Two Halves Series (46 page)

“I promised I wouldn’t do anything,” I assured him.

“Sometimes promises are broken.” He raised his brows.

“I can see how much this means to you.” I turned in a circle, examining the room again, “This promise holds true, Xander. I won’t touch her.”

He rolled his eyes but didn’t lecture; I wondered whether he knew I’d crossed my fingers behind my back.

Xander stepped aside, clearing my view of the witch. I took two steps forward.

“Far enough.” Xander’s arm flew in front of me.

Near the back end of the room, Xela sat in a wooden chair, her arms chained behind her. The shadow of a webbed root penetrating the ceiling in front of her concealed her body. Beside the chair sat a bowl filled with leftovers. Xela’s head had fallen forward.

“She’s sleeping,” I said in a low voice.

“No, sedated.”

“Why?”

“I can’t explain everything, but I’m not hiding her to spite you.” Xander turned to face me again, his eyes suddenly mellower and the tautness in his jaw softened.

The smell of black roses filled the cave. A new rush of endorphins swam through my veins. My sight blurred.

“I’ve never met another woman like you,” Xander whispered.

Xander’s breath caressed my face. I wanted to push him away and punch him the way I’d normally do, but I couldn’t. Something held me in this gloomy room, and part of me felt as if I was in a different time and space. The Xander with me today wasn’t from today; he was happier, with shining eyes. He looked like he was in love and carefree. His skin glowed like a teenager’s who just hit puberty. Each inhale was deeper than the previous and his breath contained hope and vigor. The burden of his shapeshifter duties was gone.

The pull toward him increased. I wanted Xander to place his arms around me, and as if on command, he did. Part of me felt like it’d travelled back in time as well. My soul watched from the side as my body reacted to his. His eyes sparkled, and I didn’t want to take away his happiness. He pulled me in closer, tightening his hands on my hips before running them up both sides of me to my arms, and finally framing my face. My front felt glued to his hot body, which responded to my rushing pulse. I leaned in, needing him to do things to me that only William had done.

William.

“Take me back,” I whispered, pushing away from his chest with difficulty. “Take me back to William.”

Xander’s eyes bulged, and he jumped back.

A cackling laugh echoed through the cave. Xela lifted her head, unable to contain her mirth.

“Stop that!” I yelled, feeling my ears press against my head.

“Ah, what’s the matter? William ain’t enough for you?” she taunted.

I sprang forward, ready to rip her heart out, but Xander stopped me midway. My fists pounded on his chest, but I may as well have been hitting rock.

“You can’t stop me, Xander,” I hissed.

“You can’t hurt her.” Xander pleaded in a forceful voice. He tightened my wrists in his hands, and I felt like I’d been imprisoned with supernatural cuffs.

“Oh, the poor boy misses his witch.” She laughed again.

“What is she talking about?” I asked.

“I can’t do this. You have to leave, Sarah. Please.” His pain-filled eyes pleaded more than his words.

“What are you doing to him?” I yelled toward Xela over his shoulder. “Why do I feel empty and different? You stole my rage!”

“I don’t think she stole your rage.” Xander pushed against me, backing me toward the door. My feet pushed against the earthen flooring, mounting dirt behind my heels.

“Why are my emotions out of whack? I know you did it! It’s all your fault!”

Xela only laughed. The pitch increased until the shelved jars began to crack, one after another. Soon, my eardrums would burst, and I couldn’t shift them the way Xander could his.

I pulled my hands to my ears, turned on my heel, and darted out of the cave. The witch’s laugh followed us.

I stepped out in the sunlight and stomped my foot. “Ugh! She’s not going to answer me, is she?”

“Calm down, Sarah.”

What was that in there?” I turned to face Xander and touched my lips.

He grinned. “Me trying to kiss you?”

“You’ve tried before; it’s no big deal,” I said, concentrating on the blooming daisy at my feet.

“No big deal?” he exclaimed.

“The problem was, this time, I wanted to kiss you as well.” I lowered my head. It had never occurred to me before to kiss Xander. I considered him like a brother. But today, the lust inside me grew, and Xander seemed more like a man to me than a brother.

“Really? I hadn’t noticed.” He smirked.

“You knew this was going to happen?” When he nodded, I added “Then why did you let it?”

“It was the only way for you to understand why I cannot let anyone come here. I didn’t want to push it this far, but you gave me no choice. Xela’s magic is powerful, and we haven’t been able to contain it.” Xander paced between me and the opening of the cave.

“We?”

“Mira and me. You should have seen her face when I tried to kiss
her
.” He shook his head at the memory.

“Ew! Your sister?” I burrowed my face in my hands.

“Could
you
control your lips in there?”

“No.” Blood rushed to my cheeks as I squeezed my eyes shut, still unable to look at him.

“Maybe I shouldn’t have stopped. That way it’d make your trip worthwhile.” He took my hands away from my face.

“Don’t do that again,” I warned.

“Fine, but you need to understand,” he walked back to the cave entrance and pushed the boulder to cover it, “it wasn’t me in there. The closer you get to this cave, the more powerful she is. You need to stay away.”

“Fine.” I spat a bit harder than I meant.

“Pinky swear?” Xander pulled out his hand.

“Pinky swear.” I sighed but crossed the fingers of my other hand behind me again. The unexplained connection I had to the witch would bring me back, even if I didn’t want to admit it out loud. Part of me craved the unknown and the rush I felt when Xander came so close to me. I wanted him as much as I wanted William, and I couldn’t forget what had passed between me and my best friend.

The witch’s laugh roamed through the valley, circling back to our ears again.

“Don’t pay attention to her.” Xander lowered his head.

“You’re asking a lot.”

“I know.”

“It seems that she’s sucking the life out of you, and I don’t like it.” I stepped forward to take his hand to comfort him. The contact flowed over my skin like satin, and my pulse raced. Xander took my other hand, and the feeling intensified. Every time I touched him, his life vibrated with mine. My heavy breathing raised my chest higher. All I wanted was to give in to the warmth oozing from Xander and let him fulfill the tingling urges near the bottom of my pelvis.

Xander’s lips hovered above mine, then he whispered, “We’d better go, before I get slapped for you kissing me.”

Startled, I jumped back, straining to concentrate on something other than my hot best friend. Xander released my hands, and I sped away through the trees toward the stream I’d heard earlier. I dove in feet first and sank below the cool water, letting it chill my heated body.

Xander waded into the river up to ankle depth, his pants rolled to his knees. He offered his hand. “Don’t worry, I won’t let it happen again,” he said as he pulled me up, “if you promise not to come here.”

“Fine.” I shook the lust off my body.
That was some magic.

“You’re soaked.”

“Really?” I said sarcastically.

“Hop on and close your eyes.” He shifted into a wolf.

I swung my leg over his back and gripped his fur, pressing my body along his back as he took off. Xander’s heat warmed my limbs through my drenched clothes. My eyes stayed open as he galloped through the forest, across fields, and over gullies, memorizing the way to the cave, careless about my promise. If I knew Xander the way I thought I did, he’d know I didn’t mean it. He’d know I wouldn’t be able to stay away. Did he want me to break it? Did he want me to come back despite saying he didn’t?

As we left the boundary of the valley, I heard Xela’s laugh inside my head for the first time:
“I’m still here, Sarah. I’m still here.”

Chapter 2

After an hour long gallop, we returned to the clearing in the Amazon. The glade was one of my favorite places, along with the tree house and the emerald pond. Living anywhere else wouldn’t be the same. With the rain season nearing its end, the jungle gorged on streams and rivers filled to capacity. Most of the sun spots that once speckled the grass from above as if viewed from under a strainer were gone. William had pruned the overhanging branches, but their leaves tripled in size during the rainy season and stole most sunny patches.

At the side of the cabin linen curtains fluttered in the windows of our bedroom. The logs extended beyond the original walls that had been burned by the seekers when they captured me. The extended space allowed for the twins’ rooms to connect to our master suite through a shared bathroom. The layout of rest of the cabin remained the same, only larger, to accommodate the entire family and frequent guests: Mira, Eric, and Xander. We’d enclosed the lab, separating it with a glass wall from the kitchen and open living room. William’s mother, Willow, used the space to produce serums, most of which revived dead blood, and were sent to our distribution centre in Mexico. The potency of the serums increased with each new trial.

William sat on the front porch of our rebuilt cabin. When he saw us, he closed the book he’d been reading and narrowed his brows. “You’re all wet. What happened?” William darted inside and returned with a towel in his hand. He held it wide and wrapped me into his arms.

“Don’t ask. I don’t even understand what happened.”

Xander laughed. “She followed me again and got her dose of punishment.”

“Shut up!” I scolded. I didn’t want Xander to be the one to tell William about our
almost
kiss.

“And so you threw her in a lake?” William coaxed.

“No, she took care of that herself.” Xander folded his arms at his front, obviously waiting for me to own up to what happened.

William returned his attention to me. “You’re shivering.” He rubbed my arms.

I tightened my jaw, trying to stop the jittering teeth. I wasn’t ready to share what I’d heard in my head. The hope that I’d imagined it was too much to ask for: but I was sure Xela had invaded my mind. Xander probably thought my shakes were for a different reason. “Perhaps I’m a little cold,” I fibbed, biting my lip. “I need Eric. Now.” The towel fell to the grass.

I felt William’s gaze burn into my back as I stomped away; he’d know something was wrong.

“What’s the matter?” William called to my back. Then he growled, “What the hell happened, Xander?”

“Nothing.” Xander raised his arms in innocence.

“This doesn’t look like nothing to me.”

I turned back in time to see William pointing to me, feverish anger burning his face.

“She tried to kiss me,” Xander blurted.

“What! Why?” William stalked toward Xander

Xander shrugged and took a step back. “It’s complicated.”

I rolled my eyes. Everything lately was complicated to Xander.

“Not when you’re talking about kissing my wife, shifter,” William hissed at my best friend. A couple more steps and he’d be at Xander’s throat.

“William, it’s not Xander’s fault, and it’s not about the kiss,” I interjected.

He spun to look at me. Pain washed over his eyes. “So there
was
a kiss?”

“No.”

“Almost,” Xander whispered.

William’s gaze found Xander again before he ran back to my side.

I threw a dirty look at my best friend.
You’d better shut it if you don’t want a fight!
Aloud I said, “It was Xela’s stupid magic trick. Where are the kids?” I perked my ears, trying to hear their faint laughter.

“At the lake with our parents. I warned you not to get close to the witch. Sarah, what’s going on?” He touched my shoulder as I stepped onto the porch.

“I don’t know yet. I think Xela’s messing with Xander. I’ll be back in a moment.”

I dashed to our bedroom and opened my jewelry box where my ruby ring nestled. The gem shined as I held it between my fingers, examining its shape against the lamp light. It was the same. No one had stolen it. My only affirmation of my identity rested in my palm. This ring had helped me trick Xela into revealing herself in my body. The ruby showed others who it truly belonged to; no one could mistake me for someone else when I wore it.

I came back outside. “I have to talk to Eric. Everything is fine,” I added as I met William’s concerned gaze.

Xander stretched his legs out on the patio chair.

“And you’ll tell me whatever ‘is fine’ when you’re ready?”

“Yes.” The ring slipped onto my finger. It fit the same way it had the first time I wore it, conforming to it perfectly. I closed my eyes, then opened them. “Who do you see?”

“You.”

“Good.” I exhaled.

William narrowed his brows. “She’s not going to steal your body again. Never.”

He stepped forward and took me by my shoulders. My husband pulled me in to his chest, and I closed my eyes, inhaling his sweet musk. The comfort of William’s embrace slowed my pulse, my heartbeat adjusting to run in sync with his calm thumps. The beating in our chest always remained the same, and this constant in my life soothed my worries. My gaze shifted higher. I missed seeing the love on William’s face when he wasn’t preoccupied with work.

In my head, I heard,
“Never say never!”
followed by bellowing laughter.

I jumped back. “Eric! Mira!”

“He can’t hear you. He’s bending,” William said.

“Xander, can you get them? I need Eric as soon as possible, and I cannot leave here,” I pleaded, hearing giggling, and turned toward my returning children.

“Done.” Xander tilted his head back to look skyward. He squeaked in Harlow’s tongue—one of his gifts as a shapeshifter that I admired. A moment later, a similar sound resonated from above the canopy. Xander’s falcon could find Mira and Eric, hopefully quickly.