Chapter One

Evette Summers was not having a good morning. It should not have come as a surprise considering the way her life had taken a turn in the last year, hell, the last three years. She had received a diagnosis she didn’t want or expect ever in her life, considering her family history was rather clean of illness beyond her father’s alcoholism. Then, she had lost her husband of nine years, which might not have seemed like a lot to some people, but it was nine years she couldn’t get back or start over on. To make matters worse, that had been her second divorce, and there was no one to blame this time but herself.

Traffic was a nightmare, and she cursed herself for not being able to get out of bed that morning. She had just been so exhausted, which left her running late to open her shop. And she needed to be there because the supplier was coming by to take the order, and the man opening, a newbie whom she had hired over the phone out of desperation to replace two of her best employees that had left for college, had no key to get in.

Evette found herself both on edge and depressed at the same time. She always seemed to be down lately, but her doctor had warned her of that. It was just another symptom of her disease she had to deal with.

In theory, she had plenty of herbs and tinctures to help her through her symptoms and to slow its progression down. She healed people with her natural remedies every day. It was why her business, though it was a small shop in a big city, was pulling in such a prophet. She put her money where her mouth was. Yet, she couldn’t seem to cure herself. She would never let her ex know that, though, since it would mean he had won. Evette would keep trying until she was paralyzed or dead.

Evette glanced down at the coffee she had sitting in the cup holder; a chai latte with an extra shot of espresso. It may not have been the best choice, and she usually was not a coffee drinker. She felt it was not the best thing to put in her body. But there was nothing better when she needed a boost, and this was one of those times.

Seeing that the traffic was hardly moving, she reached down to grab the cup for a sip, easing forward with the traffic, but then a big bang rang through her head as her body jerked forward. Pain shot through her as the airbag deployed, and she spilled coffee down the front of her shirt and into her lap.

In shock and disoriented, she glanced in her mirrors to see there was a car behind her, practically on top of the bumper of her little Ford. She set her coffee down as the man got out of the car, looking shocked as if he didn't expect to hit her. He must have been as distracted as she was, and she was more than annoyed at this point. She would have to find someone else to open the store. Pulling out her cell, she got out of the car, dialing her sister’s number. Kathy, her younger sister, lived close to the store and had a spare key. She was also a homemaker, so there was a good chance she could just plop her two little ones in the car and head over real fast. As she was leaving a message, the man approached her as her head started to feel like it would split open. From going forward like that she might have a concussion, and the fact that she had a nervous system disorder did not help anything.

“I am so sorry, are you okay? I am not used to heavy traffic.” Evette looked up at the panicked man, noticing his features for the first time. He was hot, the kind that made Evette blush just looking at him, but he was too young for her to be noticing him; possibly a decade younger than herself. His abs were obvious through his tight black T-shirt, and there was a hint of a tattoo peeking out from his left shoulder. His dark eyes and hair gave him a sort of goth appearance. She might have been drooling expect for the fact that she remembered the idiot hit the back of her car with one twice its size while they should have been going about five miles an hour. There was nothing sexy about an idiot.

"I'm fine, other than being late for work and having to take my car to get repaired tonight. Driving in a place like Phoenix shouldn’t be done if you can't handle it. There are buses, you know?" she came off snappy, and she didn’t like it. She grabbed her head, the searing pain getting worse as her hand began to quiver and shake. No, not now, this was not the time, in the middle of the road with a stranger like this.

"Maybe I should call a tow truck and give you a ride to the hospital. You don’t look so good. I will happily pay the bill," he offered, coming close and placing his hand on her shoulder. His warmth was like she was sitting in front of a fire, and it shocked her, temporarily removing her pain.

"I will be fine. Just give me your insurance information, and we can move on." He nodded, though his dark eyes looked at her first with concern before he reached into his pocket, producing a folded-up piece of paper with his insurance information on it.

It took some effort to get the paper from him, her hand still shaking. It was embarrassing to be so helpless sometimes.

Really, Evette knew she should be more concerned about her symptoms. She had not had a seizure yet, but she knew it was a possibility. All signs were pointing to it after the traumatic jarring the wreck had given her, but she was quite the stubborn woman.

She went to take a photo of the i.d. card when she saw the name on it, Valen A. Drake. Evette looked up, narrowing her eyes at him. Looking back at her was the man she had just hired to work in her shop.

She was about to give him the what for and fire him right there. She didn’t need someone so incompetent working under her, but she didn’t get a chance to say anything. Her vision threatened to close in on her, and she slid down the side of her car, making an awful squeaking noise that grated on her nerves. Close to passing out, she felt her breathing labored.

Valen came to her, scooping her up into his arms. She did not have the strength to protest in any way as he put her in his back seat, more gently than she would have expected from such a large man.

"What are you doing?" she breathed out as he started his engine again.

"Taking you to the hospital. We can worry about everything else later." The last thing she saw was a glimpse of those dark pools she had to see within the rearview mirror looking back at her. Then, she was out.

*****

Valen knew he had screwed up in more ways than one. He had been living in the human world for only six months, and he had just come to the city. He had discovered that cities, full of people and cars and buildings, were easier to hide in than the countryside. Phoenix was the perfect city for him because he could still escape to the solitude of the mountains if he so wished, but he could become anyone and hide anywhere in this maze of human beings.

The problem was that he was not yet accustomed to the ways of humans, including, apparently, operating a motor vehicle. The cruel joke of the whole thing, though, was that as he was looking through her purse, which he had taken the liberty to remove from her car, in order for the hospital to have her correct information, he had discovered her name was Evette Summers. He didn't know much about the way magic or anything played a part in the human existence, but he doubted there were two Evette Summers and that it was a coincidence they were headed the same direction. This abrasive blonde who he had rammed right into the back of was his new boss.

As he had watched her get wheeled away on a stretcher into the emergency department, leaving him to handle any paperwork he could, not knowing her too well, he couldn’t help but feel both guilty and worried. Humans’ lives were so fragile, much more so than his own. He had wanted to avoid the closeness of such knowledge when he left his home for the human world; forsaking everything and putting on the binding necklace that he had been gifted by a witch he once had an affair with. The necklace still clung to his neck now as a reminder that he was somewhere he did not belong but that he could not go back unless he wanted to be strapped down to a life of duty and no choices or adventure. Freedom had its price, but it was worth every proverbial penny.

At least, it was until others caught up with him, and he had to keep moving, eventually sticking him in the close quarters he was with humans now. This woman, Evette, was so beautiful and had everything going for her, running a successful business he had jumped at the chance to work for since he at least had some knowledge of natural healing. But her life could be snuffed out right in the middle of that. The idea was excruciating, and it was one of the things that set him apart from the rest of his kind, that caring part of him that could not ignore this lesser race that covered the planet almost as numerous as blades of grass in an expansive field. So, to defend himself, he had always lived in small towns, keeping a distance, allowing humans to be afraid or wary of him. Sometimes, he was the town witch doctor or freak according to rumors. But here, in a city, he couldn’t do that. He needed to blend in, get a job, be likable. He had to be one of them, and that meant being dragged into things like this, where he watched a woman in her prime fainting and shaking right before his eyes.

A woman came bursting through the emergency room doors, two children waddling behind her as she went up to the reception desk with a mission. Valen noted her curiously as she asked about Evette in a seeming panic. She must have been the sister they had contacted; Kathy.

“I just want to see my sister.” She sounded frustrated, and he doubted she was getting any answers. That didn't usually happen when a patient was still critical; that was what he was told anyway when he had asked about twenty minutes earlier.

The woman, Kathy, came towards him with a huff, crossing her arms while her children had found a corner with toys and books to occupy themselves with. Valen noticed for the first time the rounded bump on her stomach, indicating she was pregnant with another. It fascinated him how humans overpopulated. His kind never had more than two, and even that was rare.

“Kathy?” he dared to ask her.

Kathy looked at him suspiciously, sizing him up, before a smirk came across her face. “They told me that a man had brought her in. I didn't expect him to look like you.” Valen scoffed, knowing full well the effect he had on women, well, at least most women. Evette had not seemed to be affected, then again, she did faint.

“I am not sure what you mean by that, but I was wondering if they told you anything. I feel pretty bad for what I did, so I would love to know she’s okay.”

Just then, a doctor came towards them, a kind smile on his face as he shook their hands. “Which one of you is family?” Valen was going to back off and point to Kathy, but she piped up first.

“We both are. How is she?”

“I think we should all talk about it together. She is awake now, if you would like to see her.”

Kathy nodded, gesturing for Valen to follow. He raised his eyebrow at her but went along with it, the two kids not having to be told to follow dutifully behind their mother. Well, she had them well trained. She would make a good mother for his kind if it weren’t for her complete mortality.

They found Evette sitting up and sipping on a cup of water she had been given. She gave Valen a strange look as he came in behind Kathy and leaned against the wall to her right. The rest of them had filed into her left, by her bed, placing their hands on her blanket.

Valen had the decency to tune out whatever the doctor was saying. He knew that it was a private matter. He didn't know why Kathy had thought it appropriate to bring him in there, but he was glad to see he had not killed or seriously injured the woman who would probably no longer be his boss after the day’s events. Finally, the doctor left them alone in the room. On cue, Evette turned her head to snap at her sister. “What is he doing in here?”

“He’s a hero. He brought you here and got you admitted,” Kathy said with a smile.

“Yes, because he is the one that caused the problem to begin with.”

“Details,” Kathy said, the smiling not leaving her features. Valen tried to laugh at the comment. At least, the anger would no longer be directed at him.

“I think she’s right. I should go.” Valen went to leave, having no other real reason to hang around. But Evette stopped him.

“Wait. Don’t think this gets you out of work. I expect you to be there bright and early tomorrow morning for your first day of training.” Valen couldn’t help but smile as he nodded to her. There was something about this woman he was going to like. Hopefully, there would be no more incidents he had to save her from.