Authors: Kimberly Hunter
“More like pictographs, but a few of the figures are almost the same as the Egyptian. I’ve never seen anything like it in any of the ancient cultures I’ve studied.” Angel shook her head in wonder.
“So, you’ve had this information all this time yet didn’t say anything,” Flynn said calmly, though Sasha could feel that he was anything but.
“Sort of,” Robert hedged.
“I would appreciate an answer on that as well.” Roan’s face was impassive, but his tone wasn’t.
“The documents are a few thousand years old, Roan. Once the air hit them, they started to decay. Rapidly. We had to place them in a special container to keep them from further damage. Then we had to set up a lab to examine them. And with my regular studies, lectures, and Robert’s traveling, it was another year before we could get everything set in motion. Then Father was killed and, well, the box was forgotten for a while,” Angel said sadly.
“But we did tell you, Roan. At the time, though, you were busy being the new Alpha,” Robert countered.
“Ah, the new research project five years ago. The one about some ancient translations.” Roan nodded.
“Exactly how long did it take to translate these documents?” Gabe asked.
“We’re still working on them. Especially the pictographs. That’s what the prophecy is written in,” Angel answered.
“But why haven’t you said anything before now?” Flynn’s tone was sharp, and Sasha could feel that he was getting a bit angry, so she put her hand on his leg. He smiled at her, knowing what she was trying to do. It worked, of course. He was smiling now instead of frowning.
“Like I said, the translations took time. And the only parts we had any ease with were the ones about Nikos and what happened to him and Tala. Being the Pack historian, I’m the only one who would be interested in such information. As to the prophecy, it’s only been six months or so since I was able to figure out some of the glyphs. After I did, I called Roan and told him I needed to update him on a research project. We had an appointment for next week.”
“Only Gabe’s e-mail upped the time frame and the importance of the information,” Roan guessed.
Flynn nodded in understanding, his brow scrunching. “Gabe, why did you e-mail Angel that picture of the set?”
“Well, the torque was badly damaged, and the bracelet didn’t fare that much better. And what with Robert’s expertise at repairing old jewelry, I thought he would be the perfect choice,” Gabe explained. “And with all the energy and attention focused on Sasha getting well, I didn’t think it that important to tell anyone.”
Flynn nodded again.
“All right, now that we have the facts, the only question left is what to do about the information we have. Or should I say, how do we use this information?” Roan leaned back in his chair.
Dinner had come to an end along with the story. Now that Sasha was full and rested, she thought about everything. And she kept coming back to one topic in particular. Children—or the soon to be lack thereof. Why would the prophecy pin its hopes on one female? If children were a concern, why not have a dozen females donate to the gene pool? That was obviously what the problem was about.
“You’ve been awfully quiet through all this, Sasha. You okay?” Flynn interrupted her thoughts as Charlie and Angel got up to remove the dinner’s remains.
She got up as well and grabbed hers and Flynn’s plates. “I’m not sure. My mind is still working on all this.”
She followed the other women into the kitchen, hoping Flynn wouldn’t get upset with that answer. Truthfully, she wasn’t sure what to think. Her mind was filled enough as it was. Adding an ancient prophecy to the mix was a little too much too soon.
“Now, Sasha, you didn’t have to do that. We could have gotten everything,” Charlie admonished.
Sasha smiled. “Good manners dictate I help. Besides, I felt the need to stretch my legs.” Sasha was starting to feel a bit edgy and jumpy the longer she sat at the table.
She put the dishes in the sink and got a good look around. It was a big kitchen. All black granite countertops and stainless-steel appliances. A nice roomy modern kitchen.
Angel walked up behind her, and she jumped out of the way. Sweat was starting to bead Sasha’s upper lip and forehead. She was getting so hot.
“You don’t look so good,” Angel said with worry.
Sasha wiped her forehead off with the back of her hand, leaning against a counter. “I felt fine a moment ago. Now I feel like the walls are closing in on me, and I’m burning up.”
Flynn burst into the kitchen, his light eyes filled with concern. “Get her outside, Angel, now. I’ll fix a cool drink for her and meet you.”
“Outside sounds good,” Sasha agreed, bolting out the nearest door.
Good thing the kitchen had access to the backyard. She hit the back door running and didn’t stop till she found the barn and smelled hay and horses.
“Soon, I think. Maybe even tomorrow night.” Sasha whirled around, crouching to brace for an attack. She sighed with relief when she realized it was only Angel.
“Jeez, don’t do that. I’m jumpy enough as it is.” “Sorry.” Angel chuckled. “I’d forgotten how the symptoms are before the First Transformation.”
“I didn’t hear you come up. It was reflex.” Sasha’s toes started to tingle, a spasm hitting her in the back as she gave Angel an excuse for her odd behavior. The pain wasn’t enough to drop her to her knees, but it was close.
“I’d say it was more like instinct.” Angel looked at her curiously.
Sasha didn’t have time to dwell on the look, because Flynn was coming. She smelled him before she saw him. He was carrying a glass of ice water, but that wasn’t what she really wanted. The minute he came into view, need hit her like a sledgehammer, turning the tingles and cramping into a throb between her thighs. She had to have him.
Flynn stopped abruptly, nostrils flaring.
“Well, I think I’ll just mosey on back to the house.” Angel laughed as she left.
When Sasha knew Angel was gone, she started forward. Flynn dropped the glass and met her halfway. He picked her up, kissing her senseless as she moaned and wrapped her legs around his waist.
“Flynn.” She momentarily came up for air. She wanted so much more than a kiss, though.
He was one step ahead of her as he strode into the barn and found the nearest empty stall. They fell in a pile of straw, kissing and tugging at clothes. Before she knew it, they were both gloriously naked, skin-to-skin.
“Please,” Sasha moaned.
She didn’t want foreplay; she was way past that. No, she wanted the main course. She wanted Flynn inside her, filling her up.
He grabbed both her wrists in one hand, putting them above her head. His other hand squeezed her breast, pinching the nipple hard. Sasha groaned with pleasure, then nearly screamed as he plunged into her. He rammed into her and kept the pressure on her nipple, instinctively knowing what she wanted. By the time the orgasm ripped through her, she was completely lost, Flynn catching her screams of release with his kisses, his own release following in seconds with a shout of completion.
She must have blacked out, because when next she opened her eyes, she was covered with a blanket and lying in Flynn’s arms, still in the stall.
“Feeling better?” Those light eyes were dancing with merriment.
She looked up into his smiling face, feeling her own flame, but she smiled back anyway. “Yeah. I still feel a bit jumpy inside, but my back isn’t cramping anymore.”
His amusement was suddenly replaced by concern. “Any tingling?” He sat up so he could check her over. He took her pulse and looked in her eyes.
“A little in my hands and feet. It started in my toes first but was replaced by something else.” She gave him a sexy little smile.
He took her face in both hands and kissed her gently. She knew he was scared for her, that he didn’t want her to go through the pain. She could see it in his eyes, feel it.
“Soon, huh?”
“As fast as your symptoms have started, probably tomorrow night.”
She blinked. “But I thought I had at least two more days.”
Flynn let his breath out in a rush. “I had hoped you would, but what with this virus being so ancient and Jenna being a threat, seems your body and instincts have pushed your time sooner.”
“I don’t understand. I thought you said it had to be during a full moon.” She wasn’t panicking. Yet.
“Not always, no. There have been instances where the individual went through the process under extreme situations, and it wasn’t even close to a full moon. Seems your instincts have deemed this an extreme situation.” He frowned, his expression saying clearly he’d hoped they would have more time.
“Wow, tomorrow night at the latest.” She shook her head in astonishment, really not sure how she should feel about that news.
Flynn nodded with worry in his eyes. Just seeing that look made her want to be strong for him. And since there was nothing she could do to prevent this from happening, she really didn’t have much choice but to buck up and prepare.
“Okay.” She sat up with the blanket around her. “How will I know when the time is right?”
He took a breath and blew it out, he too bucking up. “Your whole body will tingle, and your skin will itch. The muscles in your arms, legs, and back will spasm and cramp. Your body temp will rise, and you’ll sweat, feeling like you’re burning up from the inside out. All your senses will be heightened, overwhelming you. You’ll have the uncontrollable need to be surrounded by nature. Your clothes will feel confining, and you’ll want to run after you’re in the forest. But you won’t be able to once the process starts in earnest.”
“That good, huh?” She tried to joke. She got a wan smile in return. “I guess drugs are out of the question?”
He nodded. “They interfere with the process.”
“So knocking me out won’t work either, huh?”
“No, you will have to be conscious and aware of your surroundings.”
“Oh.” She hoped there might be an easier way to go through this. Just her luck, there wasn’t.
“The only thing I can think that might help is our bond. You’re my True Mate, and as such, you might be able to use that.”
She thought about that for a minute, remembering the mall. Then something else came to her.
“But won’t you be able to feel or sense some of what I’m going through?” She wasn’t sure she wanted him to feel her pain in any way, nor was she sure how she felt about him yet, but she did know that she liked him, a lot, and she didn’t want him suffering along with her. He had already gone through this once himself; he didn’t need a repeat performance that would be worse.
“Yes, but I won’t be able to do anything to ease your pain. I’ll be practically helpless.” He growled with disgust, then grabbed her in a fierce hug. “The only time in my life where I’ll be unable to protect you, and it’s eating me alive inside.”
Sasha could feel his body shaking, sense his rage and guilt at not being able to help her when the time came. But she couldn’t let him feel this way. She needed him to be strong, to be her anchor when the storm finally hit.
“Don’t do this to yourself, Flynn.” She pulled back to look in his pain-filled eyes. “You’re the only one who can help me through this. The only one I trust to be there when the time comes. I’ll need you more than ever.”
She was already scared at the thought of so much pain; she didn’t need to worry about him as well, so she let him feel her certainty in him and her need of his strength. A moment later a look of steely determination flashed in his eyes, and his iron resolve flickered to life.
“I’m sorry, Sasha. Here I am trying to comfort you, and you end up comforting me.” He grinned ruefully. “But I’ve never felt like this before, and the thought of you hurting, well, I don’t like it.”
“I know.”
“I won’t lose you, Sasha.” He growled, kissing her fiercely, hungrily. “I won’t. You’re mine, all mine.”
He covered her body with his, kissing her blind, his hands everywhere. When he came up for air, he looked her directly in the eye, a strange expression akin to awe on his face.
“I never thought that one day I would have a woman like you in my arms, much less be my True Mate. You drive me crazy with your body.” He smiled. “And give me strength with your faith in my abilities. Sometimes I don’t feel worthy of you, and other times I feel blessed to have you at all. And when the time comes, know I’m at your side, lending you all the strength I possess,” he promised.
She gave him a watery smile, on the verge of tears. “Oh, Flynn.”
They made love all night. Sometimes tender, sometimes frantic. She was brought to tears at one point, awash in feeling, Flynn holding her, then taking her fiercely again. And through it all, the danger was shoved to the backs of their minds while their souls soared to the heavens. Unfortunately, what comes up must come down. And boy did it. Like a ton of bricks. And she was still naked too when it all went down.
Sasha awoke to a nagging noise and sweat trickling between her breasts. The good news was that she was in Flynn’s bed, beside him. The bad news was she was burning up, and the noise was Flynn breathing.
She looked at the bedside clock. It read almost four in the afternoon.
Good Lord, how could I have slept so long?
Then she remembered the night before and that morning in the barn. Yeah, now she knew how. Pure exhaustion.
Pushing the covers back, she got out of bed and almost made it to the bathroom when a muscle spasm hit in her lower back. She moaned aloud and dropped like a stone.
“Sasha?” Flynn asked sleepily.
“Flynn!” she barely gasped out, pain radiating up her back.
He rushed to her side, picking her up and placing her back in bed.
“It’s started, sweetheart. Just concentrate on us, all right? And try to breathe through the pain. I’m right here, and I’m not leaving.”
“I can’t breathe in here. Got to get out.”
Flynn was one step ahead of her, already lifting her in his arms and carrying her from the room. They were both still naked, though she was really feeling too bad to care. The closer they got to the kitchen door, the worse she felt. Even more so when Charlie spotted them.
“It’s begun?” she asked.
“Yes, I’m taking her to the clearing now. You and the others can meet us there.” He didn’t bother to stop as he walked out the back door.
When Sasha felt the fresh air against her heated skin, she wanted to shout with joy. Too bad another muscle spasm turned joy to pain. She gasped at the intensity of it.
“I know, sweetheart. Just breathe. It’ll be over soon, and you can run with the Pack. Run with me,” he said fiercely as they walked behind the barn and into the woods.
The smell of the forest and Flynn combined was almost overwhelming. She could hear every rustle around her. Everything was so bright and clear. And thank God she was already naked, or otherwise clothing would have really bothered her. As it was, being skin to skin with Flynn actually soothed her in a small way. That is, until her legs cramped up and her scalp started to itch.
She whimpered, trying to hold back a scream.
“Concentrate on me, do you understand? Breathe in my scent; listen to my heartbeat. Focus.”
Sasha knew he must be feeling some of what she was going through, so she did what he said, trying to do what she did when they went to the mall. It helped.
They made it to the clearing surrounded by large live oaks before the worst of her transformation began. Flynn gently deposited her on a thick pallet where a basin of cool water and cloths were already waiting for them. He bathed her face and body, trying to cool her down.
“Flynn, I…”
“Don’t talk. Save your strength and focus.” He spoke hoarsely, reminding her to use their bond to help.
Her body was a tingling mass of nerves, and the itch was spreading from her scalp to her chest and working its way lower. If her arms hadn’t been so cramped, she would have scratched her head. As it was, all she could do was tremble and ride the wave until it leveled off and the next one hit.
She looked at Flynn, fear beginning to settle in. “I’m scared.”
“I know, baby.” He bathed her with cool water, his face tight with shared pain and concentration. “But I’m right here, and I won’t leave your side, hear me? I won’t let you go through this alone. You can do this. You’re strong, so focus. Breathe in my scent, and use that to help you.”
As another wave of pain racked her body, Sasha could see Flynn feeling its echo in his own. His handsome face was tightened with tension, his breathing harsh. She hated that he had go through this with her, but for the first time in her life, she wasn’t alone. The circumstances weren’t exactly ideal, but he was with her, sharing everything with her. If that wasn’t enough to make her fall for the man, then nothing was.
Sasha heard the others come into the clearing but really didn’t care. She was too busy not screaming her head off when her back and legs spasmed again.
“How’s she doing, Flynn?” Angel asked.
“She’s strong. She’ll make it. She has to,” Flynn replied, wiping the sweat from her brow.
Sasha heard the utter conviction in his voice and felt his steely resolve. She knew then that he would do everything in his power to help her or die trying, which would happen if she didn’t make it. And the fact that he could feel what she was going through as well as her fear was what finally gave her the strength she needed to do no less than him. He was her Mate, her True Mate. They belonged together.
She grasped his hand in a firm grip and brought him closer. “Mine.” She gasped, trying to breathe through the pain. “You…are mine.” Tears welled up as the pain intensified.
He kissed her gently. “Yes. As you are mine.” Pain flashed across his face at the same time her stomach cramped with burning fire. “I won’t…lose you. I…love you.” He gasped, his tears mingling with hers.
“I love…you…too.” And she realized she did, the moment she saw him, and always would.
He gently kissed her again, both of them breathing harshly. As a particularly bad cramp seized her back and shoulders, she did cry out. She couldn’t help it. The wave of pain made every muscle in her body feel like one giant ache. There wasn’t an inch of skin that didn’t itch or tingle. And her insides felt like they were on fire and being melted down.