Intended Series Collection: Books 1-6

by Abigail Grant

  He sighs loudly. “Fine, I’ll grab you some dinner and come back as soon as you’re done.” He grabs one of my hands, placing a gentle kiss on the back of it. My cheeks become even hotter at the show of affection in front of his mother.

  Gavin’s grandma passes him on his way out, with a much smaller bowl in her hands this time. She shuts the door behind her and sets the mixture of brown mush on the bedside table.

  “Alright, dear, take off that dirty shirt and scarf, and lay down on your belly. You can leave your brassiere on.” She gestures with her hands as she talks.

  I comply with her demands and notice when I remove my scarf, that neither of them reacts to my bruised neck, which means Gavin probably told them about what happened Friday night. I lie down on the insanely comfortable bed, instantly feeling tired from the long, trying day.

  Gavin’s grandma dips her fingers into the gross-looking mixture and takes out a generous amount. She rubs it along my back, causing me to flinch from the cold paste against my raw skin. But the pain leaves me in seconds, as if it never existed.

  I sigh and sink further into the bed, my muscles finally able to relax. “What is that stuff, mam?” I ask, wanting to hug her for taking my pain away.

  “Everyone I know just calls me Gram, dear. Whether they’re my babies or not.” She smiles down at me and winks. “My children call this mixture ‘Cole Cream’. I’ve always had a way with the earth, so I can create many different concoctions out of the things I find growing from it. This remedy will take the pain away and heal most wounds in half the time of any other medications.”

  Her face is proud. She knows how awesome she is. Gram finishes rubbing the Cole Cream on my neck and washes her hands in the attached bathroom, before returning and taking a seat in the chair near me.

  Camilla still sits quietly on the bed next to me. I turn a little, so I can see them. “Thank you, both of you. Today has been strange, to say the least, but you both are so kind.”

  “El, what happened out in those woods, if you don’t mind me asking?” Camilla asks me with worry in her eyes.

  I prop myself on an elbow and run through my memories of the day with a deep breath. I nod and begin telling them the story of Thrane cornering me. I repeat all of the things he told me about Kassy and his interest in ‘ending’ me and my pushing him away. I even relay the part about him kissing me and how it made me feel disgusting.

  I purposefully kept the kiss part from Gavin, figuring he was already angry enough. Their faces reflect many different emotions throughout my horrible story, but mostly concern and surprise.

  “Anyways, Gavin fought him, so Thrane gave up and ran off. Gavin was amazing. I’ve never seen anyone fight like the two of them did.” I smile at the image of my hero coming to my rescue, which has become a habit of his.

  Gram and Camilla share a look that I can’t quite decipher the meaning of. Camilla grabs a folded shirt from the dresser behind Gram. “My boy is pretty amazing, just like his father.” Her eyes sparkle with pride for her son as she hands me the shirt. “And he seems to care an awful lot about you, El.”

  I blush a little as I sit up and pull the large T-shirt over my head, being careful not to rub it against my back. “Well, I guess I care about him too. He is a genuinely good person and you really don’t see a lot of those nowadays. Meeting all of you guys though, now I know where he gets it from.”

  Camilla’s eyes begin to glisten at my words. “Thanks, sweetie. I’m glad he brought you to us today. I hope you feel comfortable enough to come back.”

  There is a soft knock on the door before it opens just a crack. Gavin's voice comes through the space, “Um, can I come in now?”

  Cami pulls the door open and lets him in. She gives him a soft hug, then she and Gram smile at me and exit behind Gavin. He is carrying a plate of delicious-looking barbecue chicken, mashed potatoes and green salad with ranch dressing. My mouth instantly starts to water.

  Gavin sets the plate on the table next to me and sits down in the chair that his grandmother vacated. “Are you feeling up to eating something?” he asks, a small smile gracing his handsome face.

  I sit up straighter and smile back at him. “Absolutely. I'm starving!” My stomach growls, agreeing with my statement.

  “Good. I've been dying out there knowing how hungry you must be.” He pushes the food closer to me and I gladly dig in. He watches me for a moment, and I don't even care that I probably look like a pig as I scarf down the pile of deliciousness.

  His smile falls a little and he nervously watches his hands. “Aella, I heard your story about what happened out there before I found you. I'm so sorry you had to listen to that thing talk about you and your best friend like that.”

  He looks into my eyes. “I should’ve gotten there before he put his lips on you. I promise, I will do my best to make sure he never gets that close to you, or Kassy, ever again.” His eyes show the sincerest resolve and I know he believes that he is capable of protecting us.

  I remember that he told me he has super-hearing abilities and I stop chewing. Shoot. If he heard my story, then he probably heard me tell his mom how amazing he is and that I care about him. I feel my cheeks warm up slightly. “Gavin, it's not your job to take care of me or Kassy.”

  “Actually, it is. Kassy is my assignment.”

  My eyebrows knit together. “Your what?”

  He shrugs like it’s no big deal. “My assignment. Like I told you before, we were created to protect humans and that's exactly what we do. Each Seer is given assignments to protect a person who is the target of a demon. When the demon is eliminated, we move on to the next. This… Kassy, is my first mission.”

  “There's that word again. Demon. Please elaborate on what you mean by that.”

  He looks like he'd rather not tell me. “Well, demons are creatures from hell, that were once humans who killed someone in their lifetime. Some have the ability to come here to earth and take human form so that they can trick people into giving up their souls. Those who are soulless become demons themselves. It’s some sort of recruitment, I guess. They have persuasive abilities which many people can't resist, like that Max guy, for instance.” He looks guilty all of a sudden, probably remembering what Max did to Kassy and me.

  I just sit, stunned, not knowing what to think about demons from actual hell roaming the streets and compelling people like freaking vampires from TV. “So, what you're saying is, your job is to protect my sweet best friend from a demon named Thrane, who wants to take her soul to the underworld! And he wants to kill me for what? Just for fun?”

  My breathing picks up, “Why in the world would he pick Kassy? She is such a good person and has never done a thing wrong in her life.”

  Gavin scoots his chair closer to me so that our knees are now touching. He grabs my hands in his, instantly calming me with his electricity.

  “Hey, he's not going to get anything he wants from you two. Don't worry, that’s what I am here for.” He rubs his thumbs along the backs of my hands. “Kassy has a very pure soul. She is strong and it’s exactly the reason he is after her, but also why it's going to be hard for him to take anything from her. They like a challenge and it oftentimes gets them killed by my people.”

  I suddenly feel sick to my stomach and incredibly angry, like when I pushed Thrane into that tree. My blood feels hot, as if it's boiling just like before. I guess Gavin feels it too because his eyes go wide and he releases my hands, which are gripping his a bit too tight.

  He stands and climbs in next to me on the large bed, leaning his back against the headboard. He wraps his arms around my waist and pulls me to him, cradling my head against his chest. “Aella, just relax. Focus on me, okay? Listen to my heart.”

  I curl up against him and listen to his heart beating against my cheek. The rhythm is like a calming song that soon soothes me and cools my burning veins. “Why do I feel so messed up lately?” I ask against his warm chest now that I’ve cooled down.

  His voice is low a
nd husky when he speaks. “It's part of your body changing and your mind expanding to take in the new abilities.” He chuckles a little, making his chest shake. “I guess it's a little like a second puberty, but worse. It sucks.”

  “It really does. What if I don't want to be some superhuman, Gavin?” My voice is sleepy now and I yawn.

  He tightens his hold on me. “Sadly, it's who we are, and we don't really get a say. Trust me though, it's not as bad as it seems right now. This part doesn’t last, and you’ll see soon enough that this life can be miraculous.”

  I just groan back at him, not wanting to talk anymore. Knowing he is here to protect me, I drift off into a peaceful, dreamless sleep in Gavin's strong arms.

  BLINDSIDED

  Part 2 of the Intended Series

  By: Abigail Grant

  Chapter 1

  I slowly awaken to warm fingers softly stroking up and down my cheek, leaving a tingly trail of sparks in their wake. I shiver at the wonderful feeling it’s giving me and lean into it. I hear a soft rumbling laugh beneath my ear, and I’m hit with the memory of where I last fell asleep. I cover my red face, suddenly shy.

  Gavin shifts me in his arms and pulls my hands down so that he can see my face. “Hi there, sleepy head. Why don’t I take you home so you can get some rest in your own bed?”

  I rub my eyes and move away from Gavin, sitting up to avoid embarrassing myself any further. “I can’t believe I fell asleep. Aren’t you at all sick of taking care of me yet?”

  He sits up all the way, his golden eyes slightly smaller from his tired eyelids wanting to close. He rubs a hand through his always messy hair. “Not at all. I wouldn’t have woken you, but I figured Kassy will probably murder me if I don’t bring you home until morning.” His smile is intoxicating, showing off his pearly white teeth. “I should’ve warned you that Gram’s ‘Cole Cream’ can sometimes soothe you to sleep.”

  I find my phone on the bedside table and the bright numbers on the screen show that it’s half past nine PM. I give Gavin a grateful smile and jump off the bed. The large t-shirt I was given falls to my thighs. I grip the bottom of the cotton tee to try and gather it all up, so I can move around properly.

  Gavin scans my body up and down and his eyes darken slightly. “I like you in my shirt.”

  My eyebrows shoot up and I look back down at his “Southern Oregon Hawks” t-shirt. I guess I should’ve known it was his. “Oh, I’m sorry. I promise you’ll get it back.”

  He shakes his head, his eyes never leaving me. “No, it looks better on you. Keep it. I don’t wear any of the clothes in here anyways.” His voice is sincere. “I need to check on Kassy, so we should really get going.”

  At the mention of Kassy’s protection, I gasp and hurry to the bedroom door, worried for her safety now, with the demon Thrane stalking her. Gavin catches up, slipping shoes on his feet mid-jog, and stops me just outside the door. “Why are you running?”

  “Seriously, Gavin? Why wouldn’t I be running? You’ve been away from her all day with that demon thing running around looking for her! She could be hurt or worse!” I am clearly freaking out at this point.

  He calmly reaches for one of my hands and walks with me, away from the cozy bedroom. “Aella, please calm down. I would never leave her unprotected.” His strong shoulders are relaxed and his breath is even. “My cousin Jed has been following her and Liam around all day, so that I could bring you here and let you meet my family. He just texted me ten minutes ago saying they are on their way back to your house.”

  He studies me as I visibly chill out, now walking at a normal pace toward his waiting car. “Great, that's good. So, is Jed as fast and strong as you are?” I’m sure my question boosted his ego a bit.

  He shrugs and his eyes roll around, searching for the correct answer. “I mean, he is a year younger, so he hasn’t had as much practice as me, but he’s incredibly strong. His dad is my uncle Hagan, so he has an ideal trainer.”

  “Do your dads usually train you guys?”

  “Typically, yeah. My mom and uncles took over training Lex and I when we started developing.” He shrugs one shoulder and his eyes drop to his feet. The sight of his sad slouch makes me want to cheer him up.

  “Well, I guess you’ll have to be my trainer then, sensei.” I nudge his shoulder and place my hands together with a slight bow. We stand outside of his sweet car.

  He grins wide and shakes his head, flashing me his adorable dimple. “Oh, you’re going to regret those words, trouble maker.” He teases me.

  “Nah, you’re going to regret taking me on, when I get strong enough to kick your butt.” I poke him in the belly and quickly slide into the passenger’s seat. I hear his rich laughter through the shut car door and can’t help but sport my own happy smirk.

  ***

  We reach mine and Kassy’s little pool house, and Gavin walks with me through the large overgrown yard. It's remarkable the difference in size between his parent’s beautiful mountain home and this meager place.

  All of the decorative lanterns in the yard are turned off, and it is eerily quiet as we hesitantly make our way along the path. I pause as I see movement by my front door. Immediate fear overtakes my body as images of what could be lurking in the dark flash through my mind.

  Gavin snakes an arm around my waist, and with one swift motion, he pulls me with him behind an oak tree. With my nervous heart racing, I look up at him in question, and I’m shocked to see an amused look on his stubbly face.

  "Why on earth are you smiling? What’s at my door, Gavin?" I whisper to him.

  He raises one thick eyebrow and gestures with his head for me to see for myself. I crane my neck around him and squint at the front door, trying to see in the pitch black night. I feel Gavin's hot breath on my ear as he whispers back to me. "I guess their day went pretty well," he says, his tone laced with humor.

  And, he's right. Standing outside my front door are Kassy and Liam, looking very happy, as they full-on make out. My eyes want to pop out of my head, and I slap a hand over my mouth in complete shock. I spin back around to Gavin, trying to stifle a rising giggle with my small hand.

  “Seems they had a bit more fun today than we did," I say between giggles, surprised at my sweet friend’s behavior.

  Gavin watches my happy lips with glowing eyes. "It’s impossible to deny it, I know. Today wasn't the greatest… but it's not technically over yet."

  An unrecognizable voice penetrates the darkness to my left. "Uh… Can my day be over? I'm pretty sick of watching these two attack each other."

  I wheeze out a breathy squeal, and try to jump away from the man standing a few feet away from us in the shadow of a tall fence. Gavin holds onto me, so I don't start running like a spooked squirrel.

  "Jedrek, are you kidding me? You scared her!" he whisper-shouts at his younger cousin.

  Jed steps closer to us so I can see him better. His teeth clench in an apologetic smile, and his eyebrows come together in a peak at the center of his forehead. "I'm sorry, Aella. I just know my dad is going to totally freak if I don't get home soon. I didn't exactly tell him what I was doing today, you know?” He places a hand on Gavin’s shoulder. “He would not be happy, man."

  Jed is handsome, same as the rest of the Cole men. His dirty blonde hair hangs over his ears in a shaggy way. His hands are stuffed in his pockets and his unique set of golden eyes shine in the dark. He is wearing almost entirely black, exactly like I've seen Gavin wear on his middle of the night heists. They must have a family uniform.

  Gavin closes his eyes with a nod. "I know, Jed. It won't happen again, all right? Go home now, I've got it from here. And thanks again."

  He returns Gavin’s nod, and turns to me. "Nice to meet you, and uh… sorry for scaring you, again"

  "It's really fine. Thanks so much for looking after my friend," I say back to him. He just shrugs and disappears into the night.

  I shake my head and turn back to Gavin. "You guys are really good at disappearing like that, huh
?"

  "We kinda have to be. We wouldn't want people wondering why we're following them around all the time."

  I study his gorgeous face for a moment, thinking about what Jed said. "So, why wouldn't your uncle Hagan be happy about Jed looking out for Kassy?"

  Gavin lifts his shoulders, and his smile flips into a frown. "He’s just... very traditional."

  I wait for him to elaborate, but of course he’s always with the mystery. "Okay, and that means?"

  He runs a large hand over his face, as if wiping away all of his worries with that simple motion. "Hagan has a problem with Seers who get distracted during an assignment. I mean, he already thinks I'm failing at my first job and I’m not focused enough on protecting my charge.” He rolls his eyes. “If Hagan knew I had Jed look after Kassy today, he'd be in trouble for enabling me or something. At least, that’s how he’d see it. He's just very overbearing."

  "Well, what's distracting you? If it's going to interfere with Kassy's protection, maybe I can help in some way."

  He raises a single eyebrow and looks to be in pain as he watches me. "Aella, the distraction is you, you have to know that. Ever since I met you at that party, I’ve wanted nothing more than to know everything there is to know about you."

  I step back at his words, feeling like I just got hit. "Gavin, I cannot be the thing that keeps you from your responsibilities. Distracting you from studying or work is one thing, but your responsibilities are to keep an actual demon from stealing my best friend's soul." I scoff and roll my eyes at how ridiculous that sounds.

  He takes a determined step toward me. "You need protection too, though. You said yourself that Thrane is after both of you. I can look out for you and Kassy." He reaches for my hand, but I cross my arms across my chest.

  He looks hurt as his face falls, and it feels like a small piece of my heart cracks. "She is your priority, Gavin.” I point toward Kassy. “I'll take care of myself. I'll start training soon, so that I can learn how to fight without anyone's help. I won't distract you anymore," I say, surprised at my steady voice.