She nodded. Her eyes teared up, but she swiped her hand along her eyes before it dripped free.
“You’re a good friend, Dasha. I’m sorry you’re involved.” Theo edged past her. “If you want me to, I could erase your memories.”
She shook her head. “I’m okay. Sadie needs me. She might be all superstrong and supersmart, but every girl needs a girlfriend.”
Justin chuckled behind Theo. “You’re her family.”
“She’s never had one, so I’m it.” She planted her fists on her hips. “And I take that seriously, buddy. So get out already.”
Justin tugged him away from the tiny yet fierce girl. “See you in thirty. Come on, Theophilus.”
Reluctantly, he stepped out of the bedroom and shut the door. When Sadie awoke, he would Mate her and never be separated from her again.
Chapter Twenty-two
“I feel like I’ve fallen down the rabbit hole, Dash.” Sadie stared at her reflection in the bathroom mirror.
Dasha stood behind her, combing her damp hair. “You kind of have, if you think about it.”
“You, too, then.” Sadie felt bad about that but was so glad to have her best friend with her. She truly was the only family she had. Having a mom sure would have come in handy right about now. Dasha’s hugs and support were fine, but Sadie envisioned that a mother’s embrace would be a little different somehow.
“It’s okay. Whatever’s going on, they’ll get it taken care of, and we’ll go back to life as usual.” Her voice cracked.
Dasha didn’t believe that any more than Sadie did.
Heat steamed through her cheeks again. It’d been doing that since she’d woken up. She cupped her face, and it felt warm. She’d even taken a cooler than normal shower, too.
“You okay, girl?”
“Not sure. Feel funny.” She rubbed her abdomen and shifted in her seat as a simmering flutter bloomed in her tummy.
She’d kissed enough guys to know what this was.
Arousal.
She fanned herself. “Hey, Dash, have you ever had sex?”
“Close. But not quite. Why?”
Sadie looked around, even though she knew they were alone. “I don’t know. I feel, well, like I want to have sex with Theo, but I don’t even know him. Hell, we haven’t even kissed.”
“Almost did, right?” She captured Sadie’s gaze in the mirror, the comb paused halfway down her long hair. “On the bike?”
Sadie nodded. And that was
hawt
, too.
But, she’d just woken up from…well, she wasn’t sure. While she was sleeping, the dreams and images of things she couldn’t possibly know about flashed before her on fast-forward. Theo was in most of them. Strength oozed off him. Confidence. Power. But mostly dedication and devotion.
To her. And to The Great One.
Dasha resumed combing. “Your hair seems longer than before.”
Sadie dipped her head. She’d noticed that as well. It hung over her breasts and nearly touched her belly button now. It hadn’t the day before.
She went to comb her fingers through the locks that had fallen forward when she stopped. Her nails, normally chewed down to little nubs, were long and shiny, as if she’d had them professionally done.
“Oh my gosh,” she whispered. Confusion mixed with a heap of fear sent her fingers shaking. “Look.” She held up her hand.
The combing stopped again. “Son of a freaking monkey.” Dasha grabbed Sadie’s hand and leaned toward it. “These are beautiful. What. The. Hell.”
The door to the bedroom swung open, and Theo stood in the bathroom doorway. “What is it?”
Sadie jumped out of the chair and Dasha squealed.
“Dang it, Theo.” Dasha slammed the comb onto the vanity and pushed the chair to the side to stand next to Sadie. “You scared the shit out of me.”
Justin chuckled from behind Theo.
“I told you thirty minutes. I meant it.” Theo edged into the bathroom toward Sadie. “I felt you wake up. Are you okay?”
She nodded and inched back, holding her arms close to her chest. She was worried her heart might crack through and land on the floor. Theo stood before her like a Greek god with his broad shoulders, chiseled chin, and straight nose. His hazel eyes swept a lazy look over her body, and a tidal wave of warmth flooded her.
She had to gasp to get in some air.
All that was missing was crackling electricity. The pull was undeniable.
“You look nice,” he whispered closing the distance between them by another foot.
“Why is it you have clothing here her size, anyway?” Dasha stepped around Sadie, but Justin moved in from the doorway and snatched her hand.
“When he found Sadie the other day, he had clothes purchased and made ready for when she came here.” Justin tugged her toward the bedroom. “Come on, let’s go eat.”
“You bought these for me?” Sadie asked Theo as she smoothed her hand down the front of her T-shirt.
He nodded. “For when you came to me.”
Her back stiffened.
Dasha turned and asked Sadie, “You okay?”
She nodded. Dasha was so protective, caring. Such a great friend. The same vibes rolled off Theo, as well. He hadn’t moved. Hadn’t shifted his gaze, either. That should have scared her a little bit, but it only fanned the fire roaring within her.
A fire that was making it difficult to concentrate, and she had some questions that needed answers.
The bedroom door clicked shut, and she swung her attention to the giant before her. Black pupils ate up his irises. His chest heaved as if he had just been running.
Pretty much what hers was doing.
“What’s happening?” she asked. “I feel funny. Like I’m drugged or something.”
“You’re not drugged.” His voice was deeper. Intense. Yet still comforting. “Just changing.”
They were alone now. No one trying to kill them. No blood and missing limbs. Just him. Just her. And be damned if she didn’t want to toss him on the bed.
She cleared her throat and stepped around Theo and out of the bathroom. “Nice bedroom here. Do I get a tour of the house?”
He straightened. “You want…a tour?”
She combed the damp hair down the front of her as she nodded. She didn’t really want one, but she needed to get out of this bedroom. His presence was overbearing. Dominating. She could hardly breathe.
He slowly turned and took a step, looked back at her, then to the door. He audibly gulped and shoved his hand into his front pocket. “A tour it is.”
She let out a breath.
He opened the door and ushered her to him. As she passed, he rested his hand on her lower back. That alone skipped her heart rate into a zone-five anaerobic state.
Paintings and pictures lined the taupe hallway walls. Some were drawings of people, pictures of sunsets. Soft, plush carpet muted their footfalls, punctuating the silence.
Several doors later, he guided her to the right. A stairwell?
She cleared her throat. “How long have you lived here?”
“Off and on for about six centuries.”
Okay, that sounded weird. He pushed open the door and a winding oak staircase came into view. She glanced over her shoulder.
“Leads to the roof.”
She edged forward. “Six centuries?”
“It’s been a home base for Gatekeepers since before the US was populated. It’s been renovated several times, of course, but we keep the original architecture as much as possible.”
“You have one of these in every place there’s a gate?”
“No. Gates can change. I’ve moved around a lot, but many have been in this area so I can stay here.”
“So, Arizona is a magnet for evil?”
“Not necessarily. I can travel pretty quickly when I sense the demons breaching Hades.”
She grabbed the railing and stopped. Only a few inches separated his front from her back. Heat rippled from him. Peace. “You’ve always been in charge of this area?”
He hummed his affirmation, and she started up the first step. “There are a few Gatekeepers in charge of the European countries. But I’m charged with the United States.”
“Justin mentioned that. So, it’s just you handling the States?”
“I’m most qualified.”
“What do you mean?” She inched upward toward another door. Though it was small. How would he fit?
“I am the eldest of the Gatekeepers; therefore, the strongest. Even unmated.”
A shiver rattled down her spine. Unmated. Mate. Damn, that word came up a lot. She wanted to hate it. Wanted to because it had stolen her power of choice.
Yet she couldn’t.
“But I have to travel when I feel the call of evil entering earth whether through a gate or splice.”
“How? I mean, do you have a plane tucked in this mansion somewhere?”
“Not here at the mansion.” He laughed. “I can breach time.” He reached around her and cranked the door handle. His bulging biceps brushed her shoulder as he worked to get the door open. “It sticks sometimes. Sorry.”
Mint-scented breath brushed over her, sending strands of hair against her cheek. She inhaled deeply, absorbing his essence into her lungs. Damn, he smelled yummy.
The door creaked open, and a blanket of star-speckled blackness greeted her. She froze in the doorway, watching.
“Beautiful, isn’t it?” Theo nudged her lower back, and she moved forward.
Beautiful wasn’t word enough to describe the sky. Utter darkness, broken only by sparkling, glittering stars. Billions of them. Like a light show for her eyes only.
She worked her way to the edge of the roof and peered over the knee-high wall encompassing the space. “It’s like I could reach out and touch a star.”
“It’s one of The Great One’s masterpieces. I come up here a lot.” His arm grazed her shoulder. “You like the outdoors? Looking at the stars?”
“Yeah. Sunrises are my favorite, though.”
“Signals a new day. A fresh start,” Theo said.
Gentle fingers dusted along her forearm, leaving a subtle trail of tingling electricity. They traced the bulging vein on the back of her hand to her palm, pausing ever so slightly, then continued until his fingers twined with hers.
His eyes were closed, and his face tilted skyward. She dropped her attention to where he clung to her hand. Slowly, she clasped her fingers tight, sealing the connection.
He let out a breath. A breeze rustled through the distant trees, sending a scent of pine and woodsy bark through the air. Goose bumps puckered her skin, yet she wasn’t cold. The warm, May air was perfect, even though it was nearing late evening.
“So, what’s our next move?” she whispered, breaking the silence.
He squeezed her hand. “Nothing, for now. We need tonight to recuperate. Refuel.” He drew in a deep breath. “To listen.”
“Meaning?”
“There’s a lot happening. We need to settle down and listen for The Great One’s guidance.”
“Not sure I really believe in a
Great One.
”
“Why not?”
“Can’t see him.” She glanced at him, but he still faced the sky.
“Understandable.”
No judgment. No condemnation. Was this guy for real? Did he have anything imperfect about him?
His eyebrow jutted up, and he latched onto her stare. Shit, had he heard her? She went to loosen her grip on his hand, but he tightened. “No. Don’t,” he said. “I need this.”
That stopped her short.
“You energize me, love.”
“I’m your little electrical plug-in, is that what you’re saying?” She gasped. “Oh, that sounded bad. I meant—” She shook her head. Her mind jumbled at the intensity of the man standing beside her. Staring at her. Wanting her. She could feel it.
And what scared her even more was she wanted him.
Badly.
Like nothing would be right until she was close to him. Closer than holding hands.
She hated feeling out of control. Manipulated.
“Shhh.” He cupped her face. “Be calm. You’re safe here.”
No, she wasn’t, because she was falling for this guy. While she kind of enjoyed the warm, fuzzy feeling starting to build between them, it kind of ticked her off, too. She hardly knew him. Where was this free will Justin spoke of earlier?
To make matters worse, demons were after her and now probably after Dasha, too, and Sadie had almost died, like, fifteen times earlier today. Nothing was safe around this guy.
Especially her heart.
“I feel your turmoil.” He leaned down, so close his breath tickled her face.
She couldn’t stop her tongue from sliding out to moisten her lips. God she wanted him to kiss her.
That was so not like her, either.
“I can help,” he whispered, leaning even closer. “Do you trust me?”
“Yes.” The answer came out before she could rein it in. How could she trust him? She barely knew him. “Yes.”
He smiled, and his gaze shifted to her lips. “Allow me a kiss, then.”
She almost said “anything,” but found her control. She inched up to her tiptoes as she nodded. If anyone was doing the kissing, it’d be her.
His eyes shot wide as her mouth met his, then slowly slid shut. She followed suit, falling into the sensation.
Soft lips pressed against hers. He released her hand and brought his to her face. His big, tender hands held her secure to him. His thumb caressed her cheek while he tilted her head slightly. She gripped his biceps, not sure if she should push away or pull him closer. If that was even possible.
Closer
.
She ran her hands up his arms, over his shoulders, and clasped her fingers together behind his neck. He drew in a sharp breath and slid his arms around her waist. One hand rested on her lower back, while the other roamed up her spine to the nape of her neck.
A wave of shivers stormed through her. His mouth moved to suck her bottom lip, but then he severed the connection. She nipped at his lip, wanting more. Needing more.
He rested his forehead against hers and took several shallow breaths. “I’ve dreamed of this for nearly a millennium.”
“That’s difficult to live up to.” She wove her fingers into his wavy black hair. He closed his eyes as if savoring her touch. Like she was the only thing in the world that mattered to him. Her fingertips memorized the curves of his skull, the silky feel of his hair. Most of all, she drank in the spiced cinnamon scent that wafted from him.
His face flushed. Nearly glowed as he smiled. He looked…different. Wait. She felt different. Calmed. Her thoughts no longer jumbled. Her heart, though still pounding an intense rhythm, wasn’t as erratic.