Woman Beware (3 page)

“I thought you might say that.” He sighed as though disappointed before he turned his attention back to flying over a large body of water.

She took the opportunity to study her rescuer while he flew them through the skies. Artu wasn’t as perfect as Garrick had seemed. He
was
better looking, however. There was something compelling about him. His nose didn’t fit his face as perfectly as Garrick’s, but there was something endearing about its size. It wasn’t huge. It was just a touch larger than it should have been. Lena was sure he would be devastating if he ever smiled. That he was no stranger to good humor was evident in the laugh lines around his mouth and the creases at the corners of those gorgeous eyes. Those sea-blue eyes could capture a person’s attention and hold them without trying.

She knew that for a fact. They had done the same to her when she first saw them. He smelled nice, as well. That was obviously a plus since he held her tight against his body. She leaned over to give herself a whiff. She had already run about three miles by the time Garrick and his strange compass snatched her up and brought her here.

What in the world are you doing?
She scowled when she realized what she had done. Why should she care whether she smelled? Just because the man was easy on the eyes and, apparently, a superhero of some kind, to boot, didn’t mean she was going to fall for the man. She didn’t give a damn what that strange device or Garrick the Gatekeeper said. She had sworn off men. Permanently.

Lena stared down at the blue water, wondering what kinds of terrors it held. She must have stiffened, because he chuckled, his breath tickling her ear.

He
can
laugh!
It was too bad she wasn’t looking at him. He might have actually smiled, and she missed it.

“There are many types of predators here. It would be best if you learned to identify them quickly.”

“Why don’t you think it’s odd that I’ve told you I’m from another planet?”

“Why should I? Off worlders visit here all of the time.”

That made sense, she supposed. “I didn’t know that.”

“Doesn’t your world have an alien visitors’ bureau?” Artu looked genuinely confused.

“No.” She laughed. “The people on my world can’t agree whether or not there
are
aliens, let alone spend the money to set up a visitors’ center for them.”

“Surely they don’t think that your planet is the only planet with life.” His astonishment might have been amusing if his assessment hadn’t been correct.

“I’m not saying that
I
thought so. It’s just the popular consensus that we are alone in the universe.”

“Unbelievable.” He shook his head and barked out a laugh. “What backward planet did you say you were from?” he asked before he frowned. “Wait a minute. If your world doesn’t know there is life on other planets, you obviously have no means of transportation to reach other worlds.” He turned his attention to her and narrowed his eyes. “Who are you, and how did
you
get here then?”

“Good questions. My name is Lena. Lena Mulgrew. As far as how I got onto that bridge, have you ever heard of a man called Garrick the Gatekeeper?”

“I don’t believe I have, Lena.” He tightened his grip and banked right.

It was all Lena could do to keep from moaning. Every time he pulled her closer, her body clenched and her heart began to pound. She bit her lip. She couldn’t fall for the man. She
refused
to fall prey to another male.

Just because he is a man doesn’t mean he will hurt you. Give him a chance. Get to know him. Heal his pain.

Heal his pain? Where had that come from?
She thought about the strange voice in her head.
Was it one of the Fates that Garrick told me about?
She tilted her head and waited for an answer, but there wasn’t one forthcoming.

“How long before we get to wherever you’re taking me?”

“I had planned to take you back to the visitor bureau where you could find a way back to where you belong, but if you have no way to explain your presence here, there could be a problem.”

Lena could understand that. Here, she was an illegal alien. She knew what they did to illegals back home. They usually deported them.
What will his people do to me?
If Artu’s reaction was any indication, they didn’t even know where Earth was.
Will they imprison me, dump me on some deserted, god-forsaken world and forget about me, or will they understand that I don’t want to be here anymore than they want me here?

“How so?” It was obvious that
he
would know the answer.

“They could imprison you.” Artu sighed as he approached an island with what looked like a mansion carved from stone.

He made it increasingly obvious that she was an inconvenience he would rather not have to deal with at the moment.

Lena frowned. “Look, it’s not like I asked that goon, Garrick, to dump me off here. I had a good life back home. I had a great job, a house that was almost paid for, thanks to a couple of good business investments, and an awesome car.” She looked around. “I don’t have anything here. Hell, I don’t even have the right to be here. Do you think that I
want
to stay here on this god-forsaken planet where I have nothing but jail time to look forward to?”

Artu stared down at her, his expression unreadable. He didn’t even give her the courtesy of an answer to her question. “You will have to stay here until we can figure out a way to explain you to the authorities. There are only a handful of reasons why they would accept you as you are. We need to figure out which one will work best for you.”

He landed gently on a balcony and released her. “This is my home. You have nothing to fear here. You can even swim in the fresh-water springs and wade in the ocean with no worries of being eaten by the wildlife.”

Reaching out, he touched her hair. “I love the color of your hair. It is very unusual here.”

It surprised her. He had been very gentle when he touched her hair, almost reverent, then his expression turned hard again. Lena wondered if she’d imagined it.

“Really?” She reached up to smooth it back. “I hate it. There’s nothing like growing up with red hair and having everyone teasing you or insulting you about it.”
I’d rather be dead than red on the head.
The old taunts rose up in her mind.

“No one would dare insult you here.”

Yeah, right.
Everyone would if they found out she was here and shouldn’t be. “What makes you say that?”

“Because you are with me.” He smiled, his white teeth flashing in his tanned face. “I have a reputation for being a bit of an—”

“Asshole?” Lena interrupted.

Crossing his arms, he frowned down at her again. “Among other things. However, I had been about to say
idol.
The people here look upon me as an idol, a hero. They will not question your presence so long as you are here with me.”

“Why do you think they won’t bother with me if I’m with you?”

“Because, they have taken it upon themselves to find me a woman.” Reaching up, he thrust the fingers of his right hand through his hair. “They think I am not happy because I am lonely.” He paced in front of her as though thinking.

“Are you?”

“Am I what?” he asked as he continued to pace. It was almost as though he didn’t remember what he’d said.

“Lonely?” Tilting her head, Lena looked at him. She
really
looked at him.
He
was the man in the photo Garrick had!
Is he the man to whom the Fates decreed I should be with? Are we really soul mates and neither of us would be complete without the other?

“Don’t worry. You won’t have to stay here long. I have some connections. I will find a way to get you papers.” He seemed angry again as he stalked away from her, leaving her standing on the balcony that overlooked the picturesque island.

Mountains rose up out of the sea. Water flowed down from the peaks in giant waterfalls leading to small inlets that fed into the large ocean. Lena wasn’t sure she had ever seen water so clear and blue. It was a place where she could have retired to had she been on Earth.

She felt Artu walk up behind her as she looked over the side of the balcony at the wondrous beauty outside the tall walls of his mansion. “Do you think you can find a way to get me home?”

Artu stared down at his feet. He was silent for a moment before he looked up and met her gaze. “I don’t think that would be possible.”

Lena’s eyes filled with tears.
Will I never see Earth, my friends and family, again?
Wrapping her arms around herself, she turned away so he wouldn’t see her cry. He would, no doubt, accuse her of attempting to manipulate him with tears.

It wasn’t as though she had a great life back home, but it had been
her
life. Then, by the whim of the Fates, she found herself here on this planet. She was so far away from home that she wouldn’t even know where to look for Earth amongst the stars.

“I want to go home.” She stared out at the horizon, ignoring the beauty of the world surrounding her. “I just want to go home.” As beautiful as this world was, it was a strange world, with strange creatures…and it just wasn’t Earth.

Artu sighed, wrapped his arm around her and led her into his home. Why him? Why now, and why couldn’t he stop himself from leaning over and smelling her hair? “I cannot get you back to Earth when I do not even know where it is.” He steered her into a large bedroom and led her over to the bed. “Stay here for a while. I will check with my contacts and see what I can do.” He helped her sit and then leaned down and patted her on the shoulder.

“Until then, you are safe here.”

”Wherever here is.”

“Priska. You are in my home on Priska.” Straightening, he turned and left the room, closing the door behind him.

He needed to get away from her for a while. Her voice, her scent, her very being, set him on edge. Artu knew he had to get away from her. As much as he wanted a woman with whom to share his life, he knew it wasn’t possible.

It didn’t matter what the voice in his head had told him. He knew of one other defender that heard voices. It was Bontin. He once told Artu he heard them. It was just before the other man had gone mad.
Is it starting for me, then?
Artu hoped not.

Nothing could convince him that the woman was his soul mate. She wasn’t even from this star system if what she said was true.

Wouldn’t that explain why you have never found her before today? What if I told you that she has been born several times and that several times she died unhappy? She has waited for you, just as you have waited for her. Lifetimes.

It was a different voice speaking to him this time. Artu fisted his hands and closed his eyes. It had started. The madness found him. It struck quickly and without warning. He shook his head. He needed to get her papers and quickly. Afterward, he could surrender himself before his people needed to send for the other defenders. He refused to harm those he had sworn to protect.

You will harm no one. The girl is your mate. She matches you in every way. Skuld has seen the future. The universe, the entire space-time continuum relies on the happiness of Lena and several more like her. This is why we have intervened and rewoven the threads of fate.

“Rewoven the threads of fate?” What was the woman saying, yet not saying? “What do you mean by that?”

Lifetime after lifetime, she chose the wrong world when she entered the cycle of rebirth. She chose Earth, over and over again. We do not know why. We wove her threads, just as we have done for eons, but somehow, they were not correct.

We, my sisters and I, have taken her from her world and brought her to you. Only you can make her truly happy. Just as only she can do the same for you.

Artu shook his head. Did he really believe this woman talking to him was one of the Fates or was he going mad? Was his mind making up a reason for him to find a woman in the wilds or was he really talking to a Fate? He shook his head. He didn’t know what to believe. After all, he’d spent lifetimes awaiting a mate that never came, and now, the Fates themselves admitted to a mistake. What were the odds? He shook his head and sighed. It was more likely he had gone crazy than hearing the Fates talking to him about their mistakes. They were part god. Did gods make mistakes?

Lena flopped back on the bed and stared up at the ceiling. Tears filled her eyes as she thought about all she had lost—her friends, home and car. Mainly, she was upset about her friends and family. She’d learned long ago that she could easily replace things—family and friends she could not. If it weren’t for her sisters, mother and Maria, she wouldn’t be so upset.

Her gaze captured by the intricate scene embroidered on the canopy over her head, she thought about the beauty she’d already seen on this world. Priska. Her new home was called Priska.

Sitting up, she stood and moved toward the large window. The drapes hung from the ceiling to the floor. “Oh, my,” she said when she pulled the thick material open.

Apparently, the house—it was more like a castle, really—was on a cliff. It was a very tall cliff. The large window gave her an unobstructed view of the ocean. Looking down, she gasped and backed up. The clear, glass floor below her feet showed her the waves crashing on the rocks below.

“It’s a beautiful view, isn’t it?”

Lena spun around, her hand to her throat. Artu stood in the doorway. Sunlight streamed through the window, making his hair gleam a burnished gold. “I didn’t hear you come in.”

“I even knocked first,” Artu said as two men entered behind him. With a nod, he waved his hand toward the bed. “Set them down over there. The lady will take care of them.”

“Take care of what?”

Artu tilted his head to the side and stared at her for a few minutes. “Yes. I do believe they will fit. These are my sister’s clothes.” He crossed his arms and leaned against the doorframe. “They’re probably a bit out of style, though they should work well enough. I hope you aren’t picky. You’ll need something to wear while you’re here.”