“This is the best dream ever,” I whisper shakily.
I see the side of Mack’s mouth quirk up and one of those damn dimples appear. That’s enough to send my freshly beating heart into overdrive.
“Put that dimple away, Sexy Nerd. I’m in no condition to lick it yet.”
His eyes widen, and his cheeks turn a deep shade of pink.
“Yup, definitely her.” Knox chuckles, the vibrations doing pleasant things to my very sensitive, very female body.
“Woman,” Thad growls out, “what are we going to do with you?”
“Oh, I can definitely think of a few things. Just have to wait for this dream body of mine to get with the program, and then we’re golden.”
Groans sound off around me.
“What’d I say?” I ask innocently.
“Fate.”
The sound of his voice saying my name sends another surge to the girly bits. Cole may be an ass, but this body doesn’t seem to give a damn. I glance to my right and see him moving closer. When he sits down in a chair across from Knox, Thad, and me, elbows hitting his knees and stretching that black shirt across his wide shoulders, I take him in. He looks tired, I realize. Those blue eyes of his have lost their angry gleam and are bracketed by worry lines that make me do a double take.
He’s worried? About me? Does this dream take place in the Twilight Zone?
His clothes are dirty and tattered, and his normally pristine faux hawk is a haphazard mess. He has some dried blood above his cheekbone, and some part of me wants to go to him and soothe the pain and guilt and worry I feel emanating from him, but I tamp that down quickly. He’s not interested in a truce. I know that now. Wait, I know that? How? Then it hits me all at once.
He was an ass. We argued. The tree. Blackness. Now I’m here. Solid. Alive!
“What the fuck?” I mouth the words because my voice has left me.
Our eyes lock, and I’m sure the look on my face is one of both surprise and horror. Bet that’s an attractive mix. Now, normally I might be a little concerned about my appearance, but I just don’t have it in me at the moment.
“You remember,” he murmurs softly.
I can only nod as the night replays in my mind. It gets a little hazy toward the end, but everything up until I released the tight hold I had on my power is crystal clear. This isn’t a dream. This is real.
I. Am. Real.
“The tree…” I let the explanation trail off as another realization hits. That hint of a memory I had of the ancient willow has me reeling. I wasn’t a ghost at all. I’m something...more. Just like them. And something seriously fucked up happened a long, long time ago. I just need to remember what.
“What about the tree, Fate?” Macklin probes gently like I’m a live wire about to whip around and spark against anyone who comes too close. “Cole mentioned you couldn’t move away from the tree. Do you know how or why?”
I’m still looking at Cole when I respond.
“The tree and I. We shared a connection. Our power. It was the same. It was one. I recognized it the second my power started to surge during our argument. It called to me. When I…” I pause briefly to figure out how to explain what I somehow just know, but the situation is too complicated to express or sum up with simple words. “It was like a flashback. I remember being buried, alive but severely injured. The dirt being flung on top of my broken body. I could only lay there as I was slowly covered inch by inch. Dying, I guess, is the closest word that’s accurate. My power knew what it needed to do. It harnessed my life force, my soul if you will, and from that energy the willow tree grew. It housed the other half of my power until I was strong enough to take it back.”
The room is still and silent. The look on Cole’s face is blank, closed off once again. No emotion or hint of what he’s feeling is seeping through. I’m sure he doesn’t believe me. I barely believe me. I mean, I sound like a nutcase, but I know with every fiber of my very real body that it’s true. They still haven't uttered a peep, so I continue, verbal diarrhea spewing from my mouth because I can’t seem to stem the flow no matter how hard I clench my jaw.
“When the fragment of memory hit, it was like a portion of my brain was unlocked. The portion with the understanding of what happened to me. My old body was nothing more than a vessel, though I’m not sure what that means exactly. So when the tree took half of my power to sustain my life force, the other half was able to maintain itself. To wait it out in the ether until it was replenished enough to gain form again. Only, it took awhile, and even then it could only manage a fraction of its usual state. Hence...ghost girl. During our fight, my power recognized that I was finally strong enough to rejoin the two halves, but something went wrong. Something is still missing. I just don’t know what. There’s this...” I pause, bringing my hand up to my chest. “Heaviness that sprang to life when you guys showed up. A pull or draw or whatever the hell you want to call it. Something inside me is pushing me to get close to you. Hell, you’re all lucky I wasn’t alive until now, or it could’ve gotten awkward really damn fast. Even sitting here, in Knox’s lap, it’s somewhat pacified, but I still feel this tug toward the rest of you. I’m probably not making any sense.”
With a deep breath, I take a look around. Cole is silently assessing me, face blank as if he doesn’t have a care in the world. No real shock there. Macklin and Levi have found a seat on the sofa next to us and are staring at me with varying levels of concern and uncertainty. Like they think I’m a fruit loop short of a full bowl. One look at Thad’s face and I can’t tell if he’s confused or constipated. Possibly both. I can’t see Knox since I’m still in his lap, but I sense a distinct feeling of excitement that surprises me. His body is tense, and his grip on me has tightened, but I don’t need those physical signs to tell me what I feel. It’s flowing through me. What the hell?
We’re in the study, their favored meeting room. The blinds are drawn, and the lights are dimmed. Macklin’s doing, which I appreciate tremendously.
Cole shares a look with the man over my shoulder, then looks at the others. They’re silently communicating in bro-speak, or whatever the fuck it is, and I’ll be damn if I’m left out anymore.
As much as I don’t want to leave the comfort of Knox’s lap, I need to show these guys that I’m okay. I’m here. And I’m strong enough to help them figure this shit storm out. Also, that I’m strong enough for anything else they may be interested in. You know. Like sex. Lots and lots of sex.
Tentatively, I try to sit up, and that’s enough to set the guys into motion. Macklin and Levi both jump to their feet, and Knox’s arms tighten ever so slightly around me.
“Whoa, little ghost! Where do you think you’re going?” Knox murmurs close to my ear.
“I need to move. Stretch. Something. I’ve got a real damn body, and it needs to start understanding just who’s boss around here.”
His chuckle is like a zing to my overcharged libido.
“That’s not helping,” I pout, crossing my arms over my chest.
“What’s not helping, little ghost?”
“I think we can stop with the ‘little ghost’ stuff now, don’t you?”
“Nope,” he says, adding a little extra emphasis on the ‘p’ before continuing, “it just feels right.”
I contemplate that for a minute, realizing he’s onto something. It does feel right. Like he’s always called me that. Strange. When I try to grab hold of the sliver of a memory, it slips out of my grasp faster than a heavily lubed up dildo.
“Alright. Help me up if you ever want another Fate-induced orgasm.”
“Just take it slow, Knox. Her muscles probably aren’t ready to support her weight yet,” Macklin interjects.
“Are you saying I’m fat, Sexy Nerd?”
“N-no! I didn’t mean...I wasn’t implying…” he trails off.
God, I love it when he blushes. It’s like a whole body experience, and it’s fascinating...and a total turn on.
“I’m kidding, Mack. Rel
ax,” I tell him and give him a little wink.
Knox slowly pushes me to a sitting position. I can feel his hard thighs underneath my ass and try really hard not to think about what else might be hard down there...it doesn’t work. It’s like the mental image I’ve constructed of his dick is on a mental loop in my brain. The size of him. The heat of him. And that’s from a simple touch over his jeans. The real thing is probably a work of art. I might finally get a look at Thor’s hammer afterall. Hot Damn!
“If you don’t knock that off, I can’t be held responsible for my actions.”
The whispered warning is enough to have goosebumps breaking out across my overly sensitive skin.
“Knock what off?”
My head turns, the action putting us nose to nose. Staring into his hazel eyes, my heartbeat thump-thumps a little harder, and a distinct dampness gathers in those tingling girly bits I’m so fond of. He leans in slightly, and my newly developed breathing stutters.
“Knox! Back off,” Cole orders.
I’m not sure if I should thank him or throw something at his cranky ass. My head may be swirling and my body weaker than a newborn foal, but dammit...he just fucked up my first kiss.
I turn to give him a piece of my mind with a glare in his direction but stop when I see the worry and need in those blue eyes of his.
He stands and stalks toward me. I’m not sure what to expect, so when he offers his hands to help me up, I stare at them for a moment like they’re snakes ready to strike. When I lift my eyes to his, the look he gives me erases any unease I have. This is his olive branch, I realize. I can either slap him upside the head with it, like he did me, or I can accept his version of a tentative truce.
I place both of my hands in his, and I swear my soul sighs at the connection. There’s a sense of rightness that sparks to life inside me, and I wonder if he feels it too. He slowly pulls me to my feet. Macklin was right, I discover quickly. My muscles aren’t quite strong enough to support me yet, and I start to collapse. Cole’s arms are suddenly around me, supporting my weight and pulling me back up and into his chest. When my feet are underneath me once again, I risk a glance at the man that is suddenly overwhelming my senses.
His hold on me is strong and sure, our bodies fitting together like they’ve spent years in this position and are molded to the shape of the other. He’s looking at me with a longing in his eyes that seems as familiar as the feel of his heart beating in time with mine.
This. This is the man my subconscious remembers. The man my heart longs for and my brain insists I know better than any other. But I need to remember that this man isn’t him. He’s changed, and despite what my heart and body want, I need to maintain a certain distance where he’s concerned.
His blue eyes seem to take in and understand the look on my face. With a resigned sigh, he slowly pulls his arms back, allowing me to stand on my own, albeit a little unsteadily.
“Thank you,” he whispers, soft enough only I can hear him.
“For what?”
“For saving my life.”
As I look into eyes that, for the first time, seem to hold something other than total disdain, the ice around my heart melts just a little where he’s concerned.
Olive branch, I repeat to myself.
“I’d never let anything happen to you.”
His beautiful blue eyes widen ever so slightly before warming with an intensity that is both alluring and terrifying. He leans in just a fraction of an inch.
If he kisses me, I’m not sure if I’ll kiss him back or knee him in the balls. My multiple personalities are in a heated debate over the matter.
Just when his lips are a hair's breadth from mine, a new voice has us jolting apart.
“What’s up, bitches? Did you miss me?”
“Who the fuck are you?” Cole growls at the apparition staring at us from the doorway while simultaneously shoving me behind him. He pulls out a wicked-looking knife faster than I can blink.
Where the fuck was he hiding that thing?
My legs still don’t want to support my gravity-affected body, and I almost crumple to the floor. Luckily for me, Thad reaches out and hauls me up before that becomes a reality.
I peek out from behind Cole, still cuddled up to Thad’s side. His warmth infuses me with comfort. He smells like campfire and marshmallows, smoky with a hint of sweetness, which sends my newly developed sense of smell into delirium. Telling myself to behave, I look over at our ghostly visitor.
Her thick eyebrows furrow, almost like she’s confused by the question. Her hair is short, hitting just above her jawline. I can’t tell exactly what color it is since she’s nothing more than a white-gray mist, but I’m guessing blonde or a really light brown. She has a septum piercing and a labret in her bottom lip. Another on the bridge of her nose. Her ears sport large gauges.
She’s dressed in jean shorts with fishnet stockings underneath. Her dark, long-sleeved Slipknot shirt is hanging off one shoulder, her bra straps as much a part of her outfit as her neatly laced combat boots that hit mid-calf.
“You’re joking, right?” she asks, her head tilting to the side.
“Does it look like I’m fucking joking?” Cole snarls.
Her eyes jump from Cole to Knox to Macklin and back to Cole.
“That’s not funny, Cole. A hundred years is a long time, granted, but c’mon...” She risks a quick glance at the man by his side. “Knox. Help a sister out.”
Knox continues to stare at her, not uttering a word.
“What do you mean, a hundred years?” Macklin steps forward, his natural curiosity already engaged.
“And how in the hell do you know our names?” Cole adds.
She rolls her eyes and huffs in frustration.
Yeah, I so feel you, girl.
“What the hell, dudes? You left me by my lonesome, and now you pretend like you don’t know me. Am I on Punk’d right now?”
Cole’s eyes narrow on our new visitor. “How about you tell us who you are and we might not force you into the afterlife...yet.”
Her eyes widen, and she takes a nervous step back. The fear I see causes a twinge in my chest, and I bring my hand up like I can rub away the sensation. I somehow know her, just like I know the guys, but I’m not going to tell her that yet.
“You wouldn’t,” she whispers nervously. Her eyes quickly find Thad and Levi before darting back to Cole. So she knows about their powers. Interesting.
“Oh, but we would. Now start talking,” he demands.
“It’s me. Reggie. Assistant to the queen.”
“Queen? Queen of what?”
Macklin is like a little kid with a new toy. His excitement is contagious, and I find myself propped forward, totally invested in what she's going to say next.
“Shit, Fate! The fact that you aren’t nagging me about the title tells me you don’t know who I am either,” she mutters to herself. “What the fuck happened to you all?”
The guys all spare a glance my way. I stand up straight...or at least attempt to. These legs are as wobbly as a young kid on a bike without training wheels for the first time, but I attempt to pull up my big girl panties and be the badass I hope like hell I am.
“You sure look awfully modern for someone over a hundred years old.”
It comes out a little raspy and wavering in a way that doesn’t go unnoticed.
Her eyes narrow, and I feel a hint of anger firing up inside her. Her glare finds all of the guys before landing back on me.
“If they did this, whatever this is, to you, so help me, I’ll find a way to kick all of their asses. I promise.”
Cole growls and takes a step forward, the knife in his hand starting to glow. The move has Reggie’s eyes widening, and she jumps back. I don’t have time to question him about the seemingly magical weapon because our new ghostly friend starts to ramble.
“Fine. Fine. Um...so, I’m Reggie, the queen’s assistant. But I just told you that. Fate pulled me out of the judgment line hundreds of y
ears ago. Being her loyal advisor and trusted friend earned me some perks. Things like being able to adapt my look to the current times.” She pauses and waves a quick hand at her outfit.
When no one speaks, she continues on in a voice so soft I almost don’t hear her. “Do you guys remember anything?”
“Knox?”
The single word out of Cole’s mouth is a question and command all in one. I can sense the power now like a zing through my already hyperactive body.
“I’m not picking up on any hints of deceit or dishonesty, so she believes what she’s saying. She’s also confused and really concerned. I don’t feel any threat.”
“Awesome. Then I’m gonna sit my shaky ass down. I’d rather not become a heap on the rug in front of our...guest. Kind of ruins the whole badass ghost girl vibe I had going for me.”
“Are you okay?” Reggie starts to take a step forward until the sight of Cole and his knife blocks her path.
The concern lacing her words hits me, along with a distinct sense of protectiveness that isn’t at all faked.
“Cole,” I murmur. “Put the knife away. She’s not here to hurt us.”
His eyes land on mine, and there are so many emotions swirling in their depths, but we don’t have time for that right now. She may be our best chance at getting some answers, and her comment about changing her look rings true considering I could do the same thing when I was in my spectral form.
He seems to consider his options before nodding, the knife disappearing as quickly as it came. He doesn’t back away though, keeping his sentry position like the stubborn ass he is.
Watching us, Macklin’s eyebrows go up. Probably as surprised as I am that Cole took an order...from me. Maybe today is the day pigs fly.
Before I can argue, Thad picks me up and walks over to the sofa. He sits, settling me on his lap. I’m tucked into his arms, and since he’s roughly the size of an oversized chair, it’s rather comfy. I discreetly tuck my face into the space between his neck and shoulder and inhale his smoky, campfire scent again. A small moan escapes my lips before I can stop it.
A Fate Unknown: A PNR, Why Choose Novel (The Ghost Girl Series Book 1) Page 13
