Forged by Fate (20 page)

“Why not just make a bunch of Gatekeepers, then? Keep the demons out altogether.”

“Free will. Choice. The Great One would never take away a human’s right to choose. That’s a dictatorship. He didn’t create humans for that.”

“My head’s going to explode.”

“That might get a little messy.”

“I just don’t understand why this Great One works the way He does. It’s not logical.”

“You sound like an engineer.”

“Yeah, well, that’s how
I
was created.” She eased up on the pedal. “After the green electrical box, right?”

He glanced at her again and nodded. “You remember?”

“Well
that
part I didn’t lie to Halena about. I do tend to remember things.” She clicked on her blinker. “And I remember that freaking Aggie mentioned something about me being a half-breed, which is something else you’re going to explain the minute we get Theo safely into the compound.”

Chapter Thirty-two

“You should lie with him,” Justin said as he plopped into the chair beside the doorway inside Theo’s bedroom.

Sadie whirled around and stared at the crazy person. “Lie with him?”

“Skin to skin. Energizes him because you’re his Mate.” He leaned his head against the wall. “And he needs it. We were connected for the entire drive, and I’m still pretty messed up. Healing is slow for me, which means he’s struggling.”

“He can’t die because of this, right?” She looked at Theo nestled beneath the navy sheet on his bed. Actually,
her
bed in
her
room. “Hey, why’d we bring him here? This is my room.”

Justin laughed. “It’s his room, actually. And yours.”

“As in ‘ours’? Oh.” Heat steamed her cheeks. She stepped to the dresser across the room and, sure enough, top drawer, men’s underwear. Tighty-whities mixed in with a few pairs of silk boxers.

“Freaks you out, huh?”

Totally
. “No. Just didn’t realize.”

“You’re a terrible liar.” Justin pushed up from the chair.

Sadie faced him. “Are you okay? I mean, do you need something?”

“I’m good.”

“Can you tell me what Aggie meant about half-breed?”

He rested his hand on the doorknob and faced Sadie. “I have no clue.”

“Justin!”

“What? I can’t tell you what I don’t know. I have no idea what Aggie was spewing about. Hell, he could have just been messing with your mind or something.” He pulled the door open. “Get Theo healed up. So he can finish healing me. Then maybe he can fill in the gaps.”

“And Halena?” Sadie inched toward the bed. “What’s her story?”

“Later. I need to get to my bed. Bring Theo to me when he’s better.”

“I don’t know what to do. I mean—”

“Skin to skin. The more the better. Use your imagination.” And with that said, he went through the doorway and pulled the door closed.

“Great.” She planted her hands on her hips and stared at the man lying in the bed.

She padded to the door and clicked over the dead bolt. With her luck, stupid Justin would walk in on her stripping down to her undies.

Her heart trembled at the thought of being that close to Theo while he was unconscious. Then a memory slammed into her. On the gravel, at the school. He’d connected their stomachs, put his arms up her shirt and held her to him, so he could take her wounds.

She moved to the bed and peeled away the sheet covering him. He lay there, wearing a pair of those silk boxers she’d seen in the drawer.

She was so
not
taking those off. Not ready to go there yet.

Oh dear, she’d said
yet.

Shaking her head, she peeled off her shirt along with her boots, socks, and jeans before crawling into the bed.

She could do this. Give him energy he needed to recover. He’d already saved her so many times; if she could return the favor, she would.

“Lights. Need those off.” She hopped out of the bed, hurried across the room, and turned them off. There was enough moonlight spilling in to lighten things a little.

Surprisingly, she saw very well.

Once again in bed, she propped herself up on her elbow and looked at Theo. “Theophilus.” She touched his cheek. “So, that means friend of God, huh?”

His head tilted toward her touch. The spot her finger rested on brightened. A circle of lighter-colored skin. He was already bronze-skinned, but now even more so.

She pulled her finger away, and the color diminished. “Amazing.” She hadn’t noticed that before.

She put her palm against his cheek, and it happened again. Brightened flesh circled out from where her hand made contact. His nostrils flared.

A scent of spiced cinnamon coursed through her senses. It warmed her down to her belly.

“Okay, then. Here goes.” She pulled his arm out to the side, then sneaked under its shelter. She wove her arm over his stomach and pulled her body to his, so close she had to prop a leg over his. It was strange feeling his coarse leg hair against her smooth skin.

Such a contrast.

Much the way they were contrasting beings. Him so old, she so young. Yet she didn’t really feel
that
different. His body tensed, and she held on tighter, leaning into him more.

She rested her head on his chest and toyed with the thin patch of hair nestled in the valley between his pecs. “I can’t believe I’m here with you like this,” she whispered. “That there are demons after me. That I might not even be human.”

That last statement choked in her throat.

Life had already dealt her some really strange stuff, having been dropped off at an orphanage when only hours old. Being freakishly smart and strong.

But this?

She smoothed her hand down his stomach and around his waist. She angled her head up and saw his stubbled chin. Too tempting not to drop a kiss along it. She followed the jaw with her lips, grazing on his warm flesh until she met the thin skin just behind his ear.

An inch lower found her kissing his Mark. It pulsed erratically, separate from his heartbeat. Quicker. She stilled her movements and zeroed in on her shoulder. It, too, pulsed.

In time with his Mark.

Oh, God. What was this Ahavah Mark?

A rumble thundered through Theo’s chest, and Sadie flinched. His grip tightened.

“Heal, Theo,” she whispered against his neck. “Please. I need to talk with you.” She kissed his Mark. “Justin needs your healing, too.”

It was strange feeling so needed. Theo needed her to help him to heal quicker. She was a source of strength for him.

As he was for her.

She glanced up at his mouth, and the fangs were still down. His mouth was partially open, so she got a good view. They were pointed and about a quarter inch longer than his other teeth.

She couldn’t believe he had fangs. She touched the tip with her forefinger, and a bead of blood formed.

So sharp. Lethal. She rubbed her finger against her thumb, blotting out the blood. Theo tensed, his nostrils flared, and his fangs retracted. Color flooded his pale cheeks, bronzing the flesh as though he’d been out in the sun for hours.

“Theo?” Sadie whispered.

He drew in a deep breath, the deepest he’d taken since she’d gotten him into the car. A cool hand cupped her waist. Tight, to the point of pain.

Then it inched up her spine and back down. After what felt like ten minutes, his movement slowed, and his other arm tightened around her, moving her directly on top of him.

Their legs tangled together, and she felt every hard plane of his body. Hers sparked to life in response. Another rumble.
Mine.

She went to raise her head from his neck, and his fingers tangled in her hair, pressing her cheek against his. “Theo?”

Mine.

His back arched. Mouth open again, his fangs dropped. God, was he going to bite her? “Theo. It’s me.”

His eyelids snapped open and a flash of orange swirled in his hazel eyes. Recognition sparked, and he clamped his mouth shut.

“It’s me.” She tried to push up, but he didn’t let her budge. Only stared at her with wide eyes. “It’s Sadie.”

“I know, love.” His voice wasn’t much more than a whisper. He glanced around, then fixed his focus on her. “Home?”

She nodded, then framed his face with her hands while her elbows dented the bed on either side of him.

“Mmm.” He purred.

The swirls she traced along his cheek left a trail of brightened skin as if chasing after her warmth. “Amazing.”

“You are.”

She smiled. “Where are your fangs?”

He turned his head, and his jaw clamped.

“Oh, sorry. Am I hurting you?” She tried to ease off, and again, he halted her movements. “What?”

“I’m…sorry you had to see those. I was having trouble controlling it.”

She relaxed against him, absorbing every part of his body she could. The heat radiating from him could have fueled a sauna.

And it was nice.

“Don’t be scared. I won’t hurt you.”

“I know,” she whispered.

His breathing stopped.

“Justin told me some.” She cleared her throat. “It’s part of you.”

“Grotesque part. I’m sorry, love. You’re going to—”

“Not gross. Scary at first. Weapons. Lethal.” She held up her crimson-stained forefinger. “I touched one.”

He snatched her hand and held her finger to his lips. “You did what?”

“I needed to know.”

He sucked her finger until she was dizzy. And tingly. God, he made her body go bonkers. What was that about?

“How’d we get here?”

“Long story short. I drove. You two were out of it. I—”

“No. I mean here. In our—the bed.”

She grinned. “I know about the room, too, Theo.” She dropped her forehead to his and wove her arms under his shoulders. She couldn’t get enough of him.

“Justin…”

“It’s okay. I was getting pissed at not knowing, so he had to tell me some, otherwise I was going to kick his ass.”

He laughed but quickly fell into a cough.

“Are you feeling better?”

“Better. Not a hundred percent.” He grinned. “I feel your energy inside me, refueling me. It’s amazing.”

“You were bad off. Justin said I should lie with you to help you heal. He wants you to go to his room as soon as you’re able. He was hurting pretty bad.” She frowned, not wanting to move.
Ever.

“In a while.” He touched a kiss to her lips, then lay back. “Need more of you first.”

That tickled her body from her chest to the tips of her toes. His hands found the curve of her butt and pressed her hard against him.

It shot a jolt of pleasure right to her tummy. “Oh.”

“I want to make love to you so badly.” He closed his eyes. “My soul aches for you.”

Wow. No one had ever said anything like that to her. As in, ever. Then again, she’d just turned eighteen today, so there hadn’t been much time to hear that stuff.

But coming from him, it was so powerful.

Intense.

“Are you ready for me?”

“Not yet. I need to know so much more.” Her heart hammered both from the intensity of her desire for him and from fear that he’d be upset. “I need…”

“A rock,” he whispered, the corner of his mouth turned upward.

She slapped his shoulder. “You were eavesdropping on me and Dasha?”

“No.” He nipped at her bottom lip. “Just picked up a couple of words.”

“Jerk.”

He moved her against him. Another little squeak leaked out from her, unchecked.

“I can tell you’re physically ready,” he said. “What is it, then?”

“A rock,” she whispered through a grin, doing a little moving of her own. “No, really.” She planted a kiss to his cheek. “I need answers. Aggie called me a half-breed.”

Theo growled.

“Okay, that’s a menacing sound, but really, really hot.”

He yanked her to him in a bruising kiss. She went with it, opening instantly for him. Willingly accepting his presence in her mouth. Her mind. Her soul.

He moved along her neck and to her shoulder, dropping tiny kisses.

“Do you know what he means, Theo?” she gasped as he pulled her bra strap down. “Wait.”

“It’s getting difficult to wait, love.” He kept pushing the strap down. “Let me see a little more of you.”

“Theo. Half-breed.” He stopped.

“I don’t know for sure.” His breath was hot against her shoulder. “Other than it means you’re more than just human.”

She stiffened.

“Don’t worry, love. We’ll find answers.” He continued on his mission. “In about an hour…or three. I need more of you.”

“More. But not all,” she whispered.

“When can it be all?” His hands slid to her back, to the clasp of the bra.

“Rock, remember?” She laughed.

He grinned and edged to the side of the bed. The movement teased her body in ways she’d yet to experience. “Oh my gosh. What are you doing?”

He reached into the bedside table drawer and pulled out a black box.

Her heart stalled.

“If you could see your face…,” he said as he brought the box behind her and rested it on her back.

She opened her mouth to tell him to stop. It was too soon. Even with a ring. She couldn’t—

“You accept we’re Mates, yes?”

She heard the creak of the box opening behind her.

“Sadie?”

She gave a nod. Holy hell, she did believe it.

“Bonded for eternity by The Great One’s design, yes?”

“Still working on The Great One concept,” she said.

“Understandable.” He grinned. “Sadie Nowland. You already wear my Ahavah Mark upon your shoulder. Would you do me the honor of wearing my ring on your finger?”

“Your ring?” She tried to look over her shoulder but couldn’t see anything.

“Several centuries ago, I started working on forging a ring for my future Mate. Only the most valuable minerals were acceptable, and a few decades ago, I was finally satisfied.”

“Um, decades. Meaning…you worked on a piece of jewelry for centuries?”

His eyes swirled again. She was learning that meant he was very serious. Determined. Dedicated.

Everything she wanted in a man.

“Forged from the metals used to construct the Mavet daggers. The ring is an earthly symbol of marriage, even though the Ahavah Mark binds us deeper than marriage contracts, which are easily broken these days.”