Aries: Book 2 in a Young Adult Paranormal Romance Series (The Zodiac Twin Flame Series) (13 page)

Chapter Nin
e
teen

The day couldn’t get much worse.

‘Why are you here?’ I asked.

I hadn’t seen her for two years and we hadn’t spoken for months. Her short brown hair was starting to grey.

‘Mother, why did you abandon us?’ Cancer asked.

I had to hold onto the wood of the table to stop myself from shouting at Cancer. The coffee shop was quiet. I had no idea why I agreed to let Cancer come with me. She had set the meeting up, which was the only reason she was sitting with us.

‘Please will you let me do the talking?’

She folded her arms across her chest and sat back. She knew that I was better at talking and would get the answers we needed.

‘I’ve missed you both. I’m sorry for what happened. I was swept up in the moment. Nick was so…’

Her words trailed off when I growled. She had held back tears when I had wheeled into the coffee shop. Her eyes had watered. She swallowed as she tried to keep what little emotion she had, under control.

‘I can’t excuse what I’ve done. I’m only human. I now realise that I was wrong, and I want to make it up to you.’

Her words sent searing heat down my arms. Cancer yelped when flames covered my hands. I sucked the fire back in and glanced around. Luckily no one else had noticed my little fiery outburst.

‘Aries, I know you don’t trust me, and you probably never will. When I saw your father again, I realised what I’d done,’ Mother said.

Cancer sat forward and went to reach out to her. She was a bit of a mummy’s girl, which was exactly the reason I hadn’t wanted her to come. She would let her emotions get involved.

‘How did you find Cancer?’ I asked.

Mother blinked when I nudged Cancer in the side and she pulled back.

‘I spotted her in the shopping centre. I knew it was her, because I saw her turn into water by the fountain.’

I grabbed Cancer’s arm and squeezed. ‘What have I said about using our abilities in public?’ I snarled.

She yelped and pulled out of my grip. She rubbed at the red mark that now formed on her arm in the shape of my hand.

‘You can talk,’ she grumbled as tears came to her eyes.

I swallowed and ducked my head. I had never been very good at controlling my temper. ‘I’m sorry,’ I said, turning back to my mother.

‘I know it’s hard for you to believe but I love you very much. I wanted to keep you safe. Nick assured me that if I stayed with him, he would leave you alone. When I found out that he’d kidnapped Pisces, I wanted to leave, but he wouldn’t let me. He still won’t let me go.’

A quick check around the coffee shop made me believe her fear. I could see the slight shaking of her hands and the beads of sweat that sat on her forehead.

‘How do I know you’re not working for him right now? Leading him straight to us?’

She smiled and my back straightened. She was proud of me, I could tell.

‘You can tell a liar from a mile away. Why do you think I asked for you to come?’ She reached out but then changed her mind when her gaze landed on the arm of my wheelchair.

‘That is true, Aries. Is she lying?’ Cancer piped up.

I scowled at her again, annoyed at her interruption. I wanted Mother to be lying. I wanted to be able to disown her so that we could get on with our lives but the truth was obvious. She wasn’t lying.

‘I sneaked here to see you. I managed to grab Cancer and arrange this meeting. Nick doesn’t keep me that well monitored, because he’s bored with me and believes I would never go against him.’

I glanced over my shoulder as the waitress brought our drinks. ‘Sorry for the wait.’ She fluttered her eyelashes at me.

Grinning back, I looked her up and down. She was just my type. Young and impressionable with a beautiful body. It would be easy to love and leave her. Cancer punched my arm, and I blinked, breaking eye contact with the young woman.

‘Can we get back to it?’ I said as the girl moved away.

Cancer shook her head and shared a look with Mother.

‘I thought you’d found your mate.’ Mother ripped open a small sugar and poured it into her drink.

I looked down at my hands where they rested in my lap and laughed. ‘I’m still allowed to look.’

‘Well you shouldn’t be!’ she snapped.

My eyebrows rose as she stirred her tea furiously.

‘You didn’t want me to find my twin flame.’ I glared at her, picked up a can of drink and popped it open.

Her face softened. A part of me wanted her to be innocent. I wanted her to be our mother again but the trust would never be there.

‘Of course I wanted you to find her. I want you to succeed. It had nothing to do with my children. It was all about me and my own lessons.’ She blinked rapidly. I was shocked at the show of emotion from her. She was a tough, down to earth woman, who knew what she liked, and that was that.

‘It’s okay. I believe you, Mother. Maybe we could…’

‘No,’ I interrupted Cancer.

They both stared at me and I felt like the bad man they believed me to be. Being with our mother was dangerous.

‘She abandoned us,’ I said to Cancer.

‘So did Father but we’re still trying to rescue him.’ As Cancer sat on the edge of her seat, something occurred to me.

‘Are you working with the man we took captive? Is this a setup?’

Her eyes widened. I had hit the wrong mark but something was up.

‘You took someone captive?’ Mother said.

I swore under my breath and tried to wheel backwards. I pushed myself too hard and knocked the table behind me. My instincts told me that what they were saying was true but Cancer had let the man go. She helped him to escape. She had denied it over and over but I was sure she lied.

‘Don’t go, Aries, we’re not finished,’ Mother said.

I stopped trying to turn and looked at her. She wore makeup and a smart trouser suit that made her look younger than her age.

‘When I saw your father again, I knew that everything I had done with Nick was wrong. I never should have left you, or tried to control you. We’re all human, even if some of you might have special powers. Haven’t you ever made a mistake?’

Her eyes pleaded with me. The little boy inside wanted to tell her that it was okay.

‘Yes. It was a mistake coming here.’ I turned to leave.

‘I will tell you where your father is, regardless,’ she called as I reached for my wheels.

I paused. I couldn’t let pride get in the way of our rescue mission. I didn’t trust her one bit. It would be interesting to see if she was being genuine.

‘Go on then. Tell me the truth,’ I said, not turning back.

I heard a chair scrape on the floor. Her high heels clicked against the stone floor as she came to me.

She crouched down as if she was talking to her young son and placed a hand on my arm. ‘Give me a bit of time. I would like to try and rescue him myself.’

I grabbed her hand before she could pull away. ‘What are you playing at?’ I hissed.

She looked at the remains of my legs but couldn’t look me in the eyes. ‘I don’t know how far you’ve got with Natalie. I fear that I’ve ruined my own soulmate relationship. Please back off and let me try to rescue my husband.’

Cancer scooted her chair nearer to us as I stared into my mother’s eyes.

‘He’s not your husband anymore. He married someone else,’ Cancer said.

There was a tone of resentment in her voice. I was pleased that I wasn’t the only one that believed our parents were as bad as each other. They were supposed to be an example to us. Their journey made me believe that the effort of the twin flame relationship wasn’t worth it.

‘I don’t want to come between them. Their relationship is as important to your father’s growth as Nick’s was to mine.’ She wiped a hand under her eye.

I couldn’t tell if she cried crocodile tears. I squirmed in my seat and let go of her hand.

‘Did you actually love Nick?’ Cancer asked as I swallowed the sharp retort that sprung to mind.

When she nodded, I fought the urge to ram her with my chair. How could she love the man that had killed my soulmate in previous lifetimes?

‘I know you don’t understand. Other relationships are important for growth. If your twin flame is with someone else, it’s helping them to get ready for you.’

‘I’ve had enough of this,’ I snapped, looking for a way to get past her.

She refused to move. ‘I love your father more than anything. I want to prove that by rescuing him. I need our relationship, or friendship, to end on a high note this lifetime. Please understand that.’

‘I need proof.’

I glanced back at Cancer when she put a hand on my shoulder.

‘Proof of what…?’

Mother’s gaze flicked over my head. What had they shared between them? I didn’t trust either of them but I couldn’t ignore my instincts. I had to let her attempt it but I needed reassurance.

‘Proof that he’s alive. Proof that you’re working to rescue him.’

‘Nick’s planning on moving him soon. One of his men…’ Her gaze shot to Cancer again. I turned to see that my sister’s eyebrows were pulled low. ‘…is going to be his guard until then. I’ve made friends with this man. I’m hoping he’ll let me see him.’

‘Why is he moving him? Where is he now?’

She glanced around us as she clasped her hands together. ‘He’s in North London. I haven’t managed to get to the house yet but I’ve seen surveillance in another house. I can bring you a tape after I’ve been there next week.’

The young waitress watched us with interest. I winked at her and she blushed as she turned away.

‘Why are they taking him to another place?’ I asked again.

Her throat moved as she swallowed. She wouldn’t look into my eyes. ‘Because he’s planning on luring you to him and then killing your father.’

Chapter Twenty

‘Let me just tighten it,’ the doctor said.

He held my freedom in his hands. I jumped up and down in my seat like an excited child.

‘Can I have a go?’ I asked, staring down at the metal that was now attached to the bolt on the end of my stumps.

‘Not today. We’re making sure they’re a good fit. It won’t be long, though. You’ve impressed us by how far you’ve come in your recovery.’

I touched my new aluminium knees and shuddered at how cool it was. I rarely felt the cold. My fire heated me from the inside.

‘I have knees.’ I glanced up at Natalie.

Her eyes were full of water. I should have comforted her but I was too wrapped up in my own excitement. I had legs. I was wearing legs. I couldn’t believe that I had two bloody legs.

‘I want to walk,’ I whinged, smiling at the doctor when he shook his head and chuckled.

‘What’s that old saying?’ he said, looking up at Natalie.

She grinned as I pretended to scowl.

The doctor went on, ‘You can’t walk, before you can crawl.’

‘I don’t think that’s quite right,’ I said back.

‘It’s true in your case, though. Right, that looks good. I think your legs are a good size for you.’

I took the man’s hands in my own and squeezed them. ‘Thank you!’

He released himself and patted my arm. ‘Well, you have a couple of months to get used to them, before you can thank me. I think you might curse me for a bit in between.’

I shook my head with a silly smile on my face. ‘Never…!’

He chuckled again and took my new legs off. When he had packed them away, he looked around and motioned for a young man to come over.

‘This is your new trainer. Natalie has done an excellent job but it’s time for her to retire.’

I blinked as I frowned up at her. She smiled but I could see something in her eyes. She had known that it would be our last session together. I hadn’t. Why hadn’t she said anything? The new man sat next to me and we started to go through my routine. Natalie had moved away with the doctor. She was saying goodbye. When the doctor left with a wave towards me, Natalie picked up her bag and left without looking back.

‘I’m sorry, will you excuse me?’ I wheeled myself to the door and opened it.

‘Natalie…!’ I shouted, going through and speeding down the corridor. I caught her before she went through the automatic sliding door.

‘What’s wrong?’ she said, hoisting her bag over her shoulder.

‘Why are you no longer my trainer?’

She bent forward and placed her forehead on mine. ‘I’m not trained in this type of recovery. You’ll be fine.’

I threaded my fingers through hers and tried to pull her further down.

‘Don’t. It will only make it harder,’ she whispered, pulling away.

Several people were watching us. They were probably judging, thinking that one of the staff was being inappropriate.

‘Make what harder?’ I asked, not caring what others thought.

Natalie went through the doors. I followed her onto the concrete outside.

‘I’ve been your nursemaid for months now. My mother passing away has made me think a lot. It’s time for me to go home and get on with my life.’

Something had shifted in her. I thought we were moving forward. Why did she need to get on with her life?

‘What have I done?’ I was completely clueless.

She huffed as an old man went by. ‘You haven’t done anything.’

Then why was she leaving? It felt like she was saying a final goodbye.

‘I must’ve done something,’ I said as she shuffled on her feet.

‘That’s just it, Aries. You’ve done nothing.’ She spun and stormed away from me. She got lost in the crowd as she disappeared into London.

I hadn’t done anything. What did she mean by that? If I hadn’t done anything, why was she leaving?

‘Is everything okay?’ my new physio asked from behind me.

I nodded and apologised. ‘Yeah, it’s just…’

‘Women.’ He laughed, clapping me on the shoulder as we made our way back inside.