A slight charge weighted the air, as if the
molecules shifted. Gooseflesh sprang out on her bare arms. She
turned, frowning, to check the bathroom.
Cindy whirled as a gust of hot air blasted
her on the chest. It felt like a giant hand slapping her. Crying
out, she collapsed.
Etienne cursed in Cajun French. Worry etching
his face, he bent down and helped her stand. “You ok?”
At her nod, he shook his head. “You call that
defending yourself? I barely gave you a tap on the shoulder. And it
knocked you out. You didn’t even see it coming.”
Ashamed, she avoided his scrutinizing gaze. A
Draicon, a normal Draicon, would not only have seen the energy
coming, but would have fought back.
“Cyn, level with me. I want to know what’s
going on. Right now.”
Chapter Four
Etienne helped her across the room as if she
were an elderly granny hobbling with a walker. Cindy sat on the
four-poster canopy bed. This was so difficult to admit. But he
waited, sitting beside her, her intent gaze never leaving her
face.
She didn’t know how to begin. So she just
blurted it out.
“Shifting back at the swamp drained all my
energy. I don’t have any magick. So I can’t heal fast, pick up
scents or sense when someone’s about to hurl a ball of power at
me.”
Seeing his puzzled expression, she hastened
to add, “I can Change into a wolf and back. But only in the wild,
like the Everglades. You saw how hard it is for me to shift back.
And my other magick…it’s gone.”
He gave her a wry look. “Gone? Magick doesn’t
just vanish, Cyn. Unless your parents sold it on eBay to pay for
this palace.”
Cindy pushed off the massive bed, anger
feeding her strength. “Stop it, will you, please just stop it. This
whole your family versus mine, I hate it!”
Etienne snagged her wrist, gently pulling her
back.
“I’m sorry,” he said quietly. “That was
uncool of me. Please, sit. Tell me. I want to know. I’m
listening.”
A heartbeat of silence as she sat. Finally,
she sought the courage to continue.
Gods, she couldn’t look at his face, see the
dismay there when he found out the truth. She stared at the carved
mirror above her dressing table. “When I turned 12, and shifted for
the first time, my great-gram gave me a gift.”
She stopped, listening to the hallway
grandfather clock tick. Time. She needed time. After a minute,
Etienne touched her hand.
“Go on.”
His fingers were warm, and she was so cold.
Cindy wondered if she’d ever feel warm again. If he could help her
find the warmth.
“I’ll show you.”
When she’d unlocked the drawer and brought
the Orb to him, his eyes widened to the size of plates.
“Whoa.” Etienne passed a big palm over the
ball. He inhaled deeply, his features evening out as the Orb’s
soothing scent settled over him. The Orb glowed golden, then green
and blue colors shadowed his face. “An Astra Orb. My paw-paw told
me about them. Absorbs energy, works with your magick to amplify
it. Very rare and very powerful.”
“It contains my magick. All of it.”
Etienne’s hard jaw worked as he handed her
back the Orb.
“I loved my great-gram, she was my best
friend. But she was dying, her heart was giving out. I cried and
cried, and refused to let go.” Cindy gave a little laugh. “I poured
all my magick into the Orb. I figured I was young and had all these
powers.”
“You wanted to save her,” he said
quietly.
“I used the Orb to heal her. I was only 12, a
kid, I failed to understand that it was her time. All I did was
prolong the agony. She never left her bed, just lay there, her
heart still beating, a living skeleton begging for death.” Cindy
cupped the Orb, staring at it in misery.
“Finally, my father called for the Kallan,
the immortal Draicon who can end life.”
Etienne nodded. “The old Kallan. He preceded
my brother, Raphael.”
Cindy twisted her hands. “He sent great-gram
into the next realm. But the Orb still contained my magick. I
couldn’t get it back. And as I grew older, I became less of a
Draicon and more human. I’ve tried everything to remain close to my
Draicon roots, but I can barely shift, Etienne. I am nothing in
your world.”
“Cyn, why didn’t you tell me before?”
His voice was gentle. It threatened to
unravel the last thread of her control. “You’re an Alpha, next in
line to lead your pack. You have enormous powers and I have
nothing. How can you be a leader when you have a defective
mate?”
Etienne studied her with an impartial look.
No betrayal of emotion. He must be great at playing poker, she
thought.
“I’m barely a Draicon. It would be like
having a human as a mate, and you know what that would mean for
your pack, Etienne.”
Still no emotion, but tension knotted his
body. He seemed as taut as a coiled spring.
“There has to be a way. I don’t believe in
no-win scenarios.”
A hint of steel threaded through his deep,
laconic drawl. Etienne looked determined. His confidence fed her
faint hope. Always that iron clad control, wanting to win and
refusal to accept defeat.
Then the hope died like an extinguished
candle. Despite her dream that he’d want her, defect and all, she
knew the harsh reality of pack life. No Alpha male, especially one
destined to lead a pack of diffuse, but extremely strong
personalities, would want her. A powerless Draicon for a mate was a
weakness in the pack, and no pack would tolerate those bloodlines
passed on to a future heir.
If Etienne mated her, he risked his
inheritance. Or worse. His own father might kick him out.
“Did the Kallan give any hints as to what
would unlock your powers from the Orb?”
His voice remained the same, decisive and
commanding. Cindy tensed.
“You’re not going to like it, any more than I
did.”
“What?”
His jaw muscle twitched very slightly. Cindy
felt cold sweat drip down her back.
“The spell I used is dangerous. What was
killing my gram intertwined with my powers when both were suctioned
into the Orb. My magick could be unlocked, at the darkest hour.
When the Orb is destroyed.”
“Then destroy it.”
Fighting to control her shaking hands, she
could not meet his eyes. “It’s a no-win scenario. If the Orb is
destroyed, I’ll regain all my powers, and the disease that killed
gram.”
Cindy drew in a deep breath. “I’ll have my
magick back, at a price. My death, Etienne.”
He’d gone into the bathroom and fetched her a
glass of water. When she’d felt ready to pass out, he took charge.
Put her head between her legs, his hands warm and soothing on her
shoulders as he held her steady.
Cindy accepted the glass, sipped, watching
his eyes. They were smooth and clear as lake water.
What would he do now? The glass clinked on
the bedside table as she set it down.
“Rest here. The house is shielded, so you’re
safe. I need a shower.”
She’d confessed her darkest secret, the
burden so heavy she’d almost fainted, and he wanted to shower?
“It helps me think,” he said, watching her
face.
Hope surged like a flame fanned by fresh air.
It died as he added, “I didn’t read your mind. I only had to look
at you. You’re easy to read, Cyn, your emotions show on your face
like a billboard.”
A small shrug. “I’m better at concealing my
thoughts during client negotiations. It’s the small stuff that
gives me away. You know, like a future with you, the fact that
getting my magick back means a death sentence.”
He gazed at her with that same impartial
blankness. “It can’t be a death sentence. We’ll find a way to make
it work. We must.”
Etienne’s determined refusal frustrated her.
She needed support, and he was sailing away on the great River
Denial.
“Your father knew about this? Didn’t he try
to find answers? He has connections,” he said.
“Not in the Draicon world.”
“He has enough money to buy them, and
answers.”
“Oh, right because he’s wealthy, he can solve
any problem because money is all you need to solve this. I suppose
no one in your family could help me since you keep hinting that
they’re poor.”
He didn’t move, didn’t speak, but she sensed
she’d hurt him. Cut him like her own father had cut her. Cindy
closed her eyes. “That was uncalled for, Etienne. I didn’t mean
it.”
Silence dripped between them. Finally he
said, “I deserved it.”
This was going all wrong, driving an even
bigger wedge between them. Cindy took his hand, needing his
strength. Needing him to show some emotion.
Show her that he did really care and wouldn’t
abandon her, as her parents had.
“My parents searched for answers, but
nothing’s helped. I’m scared, Etienne. I’ve never admitted it to
anyone, but I am scared. Because as much as I want to be an equal
to you and take my place as your mate, I don’t want to die. And I
can’t see any solutions to this.”
His arms curled around her as he pressed a
reassuring kiss to her temple. Etienne felt rock solid. “We’ll find
a way. Why don’t you pack? I really need that shower now.”
He removed the holster and his sidearm,
placed both on her dresser, and then removed the scabbard on his
thigh holding a dagger. Breath caught in her throat as Etienne
peeled off his damp T-shirt. The display of tanned, smooth skin
rippling with muscles caused an electrical jolt of pure desire. His
body was V-shaped, with broad shoulders and firm muscles rippling
down to lean hips. Cindy’s pulse raced with frank female
appreciation.
Her powers were long gone, but biology still
ruled her body. She craved him. Wanted him in her bed, all that
muscled strength covering her as he settled between her legs…
Shaking off the thought, she watched him
vanish into the bathroom. Heard the thud of clothing and boots
hitting the pristine tile floor, and then the shower turned on.
An odd sound, so faint she might have
imagined it, came out of the bathroom. A muffled banging sound.
And then she knew, and her heart somersaulted
in her chest.
Etienne wasn’t unemotional after all.
In her mind she caught broken threads of
furious thought, like a radio signal flickering in and out.
His thoughts.
Damnit, Robichaux, get a grip, can’t let her see me
like this, upset her, get a grip, have to be strong for her, she
needs me, she’s not gonna fucking die, NOT gonna lose her, fuck her
powers, take her away, hell with what everyone says, she matters
more…
Shock filled her. She’d read his mind, as
easily as if he’d roared out the words. It was his emotions,
pouring forth like fire. He did care. Just couldn’t show it. And
she understood so much, it took all her strength to hold back. She
wanted to rush into the bathroom, into his arms and cling. Assure
him that they could get through this together.
She had only instinct to guide her. Cindy
waited.
A few minutes later, Etienne emerged from the
bathroom, his dark hair slicked back, a towel around his trim
waist. Droplets beaded on the dark hair on his thick chest. His
arms were strong and solid.
Dependable. He’d never let anything hurt
her.
His limbs were long and dusted with dark
hair, his feet sturdy and square. She dragged her gaze up to his
face, the cheeks flushed with color, his lips in a firm line.
Emotion flashed in his eyes, the hurt of a wounded animal.
She glanced at his right hand. The knuckles
were bruised and bloodied.
Without words, she pushed past him into the
bathroom.
Through the glass shower walls, she saw the
cracked marble. A small piece was missing.
Cindy emerged from the bathroom. His jaw
turned to stone.
She picked up his bruised hand. Already the
bleeding had stopped, the lacerations healing before her eyes. Of
course. He was a natural alpha and his healing powers were
tripled.
Unlike her.
Cindy pressed a soft kiss to those battered
knuckles, then held his hand against her cheek. She felt his pulse
race.
“You connected with me, while you were in the
shower. I heard inside your mind. Every single word. I think your
emotions broke through the barrier.”
Fierce hope flared on his face. “Cyn…”
Etienne’s voice was thick.
Releasing his hand, she put a finger to his
lips. Her gaze raked over his body. A small pink pucker scarred one
shoulder. She touched it, felt his muscles jump beneath her touch,
and looked up, a question in her eyes.
“Bullet. I was low on energy and couldn’t
heal fast enough.”
She pressed her mouth against the scar, and
felt him quiver, felt the tension in him ratchet up another notch.
But this tension was different. The air grew heavy with
anticipation.
Sexual need made Cindy ache with frustration.
She wanted him so badly, but until he wanted her, faults and all,
she would not bind him to her. It wasn’t fair to either of
them.
Cindy drew in a breath. “I won’t hold you
down, Etienne. We’ll leave here, and you can drop me off in Fort
Lauderdale. I have a good friend who can take me in until I can
figure things out.”
With silent grace, he turned and faced her.
His gaze was glittering ice, his jaw tense.
“I’m not letting you go.”
Etienne pulled her into his arms and kissed
her.
This was no light, respectful kiss as in the
past. This was a deep, commanding kiss of a male marking his
territory. He kissed with the force of his personality, strong and
overpowering, yet his mouth was soft and warm. Like the heart of
him, she thought dazed.
He tasted so good as he swept his tongue into
her mouth, a full-fledged ruthless attack to nudge her into
surrendering.
When he pulled back, fierce intent glittered
in his gaze. “Tell me you feel it, too. Tell me you want me as much
as I want you, because if I don’t have you right now, I feel like
I’m going to die.”