I smiled. Seb was like every other guy and couldn’t resist my sister. “You know she turns seventeen in a month.”
He frowned. “Yes, I’m aware.”
I reached for the blanket at the end of Owen’s bed and pulled the cover over his legs. The air had a bite to it. I wasn’t sure if he could get sick, but I wasn’t taking any chances. “It’s just that you said she was too young for you.”
“And she still is.”
I slid him a glance. “Seb, you’re nineteen. There’s only two years’ difference.”
“I’ll be twenty soon. She’s too young. We have nothing in common.”
Yet, he kept looking at her. I shook my head, my amusement giving way to annoyance. What I wouldn’t give to have Owen truly here. Yet, these two were obviously attracted and denying it like crazy. Stupid people and their stupid love problems. Why did they have to make everything so complicated?
My gaze went back to Owen. Why had I made everything so complicated? Why hadn’t I accepted my feelings for him at the beginning? So many silly games. I sank into the overstuffed chair near the fireplace and drew my knees to my chest, my gaze on him. “Have they given up on finding me?”
“No.” Seb sighed as he strolled to the windows. “They know you’re here somewhere, and one of the vampires leaked word that you’re not with them. When you turned eighteen last week, your powers went public, so to speak.”
“So now any supernatural being can find me and they know I’m on my own.”
“You’re not alone. I’m here.”
But we both knew that Seb could only do so much. He might be able to protect me from demons, but he couldn’t protect me from the Consulate. They would find me soon and Owen was in no shape to help. Could I protect him? “And Owen…do they know about him?”
“No. They think he bailed out. They obviously didn’t know him well.” We were silent for a few moments. I could feel Seb watching me and wondered what he was thinking. I didn’t have to wonder long. “I won’t leave you. I’m here to fight till the end.”
The end. That sounded rather ominous. I gave him a quick nod, the most I could handle. As much as I appreciated his help, I didn’t want Seb by my side. I wanted Owen.
Seb pushed away from the wall and started toward the door. “I’m going to check the perimeter.”
In other words, he was going to check on Lizzie. I smiled as he disappeared, leaving me alone with Owen. I had wondered more than once if Lizzie and Seb were soul mates, but I hadn’t had any visions, which made me think that maybe they didn’t belong together, or they just weren’t ready. Either way, I didn’t push it. We had enough to worry about at the moment.
Untucking my legs, I stood and moved toward the bed. “Open your eyes, Owen.” I climbed onto the mattress and curled up next to him. It was a ritual I repeated at least ten times a day.
“Please.” I rested my hand on his chest. His heartbeat, although slow, was reassuring. “I’m sorry…sorry for how stupid I acted. Sorry that I constantly denied my feelings. I swear, if you just open your eyes, I’ll admit everything.”
He didn’t even flinch.
Exhausted, I lay my head on his shoulder and lowered my lashes. “Come on, Owen. Come on.”
Vaguely I was aware of Lizzie and Seb in the garden talking, their voices full of pain and emotion that drifted through the open windows. They were still denying their attraction, neither learning from my mistake.
“Stupid,” I muttered, half-asleep.
“What’s stupid?”
My eyes opened and for a long moment, I merely lay there, my heart slamming wildly in my chest. I had imagined the question, his raspy voice. It couldn’t be Owen. I shoved my hands into the bed and jerked upright. Owen’s green eyes met mine. Hazy, yes, but open. Awake.
“Owen?” My voice caught, tears burning. “My God, are you really awake?”
He blinked, confused. “Emma?”
He remembered me. Thank you, God, he remembers! I cupped the sides of his face and smashed my lips to his. It was a quick kiss, and I had to force myself not to kiss him again and again. “Yeah.” I laughed like a manic clown. “It’s me.”
He was warm under my touch, when he’d been so cold before. Frantic to understand, I slid my hands over his chest. It wasn’t my imagination, his heart was beating stronger, faster. The joy I felt overwhelmed me, sending my pulse beating so hard that I felt almost dizzy.
“Where are we?” he asked.
Although I didn’t want to, I pulled back enough to allow him room to breathe. I was shaking, I couldn’t stop shaking. I tucked my hands into my jeans pockets, afraid he’d notice my unease and I’d freak him out. “My aunt’s cottage.”
He gritted his teeth and tried to move. His body might look normal, but the two-month coma had made him weak.
Worried, I slid my arm around his waist, helping him sit up. “You’re all right?”
“I…I think so.”
My muscles were tense, my brain jumbled. I wanted to tell him so much, tell him everything, but I knew he needed time to adjust. I jumped from the bed and grabbed a pitcher of water, pouring him a glass.
“Seb! Seb, hurry!” With water glass in hand, I managed to settle back on the bed and help him sip the cool liquid.
He drank slowly, showing no signs of dehydration. “Seb’s here? What’s happened?”
“You don’t remember?”
He rubbed his face, as if trying to rub away two months’ worth of slumber. “Barely. Vampires. I was fighting vampires.”
I set the glass down and pulled his arms away, needing to see his face. My chest felt tight and those freaking tears were stinging my eyes once more. “Damn you, Owen, you almost died saving me.”
His gaze met mine and I felt it all the way to my toes, a heated warmth that swept through me, making my heart stammer. I’d known he would wake, I had, but there were times in the dark of night when I worried.
“Did I save you?” he asked softly. He said it in a way that told me he knew…he remembered.
“Why?” I whispered.
He clenched his jaw, those eyes brilliant, alive and well. He was there, truly there. The Owen I knew, the Owen I cared for. I’d never believed in miracles before, but I did now. “You know why.”
Before I could demand he answer, Seb suddenly appeared. “Merde!” He stumbled toward the bed, his shock almost amusing. “Are you really awake? Truly?”
Owen grinned, but he gave his friend only a quick glance, remaining focused on me. “Yes, and I’m starving.”
“I’ll get you something to eat.” I slid from the bed and started for the door. I needed to do something, anything. But the moment I stepped foot into the hallway, I found my legs went out. The emotions and adrenaline made me weak and I slumped against the wall, stifling my cries. He was awake. He was well. Owen was alive.
“Thank you,” I whispered to no one, to everyone. “Thank you.”
“Petunia…” Owen’s voice drifted from the room.
“I know,” Seb said. “She was guilty. But she’s disappeared. There should be no more trouble from her.”
“That would be great, if she was the only one involved.”
I sucked in a sharp breath of surprise.
“What do you mean?”
“Think about it, Seb. Pet isn’t smart enough to plan all of this. And as bloody mad as she is, she wouldn’t have killed Clarice. She actually liked the old woman.”
“Okay, we’ll figure things out. Once you’re rested, we’ll head back to the Consulate.”
“That might be a problem.”
“What do you mean?” Seb asked warily.
Slowly, I straightened away from the wall, swiping at my damp cheeks. Something was wrong, so very wrong, I could tell by the tone of Owen’s voice. I should have known.
“My powers,” Owen said. “They’re gone.”
********
Owen
My body felt heavy, strange, as if my mind wasn’t quite connecte
d yet. I shifted, stepping closer to the window and savoring the cool breeze that drifted inside. As confused as I’d been, I’d still known the moment I woke that my powers were gone. Completely, or just buried? I wasn’t sure.
Emma rushed into the room carrying a tray, Lizzie was fast behind her. I forced myself to smile, feigning an ease I sure as hell didn’t feel. I hadn’t even sensed her approach, like I would have before.
Emma smiled hesitantly back. Although it seemed as if no time had passed, she appeared different. But the time had affected her. Thinner, tired, worried. I’d done that to her, I realized. But I couldn’t feel guilty…no, because I had saved her life. And I’d do it all again.
Two months, Seb had said. I’d been out for two months. How could two months go by without my even knowing? My body felt stiff, but other than that it felt as if I’d merely gone to sleep. I moved slowly back to the windows. My mind might not want me to believe two months had gone by, but my body knew.
Go, Protector. Take your Matchmaker. I have a feeling she’s useless to us anyway.
I remembered every detail of that night as if it had just happened. But it hadn’t. Two months. Two bloody months had gone by without my knowing, lost in a black void. Two months without protecting Emma, leaving her here alone.
“You hungry?” she asked.
“I’m starving.”
Emma didn’t look me in the eyes, but focused on setting the tray upon the side table, Lizzie helping her. The smell of roasted duck and potatoes wafted through the room, making my stomach tighten with need. But I barely cared about my hunger, no, I only cared about Emma. She was upset about something; that was obvious.
I managed to settle in the chair next to the fireplace without shaking too badly. “Wow, fancy.”
She released a soft laugh. “Lizzie has decided to become a chef…this week.”
“And it’s delicious!” Lizzie said, showing absolutely no humility.
“Yeah, if you like to feast on poor little ducks,” Emma muttered.
Yes, there was definitely something different about her. She seemed…softer, gentler as she lifted the silver dome on the tray and set it aside. Her gaze rose, meeting mine, and in that moment my heart jumped. Two months hadn’t dimmed my attraction. I wanted to reach out and brush that loose lock behind her ear. To cup the back of her head and pull her down for a completely thorough kiss.
“I’m so glad you’re better,” Lizzie said.
I forced my gaze from Emma to her sister. “Thanks, Liz.”
Unlike her sister, Lizzie had no issues showing her affection and raced forward, throwing her arms around me. I patted her awkwardly upon the back. I’d had so little affection in my life that I wasn’t quite sure what to do with it.
“Liz, be careful with him.” Emma watched us nervously. Yes, she cared, but I didn’t want her to think of me as some weak-kneed lad.
Lizzie pulled back, swiping at her eyes. “He’s fine, right?”
I gave her a reassuring nod.
Appeased, Emma’s younger sister was smiling again. “I should go, I have dessert in the oven. You’re going to love it!”
With a swirl of skirts she rushed away, leaving Emma and me alone. I might not remember the last two months, but I hungered for her as if I hadn’t seen her in years. She shifted, standing only a few feet away, uneasy. When she glanced at the door, I realized with a sinking heart that she actually wanted to leave. My feelings for her had only grown, but maybe her feelings had faded.
“Well, I should—”
“Emma,” I whispered, latching on to her hand before she could get away.
She glanced first at my fingers wrapped around her wrist, and then slowly lifted her gaze to me. “Yeah?”
“Why are you avoiding me?”
A telltale flush spread up her neck and into her cheeks. “I’m not.”
I quirked a brow.
She tore her gaze from mine, focusing on the windows. “Because I know you, Owen. I know you, and I know you’re going to try to do something stupid and noble now that you don’t have any powers.”
My heart dropped. “You heard.”
She nodded. “Tell me,” she said, slowly returning her gaze to me. “What are your plans?”
I didn’t respond. I felt off-balance, as if she’d just crushed my manliness. The worry in her gaze quickly turned to anger. The woman I knew was back. As annoyed as I was with her, I was glad to see the old Emma.
“What?” She rested her hands on her hips. “You’re going to leave me? Run off so you won’t be a hindrance?”
I rubbed the back of my neck, feeling myself blush with guilt. It had crossed my mind. Hell, I’d even discussed it with Seb. She’d obviously been eavesdropping. And now she knew…she knew everything that I had hoped to hide.
“Bull, Owen.” She surged toward me. “You aren’t leaving.”
Her reaction gave me hope. “Why?”
“You know why!”
I wasn’t going to let her leave without actually saying the words. We’d gone too long tiptoeing around each other. “Why?”
She took in a deep, trembling breath. “I love you, okay?”
I grinned. I couldn’t help myself. And suddenly it didn’t matter that I was crap, that I was nothing, a bloody shell of the man I’d been. “Come here.”
She pulled away and crossed her arms over her chest. “No.”
“Emma.” I sighed, exasperated.
I thought she might deny me. Instead, she gave me a reluctant grin and stepped closer. Not wanting to miss an opportunity, I reached out and latched on to her wrist, jerking her forward. She fell onto my lap, close to me, exactly where she belonged.
“I was so worried about you,” she admitted.
“Kiss me.”
She frowned, trailing her fingers down my T-shirt. “Why do I have to kiss you? Why can’t you kiss me?”
“I’m too weak.”
“Ha! Right. Like I’m—”
“Quiet.” I reached out, cupped the back of her head, and drew her forward. And for the first time we kissed. Truly kissed. There was no holding back. No fear of doing something wrong, of being caught. Two months might have passed, but her lips were still soft, her body still warm.
“Emma.” I pulled back just enough to speak. “I love you too.”
She looked into my eyes, the emotion evident and beautiful, and full of hope. “You do, don’t you?” She smiled almost shyly, a smile I’d never seen on her before. “I kind of suspected when you walked into a room full of vampires like an idiot.”
I grinned. “Such sweet, kind words.”
She leaned forward and kissed me, a quick kiss that only left me wanting more. “Thank you.” She slid her hands around my neck and rested against my chest.
For the first time in months—hell, years—everything felt right. Completely right. I wrapped my arms around her waist, holding her close. “I would do it all over again.”
She sighed as if exasperated. “I know.”
The food lay forgotten upon the side table, but neither of us cared about eating. “There is one good thing, you know, about not having my powers.”
She tilted her head back. “Yeah?”
“We can be in a relationship now that I don’t work for the Consulate.”
She pulled away and smiled. “Actually date out in the open?”
“Something like that.” I didn’t mention the fact that she still had her matchmaking abilities, and because of that the Consulate wasn’t about to let her go. They would be coming for her, and I had no doubt they would find her eventually. Whether I had powers or not, I would be ready for them.
She cupped the side of my face, looking serious again. “You think you’d like to go outside and eat in the garden? Seb is dying to see you. He’s missed you, you know.”
“Yes. I’d like that.”
She stood, helping me to my feet. “We’ve all missed you.”
I rested my hand on her lower back, needing to touch her,
while she took the tray of food in hand. Together we moved through the cottage. I hadn’t been there since Clarice had died, but it looked almost exactly the same. The woman would be proud of her niece and what Emma had managed to do on her own.
Outside, Seb and Lizzie were sitting around an ornate iron table, arguing about something, and looking oddly like lovers quarreling. Seeing me they stopped, their argument forgotten.
“You look well,” Lizzie said, rushing forward and taking the tray from Emma’s hands.
She and Seb went about getting my food ready while Emma helped me sit in the peaceful garden.
“Are you well?” Seb asked, looking much too serious.
I smiled; I couldn’t help myself. Emma and I had escaped the Consulate, escaped the Vampires, escaped death. “Yes. Very.”
Emma sat in the chair next to mine, her palm resting on my knee. I slid my hand over hers, entwining our fingers and sharing a heated glance while Lizzie and Seb’s cheerful chatter swam around us. I didn’t have my job anymore. I didn’t have my powers. But I had something better…I had a family, friends, a life.
I had Emma.
The End
Interested in more? Check out the excerpt of Lori’s bestselling young adult series,
The Mind Readers!
The Mind Readers
Chapter 1
The man sitting across from me at the café was thinking about murdering his wife.
He imagined stabbing her and pretending like it was a robbery. Or perhaps, he thought, he’d take her hiking, push her off a cliff and say it was an accident; that she’d slipped. I wanted to tell him it wouldn’t work, that in those CSI shows on T.V. they always suspected the husband first.
Instead, I huddled deep within my down jacket, the diner booth pressing uncomfortably hard against my back. I didn’t dare move for fear of drawing attention to myself. I didn’t want to know his thoughts. I wished he’d keep them to himself. But I suppose he couldn’t help it. The thoughts seeped from his mind like the fog currently drifting in from the harbor.
Slowly, I slid him a glance out of the corner of my eye. With his thinning brown hair combed neatly into place, and his blue button-up shirt free of wrinkles, he looked like a normal suburban dad. But if there was one thing I’d learned early on in life it was that normalcy, as we thought of it, didn’t exist. It was amazing and frightening what humans were capable of.