Chapter Nineteen

She woke with a smile on her face because she could feel Xander’s mind rubbing against hers like a huge wolf wanting to be petted. She choked on that thought and tried to hide her laugh.

“I caught that.” His voice rumbled out of his chest making her squeeze her thighs together.

She rolled over and crawled up on his chest.

“I know nothing,” she whispered before kissing him.

“I know I love you. Have I told you that? In case you were wondering, I love you, wild cat. The moon sets to your beauty, and the sun rises simply to show you off to the world. I love you.”

She snuggled into his arms because he did love her.

“I love you too, Xander. I could say you’re the yin to my yang or lots of other things. Instead, I’ll say that with you, I feel whole. There is no more searching for something that was lost. I find it funny that you found my sister and protected her for me until I got here.”

“Caden may feel differently about that.”

“Meh.” He laughed, it was such a rich, beautiful sound that her heart stuttered.

There was a pounding on the door.

“What have you done to Xander? Are you killing him? That foreign noise reached me all the way in my room. Xander,” he drew his name out. “Hold on I’m coming.”

Now she was laughing. She stood and put on a robe before she opened the door.

“My brother, what have you done to him, you wicked witch.” Caden stormed in barely hiding the smile on his lips.

Sage was on the floor against the wall laughing with a look on her face that said it all.

Caden moved over the bed, and he and Xander hugged each other. That moment left Saffron breathless. There was so much love in that movement, but she also saw what it hid underneath. The way they held each other was an affirmation of life. They made it and lived to tell about it.

“I think Xander will live and so will you.” Saffron walked out to Sage and joined her by the wall. She leaned over and laid her head on her shoulder. They took hands and watched because they felt the same way.

“We made it Saffron.”

“I know, but Richard is still out there, and he won’t stop.”

“We’ll take him down. There was a time I found it hard to believe I could defeat what was coming after me. Now I know it can be done, and we’ll do the same with Richard. I refuse to let him ruin my happy life.”

“Together. I’m hungry. What about you?”

“Me too.”

“Well let’s fix the guys breakfast, and then you can teach me how to make cookies. I heard rumors last night that you make the best chocolate chip cookies ever.”

“Sounds like a plan.”

“We’ll be in the kitchen whenever you two want to join us,” Saffron called out.

“Have we found anything?”

Caden took a seat on the side of the bed shaking his head. “Nothing. Jasper and Chase have been monitoring every source they have but haven’t found anything.”

“Have they checked to see if there is any traffic in space?”

“They have. They said the humans talking to themselves have increased. Jasper told me that he found a slight undercurrent that didn’t fit anything we have ever seen before.”

“That has to be what we are looking for.”

“Xander—.”

“Whatever we are dealing with isn’t human. Our females can manipulate electricity, but we know they are human. The only way I can see that happening is if there has been alien intervention on this planet.”

“It’s time to talk to Cait.”

“She knows more than she’s saying, and I won’t lose Saffron just so she can stay silent.”

“After breakfast, I need to know what the females are doing to my kitchen.”

Xander laughed at him. “I’ll be right behind you.”

He waited until his brother left before he got out of the bed. Saffron had never asked him what he saw when he walked in the room. If she had of, he could have answered honestly and said he didn’t see anything. That all changed when the current in her body was flowing through his.

The room had been filled with dark shadows that he had been too weak to challenge. They had watched with avid curiosity to see if one of them would die. He understood in the minutes before he passed out that they weren’t just fighting for their mates, they were fighting for the future of the world they now called home. He refused to lose.

“I smell breakfast.” He had taken a quick shower before coming to the kitchen.

“Your timing is perfect I’m almost done, but Caden made the orange juice because you weren’t here.”

“He just likes the limelight.” He walked over and kissed his mate until she pushed at him.

“I don’t want the french toast to burn. Hand me those plates.” They worked together setting the table and getting the food out.

There was a knock at the door.

“Xander let Ven in. He called to say he was coming for breakfast.”

They waited for them to come in before they started reaching for food.

“Ven what’s wrong?” Sage asked him.

“I’m fine.”

Saffron shook her head. “I don’t believe you. This is the first time I’ve ever seen your eyes cloudy.”

“I’m leaving.”

Xander and Caden growled making their mates look at them. Ven lowered his eyes just a little, but his shoulders remained stiff. There was an instinctual acknowledgment that they had the right to veto his plans. The look on his face told a different story.

“What do you mean you’re leaving?” Saffron asked him.

“Tristan is leaving; he has too. His only other option is to go to ground.”

Going to ground was something the ones who made them didn’t know they could do. They could shift the dirt and lie like they were dead. It saved many of them with serious wounds. It also gave them a break when they felt like their ability to deal with life had come to an end. When you lived an endless life unless killed on the battle field, there were times you simply needed to unplug.

“He can’t go alone.”

Saffron nodded. She might have argued and fought with someone else considering how young Ven was. It was the look in his eyes, the same one that freaked her out more than once. He had a power deep within that everyone was pretending not to see.

“I can’t be here when the battle goes down.” He told them. “You have to believe me.”

She did believe that at only twenty-one earth years he had a power that cloaked him, it was frightening. If he said he needed to be away from the battle, and she was sure there would be one, then she would trust him.

“Listen to what Ven is saying before you start to give him orders.”

“What did your parents say?” That did it those defiant shoulders collapsed.

Saffron hit Xander’s leg under the table. He turned to glare at her before addressing Ven.

“Tell them what you told us but give them all the details. Ven they know you’re different, and they love you. So, nothing you say to them will come as a shock.”

He raised his head and looked at them. “I worry about mom.”

Xander remembered the male that first came to their vessel. He was so little and pathetic looking, but he was a fighter. He didn’t have any parents at the time, or they thought he didn’t. It had only come out recently that Enzo was his dad. It made sense now why that male would kill anyone who even looked like they wanted to hurt Ven.

Deja, Enzo’s mate, adopted him before she even agreed to mate with Enzo. He had flourished with the knowledge that he had parents who loved him. He told them all on more than one occasion that Deja was his real mother. Now he needed to tell her goodbye. That might break all their hearts.

“Love they will live through it,” Saffron spoke softly to Xander.

“Parents send their children off to colleges around the world. They cry and feel pain, but they learn to live with it. It helps that those children call every weekend and are always asking for money.”

“I’m sure that they will be okay.”

“You’re right.”

“Xander, he will come back.” She could feel the love he had for Ven through their link. To him, Ven was as young as Mia and Jade and needed to be protected. He had become as much his child as he was Enzo’s.

Ven stood and came around the table. Xander and Caden stood and embraced him. They had been together so long that the thought of one of their youngest members leaving was a little more than either male wanted to acknowledge.

“You know what do if you ever need anyone.”

“You and Caden are on speed dial. If I need help, you will know.”

“All right kid time to face your parents,” Caden told him gruffly holding him tighter.

“I’m not leaving yet.” He went and hugged Sage and Saffron before going to find his parents.

“Caden and Xander have killed to keep him safe,” Sage whispered to Saffron.

“Not just Ven,” Caden said. “We have killed to keep everyone in this compound safe.”

“And we’ll do it again.” Xander was staring at Saffron. “Don’t worry wild cat, I will find and kill Richard.”

She nodded because she believed him. Richards days were numbered, he just didn’t know it.

“It’s time for us to talk to Cait. She knows more than she has been willing to share.”

Saffron took a sip of her orange juice as she stared at Xander. The look on his face spoke of determination. If she had her way, she’d hide under the bed until it was all over. Perhaps she was a coward, or maybe she had a healthy respect for life, her life. Yeah, she was going to go with the second one since it made the most sense.

“Talking to Cait seems like an idea.”

“What about Declyn and Safire? I haven’t heard much from them lately.”

“They have been hanging out around the police station. Declyn isn’t happy about it, but detective Baker is chatty whenever Fire is around.” Sage told them shaking her head.

“Have they found out anything?”

Sage gave Saffron a look of concern before answering. “Detective Baker says they have found several bodies that they are attributing to Richard's body count. They found the first black female body yesterday. She could have been a surrogate for you.”

Saffron knocked over the chair in her blind movement to get up. Xander caught her pulling her close. No words would come out as she tried to contain the bile that was burning her throat demanding out. Lifting her he ran taking her to the bathroom so she could throw up the contents of her stomach.

He was killing women because she wouldn’t be his puppet. He had to die. There was no more indecision within her. She didn’t care if she spent life in prison, he could not be allowed to roam the earth as if his actions had no consequences.

“I want him dead.” She was sure she looked like a stone-cold killer until she met her gaze in the mirror. Her head shook. The look on her face was resigned. She had given it everything she had, but now she had to fight for her own life and the life of the male she loved. Some people wouldn’t stop unless you stopped them, and that was Richard. He’d gladly kill everyone who didn’t share his point of view.

Xander took her to the sink, so she could rinse out her mouth and then held her close.

“It feels like everything is changing so fast.”

“I think it’s all beginning to fall into place. Some storms take years to build up, and then they come from nowhere, but they were always there under the surface waiting to erupt.”

He was right. Her and Sage’s abilities were there from birth. That meant whoever wanted to stop them had been hunting them even when they didn’t know enough to protect themselves. Once again, she was thankful for parents willing to sacrifice so that their children could live.

“If only someone would ask us what trials and tribulations we want to go through. Life would be so much better.” She kissed Xander’s chest then rubbed her cheek against his T-shirt allowing the scent of sandalwood to calm her down.

“Ready?”

She nodded yes, he took her hand and led her back into the kitchen. Sage and Caden were cleaning up.

“Can I help?”

“No take a seat there will be plenty of times for you to help in the future. Prepare yourself because Safire just called a meeting.”

Saffron’s stomach drop. The battle was closer than she thought.