“Yours,” I thought back and promptly panicked. It felt right and oh so wrong at the same time. There were too many uncertainties to guarantee anything.

What had I just done? I twined my arms around him and pressed my face into his neck so I didn’t have to look at him. He rolled onto his side, pulling me with him. He practically radiated happiness, his hands stroking up and down my back. I didn’t know what I felt other than stark-raving fear. I’d wanted to feel something, but I knew he was going to get the wrong idea. I’d just ended whatever it was I had with Finn, if we had anything at all. I didn’t need any more complications. Marin wouldn’t see it that way. He confirmed that a few minutes later.

“I have wanted you since the moment I saw you. They had warned me that Finn brought a dangerous fugitive into town, and I wanted to check you out. I saw you outside, right before you entered Ute’s. You wore the shivat, and still I wanted you.”

I pressed my head into his neck, kissing the column of his throat.

Marin grabbed my chin and tilted it up, forcing me to look at him.

With that look, I realized what it was in his gaze that threw me. It was love.

He kissed me, mouth lingering. “I knew it would be like this.”

“Like what?”

“Perfect.”

Oh. My stomach dropped.

“I just ended things with Finn. I’m not sure I’m ready for more. I’m sorry. Please don’t be upset. I need so many more answers, and I need time,” I blurted out.

He just smiled, gaze unchanged.

“We will go as slowly as you need. Whatever you want, however you want it, whenever you want. I am yours, and you are mine.” He said the words like a vow. He ran his hands down my face. I turned and bit his thumb. He purred, and my breath rushed out.

Damn it.

I didn’t look at him as I confessed, “I’m remembering more. I remembered the day they took me and some of my time with them. My time right before I came here.”

“What? Tell me.”

“Remember how I told you I was heading to class?”

“Yes.”

“I don’t know what they did, but they killed everyone.”

His arms tightened.

“It affected everyone—men, women, children, even animals. They all rioted, raged, and those who survived, lay down and died.

“I remember thinking about heading home and not being able to. I lived on campus, and there were too many accidents along the way to take a car. I didn’t know what to do. I ran and hid for a bit. When I came out again, it was nighttime. Nobody was around. The Imani picked me up in some sort of ship. That’s the last memory I have from home.”

Marin shook me hard one, two, three times until he got my attention. “So they took you?”

“Yes. I remember my time with them. I wasn’t alone, either. There were others. They kept us in these tubes, like a hive. Some of us they used as workers. We helped with projects. Anything mindless. Some of us, they used for experiments.”

“Lands.” Marin breathed out and pulled me close.

“I’m not sure why I was different. Xade took a liking to me. He said I had spirit. And he loved my control. He’d hurt me until I couldn’t hold back my screams. He was one of their leaders. I think there are four of them. I’m not sure. Most of my interactions were with him. I was his little pet to play with. I didn’t fight. I didn’t scream. I watched and waited and hated.”

Marin curled his arms around me.

“I was one of the lucky ones. There were others whom he broke. There was this one guy, I remember him because he looked like my dad. Xade dosed him with hallucinogens and let him kill his own family.”

“Elizabeth.”

“I couldn’t do anything to help anyone. I was a good pet. But I knew something. That is what Xade said. Maybe I tried to kill him? I don’t remember. I wish I could have done it. Killed him.”

“There was nothing you could do. It is a miracle you escaped.”

“I wanted to do something, but I couldn’t.”

Marin got pissed. His eyes flashed, and he grit his teeth. He was sexy when angry. “Stop it right there. I have seen this too often. Blame those responsible; do not blame yourself for something you had no control over. I won’t let you. There was nothing you could have done. Nothing. And right now, what we need to do is focus on what we can do today. Do you want to kill the people responsible for destroying your race?”

“Yes.” I wasn’t normally vindictive, but they killed women, infants, and children. They deserved to pay.

“That is what I plan on doing. How did you get away?”

“I jumped.”

“How did you survive?”

“I don’t know. Magic?”

“Why are they here?”

“To get me back I would guess, or my body. They learn as much from dead tissue as they do from living.”

When I woke up, I didn’t feel rested, but Marin definitely was. I’d turned onto my side, and he was spooned up behind me, grinding me. My back tightened. He chuckled into my ear, voice thick. “Morning.”

My nipples tightened. Morning voices ruled.

I stretched back and wound my hands into his hair. He kissed my neck. His hands trailed up to cup my breasts. We were both naked. How convenient. I squeezed my ass, rubbing it against his erection. He groaned into my neck, moving my hair out of the way. He stopped for a second and hummed.

“What?”

“I can see your mark. It looks like raindrops.”

I snorted. Tears would be more accurate. His fingers tweaked my nipple, distracting me.

That reminded me. I had more important things to explore right now. He chuckled and pressed between my legs.

I was already wet. I’d never felt so alive. My nerves jumped, my skin tingled, my heart raced. How was I going to survive this, this well of sensation rubbing me raw, pushing me toward a goal I’d had such little experience exploring? Marin had no such qualms.

He slipped deep inside me while he nibbled on my neck and massaged my breasts. His breath whispered in my ears. One more push and he was all the way in.

Damn.

The slap of our flesh as I pushed back onto him sounded throughout the room.

Growling, he changed my position and rolled me to my knees. He knelt behind me and started thrusting. Both of us grunted and groaned. A few strokes more, he arched back and got even harder, if that was possible. I felt him jerk, and he hit me just right. I joined him with a shout. I fancied I saw stars; the wind blew through the room again, rattling the bed. He fell on top of me, kissing me, his hands on my breasts, tongues tangling. Sex was the best way to wake up.

Afterward, his hand drifted along my belly as we spooned “I do not want to get up.”

“You were already up.” He squeezed my ass.

“What time is it? How do you tell time anyway?”

He pointed to a dial on the wall opposite a window. It was large and had many more notches than a clock at home. How about that? I was about to go nose into the device, but he continued. “Hungry?”

“Ravenous.”

“We should eat and then spar. It is good you are learning to protect yourself. I hope you never have to use that knowledge… After, we can bathe.” He winked at me.

“By bathing you mean, have sex again?”

His eyes gleamed. “Yes.”

“I’m okay with that.”

When we sparred, he focused more on specific movements I could use to protect myself. Over and over, he attacked and I defended. Every time he attacked and I blocked his movements, I felt my magic spark and roll. It crackled in the air, accompanied by bursts of wind. Marin seemed immune to the power. I tried to control the sensation, but every time I lost my focus, it flowed around me. He answered with a burst of speed. We’d had to empty the room of furniture to prevent damage to ourselves and the walls. But my control was improving.

Near the end of practice, Marin handed me a blade. It was about six inches long, with a pointed, triangular tip. It resembled a bowie knife. Ah, the joys of having had a military dad. I knew my blades and guns. The metal was dull in color, the edge razor sharp.

“Now I want you to practice holding that blade. Get an idea of the weight, of how the hilt fits in your hand. How quickly you can move it through the air. Just hold it all throughout the day. Get used to it and don’t cut yourself. We are starting to imbue everyone’s weapons with the metal. We’ll see how effective they are soon enough.”

He handed me a scabbard for the knife. “So you do not cut yourself.”

An imbued weapon. I looked again; nothing made it stand out. He shouldn’t have given me this. Marin read the question in my eyes.

“You are their target. I trust you. I know you are not one of them, and I want you safe.” He stroked my face and pulled me closer. “Time for a bath.”

I raced him outside to the water. I’d taken my shirt off before we even got close. He hooked his hand in my pants and dragged me back behind him, taking the lead.

“Cheater!” I shrieked.

He turned to me in triumph. “I win again.”

Laughing at the edge of the pool, I waded out next to him. “Whatever.”

He grabbed me, growling. I did so love a good growl. I was pretty sure that, given his responsibilities, he didn’t get to play a lot. I put my hands around his neck. Now was a good time to play. For the moment, no thoughts of killers or world destruction intruded.

His kiss consumed me. The taste of him got better each time, Man, male, Marin. How did he do that? I felt my power surge with his, and we were surrounded by mist. I looked up in awe. He hummed and those strange butterflies joined in the air around us. I blew and they twirled around in a graceful dance. He turned me so my back was to his front. He hooked his hands into my pants and pushed them down, licking his way down my spine. I looked around at him. He gazed up at me and trailed his hands up my thighs. My breath rushed out. I could not believe this man was mine. He stood and pulled me back against him.

“This doesn’t feel real,” I said.

“This is more real to me than anything else.”

Our magic pulsed in the air around us. He placed me on a shelf of rock. I realized the ledge was just the perfect height for fun. Pretty sure that wasn’t a coincidence. There was soap nearby. He did like to plan ahead. Taking the bar, he palmed it, lathering up. He rubbed soap on my arms, my shoulders, my breasts. He was quite thorough about this, and soon found all my ticklish spots. This fascinated him, and he devoted quite a bit of time to exploring them.

By the end, we were both squeaky clean. I lounged a bit in the pool and put my head on his chest. There was enough of a current that I kept rocking into him. He nuzzled at my neck.

I looked over his shoulder and saw steam rising into the air. The more we were together, the more I felt connected to my magic. I’d been using it without realizing. I didn’t know if that was good or bad.

We drifted. It felt good not to worry. I should be worrying, but it seemed out of place here. So many questions ran through my head, but I let myself take a break and feel. For once, I wasn’t scared. This was right…and wrong.

When I looked down at my hands, I was all pruney. I slipped out, put on my dress, and sat on the bench, drying my hair. Marin changed into his leathers and vest. He strapped on his knife. This was the first time I saw him in full battle gear. The firsts were piling up. He looked pretty hot, I must admit. I was still looking at him when he came to stand before me on the bench. He ran his fingers through my hair and cradled my face.

Zanth came upon us like that. He didn’t seem at all surprised. “Midday soon.”

Marin nodded at him. He tilted my face up. “Come to Midday.”

“What? Why?” Zanth and I echoed each other.

“Everyone knows she is here, do they not? Lara has a big mouth. I could not find her last night. Now is the time to clarify some things. They need to know Elizabeth did not run away. They need to know I do not suspect her. They need to know she is on our side and I am on hers.” He kissed me. “We should expect an attack soon.”

I ran my hand along his thigh. “I don’t need to be there right now. They are all scared and I’d just be a target. Clear up things and reintroduce me sometime later. I think that would be best.”

We gathered our things. Marin bumped my hips with his as we all walked back toward the house. “I think bringing you would be best. We have some time before Midday. Think about it.”

Marin and Zanth walked off to discuss defenses. I dithered in the garden. I hadn’t accomplished anything during my time here. Some memories were coming back, but not enough. I’d such a poor understanding of what was going on, and knowledge was important. Knowledge was the key.

I walked along some of the back paths in the garden. It was much larger than I thought, and again it reminded me of Victorian garden mazes I’d read about in the past. Something snapped nearby.

“Hello. Anyone there?” My voice wavered. I couldn’t have that. I forced myself to stand tall. No one answered.

I saw a flicker to my left and turned. A dark violet blur flashed by, heading deeper into the garden.

“Hello?”

I crept along the path slowly. This deep, darkness lined the way. My heart thumped but I forced myself to continue. Who was there?

Cold teased my senses. As I got ready to step around the next bend I saw it.

A cat stood on two legs to the side of the path. Its short thick fur was mottled black, brown, and green. Perfect camouflage. Its face was round with tufted floppy ears, and its eyes gleamed red in the darkness. It took a single step toward me.

Astonishment held me immobile as the cat took another step closer. Its tongue flicked out and wiped its entire face clean. I took a step back, and it almost seemed to smile at me. It looked familiar, somehow; then I remembered the gate. There was a picture of this thing on the arch at the entrance to town, but damned if I knew what it was. The only animal I knew of was a Coreck. Is that what this was? If so, I was screwed. They were pack hunters. My eyes darted around but I didn’t see any more.

“Elizabeth!”

I heard Marin shouting. His voice echoed around me. The cat crouched onto all fours and darted that last step. Its body rammed mine. I felt flat on my ass. The cat loomed over me. It tilted its head. And its eyes—there was something more there. Someone? My breath caught as I saw another set of eyes in the gaze of the animal.

“Elizabeth!” sounded again, closer this time. The cat growled. I saw its razor sharp teeth in front of my face and froze. The cat huffed and shook its head. Almost as if it was saying no. Then with a single leap, the cat darted away.

I took one last glance in the direction the cat fled, then headed toward Marin’s voice.

He ran up to me, drawing me close.

“I do not know what you are thinking sometimes,” he muttered as he pulled me close. “I was worried. I just found you and you wander off with the Imani around us.”

“Sorry, I got turned around in the gardens. I thought I saw someone out there.”

“Where? In the garden?”

“Yeah.”

Marin frowned. “No one should be out there. It is a private garden. Few people even know we have it. Zanth and I do not socialize here.”

“I don’t know. I saw somebody, though. And I decided I will come to the meeting. Is it soon?” I didn’t mention the cat. If it was a Coreck, that was bad, but there was something else in those eyes. Something kind.

Marin nodded against my neck, nuzzling. He ran his hands down my shoulders. A smile broke out across his features. He skimmed a hand down my left arm.

“You wear my mark.” Startled, I glanced at my shoulder. There was a clear symbol of a rose. I moved his hair out of the way, the same mark on his neck. I pushed off his shirt and looked at his left shoulder. I saw a flower. That was Zanth’s symbol, similar enough to Marin’s that their relationship was obvious. Mine was right next to it—tears. My heart clenched.

This was meant to be…