Tristan or Barry hasn’t mentioned it yet. They love messin’ with her.

  “Everything will work out, Henry. I promise.” She smiles up to me, then covers her mouth and yawns.

  “I’m sorry I kept you waiting. Get some sleep, Beautiful.”

  “Goodnight Stud, er, my walking chastity belt,” she sniggers to herself.

  I groan. I’m not going to hear the end of that one.

  I ruffle her hair a bit, and head to my room, preparing myself for another long night of arguing with myself. One day my head, heart, and wolf, will all be on the same page. Maybe then I’ll be able to sleep.

  As I fight sleep, my wolf stirs but I push him away. Whispering fills my room. Something huge is coming. This is the calm before the storm.

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  Rachel is a wife and mother from Central Pennsylvania. Her favorite season is fall, for hockey, changing leaves, pumpkin everything, and bonfires often. She's also a coffeenista with an insomnia problem. When Rachel isn't playing with the people inside her head, making her family believe she belongs in the loony bin, she enjoys spending time with her family, friends, species confused cat (he believes he's part dog, love him), and finding new books and music.

  Regarding writing, her first love is Young Adult Paranormal, but she's venturing outside of her comfort zone and opening up to writing more genres. Be on the look out!

  Rachel looks forward to hearing from and interacting with her fans and readers.

  http://rachelwalterauthor.blogspot.com

  Other books by Rachel Walter:

  A Message of Flowers (A Pocono Valley Romance) #1

  Soul Promise (The Soul Mate Series) #2

  Coming Soon:

  Pucked

  Invisible

  by

  DelSheree Gladden

  Chapter 1

  Invisible

  (Olivia)

  My best friend is not imaginary. He’s not a ghost, either. And I’m pretty sure he isn’t a hallucination. He’s just Mason.

  He is, however, invisible.

  Zipping up my jeans as I stumble into my tennis shoes, I shuffle out of my room. By the time I reach the bathroom, I have both feet solidly in my shoes, even if the laces remain untied. One jiggle of the doorknob sets me to growling. Locked. My eyes dash to my sister, Evie’s, door, only to find her making her way down the hall herself. Her hair is sticking up in all sorts of wild ways, so it’s pretty safe to assume she hasn’t seen the inside of the bathroom yet, either.

  “Mason?” she asks, stifling a yawn.

  “Who else?” I grouch.

  Evie giggles. “You know, for someone who’s invisible, he sure does worry a lot about how he looks.”

  My little sister was the first person in my family to admit Mason was real. My mom and dad passed off my new friend as typical five-year-old stuff. Mom thought it was cute when I asked for extra snacks to share with Mason. Dad didn’t even hesitate when I asked if Mason could sleep in my room with me. Evie was only three when Mason first showed up, but she took to him right away. She thought it was great fun to watch him move
things and make the cat fly. Really, he was just carrying the cat around in his arms, but since Evie can’t see Mason, to her it looked like everything he touched could float.

  I’ve always wondered why Mason’s clothes disappear when he puts them on, but the cat never did. He can put something in his pocket and it vanishes, but if he just holds it, it floats. Mason doesn’t know either. I think it must be something he’s doing without realizing, but Mason disagrees. As far as he knows, that’s just how it’s meant to work. Since he’s the invisible one and I’m not, it’s hard to argue with him.

  “Mason!” I yell as I pound on the door. “Hurry up!”

  I hear a muffled response, that I’m sure was not an apology for hogging the bathroom. I sigh and reach for the key. My fingers brush along the door frame for the simple metal shaft that acts as a rather low-tech key. Finally finding it, I shove the key into the lock and poke around until the door finally opens. Evie stalks in dutifully.

  Five seconds later, Mason howls as the shower water turns ice cold. Evie pops her head back out. “Did I get him?” she asks.

  Evie can’t hear Mason, either. Nobody but me can, not unless he’s touching them. And even then, they have to have accepted his presence as reality in order to hear him. I don’t know why that works, but it does. I learned a while ago to just accept the bizarreness that comes with Mason.

  Laughing, I nod. “Yeah, you got him.”

  Evie jumps out of the doorway, and just in time. Mason stalks out soon after with a towel slung around his waist. His eyes fasten onto me. The snarly expression on his face doesn’t faze me. “That was low, Olivia Lynn Mallory.”

  Ooh, he used my full name. I’m so not scared. “Quit hogging the bathroom.”

  “I was in the shower!” Mason snaps. “Naked!”

  I try not to laugh. I fail. “It’s not like she saw anything!”

  Mason bristles. “So! It’s the principle of the thing. I deserve some privacy!”

  “You have all the privacy in the world,” I laugh. “What you don’t have is the bathroom to yourself.”

  Evie and I both push past him and grab for our toothbrushes. I’m the only one who can hear Mason muttering under his breath as he storms away, but Evie can imagine his response well enough and giggles along with me.