Emma breathed out heavily in relief, reclining her head at her bed's board, as Prescott communicated to her that the queen was out of the clutches of death. Now she could leave, without feeling weird about doing so.She had been scared out of her wits when the Queen had slumped to the floor after dismissing the council. She remembered the shouts and gasps from the council. It had been a flood of movements after that. The boys carrying the queen to her chambers, the elders moving in, calling out to the healer in the community, an aged woman who had been dressed in just a light wrapper, knotted at her shoulders. The twin sisters had been in a daze, tears slipping off their eyes which they hadn't bothered to wipe off, the twin brothers had been pacing up and down the room, Damon especially, had cursed at intervals, promising hail and thunder on Leonarya if anything should happen to his grandmother.She had felt sorry for the family, putting herself in their shoes. She knew she might ha
He could no longer fool himself. Slowly, with infinite weariness, Aiden closed the leather-bound book. This was the end. He could no longer bear it. The books he loved so much could not push away the stark, raw loneliness of his existence. The study was lined with books, floor to ceiling on three of the four walls of the room. He had read every one, committed a great many to memory over the centuries. They no longer provided solace for his mind. The books fed his intellect but broke his heart.He could not sleep either.It was midday but he couldn't sleep, and he didn't know why.Another effect of the ring?He wasn't sure, and he didn't want to disturb his twin brother again.He had slept off after talking to him, only to wake up after seeing the same lady in his dream.It made him wonder where Emma was.He hadn't seen her since Friday. Perhaps he would try to fly around, and check in on her. He thought, putting on a cloak."Why are you so sad?"Aiden became still, only his soulless
Aiden flew pass the forest, searching for the location of the mystery woman, his heart beating furiously as he pondered on the issue which confused him. If the woman was his lifemate, why had he been attracted to Emma? Why had he seen colors with her being around?A short smile danced on his lips as his eyes located a small community, and then the small, but biggest house there.The house was small, at the edge of the forest where the mountain met the timberline. It was surrounded by other small bungalows. The interior was dark, with only a few lights glowing softly in one or two rooms and perhaps a hallway, while the witches took their rest. He knew that he had stepped into a witch zone. He was aware that it might ruse up a war. But his confirmation of who the lady was, was worth it.He settled on the balcony outside her second-story window and became still. His dark, burning eyes found her through the clear glass, found her and claimed her.She was small-boned, curvy, with a tiny wa
In the protection of his home, Aiden paced with a long-forgotten restless energy. He thought of her soft skin, how it would feel beneath his palm, under his body, how it would taste. The thought of her mass of silky red hair brushing his heated body, the line of her vulnerable throat exposed to him, excited him. His body tightened unexpectedly. Not the mild physical attraction he had felt as a fledging, but a savage, demanding, relentless ache. Shocked at the erotic twist his thoughts began to pursue, he imposed rigid discipline. He could not afford real passion. He was shocked to find he was a possessive man, deadly in his rages and protective beyond measure. This kind of passion could not be shared with a witch; it was far too dangerous.This was a woman of freedom, strong for a mortal, and she would fight his nature at every turn. He was not human. His was a race of beings with animal instincts, imprinted before birth. Better to keep his distance and satisfy his curiosity on an int
The pounding on her door penetrated the deep layers of sleep. Freya fought the thick fog forcing her eyes closed, making her body heavy. Alarm spread. It was as if she had been drugged. Her gaze found the small alarm clock on the bedside table. Three o'clock in the afternoon. She had slept two hours away. She sat up slowly, feeling as if she was wading through quicksand. The pounding on her door began again.The sound echoed in her head, thundered at her temples. "What'?" She forced her voice to be calm, although her heart was slamming against her chest. She was in trouble. She needed to pack quickly, run. She knew how futile it could be. Wasn't she the one who had tracked four serial killers following the mental path of their thoughts'? And this man was a thousand times more powerful than she. The truth was, she was intrigued by him. She had never met anyone like him before. She wanted to stay and learn from him, but he was far too dangerous in his casual use of power. She would ha
The contact was broken abruptly. Freya let out her breath slowly, all too aware that she should be feeling relief, not feeling bereft. There was seduction in his hypnotic voice, his masculine laughter, in their very conversation. She ached with the same loneliness as he did. She didn't allow herself to think of the way her body had come alive at the touch of his fingers. Burned. Wanted. Needed. And he had only touched her with his mind. The seduction was far more than physical; it was some deep, elemental thing she could not precisely put her finger on. He touched her inside her soul. His need. His darkness. His terrible, haunting loneliness. She needed, too. Someone to understand what it was like being so alone, so afraid to have an intimate relationship with another being, afraid to be too close. She liked his voice, the Old World elegance, the silly male arrogance. She wanted his knowledge, his abilities."Freya..." A voice called out to her from behind her door.A tentative smil
The chairs around the tables were occupied, except for three,certainly more than it used to be before, three years ago. Yes, that was when her mother had come and taken her away from the orphanage. At first, it had been a bit rough relating with her and the others in the new community, away from her friends in the orphanage, even though she had still attended her old school, but when she had told her the reasons why she had left her in the orphanage home, for her protection, she had come to accept her bit by bit, the community too. But they usually ate alone in the large dining table. Not with others. Ordinarily, Freya was an introvert. She avoided public places as much as possible, preferring not to have to worry about shielding herself from unwanted emotions, especially since after that night. She took a deep breath and walked in, her hand clasped with Yodah's.Kyran looked up with a welcoming smile, stood, as if waiting for her to join the group at the table. He had also reser
Aiden furrowed his eyebrows as he watched the man beside her lean forward, look into her eyes, raw longing on his face, desire in his eyes. "I will come with you. The vampire won't be needed." He suggested, and his hand moved from her thigh to rest just above her knee.Aiden saw red.At once the pain in Freya's head increased, crushing at her skull, stabbing at her behind her eyes. She jerked her leg out from under Kyran's hand. Demons leaped, raged, burst free. Never had Aiden felt such terrible fury, not even when he had known that the wolf boy had slept with Emma. It rushed over him, claimed him, became him. That someone could hurt her like that, so casually, without even knowing or caring. That someone might touch her while she was so vulnerable and unprotected. That a man would presume to put his hands on her. He hurtled through his open window, to the sky, the cool air fanning his rage.Freya felt the force of his anger. The air in the room thickened; outside, the wind rose,