Prologue
“What the hell do you mean the Selja is out?” His younger brother shouted his frustration at the administrator on the phone. Standing next to Max, Dashiel’s anxiety battered at his insides, but he allowed none of his inner turmoil to appear on his face.
The calm response flowed over the phone’s speaker. “The Elder is off campus. He won’t be back until next week.”
Hastily, Dashiel thanked the woman on the phone and hung up before Max could shout obscenities at the aging female. Turning to his brother, he kept his tone light. “Our hands are tied. We don’t have the needed abilities to recover Evie’s memories without assistance. We must wait to consult with Selja Inian.”
“Fucking shit!” Max slammed his fist onto the tabletop, causing the items on it to rattle against the wobbling wrought iron.
“Are you done?” Dashiel asked steadily.
Max turned to glare at his brother. With a mutinous expression, he kicked the chair sitting next to him, knocking it into the wall. “Now, I’m done.”
Dashiel rolled his eyes but remained quiet. His baby brother’s edginess came with good reason. Max needed an outlet at the moment; otherwise, he would do something stupid.
Max scowled at the toppled chair. “What do we do now?”
“You call Caleb. Have him meet us back at the house.” Dash squeezed the other man’s arm before digging out his cell phone. “I’ll gather the rest of my team. We need to fill them in on what’s happened.”
~
An hour later, Dashiel’s team lounged around the living room, waiting for him to speak. Cyne and Jaxon shared one couch while Aaron and Xander sat on the other. Jaoel slouched in the leather chair, feet propped up on the ottoman. Max and Caleb stood off to the side, shoulder to shoulder as they offered each other silent support.
Dashiel took a deep breath to center his thoughts. The constant pressure in his chest refused to dissipate. The need to remain aloof, not let the others know how deeply this situation affected him, was paramount. The team couldn’t be allowed to pick up on his true emotional state. As leader, his duty was clear: head off the violent storm he knew was coming.
“We have a problem.” Dashiel paused and waited for all eyes to turn his way. “It’s about Evie and what happened the night before last.”
Jaoel struggled to sit up, his limbs slow with fatigue. He’d worked a forty-eight hour rotation at the healer’s center, and he must be ready for bed. “Evie’s the human girl, right? The one Max is so stuck on?”
“I’m not stuck on her, you twat. She’s a friend.” Steel laced Max’s words.
“A friend? Is that what they’re calling it these days?” Jaoel asked irritably. “All I want to do is jump into bed and sleep for a week. I don’t want to deal with any human shit at the moment. Humans are a lost cause. All full of themselves, believing the world should revolve around their petty lives.” Tapping his chin, he didn’t bother to hide his contempt. “What would Cammie think about your so called friendship with this human?”
“Shut it, Jaoel. It’s not like that, and you know it,” Caleb cut in, angry at the turn in conversation.
Jaoel scrubbed his face. “You’re right. Shit, forget I said anything. I’m tired as hell and not thinking straight. I know you would never do anything to hurt Cammie. Even if she is being a bitch right now.”
“Dude! Do you want me to hurt you?” Max edged out, his teeth clenched in anger.
“What did I say?” Jaoel inquired, his face exhausted and obviously not making the connection.
“You just called my soul mate a bitch, you asshat!”
“Uh, well, what do you call what she’s doing?” Jaoel shrugged, and Dash edged closer to his brother in case he launched himself at the other man. “I see the pain you and Caleb are going through. It’s clear to the rest of us you’re both hurting. It freaking pisses me off that there is nothing we can do for you.”
“There’s something wrong with her,” Caleb interjected.
Jaoel bowed his head in acknowledgement, his expression rueful. “I know. The connection is there. Mestari Ardon has done extensive testing. He sees the bond. It’s fully formed, but for some reason, Cammie doesn’t feel it. She shouldn’t even feel attracted to anyone besides you and Caleb.” When Jaoel’s gaze cut to Dash, he looked away, uncomfortable at the reminder his brother’s soul mate continued to throw herself at him. Jaoel continued, “Both Mestari Ardon and Selja Inian are conferring with some of our best healers this week to discuss Cammie. I’m hopeful someone will know of a prior case of this happening. With historical data, we would be closer to figuring out exactly what’s wrong.”
Max and Caleb both nodded at Jaoel. They trusted him, knowing he took Cammie’s condition seriously.
“Let’s get back on track, shall we?” Dashiel looked at Cyne, anticipating the blow up. “It seems that when Max took Evie’s memories the night of the demon attack he took too much.”
“What do you mean, too much? Do you mean she doesn’t remember anything about the demon attack? Maybe, that’s a good thing.” Cyne bumped his leg up and down in agitation. “Even though it’s killing me not knowing how she dispatched that demon asshole. Evie didn’t have a Takari blade on her.”
“Dude, it’s not just that night she doesn’t remember,” Max confessed. “She doesn’t remember meeting you. Hell, she doesn’t even remember me being half demon.”
Dashiel, expecting the reaction, pinned Cyne to the wall when he leapt from the couch. Eyes darkened in fury, the enraged man thrashed in Dash’s arms, trying to lunge at Max. “What the fuck did you do to her? When I get my hands on you, you’re dead, motherfucker!”
“Don’t threaten my mate!” Caleb bellowed, moving in behind Dashiel.
“Enough!” Jaxon roared, the sound so loud the walls around them vibrated. “Everyone calm the fuck down! If you don’t, I will personally escort your asses to the pit. We need to let Dashiel finish giving us the details, and then, we need to make a game plan on what we’re going to do to help.” The giant Surmata glared around the room, daring all to challenge his threat. None did. He harrumphed in satisfaction as Cyne shrugged out of Dash’s hold and took his seat. Jaxon waited for the others to settle as well before he followed suit.
~
Dashiel paced back and forth beside the heavy wooden door, centering himself before he entered the elder’s office. His thoughts were too conflicted. How did one pint-sized, human girl come to mean so much to him and some of his team members? They should’ve kept their distance. But, Evie roused his protective instincts like no one else could.
Jaxon had received a tip from the same informant he met up with at the nightclub, Origins, the night Evie had gone with them. The information Jaxon gained was sketchy at best, but Dashiel made the decision not to take any chances and ordered a full reconnaissance. Thank fuck he did, otherwise they would have been too late to save Evie.
He never wished to re-experience how his stomach dropped when he found her laying on the warehouse floor. She looked so small and helpless, and he thought her dead at first.
What was it about Evie that made all his protective instincts surge forward? When he spoke to the team earlier, he had to actively work to hide the panic that beat against his insides. Why did the thought of her not remembering him cut like a knife through his chest? He should be happy it wasn’t worse. Evie was physically fine with only her memory affected. He’d only known her a few short weeks. Was the loss of those memories that big of an issue? The answer to that question rattled him so much he had to force the thought aside. He’d deal with his erratic emotions later.
Right now, there were more important issues to address.
Knocking hard against the doorframe, Dashiel waited for the command to enter before opening the door. “Selja Inian, thank you for agreeing to see me on such short notice.” Dashiel bowed and waited to be acknowledged.
“Come in, and have a seat. Would you like me to order a pot of tea?” Selja Inian sat behind his cluttered desk, examining a scroll with a magnifying glass.
Dashiel ran an agitated hand through his hair, pushing the locks behind his ears. He was a failure. His team had one assignment, and they botched it miserably. Now, he had no choice but to confess to the elder.
Instead of taking the offered seat, Dashiel paced in front of the elder’s desk while he marshaled his thoughts. “We have a situation. You charged us with protecting Evie Saunders. Our orders were clear and explicit. Watch over her. Keep her safe. We failed.”
Calm eyes glanced at him quizzically. “I’m confused. Maximillian was assigned this task. Why is the Shadewolf Kaveri even involved?”
Dashiel rubbed his head ruefully. “We wanted to meet the little human girl Max was so taken with. He talked about her nonstop when he was home. A tiny human with such a hold on a half demon made us curious.”
“Take a seat, Dashiel. Sounds like we have much to discuss,” Selja Inian ordered, setting aside the scroll.
Dashiel took a seat, and over the next hour, he filled the elder in on everything that had transpired over the last few weeks. He detailed the events that led to some of his Kaveri meeting Evie. How they befriended her and finally, the demon attack. The only thing Dashiel left out was the heated make out session the night of the attack. He didn’t believe the information to be pertinent.
When he finished, Selja Inian stared into the fireplace, watching the flickering flames as he contemplated the situation. Dashiel wiped his palms on his jeans as he waited for the other man to speak.
At last, the elder’s attention returned to him. “Selja Nimandy is here visiting. I will summon her at once for her council on this matter. Please call in Soturi Cyne. I may have questions for him to answer. We will meet back here in one hour.”
Dashiel stood, bowing his head before he teleported back to his team’s dwelling.
~
“What the fucking hell do you mean, we do nothing?” Furious, Cyne stared at the elders, not believing what they recommended. “For fuck’s sake, she was attacked by a shitty ass demon. We can’t just leave her there!”
“You’d better watch your tongue, young man. I will not tolerate insolence from someone so young,” Selja Nimandy warned, disapproval marring her unlined skin.
Selja Inian stepped forward, his long robes billowing gently behind him. “It’s not time yet. In my vision, the leaves are starting to turn, the barest hint of autumn on the horizon.”
“But it is autumn, Selja,” Dashiel interjected before Cyne had the opportunity to insult another elder.
“I realize that, Dashiel, but it’s too soon. I believe my visions showed me a time that was a year from now.” The elder looked apologetic, but his voice would brook no argument.
“You expect us to leave her there for another fucking year? Fuck that shit!” Cyne yelled, getting more worked up.
“That’s enough of that, young man. I’ve warned you repeatedly about your mouth.” Selja Nimandy pointed a finger at Cyne.
“What the fuck are you going to do about it, you old biddy?” Cyne scoffed.
“Cyne!” Dashiel began to admonish his bond mate, but he was too late.
“Vaientaa.” The hex hit Cyne directly in the chest before he could dodge.
Heat built around his throat. He cursed viciously, but the words came out wrong. “Mother fusser. What the horse did you do to me?”
“No grandson of mine is going to be a foul-mouthed little shit,” Selja Nimandy snarled back. “You need to learn some fucking manners.”
“Grandma, you’re the beach that taught me to curse! If you don’t reverse what you did, I’ll tell grandpa.” Cyne narrowed his eyes, daring the older woman. “He’s still pissed about the time you hexed him, turning his balls blue.”
“He shouldn’t have stared at that other woman! He deserved what he got, just like you.”
“She was a barista! He just ordered coffee from her.”
Selja Nimandy flicked her hand, waving his words off. “Details. They don’t matter. Besides, the hex will wear off if you go twenty-four hours without cursing. It’s not like I stole your left nut or something. I could, though, if you keep up that attitude.”
“Enough. I should have known better than to put you both in the same room together. You’re too much alike.” Selja Inian smiled, amused at their banter. Catching sight of Dashiel’s still serious expression, the elder continued in a more solemn manner. “I’m sorry Dashiel, but the time is not right to bring her in. You must wait a year. The goddess has spoken, and we cannot go against her wishes no matter how badly you want to. The consequences to your team, as well as Ms. Saunders, could be dire.”
“What about her memories?” Dashiel questioned, not willing to give up. “Is there anything we could do to get them back?”
“I do not know of a way to release select memories from Max’s stone. If we tried, we could end up releasing Cammie’s as well.” The elder patted Dashiel on the shoulder, offering comfort. “I will keep looking for answers. In the meantime, your team needs to keep their distance from Ms. Saunders.”
“What? Frog no. She needs us to protect her.” Cyne kicked the wall in frustration, not liking any of the answers they received tonight.
“You can protect her from afar, but do not get close to her again. That is a direct order.” Selja Inian rose to his full height, the weight of his power thickening the air around them. “Do you understand?”
“Yes, Selja.” Dashiel and Cyne agreed in unison, knowing their hands were tied.
“When the time comes to pull her out, I will reverse my orders. Until then, keep your distance. You are dismissed.”
~
A hand grabbed Cyne’s foot, rousing him from sleep. “Get up. We need to talk.”
Cyne yawned wide, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. The last year had been rough. He pulled double duty most days between his job as a warrior and watching over Evie. Burning the candle at both ends was taking a toll. He rarely had time for a full night’s sleep, taking catnaps instead to keep himself functioning. “What the frick, Dash. I just got to sleep. What’s so important you had to wake me up?”
“It’s time.”
Those two words propelled Cyne to his feet. He grabbed his discarded jeans from the end of the bed, hastily pulling them on. “Talk to me.”
Dashiel paced back and forth while Cyne finished getting dressed. “Jaxon’s informant came through for us. There’s evidence the Resistance is colluding with the demons. If true, it could have severe impact on the human population. The details are vague, but it’s enough to substantiate a full take down of the camp. Of course, our first priority will be to ensure Evie’s safety. I will send Max in ahead of time. He’ll figure out a reason for Evie to be in her cabin during the raid. Once the raid is over, we bring her home, to us, where she belongs.”
“To us?” Cyne paused in stuffing his feet into a pair of combat boots.
“Yes, Cyne. To us.” Dashiel answered warily, his tired eyes meeting Cyne’s.
His heart jumped a beat. “So, you finally decided to accept the possibility?”
“About her being our mate? I came to that conclusion months ago. Watching over her, night after night, even though I wasn’t on the rotation, I found myself unable to stay away. Not that I don’t trust our brethren to protect her. I do. I just needed to see her safely in her bed at night before I could take mine. I haven’t said anything before, but I’ve seen you do the same.” Cyne nodded, not bothering to answer. Dashiel knew full well his feelings. “When I had to leave the area to keep myself from physically attacking that human solider she dined with on occasion, that’s when the possibility became a true reality for me. I was overjoyed when she gave him the brushoff after a few dates. If she allowed that human male to kiss her, I don’t know what I would’ve done. Buried him somewhere deep, where no one would ever find him, most likely.” Dashiel’s fangs flashed, a true sign of his anger.
Fully dressed, Cyne stood and grabbed his gear from the top of the dresser. “What about the others? Are we going to tell them what we suspect?”
Dashiel shook his head. “No, we cannot interfere with the bonding process. Soon, she will be of age. We need to wait to see how her being human will affect the bond. We also cannot make our intentions known until her eighteenth birthday. If I could, I would insist we wait even longer, at least until she reached her twenty-first birthday, but I know it’s not an option. The bond won’t be denied. We need to try to take it slow with her, though. Maybe, our instincts will settle once she’s safely at the Suoja Guild.”
“Okay. I’m ready.” Cyne walked to the door, glancing over his shoulder at his bonded brother. “Let’s go get what’s ours.”