Second Chances (The Extinct Race Series) (7 page)

Yep I feel them all now but one of them has to be Zachary I can almost
Ohh……

What? What is it?

I hear him Kaiden he is thinking loud and clear.

“Stop the jeep Angel and talk to him first.”
Kaiden yelled over the engines. Zoe slowed the jeep and stopped. She got out and started pacing in the middle of the road. A huge smile was on her face as she listened and then she started nodding her head.

Zachary can you hear me?

Who is this and why can I hear you?

My name is Zoe and you are my twin.
Our father is with me too. Last night we found a letter from a nurse. I have to tell you we just sort of found out you even existed.

I knew you guys would come one day.
I have found my soul mate, well she found me when I was in a car accident with my adoptive parents. I have been in hiding with her and her mother since I was five years old. Her mother has told me everything about who I am. Although she didn’t know who my parents were
.

Can you come to us?
We are in the company of two Fury and two Onyx, my mate and our father. Please bring all who you are with. We have a safe location to take you to. You belong with us Zachary.

Let me talk to them
. Please give me a little while. They are a little secretive and not trusting since the deaths.

I understand we all are that way.
You are not the only ones affected by Aldrich and his children.

You mean it’s all over
the world and not just here?

That is exactly what I mean.
Also we are not safe here in the open. We need to get back to Ireland as soon as we can. It is safe there. The half-bloods cannot get into our land.

Alright let me gather them.
I can feel you as much as you can probably feel me and yes I heard you loud and clear too. Your happiness kind of worried me.

“He is gathering them and they are going to come out here and meet us.
Apparently he has been with his soul mate and her mother since he was five. They saved him in that crash. So he knows what we are and what he is.” Zoe explained and started to pace again her thoughts running wild.

Marcus joined her in the pacing and was lost in his own thoughts
with a frown on his face. Camilla and Sebastian stood guard in front of both jeeps and in front of Kaiden and Zoe. Gabe stood out of the other jeep and covered the back. Justine and Kaiden were still sitting in the jeep.

An hour later two figures emerged from the distance.
There were three figures a good distance behind them. As they approached Zoe could pick out similarities and knew they were Blood Dragons. They were all dressed in old clothing and looked not dirty, but like they worked really hard for very little.

“Don’t come any closer, we just want some information.”
The male Blood Dragon said

“We mean you no harm.
I am Kaiden and this is my mate Zoe. Also this is her Father Marcus. If you look closely you can see that they are the sister of Zachary and his father.”

“May we know your names?”
Marcus asked

“I am Alexi
and this is my mate Gosha.” The female answered

“And the three behind you?”

“Zachary is the tall one, Halina his mate and Iraina her mother and our Queen.”

“Iraina.”
Marcus whispered

“Dad you ok?
You look confused and well nervous.” Zoe asked looking at her father.

“We, Zoe and I
, are the King and Queen of the Ireland Sect. The last known Sect we know of. You see you are not the only ones Aldrich has hurt. All around the world he has killed us off and is still trying to do that. My home is safe we have a spell that covers the land and hundreds of miles around it. Aldrich and any other Dragon cannot pass through it. We are looking for all remaining survivors and offering safety and shelter. Have you heard of the other Sects hiding their children and going into hiding?”

“We have been cut off from all other Sects.
We have been alone and barely surviving for the last eighteen years when we were decimated. Our king was killed and all others. The queen was with me giving birth to Halina. I managed to get us all to safety and undetected from the ones who did this. I later found my mate and healed him once they were gone. He managed to heal himself somewhat, but not enough to get away. Our son was taken from us that day.”

“Was it a boy?”
Zoe asked

“Yes.”
Gosha whispered

“We have found a Blood Dragon
with his mate recently and they are safe with us at our home. He has your eyes Gosha and Alexi’s hair color. He is happy and healthy, and quite special to our family.” Zoe said

“You say you have their boy?
You have little Christian?” Iraina said as she came rushing forward.

Marcus stared at her and now Iraina was staring at him as well.
They were locked in a stare and unmoving. Zoe looked at Kaiden in confusion and then back to her father and Iraina.

“Can this happen?”
Iraina whispered

“I have never heard of it happening, but I have also never heard of twins either.”
Marcus said

“Twins?”
Iraina gasped

“Zachary and Myself.”
Zoe answered

Iraina looked at Zoe for a long moment and then to Zachary and nodded.
“That explains so much. He is faster than us, he sees farther and he is more powerful than I was with my mate. He also can shift while moving.”

“Yes and we can talk to one another.”
Zachary said

“That’s how you knew they were here?” Halina asked

“Yes my butterfly. We talked briefly and I believe them. I think we should go with our guts here and go with them. You all know I am right too, and Iraina do not deny what you are feeling it has been too long.” Zach announced

“How do you know?”
She gasped

“Well for one I can hear him” he points to Marcus “and the fact that I can hear him has to mean he is my blood.
Also he is just as confused as you. He has been held captive by this Aldrich and just learned his mate is dead after twenty two years of being in a cage. His wounds are deeper than all of ours and he needs you so he can feel again.” Zachary smiled

“Always the blunt no holding back
anyone’s feelings type. This one says it how it is just to warn you all.” Halina giggled

“May I touch you?
May I heal your wounds and your heart?” Alexi asked

“
I will, but only if you are coming with us with open minds and with open hearts. These kids have formed a family not a Sect. Kaiden and Zoe do not rule them, I do not rule them. I have sworn my fealty to my daughter and her mate. They saved me from that cage and have begun my healing already. Your son does not know you are alive. His mate is also the daughter of Aldrich. If you want to be safe and live, and be able to fly freely, you will have to swear your fealty to my daughter and her mate, King Kaiden and Queen Zoe. I’m also thinking that Zachary and Halina will rule beside them. So please if you want to heal me and be our family, please swear your fealty to them now.” Marcus said

All five of them took a knee and said in unison “I pledge my life and my heart to you King Kaiden and you Queen Zoe.”
A pink haze swirled in the air around Zoe and Kaiden and also around Zachary and Halina. Zachary looked amazed and excited and Zoe laughed and rushed into her brothers arms. He laughed and picked her up and swung her around.

Chapter 7

Back to Ireland

Iraina and her
group didn’t have anything they wanted to bring with them and Zoe assured them there were plenty of clothes between all of them and some more on the way. Iraina sat in the back with Marcus with Sebastian driving and Camilla in the front. Alexi and Gosha were in the trunk area but seemed to be doing just fine. In the other jeep Gabe and Justine were in the front again and Zoe and Halina were in the seat with Kaiden and Zachary in the trunk area holding on. The trip back to the jet seemed to be quicker than the trip to meet Zachary.

Once they were all seated in the jet and buckles
were buckled they began to chat more freely. “I felt my mate die once Halina was in my arms. I felt all the others die also. The only ones I could feel after it all happened were Halina, Alexi, and Gosha faintly. I also felt Aldrich and the mild pull of his many half-bloods. Alexi and I ran as best we could until we could not feel anyone anymore. She healed me after the birth so I didn’t have any difficulties. We waited in a tunnel for two weeks. Once we felt it was safe we went back to the house and found it burnt to the ground. There was only a very faint pull and we knew it was Gosha. He had a bad wound near his heart and was badly burned. He was trapped beneath some fallen debris. I think they thought they left him for dead, but he had enough strength left to heal the wound on the inside and stop the bleeding. He passed out when he was struck in the head.” Iraina explained

“When I woke I was stuck and completely out of energy.
I could feel Alexi was safe and alive. I felt her pull very strong so I knew she was ok. The fire was all out and cold when I woke up so I am not sure how long I was passed out. I know I went for about a week with no food and water before they showed up. Iraina pulled the debris off while Alexi used everything she had to heal me. I had to in turn carry her out of there.” Gosha told them

“When I woke
I had to tell him that our son was gone. I couldn’t feel him anymore so I thought they killed him. We mourned for years and then one day little Halina, she was three at the time, started throwing a fit. She pulled on our hands and screamed at us until we followed her. Over the years we felt the faint pulls of other Dragons, but we always steered clear of them. After all it was one of us who did this. So when we felt the pull she must have been feeling we wanted to go in the opposite direction.” Alexi said

“I remember my fit too.
I felt something so different that the normal pulls of my mother, Alexi and Gosha. This one I could not deny and I had to go to it. I couldn’t wait for them to come with me anymore, so I stopped trying to grab their hands and I just took off. They followed of course. I came upon a car that was half on fire in a ditch. The bodies of the adults were beyond saving, but the little boy in the back seat is what had my attention. I climbed in that burning car and sat beside his unconscious body. He was mine and I was keeping him.” Halina said

“I thought my girl was crazy, climbing in a burning car and all.
I grabbed her out and brought the boy too, since he was still alive just passed out. Halina would not take her arms off of him. I knew he was a Dragon so I had Alexi heal him and once his eyes opened I understood everything. She found her mate very early. I took every penny I had left and had his name changed. You see here in Russia we kept our money in a safe or hidden around the house. When they burned down the house, we all lost all of our money. I managed to find one safe that was untouched. There was only about 200,000$ in there. I used $150,000 of it to bribe the adoption person and the other money lasted about two years. We were not used to living within a means. Once the money ran out we started working on people’s lands for food and clothing. We live in a small cave in the Mountain. We wait until it is pitch black to shift, and we only do that when the pain gets too much to bear. I would not let Zachary change Halina until her twentieth birthday. That was a week ago. He has amazed us since.” Iraina said

“Zoe is quite amazing herself and has only been changed
about a week also. To me it seems that those two together are more than any of us were expecting.” Marcus said

“Told you all she was an
Angel, so he must be and Angel too.” Justine grinned

“
Well I am just glad we are now more powerful than Aldrich and his many half-blood children, but we still have to find any survivors and the other missing races. Iraina what you might not know as a Queen yourself, is that Aldrich has essentially decimated all Sects. My parents got letters from around the world before they were killed. From what I know there is exactly one set of soul mates from each race that were hidden or lost. My mother told me to find them all to rebuild the race before Aldrich killed all of us.” Kaiden told her

“So you kids are the last of us?
It is up to you guys to rebuild our race? We are Extinct now?” Alexi asked

“Yes.”
Camilla replied

“We only know of one child born in the last ten years.
No one has had any new children that we know of beside Aldrich, but all his children are half-bloods. All the last children we know of, the youngest is ten and the oldest is Gabe here, he is twenty four. He is only the oldest by a couple months though.” Kaiden informed them

Everyone sat in silence after that thinking of all the possibilities.
Marcus and Iraina kept casting glances at each other and Alexi noticed.

“May I heal you now?” Alexi asked

“I am not ready to forget her.” Marcus said

“
You will not forget her I cannot heal the mind, but I can heal your heart and I know Iraina also does not want to forget her first mate.” Alexi said

Kaiden finally caught on to the clues that were staring him in the face.
“Are you saying they are soul mates?”

“It feels like we are.”
Marcus said

“It does.”
Iraina breathed

“Wow
, more history in the making. Zoe and Zachary are twins and no one has ever heard of that. Then you guys are getting a second chance at fate. This is awesome.” Justine said

“Seems that way.”
Marcus announced to no one in particular.

Alexi placed her hands on either side of Marcus’s chest and looked into his eyes.
They held each other’s gazes for a long moment before Alexi asked “when you are ready just nod and I will begin. I am just going to repair the scars of the last twenty two years on your heart and body. I would like to make you whole again.” Marcus took a deep breath and nodded. Alexi pushed her magic into Marcus and it swirled around his heart. Marcus gasped and grabbed Iraina’s hand. She then let out a gasp and closed her eyes.

The rest of the flight went in silence.
Marcus and Iraina held hands and just stared at one another. Zoe sat next to Kaiden with Zachary and Halina across from them. Alexi and Gosha sat across from Marcus and Iraina while Camilla and Sebastian sat behind them. Justine and Gabe sat behind Kaiden and Zoe. Within the hour they were touching down and landing in the open field.

When they stepped out Rosa and Michael were there to greet them.
Rosa’s smile was large on her face when she saw Zachary and Halina step out. She greeted them warmly with hugs and her smile. When Marcus and Iraina came out hand in hand Rosa was surprised and her smile faltered. Gabe was right behind Marcus and Iraina and noticed his mother’s confused face. “Second chance Mom.” Gabe said. She looked at him with shock on her face and shook her head. “Hey you never heard of twins either and you are the historian here. If you are shocked then it is shocking, but a good one. He deserves his happiness again and so does she. Mom this is Iraina, Queen of the Russia Sect. This is Alexi and Gosha. We believe they are Christian’s parents.”

“Oh my!”
Rosa gasped. She turned and saw the outline of Vivi and Christian coming up the hill.

“Well here he is now.
Are you ready to meet your son?” Rosa asked Gosha and Alexi.

Alexi burst into tears and Gosha stood tall and proud, but the tears still came, running down his proud face.
As Vivi and Christian got close his step faltered. He stood there staring at Alexi and Gosha in shock. Vivi tried her best to urge him forward, but he stood his ground. She got right in front of his face and held her hands on either side of his face. She kissed him hard and brought his attention to herself.

Jeeps had been waiting on them, but Kevin had to call two more to bring everyone back.
The other two jeeps were coming in the distance as Christian walked forward holding Vivi tight to him. Zachary looked to Vivi and told her “They will not blame you for your father’s deeds. You are far too young for them to blame you. Have no fear of them, they only just found out your mate is alive.” Vivi looked to Zachary with confusion “How do you know that?” she asked. “I have been always been about to feel the emotions of others. I do not mean to be rude and pry, but your fear and worry was screaming loud and clear.” Vivi smiled and nodded at Zachary and kept walking with Christian.

They all stood face to face.
Not touching and not moving an inch. They said nothing and just stared. Justine being Justine, walked over and placed a hand on Gosha and the other on Christian. “Christian your parents never abandoned you like we all thought ours did. When their sect was raided, as you heard, you were taken from them. No one knows where you were taken, but you. They just found out you are alive today. Don’t hold it against them.” Justine cooed at Christian. “Do you feel the truth of my words Vivi?” Vivi nodded and Christian glanced for confirmation. “I feel your intent to hug me. I feel your intent to never lose me again. Please hug me?” his voice broke and he went to his knees. Gosha caught him before he made it to the ground and gave him a bear hug. Alexi was fast behind him and hugging them both.

Christian gasped and both their hands made contact
as they healed the hurt. He pulled back and looked into their faces. “We can do that? Not just wounds, but inside scars as well? You? We can heal more than just outside wounds?” He stammered excitement running through him.

“Yes son.
We will teach you all that we know of being a good Blood Dragon.” Gosha told him. They hugged once again and Christian looked to his mother. “Please heal Vivi, take the hurt and the guilt she feels away. Heal her heart and make her who she really is and not the daughter of an evil man. Make my Vivi better?” He cried. “She is so much more on the inside than who everyone is going to think she is. Some survivors might blame her and I don’t want that. I want them to all love her as I do. I want them all to see her as the woman who brought light to my darkness.” Christian begged his parents.

Vivi gasped as Gosha and Alexi both hugged her.
She sagged in their arms in tears. She was crying so hard that she had to be carried to one of the jeeps. Christian just held her in his lap and everyone climbed in and they made their way to the house. Zoe had Kaiden make a call to the house while the healing was taking place. The empty room in their suite was being prepared for Zachary and Halina. The room next to Vivi and Christians was being prepared for Alexi and Gosha. Clothes were being placed in both rooms for them and hot baths being drawn. Kaiden also made sure that space would be given until dinner and then they would all talk.

The ride back to the home was in silence.
When they made it through the front door Marcus took Iraina up to his room. Zoe told Christian to take his parents up to their room and let them get cleaned up and dinner would be in an hour. Zoe and Kaiden took Zachary up to their suite and showed them their room. Clothes had been placed in the closet for both of them and a bath was waiting.

“Please clean up and make yourself at home.
This is your room and our parents are across the hall behind that door. Kaiden and I are at the end of the hall if you need anything. I am so happy you both are here and that I have a brother. We will leave you now and talk more at dinner.” Zoe told and ushered them inside the door and closed it. She took Kaiden’s hand and walked to their room.

An hour later dinner was served and they were all seated at the table.
Kaiden stood and introduced everyone. Marcus and Iraina looked so happy that it brought tears to Zoe’s eyes. She was sad that her mother was dead, but happy that her father was given a second chance and his pain would no longer be there. They all talked during dinner and shared their stories of how they came to be there once again. This turned out to be one of Zoe’s favorite things to do now. Justine also seemed to be getting better at it. Tia still had a little problem sharing the rape with everyone, but talking about their hurt was a good thing Zoe thought. It also helps everyone know her better and understand the times when she might come across as brash and breakable. When really she had no idea what was going to happen.

Dessert was served once again with some wine.
Zoe noticed how well Iraina cleaned up. She had lovely chocolate brown hair and bright hazel eyes. The flecks in her eyes were only highlighting the green and brown within her eyes. She had strong cheek bones and a straight nose. Her lips were full and heart shaped. She didn’t have any makeup on and she didn’t need any. Iraina was a natural beauty. Halina looked a lot like her mother with the same nose and mouth, but her eyes were a deep green color like an emerald. She also had light brown hair with red highlights running through.