Elizabeth, Peyton - Noble Yearning [Nature's Nobles 5] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting)

by Peyton Elizabeth

  Ronan would do what he had to do and make sure Devyn was delivered safely to Haven. If Gavin wanted to stay and live there, being tortured every time he looked at her, that was fine by him. But Ronan was packing his things the minute they got back. He didn’t need the constant reminder of knowing she was within contact distance, but yet he had no to right to touch. She didn’t want him to touch her. She had made that more than obvious.

  “You need to step back and see things from her perspective. I’ve been thinking about this since we got here. She was eighteen, Ronan. She knew then that she was the Seer, and that had to be hell. Everyone back then didn’t know what her power was and treated her like she was any other woman. That had to be a first for her.”

  “Gavin, shut the fuck up.” Ronan slammed the coffeepot back onto the burner and placed both palms on the edge of the countertop. Hanging his head, he was starting to wish they had just left for Anchorage and caught the first flight out.

  He needed some air. Pushing himself away from the counter, Ronan grabbed both mugs and walked over to Gavin, placing his coffee down beside the computer. “I’m going to sweep the perimeter.”

  Ronan left before Gavin could say anything more. He didn’t want to rehash the past, and he certainly didn’t want to think of the future, for he knew what it entailed. He would deal with the here and now. He would think of this like any other mission they worked on and do what had to be done. He went over what was laid out before them. They knew the Fray had somehow gotten wind of the fact that he and Gavin were flying to Alaska to find the Seer. Jagger informed them that although Haven was still secure, someone had placed bugs on their planes. They now had everything swept and cleaned up, but the damage was done.

  Unfortunately, that meant the man who had come into the diner earlier today knew exactly who Gavin and Ronan were. Gavin had contacted Estelle while Ronan was comforting Devyn and found out the man left shortly after they did, but Ronan had driven and he was positive no one had followed them out to Devyn’s house. Gavin had instructed Estelle that the man was very dangerous and that she needed to find another place to stay until they told her it was safe to return. She wasn’t happy, but when Jagger called to confirm that they worked for the government, Estelle did what they wanted. Jagger certainly had stretched the truth, but it worked, especially since Jagger was an ex-federal agent.

  So now the only question was, where exactly had this man gone? Ronan peered into the night. Devyn’s cabin was surrounded by trees, the nearest neighbor at least a mile away, if not more. It was a very secluded spot, and he could see why someone like Devyn would appreciate that, especially due to her power. He knew the simplest touch to a stranger could conjure up an image, making the public a very stressful place to be.

  The night was calm, with a slight breeze blowing through the trees. He heard nothing out of the usual, so taking his cup of coffee, Ronan set out to walk around the area. He wasn’t ten feet from the cabin when the door swung open, making him turn around to see Devyn running out of the house.

  “Ronan!”

  Going on instinct, he threw his mug to the ground and started running back to the house. He kept looking everywhere for whatever threat had her leaving herself a wide-open target, but nothing posed a danger that he was aware of. Gavin, by this point, had made his way out of the door as well, trying to reach for her. Ronan got to her first, and he was glad he had himself braced, for she launched herself into his arms, holding on as if a tidal wave was coming to take him away. Sharing a look with Gavin, it hit him suddenly what her vision had been about.

  Lifting her up around the waist, Devyn slid her legs around his hips, and that was how he carried her into the house. Gavin was there to shut the door behind them, so Ronan didn’t stop until they were in the middle of the living room. He had finally found the switch to bring the window covering down that he’d seen in the ceiling, a couple inches away from the wall. The last thing they needed was for someone to be able to see inside the cabin, without them being able to see outside, making them perfect for target practice. The artificial lighting lit the room with a golden glow, casting shadows throughout the area.

  “Devyn, let go,” Ronan ordered, trying to set her down. Eventually, once she seemed to realize they were inside, she released her legs and let her hands slide down his arms. He heard her take a shaky breath and watched as she took a step back. “Did you run out there because of your vision today?”

  He could actually see the walls come down over her face, her back straightening, and her hands turn into fists. She was about to shut them out, not share with them what she had seen. If they were to make it out of this alive, the last thing he would let her do was withhold information.

  “Devyn, answer me now.”

  “Does it really matter?” Devyn gave a brittle laugh and then turned to walk into the kitchen.

  Ronan grabbed her wrist firmly, but not enough to cause her pain. Keeping her from walking away, he took a step closer, forcing her to look up at him. “Everything matters now. No matter what you saw, no matter how it ended, everything you see can only help us.”

  She tried to tug her wrist free, but he wouldn’t let up. She was going to answer him, at least about this.

  “Ronan, let go of me. I don’t want another vision right now and touching you—”

  Ronan immediately released her wrist. He didn’t want to be the cause of her stress, even though it seemed as if he were already a part of it. “How much control do you have?”

  “Enough that when I knew you were going to reach for me, I severed the connection before it took hold.” Devyn rubbed her wrist while looking over at Gavin, who still stood by the door. “If you’re asking what happens when I’m in public, if I’m caught unaware, then yes, the visions are uncontrollable.”

  “Devyn, Ronan’s right about us needing to know what you saw.”

  “It won’t change anything. What I see always happens.”

  “That isn’t what we asked. My guess is, whatever you saw is distracting you from really looking inside the scene. Something that we might be able to use to our advantage when the time comes.”

  Devyn let out another shaky breath and turned to walk toward the kitchen. Reaching up and opening one of the cupboards, she grabbed a mug and reached for the coffeepot. Once she was done filling the cup, she finally turned around, and Ronan could see that little time spent doing something so mundane had given her composure back.

  “Ronan was standing outside in the snow and someone shot him.”

  Ronan kept his reaction to himself and was glad that he did, because Devyn hadn’t taken her eyes off of him since she turned around. How did she expect him to act? He wasn’t afraid of death, far from it. But it took everything in him not to start laughing at the irony of being killed right when he had found the one thing he had been searching for his entire life.

  “What else?” Gavin asked, coming to stand beside Ronan.

  “What else? That’s it? I just tell you that Ronan is going to die, and you want to know what else I saw?” Devyn asked, astonishment and disgust lacing her tone. She slammed her mug down on the counter.

  “Correct me if I’m wrong,” Gavin requested, “but you saw Ronan get shot. You have no idea if he lives or dies. Ronan and I deal with danger every day and know the risks. Right now, we need all the information out of you that we can get if we are to get you to Haven in one piece.”

  Ronan needed some space and figured now was as good a time as any to go retrieve the coffee cup that he had thrown to the ground when Devyn had come racing out of the house. Gavin could talk her into giving the details, but right now, he needed time to himself. Turning to go, her voice stopped him.

  “Where do you think you’re going? I just told you that you were going to be shot, and now you’re walking outside as if nothing is about to happen?”

  “You said it was snowing when it happened, Devyn. I haven’t started a storm, so relax.” Ronan didn’t break stride and walked straight to the d
oor, opening it and shutting it behind him. He stood on the step, looking out across the yard.

  Snow. That could only mean one thing, and that was he needed to use his ability to create a storm to prevent someone from reaching them. But it obviously didn’t work if someone had already arrived and had a weapon. Should he start to create a weather change now, or would that just speed up her premonition, meaning whoever was after them was already here? Damn, this could get complicated if he started to second-guess everything. Maybe she was right and they were better off not knowing.

  The door behind him opened, and he knew immediately that it was Devyn. Not moving, he heard her close the door and come to stand beside him. Her fragrance of something vanilla wafted through the air, causing his already hardened dick to throb. Not wanting her to see his reaction to her, he stayed facing the driveway.

  “What is it, Devyn?” He knew he was being a son of a bitch, using such a biting tone, but he really didn’t want to talk with her.

  “I’m sorry I left without telling you why,” she whispered. He saw her wrap her arms around herself but couldn’t bring himself to reach for her even knowing she probably wanted to be held.

  “It’s in the past. Leave it.”

  Ronan stepped off the landing, walking to where the coffee mug now lay empty. Leaning over, he picked up the cup and kept walking. He didn’t have a death wish, but it was time for this to come to a head. Concentrating on the energy he could pull from the earth, Ronan kept moving, feeling the power seep into his body and travel over his skin. He heard the trees start to move first before he felt the kiss of the wind on his face. Glancing up, he saw the clouds start to come together, gradually covering the moon’s glow.

  “What the hell do you think you’re doing?” Devyn screamed, pulling on his arm with enough strength to turn him toward her. “You are not changing the weather. You will not make it snow. Do you understand me?”

  “You said yourself you can’t change things, so why try?” Ronan asked, knowing he was pushing her away.

  “Because I refuse to watch you die! I tried to tell my parents that they were going to die in a car accident and you know what they said? They said that since I couldn’t tell them when, it was pointless to live life in fear.”

  “You were a young girl, Devyn, learning about your power. You did what you could—”

  “That’s just it, Ronan! I did tell them, and they still drove every day of their lives, until they died. And now I’m standing in front of you, telling you that you’re going to be shot, and yet, you’re doing the same thing they did! You can’t do this to me!”

  Devyn’s hand slipped down to his, causing skin-to-skin contact. Ronan saw her face lose color as another vision hit. She had obviously been too caught up in her emotions to think about severing any connection they made when they touched. He noticed that her eyes become unfocused, visualizing something only she could see. He refused to move his arm, knowing that whatever vision was playing in her head could mean life or death for her. He already knew his fate, but damn if he would let anything happen to her. Whatever information she could glean from this, Gavin would put to good use. Once her vision fixated back on him, Ronan knew she was back in the present.

  “Devyn, what did you see?”

  “I saw Cane Latcher coming through the woods. His scar was unmistakable, but why would he come here?”

  The confusion in her voice was evident, but Ronan knew exactly why Cane would be here. Cane was the best damn Tracker of the Noble race. When Gavin had requested Tavia come with a team, there was no doubt that Cane would be with her, especially with the terrain they were dealing with. Cane would know the minute somebody came within miles of Devyn’s cabin, giving them the leverage they needed to take out whoever the Fray sent in after her. Once they were eliminated, Gavin and the rest of the team would be able to take Devyn to Haven.

  “Cane is living at Haven now, in a relationship with Shane and Addison. He only takes special cases, due to them having a daughter. He doesn’t like to be away from them too often.” Ronan turned her toward the house. His intent was to make sure Gavin knew this and then come back outside to create a storm of the century. He knew it would have the townsfolk and the meteorologists in an uproar, but while they were being kept busy wondering why a snowstorm was hitting so early, it would also buy them time with the Fray’s operatives.

  “And I’m a special case.” Devyn pulled away and faced him. “Do you see why I had to leave? Do you know what your life would have been like if I had stayed and everyone knew exactly what I was?”

  “I said it’s in the past, Devyn. There’s nothing to talk about.”

  “Stop brushing this off as if it didn’t mean anything! Those two months I spent with you and Gavin were the best two months of my life. For just a little while, I felt cherished. I felt normal.” Ronan could see the tears forming in her blue eyes, thanks to the moonlight streaming back through the clouds as they started to shift back to their normal state.

  “I’m glad you felt normal, Devyn,” Ronan said, not bothering to hide his contempt. “I hope it carried you for ten years and can carry you for another sixty years, because the way you handle life, you’ll be all alone with those barriers you put in place.”

  “I had no choice!” He watched as she swiped away the tears that were now freely flowing down her cheeks. “Do you remember that day down at the creek? The day I gave myself to the both of you?”

  Ronan had to close his eyes at the memory of her naked form lying in the grass on a blue blanket that matched her eyes. Her skin was kissed by the sun, while her hands lay up by her head, inviting him and Gavin to take what they wanted. And love her they did, with their mouths, hands, fingers, and hearts. They brought her release multiple times, and Ronan had been the one to take her virginity. He still remembered her cry of pain turning into a moan of pleasure, while his cock sank into her as far as he could go. Gavin had been busy tasting those beautiful rose-colored nipples that stood to attention from his administrations. His dick was now throbbing at the memory, and he was getting sick and tired of the past being thrown his way.

  “You’re having a hard time taking orders, Devyn. I don’t remember you having that issue then.”

  “Don’t you dare tarnish what we shared, Ronan,” Devyn threatened, taking a step closer to him. “I won’t deny I loved every second of what the three of us shared that day. But it was also the day I saw the two of you loving another woman, with her moaning in pleasure while the two of you took her to heights I would never know. You loved her together, while you and Gavin each took me separately that day.”

  “Devyn—”

  “It was also the day I saw you on some mission in the jungle, rescuing prisoners of war. I saw their faces when you walked up to them. You said you were taking them home. I saw the good you and Gavin were going to do. But you know what I didn’t see?”

  Ronan heard the sadness in her voice and knew what she was going to say. He would have given anything to prevent it, but she took a step back, one more tear rolling down her cheek and touching the corner of her lips.

  “I didn’t see me in your future. And it was then I knew that I had to walk away to leave you to your life, while I dealt with mine. And if you think, for one second, that I can go back to a group of people, get to know them and care for them, only to have visions of their death, you’re wrong. I can handle going through life alone and living here by myself, but I’m not strong enough for what they want. And I’m certainly not strong enough to leave you again.”

  “Devyn, come back inside,” Gavin said, his voice cutting through the darkness. He must have walked out at some point, but Ronan was glad Gavin had heard everything that Devyn had to say. For one, she would probably never be able to repeat what she said, and two, Ronan certainly couldn’t have reiterated her words. He could only imagine what she felt, seeing them with someone else. If he had a vision of another man touching her body, hearing her moan under their hands, he wouldn’t have been
able to bear it.

  “Only if Ronan does,” Devyn said, wrapping her arms around herself. The temperature had dropped, but it wasn’t nearly as cold as it was going to be. He needed to create a storm big enough to delay the people coming after her. By now, the odds were they knew exactly where the local artist lived and were implementing a plan.

  “Go with Gavin. I need to create a diversion until we figure out how to get you out of here.”

  “No! You are not creating a snowstorm, not after what I saw.” Devyn grabbed his hand, only this time he knew she had shielded herself from seeing anything more. “Come inside with us now.”

  “Devyn, think back to the vision. If you saw him get shot, what were you wearing? Did you have on jeans and this white T-shirt?” Gavin came around to stand beside him. Ronan saw Devyn scrunch her face, trying to remember what she saw.

  “No, I didn’t. I think I had something black on, but I’m not sure. I was too focused on Ronan.”

  “Then let Ronan do what he needs to do now. Whatever you saw, it won’t happen right now. He’s got to do this to buy us some time, do you understand that?”

  Ronan saw the indecision on her face and suddenly wanted nothing more than to take her in his arms and wipe away all of her insecurities. But before he could do something he’d regret, Gavin held out his hand and he watched as Devyn hesitantly took it. No one said a word as Gavin led her into the house. Waiting for the door to close behind him, Ronan took a few minutes to think about why it was she had left them so long ago.