Evander (Stratham Shifters Book 4)

by Sarah J. Stone

  “What was it?” she asked, her head cocked.

  “Brain cancer,” he answered. “At first, they could treat it…and again, and again. But eventually, it became too much.”

  “And the time before that? Here, that was an accident, or murder,” she answered. “And the first time?”

  “The first time was a bullet,” he replied, softly. “Someone challenged me to a duel, and you…” he choked up at the memory because it had been so painful. Even though she was beside him now, he would never forget the moment that she had slipped away the first time.

  “I put myself in front of you,” she replied. “Did I try to stop it?”

  “Had you been a moment sooner, you would have,” he said. “But it was too little, too late.”

  “Was it in my head?” she asked, and he choked on the response.

  “Yes,” he replied. “You remember?”

  “It seems that everything is head or neck,” she pointed out, and he paused, a soft chuckle coming from his lips.

  “Huh,” he said. “I didn't even think about that”

  “Why would you when your girlfriend is dying in your arms?” she shrugged one shoulder, playing with the blades of grass. “Are there others like you?”

  “Yes,” he replied. “Other shifters as well – wolves, bears, lions. Dragons are the top, though, and we rule from a planet not too far from here.”

  “What do you mean, ‘we?’” she asked. “Are you a prince?”

  “No,” he said. “But I am closely related to the throne. There is no bad blood. The family that is on the throne now is wonderful, and we are close. I'm more of a…Duke, maybe, in English?”

  “I was a duchess, then?” she turned to him with a smile.

  “If you like,” he replied. “We've only been there in the first lifetime, so it's been a long time since we've had to think about titles.”

  “Oh,” she said, leaning further back against the grave. She shivered then, and he reached to put an arm around her. As if it were an extension of herself, she leaned in, placing her head on his shoulder. “Why haven't we been back?”

  “This is your home,” he said softly. “Umora is mine. We have to compromise.”

  She took a deep breath, closing her eyes.

  “This is a lot,” she pointed out.

  “I know,” he brushed some hair from her face. “You usually don't ask so many questions so fast.”

  She giggled at that.

  “Blame it on the age of Google,” she replied. “Everyone wants to know everything at once.”

  “But are you all right?” he asked. “Do you doubt anything that I can help answer?”

  “It's sort of hard to deny the fact that you turned into a dragon right in front of me,” she pointed out. “After seeing that, everything else becomes believable. Besides, there are many human religions that believe in reincarnation. I can't be the only one.”

  “I have thought about that,” he replied. “But so far, you are the only one that I can find.”

  “Is there someone who would be more knowledgeable?” she asked. “Someone who might know? Because as much as I would like to be rare and special, I just can't believe that part.”

  “There is someone,” he replied. “On Umora.”

  “Right,” she said, looking to him. “So do we…we've kissed before, yes?”

  He smiled. “Yes,” he said. “But not in this lifetime.”

  “Maybe…” She looked deep into his eyes. “Maybe I will remember what it's like if you kiss me.”

  He was taken aback by this. She was not normally this forward either. He had to remind herself that he had gotten so used to the old version of her that he had forgotten how different she could be.

  “I could do that,” he replied, leaning in.

  She leaned forward, closing her eyes. He reached out, cupping her cheek, and laid a kiss on her soft lips.

  It felt like nothing he had ever felt before. It didn't feel familiar, which alarmed him.

  She felt like she had died and gone to heaven, melting into his arms.

  “Oh my,” she said, as she fell against his chest. He ran a hand through her hair.

  “Do you remember?” he asked, trying to calm his own fears. She was a new body, that was all. It was sometimes unfamiliar, he knew that. But he ached so bad for the feeling of his love by her side and her lips on his.

  “I don't even know my own name,” she replied. “In any lifetime. Does it feel the same?”

  “Uh…” he didn't want to lie to her. “You are new, my love. We will get to know each other again.”

  “Sure,” she smiled, kissing him on the neck. “We should go back to the hotel. My parents will start to wonder what happened to me.”

  “Of course.” He sat up quickly. “I don't want to get you in trouble.”

  “You won't get me in trouble,” she replied. “Besides, how do you think they might react when I go to a different planet?”

  That sentence stopped him in his tracks. “What?” he asked.

  “To…What did you call it? Your dragon planet?”

  “Umora?” he answered as they both got up. “You already have plans to go there?”

  “Well, didn't you say that is where the answers are?” she asked. “So, why wouldn't we go?”

  He was stunned by this. She wanted to move so fast and was so sure of herself. This modern era was certainly different than the last generation.

  “Unless I can't, for some reason?”

  “You can go,” he said as they both dusted dirt off themselves. “I was just surprised to hear you be so open about it. Normally, it takes a while.”

  “Again, the dragon transformation was a bit of a deciding factor,” she smiled at him. “We can come and go, can't we? I don't have to go with you and never comeback?”

  “Of course,” he said. “Sliding between worlds is easy if you have proper magic. Last time we were there, you weren't quite comfortable, however.”

  “Why wasn't I comfortable?” she questioned, confused.

  “You weren't…” He searched for the right words, not wanting to offend her. “You weren't born for palace life. You were always determined, and always wanted to work hard.”

  “A peasant, you mean,” she quirked an eyebrow.

  He put a hand out. “I meant no offense, my love.”

  “There's none taken,” she assured him. “Perhaps one-hundred years ago, there might have been, but the world is changing. There's nothing wrong with working hard.”

  He smiled, offering his arm. She took it as they strolled out of the graveyard.

  “There is not,” he assured her. “And you and I have always worked hard to ensure that we are happy.”

  “It will take a while,” she tried to assure him, “to properly fall in love. But if it's meant to be, I have no doubt that I will. I believe in fate.”

  “As do I,” he said. “I am quite happy to court you.”

  “Court me?” She smirked. “That is old fashioned, isn't it?”

  “Why, what do you say nowadays?” he asked, as they walked.

  “Hmm,” she though. “Date? Take out? Hit me up? Netflix and chill?”

  “Somehow,” he tried to maintain his composure, “none of that seems as elegant.”

  “I'll give you that,” she smirked. “How long can you stay in town?”

  “As long as you'd like,” he answered. “The entire purpose of this trip was to see you.”

  “But you must have other things to do with your life,” she said. “You can't just spend the whole time wandering around, waiting for me to figure it out?”

  He smiled. “I don't. And I have done many things over the years to take care of you and make sure we have a future. Sometimes it's on Earth, sometimes on Umora, and sometimes on a different planet all together. Regardless, you are always taken care of. You don't have to worry.”

  “I do have to worry if I can't get up for class tomorrow,” she said as they reached the hotel. “You'l
l forgive me for not wanting to ditch my whole life on the spot.”

  “Of course,” he said as they stepped into the library.

  “But can we go to my room to talk?” she asked. “It's up this way.”

  “No,” he was firm on this. “Katianna, we are not married yet. And until we are, I don't wish to compromise your reputation.”

  “My reputation?” she was about to sputter out that he needn't worry about that. But the look in his eyes was so genuine and so pure that she couldn't bring herself to do it. “I see.”

  “So, if you wouldn't mind,” he said, leaning in to kiss her on the cheek, “I'll bid you goodnight here.”

  “That's…um…fine,” she blushed, feeling a bit embarrassed. “I'll see you in the morning, then?”

  “I'll be counting the hours,” he replied.

  She took the left staircase up to her room where he imagined the family's quarters were.

  He watched her go, his heart beating a hundred miles a minute. She always did this to him, no matter how long they had been together. His palms were sweaty, and his heart was ablaze with love.

  This had been so much easier than the other times. She seemed to believe things, and her memories were flooding back with only a little prompting. If this was what the world was coming to, then he welcomed it with open arms.

  His phone pinged as he went up to his room, and he pulled it out, annoyed.

  Your services are required tomorrow, said the message from Nicholas. It was firm, and there was no explanation.

  Spencer paused his fingers over the keyboard. He didn't want to seem like he was questioning his princes, but he couldn't leave – not now.

  I am engaged until at least a fortnight, he wrote back. He figured a fortnight would be long enough to convince Katianna that she could take a break and come with him. Now that he had found her, he didn't ever want to be apart from her again.

  The message came back almost right away, and it was harsh.

  You will come when your princes demand, or you will be held in contempt. Spencer, you are a second bloodline lord, and we are summoning you.

  His heart was set aflutter, but this time, it was for an entirely different reason.

  Yes, my prince, he wrote back as he closed the door to his room. He knew that he didn't have a choice. While the dragon princes weren't merciless, they did not stand for people questioning their rule. They had been through so much in the last few years, and he didn't blame them for needing to be firm. He was a loyal servant, and he would come.

  But he was determined not to leave Katianna ever again either.

  Chapter 4

  He waited until the afternoon. The texts from Nicholas had stopped coming, but he could feel his displeasure across the galaxy. All dragons were connected to their royals through magic. Whenever the royals walked into the room, they were forced to bow as they invoked majesty. Spencer bowed before the magic got to him, for he respected them and considered them friends. Today, though, he was cursing them as he waited for Katianna to get out of class.

  She was wearing jeans and a long sweater, her hair pulled back into a ponytail. She couldn't have looked more like an Earth girl if she tried, and it made him wince. Yesterday, with her vintage dress, she might have been able to fit in. But today, unless he gave her a moment to change, she was going to stand out like a sore thumb if she wanted to come with him.

  He told himself that it was all right. After all, all the princes were married to human girls. One was a witch, and one was a carapace – the opposite of a witch – but they were all human and had lived on Earth at some point.

  “You look pensive,” Katianna said when she approached him.

  He tried to smile. “How was class?” he asked.

  “It was all right,” she said with a shrug. “I'm taking the degree as a formality and hopefully to learn a little bit, but the truth is that I already know most of it from running the place. Everyone is learning check in information systems, and I've been using them since I was twelve.”

  He smiled, offering to take her backpack as they walked. “So, are you top of the class then?”

  “No, surprisingly,” she gave him a grin. “Apparently, there's a correct way to do things, and then there is my way. Besides, I couldn't focus too much today.”

  “Oh?” he asked, raising an eyebrow.

  “Because I kept thinking of you,” she gave him a sly grin.

  “Oh, I see,” he replied as they walked. He wanted to hold her tightly, but he wasn't sure if she was ready for that. He considered the fact, though, that if she wasn't ready to be hugged in the middle of a public street, she was probably not ready to journey through planets for him. “What are you plans for this afternoon?”

  “Homework,” she said. “Aside from that, nothing. Today is my day off from reception, and I don't even have class tomorrow.”

  He paused at that, trying to sound casual.

  “So you don't have to be back until the day after tomorrow?”

  “Indeed,” she said, turning to him. “Why, do you have something wonderful planned?”

  “I uh…” he tapped his fingers against his leg, looking for the right words. “I have something planned.”

  “Tell me,” she said with a grin. “I'm sure I'll like it.”

  “I'm not so sure,” he said, turning to her. “But you have to know that I love you, even if you haven't learned to love me yet. And I would never do anything to hurt or harm you. In addition, I never want to be apart from you again.”

  “Oh, God, are you proposing?” she asked him.

  His jaw fell open. “No,” he said. “Not right now.”

  She laughed. “I'm teasing you,” she said, amused by the look on his face. “Did I never tease you before?”

  “You were always more serious,” he said.

  “Oh,” she said. “Maybe I was a product of my time. Actually, though, Spencer, what is it that you have planned?”

  “Maybe something equally as shocking,” he replied. “I told you that I am close with the dragon princes. They are summoning me to return. I don't know what it is, it may be urgent, but I doubt it will be long. I could go without you. But, my love, I never want to be apart from you again. I understand, though, if this is too much, too soon.”

  “You want me to come with you?” she asked. “To the dragon planet?”

  “Yes,” he answered. “If you'd like. You mentioned that you are free.”

  “I would love to come,” she smiled. “You've spent some time in my home, why should I not see yours?”

  “You'll come, then?” he asked.

  “How do I go?” she said.

  “I can take you. It's magic, and it doesn't hurt, although it can be a little jarring,” he said. “We cannot transport from anywhere, but there is a spot – a vortex – not too far from here. A train ride for an hour or two will take us, and once we reach the vortex, it's instantaneous.”

  “And we can be back in a day or two?”

  “Yes,” he said. “That I promise you. I will not whisk you away to an unfamiliar place and leave your commitments on Earth stranded.”

  “Oy,” she said as they got back to the hotel. “Let me just lie to my parents then. And pack a bag. You should probably check out. “

  “I can leave the room paid for,” he replied. “I have every intention of returning here.”

  “Right, then,” she said, “just act normal, and I'll meet you back outside in an hour. Of course, I'm an adult and I'm allowed to go anywhere I choose, but a forty-eight hour whirlwind trip to a dragon planet might have them asking too many questions.”

  “I'll be waiting with baited breath,” he replied, and she leaned in to kiss him.

  “Don't look so nervous, Spencer, I trust you. And I've been dreaming.”

  “Dreaming?” he asked. “About us?”

  “Yes, about us. But I think it's been about things that I have done in the past. Was I nurse, ever?”

  “You…” he searched his m
emory. “During the war, there were some fights here about whether to enlist or not, and it left some men wounded in the street. You held one of their legs after it was cut with a bottle until the doctor came. You were very brave.”

  “That's sort of what I remember,” she said. “Bandages and a lot of blood. That must have been a long time ago. Does it always come back?”

  “The memories?” he asked. “No, they don't. You will get flashes, and we will talk more, but you never remember a full life.”

  “Perhaps it's for the best,” she replied. “I wouldn't want three lifetimes to come back. I can barely remember when I have class.”

  “Right now, all you need to remember is to pack whatever you need for a day or two. There's Wi-Fi there,” he said. “It's an advanced civilization; you will be able to charge your phone.”

  “Amazing,” she kissed him on the cheek. “I'll be right back.”

  “I'll wait,” he said, used to the fact that she would probably take an hour to get ready. She was always meticulous in her packing, making sure she was prepared for anything.

  It shocked him to no end when she was back downstairs in ten minutes.

  “Don't you want to see your family?” he asked, looking at her backpack. “Are you sure that's everything?”

  “It's only a few days,” she replied. “What did you expect? I said goodbye and told them I was going on a quick school field trip.”

  “Already?” he blinked, wondering if he had lost time. She smirked.

  “Oh no, I was one of those girls who packed everything and the kitchen sink, wasn't I?”

  He smiled, reaching his hand out. “It's all right,” he said. “I'm sure anything that you have forgotten, they have on Umora. If you are truly ready, we should start our adventure together.”

  She took his hand, trusting him to lead the way. For someone who had never been outside of town and had never even considered traveling, she was surprisingly brave. He thought it might have been left over from another life – this braveness; this comfort level. She even seemed to know how to board a train and hand her ticket over.