“What’s happening?” She stumbled but managed to stop herself from falling to her knees.
“Still impossible to tell. The car is on the road, about a mile from the house.” He pointed to a small clearing where she could just make out the roof of the house. “We’ll get there first.”
“Okay.” She filled her lungs with clear mountain air. “Yes.” She rushed after Kelos. “In answer to your question, I am close to my brother. Or perhaps I should say I was. During our childhood, we played together all the time. We liked the same things and rarely argued. My mom was the envy of the schoolyard.”
“And then?” Kelos asked as he reached the broken gate and slid through into the back yard.
“And then we went our separate ways. Fabian focused on his education and I went traveling.” She looked up, alert to the sound of car tires on the gravel driveway. “They’re here.”
“They are but I think we’re okay,” he reassured her. “I sense a child in the car. I think it’s Shawn and Jane.”
“You could have said sooner.” Amber slowed up, her face red and her skin hot. “I wish I could stick my face in the spray from the waterfall again.”
“Sorry. I wanted to make sure it was them.” He grinned at Amber as she wiped the sweat from her forehead. “You look fine.”
“I don’t feel fine.” She headed toward the house. “I’d better go and wake Elliot.”
“I’ll go and meet Shawn.” Kelos paused and watched her go into the house before he headed around the house to meet the doctor.
Going to the sink, Amber grabbed a quick glass of water before running up the stairs to the bedroom where Margie and the children were sleeping. Only Elliot wasn’t there.
Amber froze in the doorway, scanning the room for her nephew. Springing forward, she went around the side of the bed facing the window and checked that he hadn’t fallen out of bed.
No sign.
Panic filled her and she put her hand on Margie’s arm and shook her awake. “Margie.”
“Amber?” Margie opened her eyes, blinking against the light.
“Where’s Elliot?” Amber asked. Although, since Margie had been asleep, she probably had no clue.
“Elliot?” Margie sat up, her eyes wide as she patted the bed. “Elliot.”
Margie swung her legs over the side of the bed and stood up, her clothes rumpled and her hair a mess as she looked around the room.
“I thought he was here with you.” When Amber had left, they were all in bed together. Now there was only Lauren and Margie.
“Did you see him come downstairs?” Margie asked as she dragged on her shoes and headed out of the room.
“I wasn’t here,” Amber confessed.
“Where did you go? I thought you were downstairs keeping watch.” Margie’s voice rose in accusation.
“I went for a walk with Kelos.” She turned her head to look out of the landing window. “Kelos will know where he is.”
“How will he know if he was off on some hike with you?” Margie dragged her hand through her hair and headed downstairs while Amber double-checked the two empty bedrooms upstairs and the bathroom. And the linen closet just for good measure.
Empty.
Amber ran downstairs. Margie was coming out of the living room, shaking her head. “He’s not there.”
The two women were locked in a state of panic. What had happened to Elliot? Had someone come into the house and taken him?
Amber berated herself for leaving them alone. She’d told Fabian she would protect them and already she’d failed. Her heart hammered in her chest as she swung around and ran outside.
“Kelos.” Panic rolled through her and she struggled to draw breath as her throat constricted. “Kelos.”
“Amber.” Kelos ran around the house to meet her. “What’s wrong?”
“I thought you said Margie and the children were all here safe.” Her accusation was met by a puzzled expression from Kelos.
“They are.”
“Then where is Elliot? He’s not with Margie and Lauren.” She held out her hands. “We can’t find him in the house.”
“He’s here.” Shawn walked around the side of the house with Elliot and a young girl about the same age as Lauren.
“I heard the car and went to see who it was,” Elliot said, looking more relaxed and happier than Amber had seen him for a long time.
“I didn’t see you when I came into the house.” Amber had only turned her back for a moment while she got a drink of water. Had Elliot snuck past her without a word in that time?
“Elliot!” Margie called as she came outside and saw her son. “I thought I told you not to go outside on your own.”
“I didn’t.” Elliot looked sideways at Jane before his cheeks flushed pink.
“Elliot, don’t lie to me.” Margie reached for her son and pulled him into her arms. “I was worried sick.” Elliot looked mortified as Margie hugged him with no intention of letting him go.
“Why don’t I go and make us some tea?” Amber offered. “And there are some cold sodas in the fridge.”
“I’ll come and give you a hand,” Kelos offered.
“That would be great,” Shawn replied. “While you’re gone, I can talk to Margie and Elliot.”
“Great.” Amber’s gaze lingered on her sister-in-law for a moment. There was no prizing Elliot out of her arms right now, so she left Shawn to do his doctor magic,
“Are you running away?” Kelos asked as he followed her to the kitchen.
“I’m giving them space,” she replied. “Margie does like to overreact. But then that’s how I might react if I had kids.”
“She’s been through a lot. I’m sure Margie’s just being protective.” Kelos grabbed the kettle and filled it with water while Amber fetched three sodas from the fridge.
“I honestly don’t know how she does it,” Amber confessed. “I think I’d go crazy if my kids were in any danger. So, it’s a good thing I don’t have any.”
Kelos placed the kettle on the stove. “Yet?” he asked hopefully.
“I told you, having a child is like living in constant fear something might happen to them.” She shook her head. Was that still true?
Now that she’d met Kelos, the thought of having a child didn’t seem quite so scary. Especially with a man who would never leave, no matter what.
Amber had never wanted to settle down and have a normal life. But maybe here in Bear Creek, she might just change her mind.
Chapter Eleven – Kelos
Amber really meant it when she said she didn’t want children. The shock hit him in the solar plexus and robbed him of breath. He’d spent so long waiting for his mate, longing to share his life with her and raise a family. Now those hopes and dreams were all gone.
Not gone, his dragon replied. Our mate is still here.
But children… Our bloodline will die with us. Kelos turned away and stared out of the open kitchen doorway at the distant mountain peaks. He’d dreamed of one day teaching his own children to fly over the mountains.
“Where’s Mom?” Lauren walked into the kitchen, bleary-eyed from her afternoon nap.
“She’s outside with Elliot. They’re talking to Shawn. He’s brought his daughter along to say hello.” Amber went to her niece and slipped her arm around the young girl’s shoulders. “Do you want a soda?”
“Yes, please.” Lauren rubbed her eyes and yawned. “Thanks.”
“How are you feeling?” Amber brushed Lauren’s hair back from her face and studied her critically. “You look pale.”
“I’m okay.” She sighed. “I’ll feel better if I go outside.” Lauren eyed the open kitchen door with longing. “Has she calmed down now that she’s found Elliot?”
“I think so. Your mom was just worried. Elliot shouldn’t have gone outside without telling anyone.” Amber turned around as the kettle came to the boil. “We’re making tea and then why don’t we all go out together.”
“Okay.” Lauren drank her sod
a and wandered over to the doorway. “Elliot loves it here. The air is clearer for his lungs.” She looked over her shoulder to Amber. “He hasn’t used his inhaler once since we arrived.”
“Hasn’t he?” Amber asked. “I didn’t know.”
“Maybe if Mom let him go outside more, his breathing would get better for good,” Lauren suggested.
“Elliot’s been sick since he was little,” Amber replied. She didn’t want to shoot down the idea that Elliot might one day get better, but it wasn’t something they could risk taking for granted. They’d need to see how Elliot responded over the next few days. Abandoning his inhaler might put his life at risk. “I’m sure Shawn will keep an eye on him and make sure he’s getting the correct dose of meds.”
“Do you think if Elliot gets better here, we might be able to stay?” Lauren asked hopefully.
“Honey, these are all things your mom and dad have to agree on. It doesn’t have a lot to do with me.” Amber glanced at Kelos. He’d been keeping out of the conversation since it had even less to do with him.
“One thing I’ve learned,” Kelos began, “is that you have to take one day at a time. And one step at a time. Only then can you see where the road is taking you.”
“I thought if Aunt Amber spoke to Mom, she might at least think about it.” Lauren’s hopeful expression was enough to break his heart.
“Once the court case is over, your mom and dad can start making those kind of decisions.” Amber poured the tea, her eyes locking with Kelos’s for a moment. She pressed her lips together and raised her eyebrows as if asking for help.
The only help he could give was to change the subject. “After we’ve had tea, I have some work to do on the house. Do you want to give me a hand?”
“Me?” Lauren asked, her cheeks flushed pink with excitement. “I’d love to.”
“Why don’t you go out to your mom and we’ll bring the refreshments?” Amber watched Lauren skip out of the kitchen. “She’s a good kid.”
“They’re both good kids from what I’ve seen so far,” Kelos replied. “They must remind you of you and your brother.”
“They do.” Amber smiled to herself as she picked up the tea tray.
“Why don’t I take that?” Kelos’s fingers curled around the edge of the tray.
“I can manage,” Amber insisted.
“I know you can, but I thought if I carried this, you could bring out the sodas and also grab the cookies. It might sweeten Margie’s mood.” Kelos shrugged. “Do you think that’ll work?”
“Are you the kind of guy who thinks that all you need to do to get a woman to be in a better mood is feed her chocolate?” Amber asked bluntly.
“No.” His eyes widened as he shook his head.
“Then you still have a lot to learn.” Amber winked at him as she relinquished her hold on the tea tray. Swinging around to face the cupboards, she asked, “Which one?”
“The one on your left.” Kelos chuckled as he waited for his mate to retrieve the cookies then he left the kitchen with Amber following behind. He paused and scanned the back yard and the surrounding area.
Beyond the perimeter of the house, he could not sense anything other than small animals and birds. His attention shifted to the immediate area where Shawn was quietly talking to Margie. They were seated side by side while Elliot, Lauren, and Jane explored the back yard. With its wide grassy lawn, which needed a good mow around its overgrown borders, the area was a wonderful place for children to run and explore in relative safety.
However, Margie watched her children like a hawk, not taking her eyes off them for more than a moment as she talked to Shawn.
“I think the only way Margie is ever going to be happy again is when Fabian is safely home.” Amber glanced sideways at Kelos. “Wherever their home might be.”
He nodded. “No wonder she is so protective of the children.”
“She’s always been a little overprotective, but since this started, I think the need to keep her family safe has weighed heavy on her. Particularly now that she’s on her own.” Amber gave a small smile. “Despite her faults, Margie loves her family with a passion that would put even a shifter to shame.”
“Is that a challenge?” Kelos asked.
“What if it was?” Amber teased then inclined her head toward the others. “Come on, they will wonder what we are talking about.”
Kelos followed his mate across the back yard to where Shawn and Margie were seated in the sun. Margie glanced up quickly before obsessively switching her gaze back to the children. “Here, tea and cookies.” He placed the tray down and handed out the mugs of tea. “They are safe here, Margie.”
Margie blinked rapidly as if she hadn’t heard what he’d said. “I just worry what might be out there.” She nodded toward the mountain as if expecting a monster to rear its head out of the trees and throw boulders at them. Or worse.
There are no such things as monsters, his dragon reminded him.
Margie and Amber thought there were no such things as dragons until they met us, Kelos reminded him.
Does Margie know we are a dragon? his other side asked. If she did, I would expect her to be more nervous around us.
Yes, she would likely be more concerned that we might bite their heads off if they made too much noise, Kelos agreed. Amber must be keeping us a secret.
“You don’t have to worry about the children when you have two shifters here,” Shawn consoled Margie. “We can sense if anyone is around and there is no one else for miles.” The doctor glanced at Kelos. “That’s why you chose the house, isn’t it, Kelos?”
“One of the reasons,” Kelos replied.
“The other is because it was cheap.” The doctor chuckled to himself as he sipped his tea.
“Why is that an issue?” Amber cut in sharply.
“It’s okay.” Kelos felt a surge of pride that his mate was so willing to defend him. However, he did not want her to defend him on this point. Not considering the circumstances.
Shawn lifted his head and locked eyes with Kelos who briefly shook his head. “I’m sorry,” Shawn told Amber. “It was insensitive of me.”
“It’s a private joke,” Kelos cut in, not wanting the doctor to take the blame for something that he did not deserve. “Shawn and I like to tease each other. A little like brothers and sisters.” He directed his comment toward Margie. “I’m sure Lauren and Elliot tease each other.”
“Lauren and Elliot.” Margie snapped her attention to Kelos as she registered him saying her children’s names, but she didn’t seem to have heard the question.
“Do they tease each other?” Shawn asked Margie, concern on his face as she switched her attention back toward the children. “Margie, they are okay. Just breathe and drink your tea.”
“Sorry.” Margie tore her attention away from the children who were following a butterfly around the garden as it fluttered between the early flowers that still hung on to life in the overgrown borders.
“No problem,” Shawn said gently. “It must be tough for you.”
She gave a short laugh and her hand went to the phone in her pocket. “I’m scared for my family.”
“Have you heard from Fabian?” Amber asked quietly so the children didn’t hear. Their conversation about teasing was gone, replaced by more serious matters.
Margie shook her head. “No.”
“Can’t you just call him?” Shawn’s brows knitted together as he looked from Margie to Amber.
“We’re afraid someone might trace the call,” Amber explained. “When the safe house was compromised, Fabian called me to go get Margie and the kids. He said he couldn’t guarantee his phone wasn’t bugged or that they wouldn’t trace any calls.” She rubbed her hand over her eyes and swept away the tears that threatened. Kelos reached out and took hold of her hand, squeezing it gently.
Amber looked up and smiled at him and the need to make this all right for his mate overwhelmed him. Biting down on his lower lip, he took a gulp of tea as he fough
t his simmering rage. Amber had been thrust into the middle of a dangerous situation and she’d stepped up and helped her brother. But this nightmare might never be over.
“Amber picked up a burner phone,” Margie continued. “You know, one of those phones that can’t be traced.”
“That was a good idea,” Shawn conceded.
“It’s just that Fabian hasn’t used it for a couple of days. Not since the day we left,” Amber told him. “And we’re worried that if we call the phone, they might trace the call. That… That he might be compromised in some way.”
Margie’s gaze refocused on the children. “If they can’t find us, they can’t use us as leverage to get him to keep quiet. That’s what they want, for him to lie and say he got it wrong. I’m going crazy not knowing if he’s okay.”
“There might be some reasonable explanation as to why he hasn’t called.” Kelos couldn’t think of one immediately. If he were stuck in a hotel room with nothing else to do, he would be calling Amber every hour just to hear her voice and make sure she was okay.
“He’s probably being overcautious.” Shawn glanced toward Jane who was leaping across the lawn like a frog, followed by Lauren and Elliot. “We do whatever it takes to protect those we love.”
Kelos watched his friend out of the corner of his eye. Was Shawn hiding Jane in Cougar Ridge because he was protecting her? Or was he protecting Jane’s mom?
“If he loved us that much, Fabian would think twice before he testifies.” Margie’s cheeks flushed pink and her voice cracked with emotion. “Sorry, I was thinking out loud.”
“What did the guy do who he is testifying against?” Shawn asked as he reached for a cookie and took a bite.
“Money laundering,” Amber said. “He launders large amounts of money through his business for various criminal gangs.”
“No wonder Fabian’s in danger,” Shawn clamped his mouth shut after a stern look from Amber.
“It’ll be fine once the court case is over,” Amber tried to reassure Margie.
She’s lying, his dragon said.
I don’t think she’s actually lying, Kelos answered. But you are right, she doesn’t believe everything will be fine. She’s just trying to protect Margie.
Kelos: Spring (Shifter Seasons Book 4) Page 9
