TheHealers (32 page)

My bare feet skidded to a stop as I clutched the black heels that had covered them earlier. The tight fitting fabric suddenly made me very uneasy. I didn’t want to be dressed like this in front of Iostus. He was fatherly.

A screech of an old screen door alerted me to an enclosed porch area on the side of the house.

“Just Layna. The rest of you can wait outside. I know Alexander will be mad. Tell him I’ll deal with him later.” The sheer command in his words dared anyone to argue.

I walked in and took a seat in a wooden patio chair. My lack of panties had me a little concerned for splinters. The dress was short and consisted of extremely thin fabric.

Grateful for the dark I began to speak. “I think one of our magic users worked with the witches.”

I explained everything I had seen and done at the Hunter’s Haven. Iostus sat silently and listened. He only chimed in to ask questions or affirm anything I said. As I relayed everything about Tabitha, my chest tightened and it became difficult to talk. It wasn’t just Tabitha. It was everything. The lies, the manipulations. Was anyone being honest with me?

Iostus leaned forward and put my hand in his. We had been silent for a few minutes, but I had only just realized it.

“It’s alright to lean on Alexander, Layna. He was meant for you. Borrow his strength. You don’t have to always be this strong.”

“Did you know he and Leo had an agreement about me?”

“I can only imagine the type of agreement he made with Leo. He probably promised to kill him quickly if he returned you swift and safely.” His hand started to rub warmth into mine. It soothed me like hot chocolate on a cold day.

“No. He gave me to Leo. He traded me for something he wanted.” Shame colored my words. I knew I shouldn’t be the one to be ashamed, but I felt it nonetheless.

“Are you sure about this?”

Why did he sound so calm? Had he heard me correctly? “Leo told me. Why would he lie?”

“Is it really so hard to believe that Alexander is unconditional in his feelings for you? Why is it so easy for you to distrust him? All Leo had to do was tell you that, and you believed him. Did he have any proof?”

Well, no. But I wasn’t going to affirm that out loud.

“You know the truth, Layna. Through your bond. Use it, and you will find your answers. Although, I think you already know the truth. Do you know why it took us so long to find you? You had locked yourself up so that even Alexander couldn’t reach you. It was miraculous that he still could track you. I can sense your anger, but it is being hidden behind this façade of reason. You are mad at him and scared. But it’s not because you think he traded you, is it?”

Good lord, he sounded like me talking to my patients. So I thought through my fears again. He left me.

“Alexander left me.” The words came out of my mouth, but I didn’t even realize they were there.

“Yes. He did. And I think he will regret that every day for the rest of his life. Can you forgive him, or will you always run away when you get scared? Bonding is permanent, Layna.”

Iostus let go of my hands and stood. I began to follow him and he spoke again as he opened the door.

“Do not worry about the magic users. We will find Tabitha’s mole. I’m sure our people can find a link between her and one of ours. Go sleep, my sweet.” And he placed a kiss on my forehead.

I stepped out to be surrounded by a group of Guards. Alexander was immediately to my right. Even with my eyes closed I would have known him. Raw. It was the only word that came to my jumbled mind.

They all headed towards the vehicle and I kept walking. I needed to walk this off. A long walk would wear me out for the much needed sleep. I felt the command of Alexander’s words as he spoke to other Guards and joined me on my walk.

We were only about a five minute walk from my room. I wondered if he had been sleeping there while I was gone
—
or had he already moved on? I glanced up to see the stars. This far out, the sky sparkled with glitter. Just then, something wet kissed my face.

It started as a drizzle and then it poured.

We walked until I forgot what it meant to be dry. It turned out there were certain times when lack of underwear was a good thing, and this was one of them. I stopped in front of my building to turn and say goodbye and I saw the hungry look in his eyes and his sudden intake of breath.

I laughed.

Not intentionally. It was one of those things that happened when I got nervous. Seeing him all hard and manly and ready to devour me got me a little jumpy.

He grabbed my arm and pulled me to his face. Water ran everywhere as I squinted my eyes, but there was no mistake when I looked at him.

“Is something funny?”

“Yes. It’s funny that I’m scared of you. You, the one person that I was supposed to be able to trust!” Anger rose to my shoulders and I embraced it. Mad was good.

“I thought I could trust you.” Quiet words. His gaze raked over my outfit again, but this time with disgust clearly written on his face.

I dropped my shoes and put both hands on his chest. Touch anchored me in the wrong direction. Anger, not guilt. I needed to get away from him. I shoved as hard as I could, but I was not a match for this well trained Guard. Wriggling and twisting, I hoped to loosen his grip in the rain. The wetness of my skin was the only thing that would give me any headway. A little twist and I slipped right out of his grasp…into a muddy puddle.

I looked up at him and yelled. “Don’t you dare look at me like that! And don’t you fucking accuse
me
of not being trustworthy!”

Alexander leaned over to put his hands on my hips to prop me back upright on my feet. His scent was on me. I could smell him and it was melting my resolve.
No!
I didn’t dare try to step away again for fear of landing on my ass.

“Do you have any idea how fucking insane it made me to know that they kidnapped you? All I did was plan how to get you back, and then when I got there, I saw you having a great time. You can imagine my shock.” He let me go at that point and stepped back.

“You can imagine my shock to wake up in Leo’s house after being knocked unconscious while under your protection! How long did you know he was a Hunter? He told me you two struck a deal for me. You let him take me for some stupid rod!” This would tell me everything. Had he given me away? I ached for him to wrap his arms around me and promise to never hurt me again. Why couldn’t I say it? Too proud. I couldn’t admit I needed him and it fucking made me angrier.

“What?”

Confusion. It was clear. I felt it down to my bones. Leo had lied to me.

I could feel Alexander’s honesty coming through our connection. I felt it stronger than before. Had I just now let him in? That bond everyone seemed in awe of, it felt surreal. It rocked through every boundary I had in place for him. Knocked them all down and there I sat, open and wanting. I wanted him. But I didn’t want to hurt. Would being with him be worth it? Love would always be painful no matter the circumstances. The logical part of my brain argued this, but my heart just hurt. It wanted some kind of guarantee. There were no guarantees, only good intentions. I felt his intent and it touched my soul.

My point was getting blurry in my head and in the rain. Grasping for something, I started to yell again.

“You left me!” There. I knew that he couldn’t always save me. My mind understood that it wasn’t on purpose, but it still hurt. And I wanted to be mad. I didn’t want to let him in.

Why?

“Layna. What did he say about me? You know what
—
it doesn’t matter. You believed him and you lost faith in me. How many times do I have to show you I’m not leaving?”

But he was wrong, everyone leaves. It’s just a matter of time. Nothing lasts forever.

“You left me, then.” Childish words.

His big hands wiped the water from my face and pushed back the slick strands of hair and then came close until he could reach me with his lips.

“I love you.” He didn’t move away, but he didn’t move any closer. His eyes just waited for me to respond.

“Convenient. Now that I’m mad and screaming at you, you love me! What the hell kind of love confession is that?”

“Do you love me?” Searching, he was looking for me to soothe his wounds. I could still see the hurt that had crossed his face when he saw me with Leo, the pain that was still streaking across his face right now.

“I’m sorry, Layna. I’m so sorry for what happened. I never wanted you with him. Never. You have to know this. I did not know about the ambush. How long are you going to make me stand in the rain and beg?”

“I’m not sure.”

He cupped my ass and scooped me up around him. “Wrap your legs tight, you wouldn’t want to fall again.”

No, I didn’t. I can’t believe how easy it was to give in to this man. He knew he had me. It just took him awhile to convince me.

Instead of going inside the building, Alexander headed further off into another direction.

“Where are we going?”

“To our house. I decided we should have a house together while you were gone. I figured it would be easier to convince you if I had already moved all your stuff in.”

Brilliant. He really did understand me. My arms wrapped tighter around his neck and I tucked my nose into his chest. Ahh…that smell brought everything into harmony.

We came to another section of the Conservatory that was further away from all the traffic. It was shielded with trees and I thought it was just some woods. When we stepped past the first section of trees, I saw our house. The rain still pelted down on everything, but I could see that it was beautiful. The earth toned colors of the brick and wood blended right into the forest around us.

Alexander stopped at the front porch to slip off his wet shoes. Then he slid open the door and carried me in. I couldn’t see much through the tears that were silently streaming down my face. He brought me through our bedroom to the master bathroom and set me on the counter while he started the shower. Eagerly, I stared at the massive bathtub.

“Don’t worry. We’ll get to abuse the tub soon enough. Right now, it’s all I can stand to shower you down before I taste you.”

And then he stripped. My entire being went crazy. It hadn’t been that long had it? I physically hurt from wanting.

He started on me. Slowly, he pulled the black dress above my head. Just when I thought he was going to take me there, he thrust me in the shower.

Urgency and seriousness cut across his features.

“Where did he touch you?”

Trembles started to take over.

“I’m washing him off of you. You’re mine. Don’t forget again.” With a washcloth, he cleaned every inch of my body and washed my hair.

I didn’t speak again until Alexander sprawled me out on our bed. He stood above staring at me with a face that no one could mistake for sane.

“I think I would like you to beg.” A smile barely crossed my lips.

“On my knees, right?” He pulled me up to standing next to the bed, and he went down on his knees on the floor.

With his tongue in just the right place, I lost my mind and started begging him.

Much later into the night, or rather the next day, I lay with my body tucked into his so intricately that you couldn’t see where one started and the other ended.

“I love you, too.” Just a whisper, but I felt his body surge with warmth as he heard me.

Fiercely his words came back to me, “I will protect you,
Psihi mou.
” His hand started to caress my breast and he pulled a tight nipple into his mouth.

“Tell me what it means.” The words came roughly and then I wasn’t sure if I wanted him to answer or keep on with the tongue assault. He did have a great tongue.

“My soul, you are my soul, Layna. Leo cannot live for what he did. I will find him and end this.” He rolled to his back and clutched my bottom to spin me on top of him.

“What is he after? Did Iostus find anything yet?”

“He called when you were unconscious.” I swatted him with a pillow.

“There’s no shame in being knocked out from good sex.” I could feel him literally rising to the occasion again.

“So?”

“Leo is one of the worst. He and Tabitha have been planning this for a long time. They knew you could track the Hunters, but not the magic users. That’s why they targeted their defense with the magic users, knowing you wouldn’t sense it. Do you know what Leo does for a living?”

His hands reached in between my legs now. Teasing.

“Um…He’s an environmental scientist, right? He cleans up oil spills and pipeline leaks.”

“He cleans up after he causes the damage. The people near those areas suffer from a tremendous amount of cancers and other life threatening illnesses. I don’t think he’s really even cleaning up the spills. I think he just finds ways to further infect the people in those areas so more
cures
can be sold.” His voice had gone full on husky now. He was just as aroused as me. Just by touching me.

Hunting the Hunter would have to wait for another day. Right now I had to tame my Guard.