The Lost Savior Read online

  “I’ve got it.” Maddox’s tone is clipped as he teleports out of the room.

  “Coop,” Dane says. “I need you to hold her down as I inject the cure. I’m not sure how her body will react to it.”

  I walk around the other side of the bed, crawling over until I’m beside her. I pin her arms to her sides, trying not to exert too much pressure as Dane lines the patch up, pressing it down on her shoulder in one swift move. Her body jerks a little, her limbs twitching as the liquid healing agent enters her bloodstream.

  Dane keeps the patch secured to her shoulder as the medicine does its job. We are all quiet as we watch and wait.

  “Okay, it’s done,” Dane says a few minutes later, his relief rushing out in a noisy exhale. “She should be perfect by the time she wakes up.”

  “She’s already perfect,” I murmur, easing my hold but still keeping my hands on her. Her skin is amazingly soft to the touch, and my body hums blissfully at the skin-on-skin contact.

  “Coop,” Dane cautions again. “We’re here to protect and serve. To help prepare her. Nothing more. Rein it in.”

  “You guys don’t feel the pull?”

  Beckett looks at the floor, deliberately avoiding eye contact. Dane’s jaw tenses. Maddox reappears, walking toward me. “What did I miss?”

  “Do you feel it? The connection with her?”

  “Yeah. But that’s the way it should be.” He shrugs as if it’s no biggie. “We were chosen for this duty, and the prophecy speaks of the bond between protector and protected. What of it?”

  I resist the urge to roll my eyes. “Don’t preach to the converted. I know what the prophecy says, we all do, but I’m way more interested in what the prophecy hasn’t said.”

  “You’re only seeking to complicate matters,” Dane interjects. “We know our mission, and we stick to fulfilling that.”

  His calm demeanor irritates the fuck out of me. “Am I the only one with a set of balls here?” My angry gaze darts between my three friends. As fellow designated protectors, thrust together from before birth, we are more akin to brothers.

  And, right now, I want to swing for each one of them.

  “You can try to deny it, but I’ve read your thoughts. You all feel the same intense pull, the same attraction, the same inherent sense of contentment now we’re in her presence. What I want to know is, if the prophecy is the reason we all exist, why doesn’t it say anything about this?”

  Our three heads swivel to Beckett, our resident prophecy expert. He’s got that focused look on his face, which means he’s exploring the vast chambers of his mind. Tipping his chin up, he shakes his head. “There is nothing beyond what I’ve already shared.”

  “What does it mean?” Maddox asks no one in particular.

  Beckett shrugs, and Dane glares at me.

  “Why’d you have to say anything?”

  “Screw you, asshole. Ignoring it will not make it go away.” I project the sentiment directly into his head, and he flips me the bird.

  “It means we’re way more invested in this than any of us even realized,” I supply out loud.

  “We were all in already, Coop,” Beckett confirms. “But you’re right. For once in your life, you could be on to something.” He grins. “We knew we’d be aware of her presence as soon as her birth DNA was ignited, that her force field would seek us out, as ours would hers, but we’ve had two unexpected, unexplainable reactions. Firstly, our abilities kicked in straightaway in relation to her, which isn’t usual, and we feel a powerful attraction to her. I just need to work out why and figure out if there’s a part of the prophecy I’ve missed or I’m unaware of.”

  “That’s not instilling a whole lot of confidence,” Maddox says. “I thought you knew everything there was to know about this stuff.”

  Beckett narrows his eyes at him. “The prophecy is complex, and it’s progressed over generations and thousands of years. Certain things are open to interpretation.”

  Our heads turn as one to the sleeping beauty on the bed when a little murmur slips out of her lips. She curls onto her side, and the movement causes her shirt to lift, exposing a strip of smooth, flat, tan skin, stirring my lust and elevating my need for her to a new high.

  “Fuck.” Maddox rubs his jaw, his body locked tight as he shares a knowing look with me.

  I purse my lips, sending an “I told ya so” look back at him. “What do we do about this?” I ask Dane.

  “Nothing,” he replies immediately, still staring at her, bewitched in the same way we all are, not that he’ll admit it. He jerks his chin up, piercing us with a deadly serious look. “We stick to the agreed plan. We will protect her from a distance while we work to earn her trust. When the time is right, we’ll start explaining who she is, easing her into this gently.”

  “I disagree.”

  “You would,” Maddox snorts. “You haven’t changed a bit. You just want in her pants.”

  Asshole! I lunge at him, but Dane is faster, grabbing me and pulling me over to the other side of the room. “We have enough to contend with without fighting among ourselves. Grow up, both of you.” He glares at me. “And you will keep your hands to yourself.” His gaze darts between us. “No one is to touch her.”

  “I think it’s a mistake to hold off on speaking to her. We’re not the only ones looking for her,” I protest.

  “I’ve hidden her location and stopped the transmitter,” Beckett confirms.

  “The signal transmitted to the galaxy before you got to it, so it’s only a matter of time before others arrive,” I add.

  “I know.” He sighs in frustration. “But it buys us some time. Even if they’re aware she is on Earth, they still have to locate her exact whereabouts.”

  “I’m with Coop,” Maddox says, surprisingly. “She needs to understand everything, and we have to teach her how to use her abilities and how to protect herself. We don’t have the luxury of time. There’s no capacity for easing her into this gently. Besides, the knowledge already resides within her. If we can coax that to the surface, it will save a lot of time.”

  “We all agreed to this.” Dane continues arguing.

  “That was before,” I say. “Look at her.” We all flit over to the bed, silently watching her. “We can’t leave her defenseless. Questioning everything.”

  No one speaks.

  We’re all too captivated by a girl we’ve prepared our whole lives to meet.

  Except nothing we’ve done up to this point has prepared us for this moment. And we haven’t even spoken to her yet.

  “You might want to deny it, but I don’t think I can stay away from her,” I admit truthfully. The draw is way too strong.

  Dane whips his head around, snarling under his breath, pissed that I’m questioning his authority again.

  Ignoring the waves of anger rolling off him, I walk with careful precision to her side, leaning over and closing my eyes. Her scent surrounds me, and her aura reaches for mine, entwining our strands together. It’s nothing like how it feels to connect with my brothers. This sensation is exquisite. The most incredible, overwhelming sensation of joy I’ve ever felt. Everything about her sucks me in, and I just need to be near her. Constantly.

  I’m yanked back suddenly, and a deep growl starts building in my chest. I open my mouth to rip Dane a new one when I hear the approaching thoughts. I curse, and my mouth pulls into a grimace. “And that’s another thing we need to deal with,” I hiss.

  Maddox and Beckett raise brows.

  “I know. Shit.” Dane runs a hand through his fauxhawk, pinning Maddox and Beck with a frustrated look. “Incoming. We need to leave.”

  We turn as one to the girl on the bed, taking a last lingering look at her.

  Then we teleport out of her bedroom.

  Chapter 7

  Tori

  I wake the next morning feeling confused. The warm body at my back stirs, and the arms wrapped around my waist tighten. I glance over at the clock and emit a loud squeal. Flipping around, I shake m
y boyfriend awake. “Jensen!” I hiss. “What are you doing here?” I cast an anxious look at the door, expecting Mom to come bursting through the doors any second now. It’s a miracle she hasn’t materialized so far. I strain my ears, and all is quiet downstairs, which is concerning. I cannot remember the last time my parents slept in. If ever. They are both regimented in their routines. And I know Mom didn’t check on me earlier because, no matter how much she loves Jensen, she would’ve freaked out at the sight of him in my bed.

  “Morning, baby,” he murmurs, snuggling into me. “Was worried about you so I climbed in through your window last night.”

  My heart swoons at his admission. I love how well he loves me.

  “How are you feeling?” he adds, yawning.

  “Like I’m about to have a coronary!” I shriek.

  He bolts upright. “What?” He rubs sleep from his eyes. His hair is deliciously messy, pointing in all directions, and the look of panicked concern on his face melts my insides to goo. I press my forehead to his. “Chill. I’m perfectly fine, apart from the worry that Mom is going to bust in here and blow a gasket.”

  He leans back, cupping my face, and then his gaze lands on my shoulder, and his eyes almost bug out of his head. “How the hell …”

  I look at my arm, blinking successively to clear my vision, sure I’m imagining things, but, nope, my eyes aren’t deceiving me. I run my fingers up and down my arm, marveling at the smooth, flawless skin.

  There is absolutely no evidence of any injury on my arm.

  None whatsoever.

  “Wow. Mom’s a miracle worker.”

  Jensen touches my shoulder, tracing the skin with the tip of one finger, frowning. Fiery little tingles dance over my skin from his touch, and I grab the back of his head, pulling his mouth to mine for a kiss.

  No matter how often I kiss him, I never tire of the way he makes me feel. His lips are like velvet as he worships mine, kissing me tenderly as though I might break. I press against him, and I’d love nothing more than to rip off our clothes and do as nature intended, but I think Mom would ground me forever if she walked in on that. Reluctantly, I break the kiss and pull back. “You’d better go.”

  “Tease,” he murmurs, jerking forward and nipping at my lower lip. His look turns serious. “Are you sure you’re feeling okay?”

  “Absolutely.” I stretch my arms above my head, and I don’t even feel a twinge of pain. More than that, I feel energized, like I could run ten marathons back to back. “I’m one hundred percent.”

  Lines furrow his brow. “How do you not even have a mark on your skin? It’s weird.” He flings the covers off and stands up, dressed in only his T-shirt and boxer briefs.

  It is bizarre, but right now I don’t want his inquisitive brain working overtime. “Think of the positives, babe,” I say, eyeing the noticeable bulge in his boxers. “I’m feeling on top of the world, and I could meet you at the barn in a while and take care of that.” I reach out, palming his erection, licking my lips as I stroke his hard length.

  He moans at the base of his throat. “You are going to be the death of me one of these days, Victoria King.” He bends down and captures my lips in a passionate kiss. “But I love how you think.” He slants me a naughty wink. “Meet you there in an hour.”

  It’s so easy to distract guys with sex. I smirk as he pulls on his pants, almost losing his balance in his haste to get home and back out again for our barn rendezvous.

  “Shoot,” he says, digging into his pants pocket. “I almost forgot about this.” He hands me the latest iPhone.

  “What is this?”

  “A new cell, duh.” I frown, and he leans down pecking my lips. “I saved up to get you that for your birthday. It was going to be a surprise, but I know you wrecked your phone last night, so I figure you deserve an early birthday present. I’ll just have to pick up another birthday gift for when the big day rolls around.”

  I jump up, flinging my arms around him. “Oh my God. You’re amazing. How did I get so lucky?”

  “I’m hoping I’m the one about to get lucky,” he teases with a wink, and I giggle, giving his butt a cheeky squeeze.

  “You can bet your bottom dollar you are! Thank you.” I kiss him tenderly. “I love you.”

  “Love you too, babe. I can’t believe how close I came to losing you yesterday, and I never want to feel like that again.”

  I bury my head in his shoulder, wrapping my arms around him. “I know, and I’m sorry you were scared.”

  He kisses the top of my head, easing back. “Not your fault, babe. I’m just so relieved you’re okay, even if it is the quickest recovery in history.” He pecks my lips. “I better go. Don’t want to get you in trouble with the oldies.”

  He blows me a kiss as he crawls through the window, and I reach up and capture it invisibly in my hand. “Love you, inventor boy,” I whisper just as his head disappears.

  My mind wanders to last night as I shower. I remember waking up feeling really ill, taking a cold shower, and stumbling back into my dark bedroom. But I have no recollection of getting back into bed. I’ll add it to the ever-growing list of strange, inexplicable things that have happened to me in the last eighteen hours.

  I get dressed and skip down the stairs, in a fantastic mood. It disappears as soon as I step foot on the rustic tile floor of the empty kitchen. Bile swells in my mouth as I look at the cold stove and the pristine countertops. Spinning on my heel, I race back up the stairs, sprinting to my parent’s room, anxiety coursing through my veins. I rap on the wooden door. “Mom! Dad! Are you in there?”

  I’m greeted with silence, and my anxiety ramps up a notch.

  I rap again, more loudly this time. “Mom! Dad! Wake up!” I can hear the panic in my voice.

  Still nothing, so I open the door and step into the dark room, walking to the curtains and yanking them back. Air expels from my mouth in grateful relief when I see the two familiar forms in the bed, their chests gently shifting in sleep. I perch on the corner of the mattress, taking exaggerated breaths to calm my rapidly beating heart. Mom stirs, groaning as she turns over flat on her back. I’m by her side in a nanosecond. “Mom, are you okay?” I whisper, not wanting to wake Dad.

  She moistens her cracked lips. “I’m fine. How are you?” she asks in a sleep-heavy voice.

  “I’m great.” I offer her a wide smile, shoving the arm of my sweater up and showing her my healed skin.

  Her eyes pop wide, and she’s momentarily lost for words. “That’s wonderful, sweetheart,” she croaks. “Thank the Lord.”

  “Do you know what time it is?” I ask in a whisper, not waiting for her reply. “It’s after ten.”

  “What? My word.” She plants a hand on her chest. “I was in the deepest sleep, but I still can’t believe I overslept.”

  I pat her arm. “You obviously needed the rest.” If I know Mom, she was awake half the night worrying about me. “Why don’t you stay in bed, and I’ll bring you and Dad some breakfast?”

  She shoos me away, peeling the comforter off her legs. “You know me better than that. Give me ten minutes to get dressed, and I’ll meet you downstairs.”

  I have the first batch of pancakes cooking in the skillet by the time Mom appears in the kitchen, sans Dad. “Your poppa is still tired,” she explains, “so I left him sleeping. His back has been at him again, so the extra rest will do him good.”

  “Maybe he should seek a second opinion,” I suggest, flipping the pancakes over. “It’s not right that he’s in so much agony.”

  “Perhaps,” Mom agrees, setting the table.

  We eat our pancakes and bacon in silence, and then I kiss her on the cheek before leaving to hook up with Jensen. Kylie’s been hitting up my phone for the last hour, so I call her back on the walk to the barn.

  She picks up on the third ring. “It’s about time. I’ve been going out of my freaking mind with worry.”

  “Sorry, but I only woke an hour ago, and I was having breakfast with Mom when you cal
led. What happened at the hospital last night?”

  “Your mind manipulation could use a little work.” She says this so casually, as if it’s completely normal, and I can’t help snorting, even though there’s nothing even slightly funny about this whole situation. “Hunter was quiet on the drive to the ER, but he was fine, until Kenzie and Zara woke up and started freaking out, talking about monsters descending from the sky. Lucky for us, everyone thought they were cray-cray, but Hunter’s suspicious, and he was probing me for intel on the ride back.”

  “Are the girls okay?”

  “Sorry, I should have lead with that. Yeppers, they’re both fine. A bit bruised and cut up, but neither of them had a concussion or anything. They were released straightaway last night. Kenzie’s dad is freaking out over the SUV, and I hate to be the one to tell you, but he already called the cops.”

  “Damn it.” Hadn’t thought of that.

  “We need to get our story straight, and then I think you need to try your mind hypnosis thing again on Zara and Kenzie. How about I come over now?”

  “Give me an hour. I’m on my way to meet Jensen at the barn.”

  “You dirty little slut,” she teases. “Guess someone’s feeling a lot better.”

  “I’m completely fine today. Back to normal.” I recognize the lie as the words leave my mouth. I may look great, and my limbs are buzzing, like a Duracell bunny on speed, but I’m still feeling like a stranger in my own skin. Still feeling weird.

  “Well, that’s good. Okay, you go take care of lover boy, and I’ll snoop around Daniel’s room for anything useful. See ya soon.”

  I round the bend, and the disused barn comes into view. It’s roughly halfway between the main farmhouse where I live and the smaller farmhouse where Jensen lives with his mom, dad, and younger sister, Ashley. The farmhouse comes with the manager’s job, so I’ve grown up with my boyfriend as my next door neighbor. The barn was decommissioned three years ago when Dad had a new steel modern barn built right beside our farmhouse. It’s got proper ventilation, and it’s the ideal storage for hay bales, farm machinery, bags of feed, and other such stuff. Jensen and I claimed the disused barn for ourselves, moving a couple of couches, bean bags and some other belongings into it. My genius boyfriend even managed to hook up power to the barn, and now the TV from his bedroom is mounted to the wall, and it’s become a regular hangout for our squad. It comes in handy when we want some private alone time too.