The Soul Mate Page 6

  He placed her on her feet and she stood before an open portal. For a moment, she was captivated by the shimmering air. The event horizon was not powerful enough to suck her in. Her greatest dream had become her worst nightmare.

  Larrey leaned into the portal, moving his head and chest through the gateway. She knew enough to know he was setting her destination by manipulating the wormhole’s harmonics. Wherever he was sending her, he was not joining her for the journey.

  If she had any hope of getting away and meeting up with Zane, she had to act now. His positioning made it impossible to kick him in the groin. Instead, she bit into his arm as hard as she could. She tasted the metallic essence of his blood.

  When he released her arm, she ran for her life. If she fell, perhaps it would be a better fate than where Larrey would send her. She slid a number of times, but quickly righted herself.

  Larrey grabbed her hair, but she managed to elude him. Her situation was too critical to react to her aching scalp. She surged forward.

  She made it another ten feet before he grabbed her arm and turned her around. Her face met with his fist. Now, she had the taste of her own blood in her mouth mingling with his.

  “You bitch,” Larrey growled.

  His punch was not hard enough to knock her out, but it disoriented her. Leenea fought blindly as he dragged her up the trail. She kicked and punched wherever she could, but her struggles did not hinder his progress in getting her back to the portal.

  Leenea continued to fight. She was not going to step through the gateway on her own. He’d have to push her in. At this point, she had a good amount of his flesh under her fingernails. Tomorrow, when he was asked about the scratches on his arm, he would come up with some entertaining story. God only knew where she would be.

  She was not five feet from the portal when a mass of flesh rammed into them, pushing them away from the gateway. Zane had arrived. The momentum of the shove drove her off the trail. She held onto Larrey’s hand, trying to propel herself back onto the path.

  When Larrey released her, she tumbled down the steep incline. She tried to grab branch after branch to stop falling. The branches only scraped her hands. There was nothing she could do to stop her downward descent.

  Zane had barely reacted to Leenea plummeting off the trail when Larrey came at him. He would have to deal with the crystal telepath before he could rescue her. Although he was bigger and stronger than the crystal telepath, Larrey had the advantage of agility.

  A left hook came at Zane which he dodged. From what little light was available, it looked like Leenea had managed to do some damage to Larrey. The man’s left arm was bleeding. He was going to cause more injuries before he was done.

  The trail was narrow. Zane kept his back to the mountain. He did not like being boxed in, but Larrey had to be more cautious related to his footing. It was only a matter of time before the smaller man was outmaneuvered.

  “How did you know we were here?” Larrey asked.

  Because of their close proximity, Zane threw an undercut punch to his opponent’s jaw. His bent knees allowed him to not only keep his balance, but deliver a more powerful blow. Unfortunately, it opened him to a punch that landed in his gut. Zane recovered quickly. He lowered his chin and placed his fisted hands in front of his face. Pushing off his back foot, Zane delivered a jab to Larrey’s jaw again.

  Larrey fell backwards, but he grabbed the crystal telepath’s shirt and delivered a hook punch. His opponent stumbled and Zane kicked him in the direction of the portal. Zane yanked the crystal from his neck and shoved him through the gateway. The crystal telepath would not be able to navigate the portal without his crystal.

  Zane needed to locate his soul mate. “Leenea,” he called out.

  If he was lucky, she would be conscious and able to communicate her position. He was not sure of the exact location where she fell.

  “I am down here,” Leenea cried. “A tree trunk stopped my falling over a cliff.”

  “Is anything broken?” Zane asked. It would be more difficult to get her back to the trail if she broke an arm or leg.

  “No, I am just scraped up. I was afraid to make it back while Larrey and you fought. I did not want to get in the way or distract you.”

  “There is nothing to fear from him any longer.” That was one thing his soul mate would never have to worry about. He would make sure there was a price on his head if Larrey ever tried to make it back to the Troyk universe from wherever he landed. “Do you need my help?”

  Leenea did not reply. He wanted to give her the opportunity to get as far as she could on her own. Her self-worth had taken a shot this evening. At least she called out to him before it was too late.

  Zane listened for the sound of snapping branches as Leenea worked her way back to the trail. He positioned himself above the noise as she scaled her way up the mountain slope. She had fallen from a point higher on the trail than he had estimated. His eyes scanned the area below, waiting to catch a glimpse of her.

  The moon now fully illuminated the area. He looked at the sky, determining how much longer they had before another cloud hindered his vision. It would be awhile before the full moon was shrouded again.

  He finally saw her as she traversed the incline. She grabbed tree limbs and thicker roots as a means to steady herself and provide her momentum up the mountain. Unable to stand there and watch her progress any longer, he stepped off the trail and went down to meet her.

  They met at a large oak tree and he took Leenea into his arms. “You scared me to death,” he said before claiming her lips.

  Together they worked their way back to the trail. Leenea had good balance and selected areas that would provide the best chance not to slip. Zane followed her lead. He positioned himself behind her, preparing to catch her if she fell backward.

  They shared a collective sigh when they were back on the trail. He examined Leenea in the moonlight. Her tunic was torn to shreds as well as her camisole. There were too many tears in her leggings to bother to count. Worse, her left cheek was black and blue, swollen from trauma. Had the bastard hit her?

  The portal had closed and the moon’s light reflected off Larrey’s crystal. Leenea picked it up. She looked around her surroundings. “What did you do with Larrey?”

  “I sent him through the portal without his crystal,” Zane replied. “He will be a prisoner of the portal until a natural opening occurs. Who knows where he will end up.”

  “He set the harmonics of the portal to send me somewhere he said no one returns from,” Leenea answered.

  “The man is a crystal telepath. All he has to do is find a crystal and he will be able to return.”

  Zane would make sure when that day occurred, Leenea would be protected from retribution. In the meantime, there was still Jeryl Jarlyn to deal with.

  12

  The steady stream of warm water felt wonderful cascading down Leenea’s injured body. Her clothing had provided little protection during her fall. She had scrapes and bruises from her head to her toes. It was a miracle she had not broken a single bone.

  Zane opened the shower door. “You have been in there long enough. The water will soon be cold. Let me dry you off and put some salve on your injuries.”

  It surprised Leenea she did not try to cover her nudity with her arms and hands. They had only been together once, not long enough to feel comfortable in each other’s presence. But she was not embarrassed by her weight, her overly large breasts, or the fact she did not have a flat stomach.

  He reached over and turned off the water. She walked into the cushy towel Zane held and he cocooned her body into the ultra-soft cotton. “I would not expect a bachelor to have quality towels.”

  “They were a gift from my mother.” Zane rubbed his large hands over the cotton, drying her body in the process. His touch was light, realizing she had numerous bruises and scrapes. “How do you like my apartment?”

  They headed for his place when they returned to Aster Province rather than eith
er of their parents’ homes. If he asked, she would move in immediately. Like his parent’s house, Zane’s place had a homey quality about it.

  “Did your mother help you decorate? The living room had such bright colors. In a man’s domain, I was expecting browns and blacks.” She continued to drive the discussion so the topic would not shift to her injured body.

  Zane laughed. “A matter of fact, she did. I would have put in a black leather sofa and chairs. My mother said I would be more comfortable coming home to warm colors than a cold, black room. She was right.”

  At that moment, Leenea realized she never wanted to spend another night in the showcase her parents had created. There was nothing warm and inviting about the house where she was raised. Just the thought depressed her.

  After he finished drying her body and applying balm to the worst of her injuries, Zane wrapped her in a large terry cloth robe. “When the shops open, I will run out and get you something to wear. Your clothing from last night was ruined by the fall.”

  She never wanted to show her face in Troyk society again. Jeryl Jarlyn would always look at her as a target. “What can we do about Jeryl Jarlyn? The man wants me to disappear, like my father.”

  “I have been thinking about that since we got off the mountain,” Zane said. “We need you to be seen in public with the sons of his allies. I will set up the dates.” Her heart sank, believing he was no longer interested in marrying her. “I will date you as well. After two months, we will date exclusively and then wed.”

  Leenea threw herself into Zane’s arms and kissed him. The robe fell open. Her breasts brushed against his naked chest. Every scrape and bruise she possessed was forgotten.

  “Make love to me,” Leenea commanded. “Forget the injuries. I can handle a little discomfort after what I have been through today. This is what I need.”

  Zane pushed the robe off her shoulders and the material rolled down her arms and onto the floor. He picked her up and carried her to the bed. She squealed with laughter when he tossed her onto the mattress.

  As he removed his clothing, Leenea centered herself on the bed, not bothering to cover her figure with the linen. She felt beautiful as his eyes scanned her body. Her core reacted to the smoldering looks. She was already wet and ready for him.

  “I promise to love you until the day I die and keep you safe.” Zane’s eyes never left her face as he said those words. He joined her on the bed and covered her body with his mass.

  “And I promise to love and adore you as well,” Leenea responded. “I will make a home for the two of us and eventually our children.”

  With those words, Leenea considered them married. Any civil ceremony was just to legalize what they were already to each other. With the political environment, they would keep the fact they were soul mates to themselves.

  Her restless legs wrapped around his hips. She should be exhausted after everything that occurred tonight, but she had a surprising amount of energy. All she wanted to do was be one with her mate.

  Their need for each other was evident. Zane drove inside her with a single thrust. She cried out with joy at the action. He moved inside her, stretching her to accommodate his size. They were born to be together.

  Zane set a rhythm Leenea had no difficulty matching. She sensed his every move within their channel. The telepathic bond between them only intensified the physical enjoyment they shared.

  He exited her body, just to drive back in. Each thrust brought another roar of victory from her and the cells within her core were on fire. The inferno inside her was building to another powerful release. She needed to hold on a little longer, cherishing the act.

  When Zane exploded inside her, she screamed with the intensity of her orgasm. His shouts married with hers. He kissed her as the chain reaction inside them ebbed.

  Unlike the first time they made love, her brain did not sizzle. She sighed with relief and basked on what had occurred between them and being in her lover’s arms.

  They would share this time together, but eventually, they would have to leave Zane’s apartment. It was still early morning and the communal pathways were relatively quiet. When the sun rose, so would the activity within the channels. This was the only place and time she would be able to find any peace.

  Zane held his soul mate in his arms. He felt the joy she experienced from their lovemaking, but also the dread of the coming day. They pledged their love to each other and he promised to protect her.

  He rolled over and brought her into his body. She was warm and curvy, just how he liked women. But this one was special and needed to be cherished.

  “The Supreme Being gave us our special gifts to safeguard what we are to each other.” Zane brushed stray strands of black hair from her face. “We have the ability to read other’s thoughts. It is a tool we must use to judge if someone wishes either of us harm.”

  Leenea frowned. “It is a terrible invasion, but I could have picked up Larrey’s intent if I had read his mind. I am just not sure what I would have done then.”

  He gazed into her blue eyes. “You would have reached out to me and we would have figured it out together. We could not have gone to Noel with the information, but we would have come up with another means to warn the man and safeguard you.”

  They lived in a dangerous political environment and he had more to lose than the family business. The best way to protect Leenea was to become as powerful as he could. Jeryl Jarlyn wanted to become Prime Ruler. That cost money, as well as maintaining the power. With Leenea as his wife, Jeryl would have to know the money would dry up if anything happened to her.

  “We have our roles to play for the next couple months,” Zane stated. “Every move we make has to be calculated to insulate you from the bastard. I cannot bring him down, but I can be an instrument who can elevate him and losing my support would be a crippling blow.”

  “I have learned a thing or two watching my father over the years,” Leenea added. “But there will be questions about Larrey’s disappearance.”

  He ran his finger across her rosy cheek. “People disappear all the time. You go about your normal routine. Jarlyn would never believe you had anything to do with Larrey’s disappearance.”

  “What about his crystal?”

  “I will crush the stone and burn the cord,” Zane replied. “All evidence of him will disappear, like he did. If he returns, Jarlyn will be too dependent on the money we provide. My father is already excited about the prospect. He will be an unknowing accomplice.”

  Leenea was not glowing with the aftermath of their lovemaking. She was struggling with their circumstances. He could see it reflected on her face and the turmoil she was feeling seeped through their channel.

  “What is it, love?” Zane felt helpless to relieve the uncertainty she felt.

  She tightened her hold on his body. “I do not want to see other men. We should start our life together now. Before my father’s stupid act, we were engaged to be married.”

  It tore him apart he could not wed her immediately. “Our engagement was part of a business transaction, which is now null and void. Society would view it too soon for true feelings to have developed between the two of us. When we ultimately wed, I do not want conspiracy theories to develop within the communal pathways that will once again place a target on your back. You will date other men for the time being and I will visibly grow more jealous.”

  She took ahold of his rod. “I like the jealousy part of the plan.”

  He groaned as her touch became bolder. “It will not require any acting on my part.”

  All rational thought escaped his mind as he hardened in her hand. She was clumsy, but she managed to solicit a full erection. Not wanting to come in her hands, he pushed her onto her back and entered her. This time he was slow and deliberate. He would savor every response from her until they climaxed together.

  “I am going to give you a child tonight,” he claimed. “Are there any names you are particularly fond of?”

  Leenea was
too absorbed in their lovemaking to answer. Her talented pelvis moved with each thrust and when he filled her to the hilt, she milked him until he cried out with his own release. It seemed each time they made love, their climaxes intensified.

  He had found his soul mate. A woman who should only be a legend, not one he could hold in his arms and love. It was a gift he needed to protect.

  “Tarsea,” Leenea said.

  “Who?”

  “That is the name I would like for our first born, assuming the child is a male,” Leenea explained. “He is a warrior of legend. A righter of wrongs. Our world needs someone like that.”

  Soul mates were beings of legend, why not name their son after the mythical hero. The Troyk universe could use some of those fabled men and women to become a reality. In the meantime, he would love the woman in his arms and find opportunities to foster positive change.

  Enjoy the First Chapter of

  ‘The Chameleon Soul Mate’

  Worlds Apart series: Book One

  Arizona

  Alexandra Mann, ‘Alex’ to friends and foes, disconnected from the call center system and let out a long, painful sigh. People never called to comment on how great things were, just to complain.

  But she had the ability to stay calm under pressure and deal with any situation. It didn’t matter if it was a customer yelling or her two best friends coming to her with their latest crisis. Alex took whatever life threw at her and made lemon drop cocktails.

  Friday was finally here and Alex was going up to Sedona with three friends. They had been planning this trip for five months, and the countdown was finally over. This weekend was a double celebration: her twenty-first birthday and her best friend Shirl’s twenty-third.

  She had actually taken a half day of vacation so she and Shirl could get a jump on the traffic that headed north every Friday afternoon. Two of her co-workers were joining them, but had to work all day and would drive up later.