Jonah's Salvation [The Order of the Mist 2] (Siren Publishing Classic)

by Abbie Carlisle

  “I’ve just got to go and check on something. If you like, when you’re ready, come and have lunch with me.”

  “I’d like that very much, my Queen,” Alana replied.

  “See you downstairs then.” Jasmine opened the door and walked into the corridor, closing the door behind her.

  Alana climbed from the bed and walked toward the bathroom. She’d have a bath and then have lunch with the Queen before going to find Jonah. The concerned look on Jasmine’s face after they’d talked about her necklace played on her mind. She’d have to ask Jasmine later what it was that had troubled her.

  The walls of the bathroom were decorated from floor to ceiling, the large patterned tiles shimmering from the spotlights that had been inlaid in the ceiling. A large white freestanding bath lay at the far end, and two matching circular sinks sat on top of a cabinet to the side. Thick, polished chrome taps arched over the sinks, and to the left, an immense walk-in shower sat surrounded by smoked glass, etched with beautiful swirls. It was luxurious and she searched a cupboard for some towels.

  Walking toward the bath, she gazed at the full length mirror that had been fixed to the wall. Her reflection shocked her. She’s been through a lot in the last twenty-four hours and the shadows under her eyes reflected the worry she was under. Walking over to the bath, she turned on the taps, and let the water run until a gentle steam flowed through the room. She searched for some kind of bodywash. She undressed quickly and climbed into the bath, turning off the taps. Gently lowering herself into the warm, relaxing water, she lay her head back and closed her eyes.

  Events of the last couple of days captivated her thoughts. Her life had taken a dramatic turn and she’d gone through emotions she never knew were inside her. Her heart had been woken from a depth so far, she thought she would never feel again. She’d been injured trying to escape the Headquarters and she’d had to tell the secret she’d kept hidden deep inside her. Tears formed in the corners of her eyes as she thought about her sister.

  The sound of the bedroom door opening made her sit bolt upright, causing water to splash around her in big waves and spill onto the floor.

  “Alana!” Jonah’s voice carried through to her from the bedroom.

  Alana could hear the concern in his voice and it made her heart beat rapidly.

  “I’m in here,” she called out to him.

  Jonah entered the bathroom and raised his eyebrows. He hadn’t expected to see her laid out so seductively and naked in the bath, but enjoyed the vision before him. He made a mental note to join her one day, but now wasn’t the time, even though the thought of running his hands over her beautiful soft skin made his cock stiffen instantly. He sighed heavily at not being able to rip his clothes off there and then and join her.

  “What is it, Jonah?” Alana asked worriedly.

  “You need to get dried and dressed, quickly,” he said, unable to draw his gaze from her enticing breasts.

  “Why, what’s happened?” Alana asked as she drew herself up from the water and reached for the towel.

  Jonah growled loudly. The sight of her slim, shimmering body easing up from the water had his mind flooding with thoughts of going over to her, spreading those thighs of hers, and delving his cock into the hot, sweet pussy. He closed his eyes as he struggled against his desire.

  “Get dressed, beautiful. We’ve found her!”

  Chapter 15

  Alana rushed to get dressed as her heart thumped in anticipation. It had been so long and she wondered if her sister would look different from the last time she’d seen her. She replayed Jonah’s words over and over in her mind. Had The Order done what she’d never been able to do and found her? Grabbing the pair of jeans that Jasmine had kindly loaned her, she pulled them on hastily as her heart soared. She had to get to the security room quickly and see her for herself. It was the only way she’d believe the truth.

  “Where is she?” Alana asked excitedly as she put on her bra and pulled a T-shirt over her head.

  Jonah hesitated. He wasn’t sure how she’d take the news that her sister was at the Headquarters. It was bad enough that she’d spent years in that hell, and now her sister was there.

  “We saw a female on the camera system,” he replied cautiously.

  “Did you find the cells then?” Alana turned, noticing the frown that had spread across his face.

  Standing straight she placed her hands on her hips and waited. She knew he was stalling, she just couldn’t work out what it was that he was hiding from her.

  “Where did you see her?” Alana asked, concerned. She had a sneaking suspicion that she was not going to like his reply.

  “Tobias has accessed the security cameras at the Headquarters. He saw a female being taken inside a short while ago.” Jonah walked over to Alana, staring at her shocked expression.

  “She’s with Harvey,” Alana spoke, almost a whisper.

  “It looks like it.” Jonah raised his hand and took hers, squeezing it gently. “Don’t worry, we’ll get her out.”

  Alana’s heart had frozen, barely beating as her breath caught in her chest. She’d escaped the hell of Harvey’s possession, but now Emilia was there, trapped and in danger.

  Alana inhaled deeply. “I need to see the footage.”

  “Finish getting dressed and I’ll take you down. You can see for yourself, and we can work out how to get her out of there.” Jonah’s assuring tone had done little to ease her distress. The pain in her eyes saddened him.

  Alana nodded and grabbed her boots, pulling them on quickly and followed Jonah as he walked toward the door.

  Opening the door, Jonah stepped aside to let Alana walk through before closing the door behind them. He gazed at her worried stare as he took her hand in his. He led her down the corridor and paused at the top of the stairs. Jonah could feel her shaking. Her anguish grieved him, leaving him fighting the need to storm out of Genesis and go and destroy the cause of her distress. Harvey was going to pay dearly for what he had done to her. In the beginning, he had wanted Harvey taken alive so he could find out why they had been taken and kept captive in the cells fifty years ago, but no longer. Jonah wanted Harvey destroyed for hurting the one he loved.

  As Jonah led Alana down the stairs and through the entrance hall toward the security room, she felt her blood beating through her veins. The pounding in her head drummed loudly enough that she couldn’t even hear Jonah’s trainers as he walked across the wooden floor. She felt lightheaded at the thought of what she would see on the screen. They approached the door to the security room and she stopped, taking a moment to control the shaking that had overtaken her body. She stared up into Jonah’s vibrant gaze.

  Jonah opened the door and Alana took in the vast room. Security monitors lined the left side of the room and it appeared that every member of The Order had gathered to watch the recording that had been taken at the Headquarters. The King stood talking to Lucian and another tall male who Alana hadn’t met. His shoulder length dark hair was similar in color to her own and his short-sleeved black shirt strained against his enormous, muscular arms. He had the same distinctive facial features as the other members of The Order, strong and sharp, and his skin had a strikingly bronzed tone. Alana surmised that he must be Tobias. Jonah had told her about him earlier and regarded the male as one of his trusted friends.

  Jonah led Alana toward the large desk that sat to the right side of the room as Tobias sat down in front of the monitors.

  “Hi, Alana, I’m Tobias.” His dark brown eyes held flecks of silver that were striking against the deep black of his pupils.

  “Hi,” Alana replied as Jonah nodded to Tobias to play the recording.

  “This is what we saw. It appears that a female was taken into the Headquarters.” Tobias pressed the playback on the security recording.

  Alana stared at the large screen directly in front of her. She held her breath as a vision of Harvey appeared. She watched as Harvey walked around the vehicle and opened the passenger door, recogni
zing instantly the female being dragged from the vehicle. Her long dark hair and slim facial features were a mirror image of her own, and she felt an ache shoot though her heart as she watched her sister being pulled toward the main entrance.

  “It’s her,” Alana spoke softly, turning her face toward Jonah.

  Jonah could see tears glisten against her eyelashes. “Carrick,” Jonah said, not taking his gaze from hers.

  A tall male walked across the room and gently placed his hand on her shoulder. Alana jumped. She’d not seen the male standing in the corner but felt a calm sensation course through her.

  “It’s okay. It’s only Carrick. He’ll help you feel better.” The gentle tone of Jonah’s voice eased her as his grip tightened on her hand.

  Alana smiled as she turned to look at the screen again.

  Tobias tapped the keys to change the camera image, showing the inside of the Headquarters.

  Alana and The Order watched as the female fought against Harvey before being handed to the guards.

  “She a bit of a fighter,” Lucian spoke. He’d been watching the vision closely as it played on the screen and had been impressed with the spirit of the female.

  “Is it just me, or has anyone else spotted the obvious?” Jenson stood at the back of the room. Jonah stared at him questioningly. “I take it you haven’t told him yet?”

  “Told me what?” Jonah looked back at Alana.

  “Is that why Harvey wanted you?” Jenson asked. She’d kept that little piece of information guarded. He hadn’t read it in her mind, which surprised him. Not much got past him.

  Alana glared at Jenson.

  “She’s a twin.” Jasmine entered the room carrying a tray of sandwiches and placed them on the table. “I thought you could all do with something to eat.”

  Jonah stared at Alana, shocked. “There’s never been any known twins in the Mist race.”

  Jasmine walked over to Elijah and placed her arm around him. “I’ve found Alana’s bloodline in one of the scriptures. They are the only recorded kind in the race. They are unique.”

  Luca walked into the room carrying a large wooden cylinder, engraved with ornate swirls and placed it on the table. Alana and Jonah watched as Elijah lifted the large gold clasps to reveal a long parchment rolled up inside, tied with a soft yellow satin ribbon. Elijah lifted the parchment carefully out of its yellow silk casing and laid it gently on the table. Pulling at the ribbon, he untied it and rolled out the antique scripture, holding it at one end while Jonah held it open at the other.

  “These are the writings of the Originals. They tell of the histories of our race and we have many others. One of them led us to the King.” Jenson explained to Alana.

  Alana immediately saw the delicate drawing of a teardrop with inlaid swirls. “That’s the same as my necklace.”

  Jasmine smiled at Alana. “When I saw your necklace, I knew I’d seen it before. I checked through the scriptures and found this one.”

  “What does it say?” Alana asked curiously.

  “It tells of the first born of the bloodline becoming the first Lord’s mate. I thought it might have related to the first child born in your family, but now I realize it meant first-born twin. Were you born first or your sister, Alana?” Jasmine instinctively knew what Alana’s answer would be. The scriptures had told of Jasmine’s destiny. It had been written that she was to be the King’s mate before she’d even known who she truly was. The future told through the ancient writing was absolute.

  “I was first,” Alana said quietly, trying to comprehend the impact of what Jasmine had said.

  “This means it’s destined that you’re to become Jonah’s mate,” Jenson said, smiling.

  Alana stood shocked as she felt heat flood her body. They had become close, and Alana knew how strong her feeling had become for Jonah. She had fallen in love with him and felt the power of his desire for her. But would he want her forever? Had he forgiven her for her involvement in his imprisonment or would she remind him of his time in the cells? The thought of his possible rejection of their mating clawed at her heart. She stood silently waiting for Jonah to say something.

  Jonah knew in his heart that he’d claimed her the first moment he’d seen her in the cells. His heart had been drawn to her, and his need to protect her had overwhelmed him. It had taken every amount of strength to walk away from her but he’d had to leave and escape. The guilt he’d felt had tormented him and he’d never honestly believed he would ever see her again, let alone hold in his arms and open his heart for her. He wanted to wake up beside her every morning and wrap himself around her while she slept at night. The scripture only confirmed what he desired most of all.

  “Excellent, I can organize another mating party,” Jenson said as he winked at Jonah.

  Jonah groaned. “Let’s get Alana’s sister free and then you can organize whatever you want, as long as Alana agrees to be my mate.”

  Jonah looked into Alana’s deep brown eyes. He hoped from the depths of his heart that she would honor him by being his mate. He had not dared to love anyone until now. It was more than he could ever hope for to spend the rest of eternity with her.

  “Yes, Jonah, I want that more than anything.” Alana’s smile spoke a thousand words of the love that had grown in her heart for him.

  Luca took the end of the scripture as Jonah turned to Alana and took her in his arms. He wrapped his arms around her waist and drew her into his embrace, placing a gentle kiss on her lips. He had fallen deeply in love with her and knew his future was with her at his side. He would love and protect her always.

  “Go get a room, you two!” Jenson chided.

  Jonah pulled away from Alana’s lips and smiled at her.

  “Errr, sorry to interrupt but can I ask Alana a question?” Lucian spoke cautiously.

  Alana smiled at Jonah before turning her gaze to Lucian.

  “I take it Harvey worked out you’re a twin? If so, why did he want you both? Why did he keep you apart?”

  “As far as I knew, he wanted me because I worked as a nurse. I never knew that we were one of a kind. All he ever told me was that he kept her imprisoned so that I would never leave,” Alana replied.

  “There’s got to be more to it. Harvey only takes what benefits him and he must have had other plans for you and your sister. Jasmine, does it say anything else in the scriptures about the twins?” Lucian felt unease at Harvey’s motives.

  “It says to beware when two become one. I’m not really sure what it means, but it must relate to Alana and her sister.”

  “Alana, do you have any idea what the scriptures are trying to tell us? Harvey has kept you apart for a long time so he must suspect a danger where you two are concerned,” Lucian asked.

  Alana stared at the scripture as she recalled her past. There had never been any occasions where either of them had had to use any powers that she was aware of. They’d had a pretty quiet upbringing and had only ever really spent time together as the two of them. They had known they were Mist and that their aging had been different from other children but as for any kind of power, Alana was at a loss. The only one she was aware of was when they could speak to each other through their minds. Even that had diminished and no longer worked. Maybe Emilia had a power that she was not aware of, and that was the reason Harvey had kept them apart.

  “I’m not really sure.” Alana stared at Jasmine as she smiled gently at her.

  “It may be that your powers only surface fully when you are together. It would explain why Harvey wanted to keep you apart all these years. My powers only appeared when I was threatened by Harvey.” Jasmine’s force had only erupted when Harvey had attacked Elijah and attempted to come after her at the cabin. It was entirely possible that Alana would possess a similar reaction.

  “I think we have to concentrate on getting your sister out of there first. The rest we can work out later. What is her name, Alana?” Elijah asked.

  “Emilia, her name is Emilia Bayer.” Alana hadn’t th
ought about their full name for a very long time. She’d never needed to use it and it sounded strange on her lips.

  Elijah nodded. “We need to organize to get into the Headquarters. Carrick, you stay here and control the camera system. The rest of you get in there, get Emilia out, and bring her back here.”

  Alana turned to face Elijah. “I know how we can get in. There’s an exit gate at the rear of the grounds that we can use. I know the inside layout and I can lead you through the Headquarters.”

  “No!” Jonah’s voice vibrated through the room, startling both Alana and Jasmine. “I won’t allow you to go back there. It’s too dangerous.”

  Alana looked up into Jonah’s stern gaze. “She’s in there because of me, and I have to do everything to help get her out of there.”

  Jonah understood her reasons but there was no way he was going to allow her to put herself in danger again. The Order had asked her to risk her life to upload the program and she’d been seriously hurt. That was never going to happen again, especially now she had agreed to be his mate.

  “I’m the only one who knows the full inside layout of the Headquarters. I have to go back. Please understand,” Alana pleaded.

  “We need her knowledge of the layout. Maybe we could link up an audio link from here,” Lucian suggested.

  “No,” Alana stated firmly. “She’s my sister and my responsibility. I’m going with you.”

  Jonah growled loudly as Carrick moved forward and placed his hand on Jonah’s shoulder. “I can’t allow you to put yourself in danger. Harvey will try and take you and I will fight him to the death if he goes anywhere near you. You are everything to me and I won’t lose you.”

  Alana placed her hand on Jonah’s chest as she stared into his fierce gaze. She understood his feelings of protection for her and she loved him dearly for it. No one had every truly cared for her as much as he did, except her family. Her emotions were divided. The happiness she had with Jonah came at a price, her sister’s safety, and she had to do everything she could to help free her.