A Lost Kitten (22 page)

Audra inched closer to her. “Jasira, what is it?” Audra looked at the water. “Jasira!” she exclaimed. “Ancient spirits, Jasira, it’s you! It’s your reflection!”

Jasira stared at herself. She did not remember how she had looked like before the attack. Her memories were stories her parents told her. She had long dark hair and dark eyes. It was impossible to tell the true color in dirty, sudsy water. Nonetheless, she was pale. Her nose was small and thin. Her lips were full. For the first time, Jasira saw what the others kept telling her. She was no three-year-old, but a young, attractive woman.

“What does this mean?” Jasira whispered.

Audra lowered her voice. “It means that soon you will be solid. Have you noticed any other changes?”

Jasira nodded.

“What?”

“I can no longer go through solids or make objects move with my mind.” She lifted the cup in her hand. “I must physically touch them. But worse, I can no longer change my clothes. I’m stuck in this dress. Did this happen to you?”

“Of course. I went through all the stages with Asher. John’s love is giving you the strength needed to become solid.” Audra’s mother-in-law entered the kitchen. “Good news, Mathir!” Audra waved her over. “Jasira has a reflection.”

Cate gasped. She hurried up to the counter. Audra pointed to the water. Cate glanced into the sink. “Stars in heaven, Jasira, you are beautiful. It’s wonderful to finally see you. You have little left to go. I can’t wait to see you in persone.” She smiled.

Jasira’s reflection showed her returning Cate’s smile.

Audra laughed. “We better finish up.”

Jasira watched as Cate placed the clean dishes away in the cabinets. Her heart warmed. As soon as she was solid, she would properly thank Cate’s permanent mate, Kenner; his father, Holden; Mira’s father, Gorwin; and his father, Emtage. The Terrorshans had nearly destroyed any chance she had at life. Thanks to the Medlothians, her future was as clear as her reflection in the water. With a firm nod, she returned to washing the last of the dishes.

With every dish returned to its place, Audra and Jasira went in search of John. He was sitting in the main hall speaking with Asher and Andros. Audra stopped behind her permanent mate’s chair. Jasira paused beside John.

John regarded Audra while Andros updated him on the Guardians’ progress. Audra’s delicate features made her look like an angel. Angels and miracles were what they all needed during this time of crisis. Asher stood and blocked John’s view of Audra. John realized Asher must have noticed he was staring at his wife. His metallic-blue eyes were hard and icy.

“Is something wrong?” John tried not to smile. Asher’s behavior reminded him of a jealous feline.

“Not really,” replied Audra. She moved around Asher to stand beside him. “Jasira wanted me to inform you that she is ready to leave.”

“So soon?” John looked in Jasira’s direction. “Why?”

“She’s returning home early to get paperwork ready for Nadia for tomorrow,” explained Audra.

“I see. When do you want to leave?” John asked Jasira.

“She said now,” answered Audra.

John stood. “Okay, then. Let me get my things.”

“She said there’s no need for you to go. She’ll be back on Friday evening. She wants you to stay here and stay warm. Your cold is over, and she does not want you to get sick again.”

John bowed his head to Audra. “Thanks for translating.” He looked at Jasira. “I’ll be right back.” He left to collect his things.

John yawned and stretched his limbs. The sound of children having fun was the best alarm clock. He checked his wristguard. It was noon. He smiled, feeling refreshed. He needed more mornings like this one.

The kids were on a lunch break, so John decided to surprise Jasira with a visit. He flung back the covers and hurried to clean up. He did not plan to stay there for too long since she was working, so he dressed in a single outfit. He grabbed his jacket and exited the house.

As John arrived at the school’s front step, he heard his name being called. He searched the streets and spotted Dena running toward him. He inwardly groaned. He did not want to deal with her.

“John!”

Dena unexpectedly jumped on John, throwing him off balance. John managed to stay upright. Unfortunately, he found himself wrapped in Dena’s limbs. Her kiss silenced his protest. John tugged on her arms, her waist, her legs, but she refused to budge. He was trapped. He did manage to tear his lips from hers.

“Get off me!” he hissed into her face.

“I have missed you. Why did you leave me?”

“Why do you think? Get off me!”

Dena shook her head. She wrapped her arms tighter around John’s neck. “You cannot escape me. You know we are meant to be together.” She placed kisses on his face. “Why else do you think Seeker Bogdan brought you to Surreal?”

John pulled his face away from Dena’s searching mouth. “What are you talking about? Get off me!” He furiously yanked on her arms. The girl was stronger than she looked. He never saw the door to the schoolhouse open.

“He brought you here for me,” answered Dena. “Together we can leave this horrid planet and never return.”

“You’re crazy. I’m not going anywhere with you.” John reached around his waist to clasp Dena’s ankles. He pulled. “Let go of me!”

Dena shook her head. She rubbed her sex on John’s crotch. “You know you want me.”

John scowled at her. “You
are
crazy.”

Dena buried her face in John’s neck. “Why do you deny us what we both want?”

“I don’t want—”

Dena’s scream cut him off. Her body arched backward. John grabbed her waistline to keep her from falling. She unwrapped her legs from around his waist. Her torso twisted in a strange angle with her head sticking out.

Dena flared her arms as she screamed and struggled to stand. “Let go of me!”

John was mystified at her odd behavior. “I’m not touching you!”

Dena fell to the floor, on her back. She kicked and punched the air with her balled hands. “You crone!”

John gaped at her.

“Jasira, stop!” shouted a male’s voice.

John saw Rau running toward them from the barn.

“Stop her before she kills Dena!”

John looked back at Dena and saw blood flowing from her nose and mouth. She was gasping for breath and clawing at her neck. He realized what was happening.

He automatically reached for Jasira’s life force. “Jasira, no!” His arms came up empty. He gritted his teeth and reached for Dena, yanking her off the ground. He shielded Dena with his body from the energy sphere that tried to go around him. “Jasira, stop it! I won’t let you kill her!”

Rau stopped in between John and Jasira with his arms open. “What’s gotten into you?” Rau scolded Jasira. “Control yourself!”

John lifted Dena into his arms. “Keep Jasira here!” he instructed Rau. He rushed Dena to her parents’ home.

After leaving Dena in her parents’ care, John returned to Jasira’s house. He opened the door and noticed a tornado had hit the place. He detected Jasira’s life force pacing the room. He slammed the door closed.

“What were you thinking?” he hollered. “You can’t go around killing people! No matter how angry they make you feel.” He picked up the rocker and placed it on the ground hard. “I would have handled it, Jasira. You didn’t need to beat her to a pulp!” He went to the dining chairs and fixed each one. “You overreacted and you could’ve killed her! Is that what you wanted?”

He felt Jasira approach him. She punched his right shoulder once. His anger rose higher. “What’s wrong with you?” He glared at her aura. “I know you died when you were three, so your parents didn’t get a chance to teach you right from wrong, but you’re not a killer! You’re a teacher! You should know better! You should have let me handle it!”

John lifted the table off its side and slammed it on its legs. He then passed a hand over his face. He needed to calm down. It seemed Yudit and Rau were not kidding when they said Jasira had an explosive temper. That was all he needed. A dead soulmate with a McCall-like temper.

He stood beside the table, following Jasira’s pacing energy with his preternatural senses. “Jasira, I’m sorry. I never should have dated her. I thought she was the one who kissed me at the castle. When I learned that she wasn’t, I should have ended it immediately, but I didn’t know about you, and I didn’t see any harm in entertaining myself while I waited for Bogdan. I’m sorry. I didn’t do it to hurt you.”

Jasira continued pacing, giving John the impression that she was not listening to him. He refused to let her believe he could be untrue to her. He jumped in front of her. Surprisingly, she actually stopped and did not go through him.

“Jasira, I love you. I would never betray you.” Sorrow filled his heart. “My soul won’t allow it. It desires no one but you.”

Jasira saw the genuineness of John’s words in his expressive eyes. She considered his face. He was young and handsome. Her gaze lowered. He was powerful. No woman could look at him and not want to become his lover. A fierce possessiveness entered her being. She grabbed the front of John’s shirt and shoved him against the table.

“Jasira!”

Jasira slanted her mouth over his, determined to wipe away all traces of the women in John’s past. Dena would have to wait for a Seeker to bring her kindred spirit to Surreal. John was not Dena’s ticket off Surreal, not her future. John was
her
kindred soul. She was not going to give him up. And she was definitely not going to share him with a solid woman.

Jasira tugged at his pants as she ended their kiss. John glanced down and saw her exposing him. She knew exactly how to make John forget the world around him, and everyone in it. She aggressively pulled his pants down past his hips.

“What are you doing?”

Jasira placed his placid member in her mouth. He sharply inhaled. She slowly rotated her tongue around the tip, then sensually stroked the length of him. She enjoyed the taste of him, the satiny feel of his skin. She loved it best when he was firm and steel hard.

“Jasira…you don’t have to do this. I’m yours. You don’t have to convince me of anything.”

Jasira cupped him and drew harder on his growing length. She peeked up at John’s face and saw his eyes igniting. Relief and joy filled her heart.

“Jasira…” It was no use. Jasira was his soulmate. He had no power to resist her. Jasira swiftly had him going up in flames. John growled and pushed into her mouth.

Jasira suddenly released him. John’s senses were glued to her. He knew she remained close to him. Jasira grabbed his shirt and made him turn around. She pulled him forward. The table shook before John’s thighs hit the edge.

“Jasira…I don’t understand. What do you want from me?” He sharply inhaled at feeling her legs wrap around his hips. John groaned. He extended his arms and braced himself on the table. “Guide me.”

Jasira’s fingers curled around his erection. John’s brows drew together. He watched on as Jasira guided him to her. His breath caught at seeing the skin move.

“Jasira, I can see the impression of your—” His words ended on a cry. Her tight sheath made him forget his next words.

Jasira took a firm hold of his hips and brought him forward. John immediately took charge. He glanced at his hips and noticed an indentation circled his waistline. He felt Jasira’s feminine muscles close around him. He looked at his tool and saw his flesh stretching and retracting. His passions soared.

“I can see your touch.” John’s excitement rang in his voice. “You’re leaving an impression.” He reached for Jasira’s legs. “Damn it! I still can’t touch you.” His claws extended. John anchored himself to the creaking table. He pushed harder. “I want to touch you.” His eyes shone brighter.

Jasira opened John’s shirt and touched him instead. John watched his skin dance as Jasira squeezed and molded his chest and arms. His fingers curled. Those sharp claws dug deeper into the wood. Jasira’s arms slipped underneath John’s extended arms and around his back. She arched against him, pressing her body to him.

John urgently rubbed his torso on hers. “I want to mark you.” He leaned into her. “I want to make you my wife!” His thighs banged against the table as he gave Jasira all he had.

The table creaked loudly while it shook vigorously beneath them.

“Tell me you want me. Tell me you want to marry me.” John felt Jasira squeeze his shoulder once. She hungrily kissed him. John roared into her open mouth. “You are my wife, Jasira.” His hips surged faster. “You are my wife!” His core exploded.

A mighty roar was followed closely by a loud crash.

Jasira cried out. She grimaced and moaned. A sharp, burning sensation spread across her head and back. She tried to catch her breath. What was that? She had never felt it before. She tried to move but John pinned her.

She pushed with all her might and managed to place John on his back. She cried out and reached for her back. Laying back down, she took deep breaths and tried not to move. Jasira figured out what that sensation was. She touched her forehead.

It was pain.

.

Chapter 12

Dena’s parents were enraged by Jasira’s attack on their daughter. They went to King Yudit and demanded that he punish Jasira. King Yudit told them to return home. He would make certain Jasira understood her actions had consequences. After they left, Yudit ordered two guards to escort the headmistress to his office. The guards arrived at Jasira’s home and began pounding on the door.