Cassie couldn’t believe it. The place was huge! When Brielle pulled up under the entrance archway, the men rushed out to greet them. Wes and Luc were at her door waiting for her to get out. Luc reached his hand in and helped her to her feet. He steadied her and she took a few steps away from the van and Wes shut the door behind her. She turned around and saw that Cole and Max each had one of the babies in their arms, she smiled. Could they be any more adorable?
By the time she faced forward again she was greeted by an older lady pushing a wheel chair.
“Good afternoon, Miss Cassie. Welcome,” she greeted her with a smile which Cassie returned. “Thank you, miss?”
“Mrs. Johnston, Miss Cassie.”
“I’m pleased to meet you Mrs. Johnston.”
“I am so glad you are doing well enough to come home, Miss Cassie. Mr. Luc and Mr. Wes have been beside themselves with worry for you, as have the rest of the family I am sure. I am employed for your personal staff so if you should find that you need anything please let me know.”
“Thank you, Mrs. Johnston, I will make sure to let you know if I need anything.” Cassie couldn’t believe it; a personal staff? She shot a questioning look at Brielle who just shrugged her shoulders in response. Well, she wasn’t getting any help there.
They arrived in the main hall and she was greeted by three long, marble hallways. One on each side and then one that led straight ahead; the one in front of her she assumed led to her personal residence. She watched as both Dani and Brielle went down their own separate halls. She turned to Mrs. Johnston, “Are there any stairs that I need to climb to get to my room?”
“No, my dear; we have an elevator for you to use. Mr. Luc paid extra for a company to install it during your hospital stay. He didn’t want you exerting yourself while you were in recovery.”
Cassie smiled and cast a glance at Luc who was in deep discussion with Wes, Max and Adrian. They must have sensed her looking at them because Wes and Luc both made eye contact with her. Wes winked at her and Luc nodded his head; both of them were so different in personalities. Luc was so serious and Wes was a jokester; but both were extremely generous and caring.
Jake was that way at the start of their relationship. As time passed he became more and more serious and gradually worked up to becoming emotionally, verbally and then physically abusive. How could she trust Wes and Luc when her past experience began the same way?
“Miss Cassie, Mrs. Brielle and Mrs. Dani have asked me to help you in changing your appearance. They thought that maybe you should change the color of your hair and make it harder to notice you. Is that something you would like to do? With your coloring I think that a black color would suit you beautifully.” Mrs. Johnston told her.
“Uhm, I haven’t really thought about it. Do you think I should?” She questioned the older lady.
“It may help to keep you safe from your attacker. If they come here looking for you they will be looking for a blond, not a brunette.”
“Then I think that is something we can try. But if I don’t like it you will have to change it back,” she joked with Mrs. Johnston.
“You have my word that we will change it back if you do not like it, Miss Cassie,” she laughed and continued on down the hall to the elevators. The doors opened and Mrs. Johnston pushed the wheelchair inside and pressed the number 3. The doors closed and they were on their way.
When the elevator stopped the doors opened to a gorgeous entryway with black marble flooring that looked more like a mirror than a floor. The walls were a deep red and had paintings hanging. There was a glass top circle table in the center of the entryway that displayed a gigantic bouquet containing an array of wildflowers.
“They are beautiful!” she exclaimed when Mrs. Johnston wheeled her past the table.
“Mr. Luc and Mr. Wes said that they wanted flowers in every room for you. Those are fresh from the gardens outside. There is a standing order to have fresh flowers delivered every other day. I arranged these for you myself; I am glad you like them.”
“Oh, you guys don’t have to do that! The flowers are wonderful but I don’t want to put you all through so much trouble,” she replied, embarrassed that Luc and Wes would order the staff to make such a fuss over her. She would have to speak with them tonight because there is no way that she was going to let them smother her and spoil her like she was some kept woman.
“Believe me, Miss Cassie, it is no bother. It is a pleasure to have someone whom we may spoil, such as yourself. Mr. Luc has never had a special person in his life before, we are all extremely happy that he has found someone.” Mrs. Johnston gave her a knowing smile.
“But we aren’t actually together.”
“But my dear, he still cares for you and this is his way of showing it. You may not have made a commitment, but I know you belong with him and Mr. Wes. Please excuse me for speaking out of turn Miss Cassie,”
“Mrs. Johnston, please do not be afraid to speak to me honestly. I have a feeling you may be the only one who will do so for a while.”
Mrs. Johnston nodded, “Well, why don’t I show you to your room and you can take a little rest.”
“Thank you,” she said and relaxed as Mrs. Johnston took her to her room, which was decorated almost identically to the one in the home she shared with Jake. Her clothing was already hanging up in the walk in closet. She had a sitting room off to the side with over sized white chairs. On the opposite side of the room, near her closet, was a doorway that she assumed led to the bathroom? She would ask later.
In the center of the room was her bed. It was a king size canopy bed with shear white drapes on each side. The comforter was a red and white silk with silver trim. Taking in the whole room she couldn’t help but to think it was breathtaking. They had put a lot of time and thought in to her comfort and for that she liked them a little bit more; she smiled at the thought. She felt like a pampered princess.
She turned to Mrs. Johnston, “Thank you, Mrs. Johnston; this room is lovely. I think I will be ok now.”
“As you wish, Miss Cassie; there will be a guard right outside your door. If you need me just dial *3 on the phone beside your bed and it will call me directly. Mr. Luc is *1 and Mr. Wes is *2.”
“Thank you, I will.” She turned and carefully walked away from the wheelchair and over to her bed. Near the pillows there was a red silk nightgown. They thought of everything, she thought. She picked it up and when she heard the door close, signaling Mrs. Johnston’s exit, she took off her clothes, folded them up and set them on the foot of the bed and donned her nightgown.
She climbed into bed and before long she was fast asleep.
Chapter 17: Wes
She was here. She was safe. No one would be able to reach her.
Wes couldn’t help but feel unsettled. He had lain awake for most of the night last night after having a disturbing dream. He couldn’t shake the thoughts that kept running through his mind as his brain kept replaying the images of that awful dream. Knowing that Cassie was here didn’t help calm him much though; the dream was just that bad.
In the dream they had received a phone call stating that Cassie had been killed; shot to death, and her ex, Jake, was in custody for her murder. There was no way that he was ever going to reach Cassie but Wes had a feeling that his dream was more of a metaphor for losing Cassie. They didn’t actually have her to lose her, but he didn’t want to take the chance that they would never get the opportunity to be with her.
Every single time he was near her his body would react. He felt like a grade-A jerk for wanting her so badly knowing what she had gone through but his inner being, wolf, craved her. It was everything about her that drew him in; her eyes, her pert little nose, her full lips, petite frame with generous curves, her scent as well as her intellect, her loyalty to those she loved, her commitment; the list could go on and on. She was perfect and he desperately wanted her. He would have her; him and Luc both, but in her time.
He was hanging out by the pool, lost in the
se thoughts, when he saw a shadow pass in front of him. He turned around to see that Luc had joined him.
“Hey man, everyone settled?”
“Yes, Mrs. Johnston said that Cassie was resting. Brielle is getting ready to start making us all a light lunch. Dani is sitting with Jasmine and Lily. The other men are all working on the various projects that they started last week. I just finished up my meeting with the head of security who informed me that everything is tightly secured and insured me that we will have nothing to worry about; no one is getting in or around this house,” Luc answered as he relaxed back in the poolside lounge chair.
“That is reassuring. I was awake last night; couldn’t sleep after having a nasty dream about losing Cassie. I still can’t shake the feeling of loss and dread.”
Luc looked at him then with a blank look in his eyes. “Did your dream involve her ex, a shooting and her death? Because I was awake last night after the same dream. I put the final touches on her suites since there was no chance of getting back to sleep after that.”
“You had the same one?” Wes was surprised at the coincidences of their dreams. What were the chances that he and Luc would both have the same dream on the same night?
“Yes, I did. I have the feeling that the dream has less to do with her actual death and more to do with a fear that we may have lost our chance with her because of the actions of her ex.”
Those were his sentiments exactly! He had no doubts that they would keep her safe and prevent any future incidences; but he was afraid that the damage had already been done.
“Do you think that is true? Have we lost our chance? Did that asshole end our lives together before they had a chance to begin?”
“I sure hope not. She is my life whether she knows it or not.”
They fell into a comfortable silence; each lost in their own thoughts.
What would he do if he never got the chance to be with Cassie? What would he do if their life together ended before it began?
Chapter 18: Luc (Later that evening)
Luc felt more relieved after his phone conference with security. Everyone he loved and cared for was safe under one roof; his.
He leaned back in his leather office chair and reflected on his night after he returned to his bed. The dream was startling, to say the least. At least he knew what it mean, but he also knew without a doubt that they would not lose Cassie. They just needed to give her time and he had plenty of that; the rest of his life.
The last few days he had gotten over some of the guilt that had eaten him up with Cassie’s attack and he was now onto gratitude like everyone suggested to him. He was so very thankful, now, that they had found Cassie when they had. They have her safe. She was happy according to Brielle, who was able to delve into a person’s mind and feel their thoughts. Cassie was still scared and still had doubts that she would ever trust again, but she was actually happy now and that loosed the knot in his chest.
What else was there to do to insure her continued safety and reassure her that she no longer needed to fear Jake? Ah, yes! He knew just the thing.
He grabbed his phone and called the security chief.
“Martin here,” Frank answered.
“Frank, it’s Luc. Hey, listen, I need you to run a check on someone and follow him. His name is Jake Michelson. His last known address is 57980 Hickory Lane in the city. I want a detail on him 24/7 and I want to be notified if he comes within a mile radius of where Miss Cassie is at any time. Understood?”
“Roger that Sir! I’m on it. I’ll have the report for you before midnight this even, Sir.”
“Thank you, Frank. Goodbye.”
He ended the call and set his phone back onto his desk. Satisfied that he would have the info in his hands within hours he decided to see if the men wanted to play billiards with him. It had been a while since they had a chance to kick back and they all deserved it.
He left his office and headed toward the game room as he called and invited each of the men. They were all on their way.
********************
Max, Adrian and Cole were already there by the time he reached the room. Wes and Ryan walked in right behind him.
“I have Frank putting together a security detail to follow Jake around. We will be notified if he comes within a mile radius of Cassie’s location at any time. He is also putting together a background report. The more informed we are about his history the better prepared we can be for any future steps he may take. As we all know, history tends to repeat itself,” he informed the men.
“That is a great idea. I know having her here is the best thing and has put Dani’s mind at ease,” Ryan told them.
“Brielle’s as well. Even though Cassie had been in the hospital Brielle was still unsettled. She didn’t feel that Cassie was safe enough there. She told me last night that Cassie is on her way to fulfilling her Destiny,” Max said.
“Does that mean Brielle senses Cassie’s acceptance?” Luc questioned, hopeful that they would get their chance with her soon.
“She always has, but her visions have been occurring more frequently. She keeps seeing you three with children,” Cole replied for Max.
That was reassuring to hear. Brielle’s visions were never wrong. She was as gifted as her mother was rumored to be. She was a great Seer and Luc relied on her senses to confirm that he was on the correct path; his path to Cassie, Wes and their union.
“How are the girls?” Wes asked Max and Cole. This morning Lily had come down with a bit of the sniffles, poor little one.
“She’s much better. Dani was able to use her powers to heal her. We’re thankful she is around. I know it was just a cold but it was her first time being sick and I can honestly say that I have never felt so helpless as I felt when I couldn’t make our little girl better,” Max answered.
Soon. Luc heard the voice in his head and looked around. No one had said anything close to that but he heard it as if the person were standing right next to him. Weird.
She will be with you soon. You three will complete the Trinity of Celestial Mates and the nine of you will become the most powerful force for good that we have on Earth. Patience is still needed. We are working on your mate.
Ok, he was not going crazy. He definitely heard that. Someone was communicating with him. He kept glancing around the room like a crazed person before he heard chuckling.
He whipped his head around and saw all the men laughing at him.
“What the hell are you all laughing at?” He was furious that they would be so unsympathetic.
“Don’t tell me that you are just now hearing them…” Wes said as he continued to fight the urge to laugh.
“What do you mean, “…just now hearing them”? Have you heard them before?”
“Oh yes, I have. But not usually while I am awake. I hear the Guardians speaking to me in my dreams,” he said.
“Same here,” Max said.
“And here,” Cole chimed in.
“With us too,” Adrian pointed his thumb between him and Ryan, who was bobbing his head in agreement.
“Those are the Guardians?” he continued when Wes confirmed his answer, “But I have always thought it was my conscious speaking to me. They have never said more than a sentence here or there; and usually only when pointing me in the right direction.”
“That would explain how you are able to tell when something bad may be happening and how you are able to help prevent catastrophes,” Cole said.
“Yeah, pretty much. Since I was a little boy I have heard them.”
“You are a chosen one then; each one of us has one person in their group Celestial Mate trio. Brielle, Adrian and now you,” Cole informed him.
“Wow, a chosen one?” Wes sounded as surprised as he felt.
“Yes, each of us has one in our group. One special one who is the one the Guardians choose to communicate with. It is their gift. We each have one and obviously communicating with the Guardians is Luc’s.” Max explained to the men. Luc had never re
alized that his ability to hear voices, or in this instance communicate with the Guardians, was an actual gift.
“So, you all have a gift?” he questioned the men.
“Yes, we all do. Some have healing, some visions, some strength and you have the gift to actually communicate directly with the Guardians.” Ryan replied to him.
“That is amazing!” He couldn’t keep the excitement from entering his voice. How wonderful was it that they each had a special gift that could help to strengthen their close knit family.
They finished their game with renewed energy and lightheartedness. At the moment there was nothing holding them back from truly enjoying themselves.
Chapter 19: Cassie (Three weeks later)
Cassie was still getting used to her new hair. She loved it! She felt like a completely new person; more confident and self assured. She hadn’t felt this calm and alive in a very long time; since before Jake.
That was the thing; she had recently begun to think of her life in terms of before Jake and after Jake. The her, before, was outgoing and confident. The her, after, was closed off and living in a shell. Well, not any longer! Since she had been living in Luc’s home she had begun opening up more; allowing herself to join in on the fun and truly enjoy her life once again. She was nowhere near the way she was before but she didn’t want to be that Cassie any more anyway. She wanted to be the new her; outgoing, self confident and mature. She wanted to be a better version of the old Cassie, and she was getting there with the help of Brielle, Dani, Luc and Wes. Of course her brother and the other guys were helpful, but Wes and Luc were always there whenever she needed someone. They were somehow able to contemplate her needs before she even knew them. They were tender, calm, understanding and patient. They never said or did anything to make her feel less than perfect. Not once had she been made to feel dense or worthless. Little by little, each day, she was growing into the person she wanted to become; and she owed it to their delicate perseverance. The three of them were slowly creating a bond, developing a relationship at her pace. She had grown to love them more than anything. She just wasn’t ready to make that final step and mate with them; it was going to take a while before she could do that. In the meantime, they were giving her all the time, space and care she needed before making that leap.
Conquering Cassie: The Celestial Mating Series Book 3 Page 6
