Garnet's Queen Chapter 1
Daniah
The burning in my shoulders wakes me and my head swims as I blink open my eyes. Leaving my head hanging, I try to get my brain to catch up. I see my blood soaked dress so torn and filthy that if I weren’t hanging chained to a wall, I would be more upset that the beautiful gown is ruined. Instead all I can see is Jaclyn’s blood. Knowing that she had quit breathing, even though I could tell she was still alive once they lifted her off me, I worry that she isn’t okay. Then I still have no idea what happened to Jaiden. I think I can feel a connection, but I can’t be sure with the amount of pain in my own body. I tried to dream walk once I passed out, but I must be too exhausted to make it work.
My stomach grumbles and a pain flashes through me, tears fall as I worry for my unborn child. I can’t lose my baby.
“Queen Dani, I can go get you some food,” Jules’ little voice says from next to me, and I jerk as I look down at her. “He can’t hear me or see me, no one can unless I want them to.” I relax a fraction, though I wonder if I can communicate with her without actually talking.
I look her over, and she looks okay. She is still wearing the dress that Shelly helped her dress in. It is light blue and has a full skirt like mine used to, though there are spots of dried blood here and there. My stomach rumbles again forcing my gaze from the blood to meet Jules’ eyes.
I mouth to her, “Water, please.”
Jules nods, then walks across the room and out the door without looking at Meikal once. The door, for whatever reason, has been left open. I finally lift my head to look over at Meikal and I cringe as he is staring at me. Now that I am really with it, he looks like he has aged years since I saw him last.
“You look like your mother,” his voice is low and gruff.
I swallow, my throat dry, but don’t answer him. His appearance hasn’t changed much since I’ve been chained here, though he looks less crazy–his eyes are less feral, more calculating. He hasn’t roared again since I was locked in, and after a couple humans were let in to their dooms, he calmed. I welcomed the blackness of sleep then and tried to stay asleep as long as I could in the uncomfortable position I am in.
“I can’t wait to enter the castle again, it has been years since I have been there.” He smiles, though the look is more evil than I have seen on him before. “I hear your human family is still there, I may spare them if you agree to rule with me.”
I frown as the pieces I’ve been researching fall into place. “You killed my mother.” Meikal just gazes at me. “Did you kill my father too?”
Meikal shakes his head, and smirks. “Your father is very much alive.”
My mouth drops open, and I can’t seem to make my brain reason out what he just proclaimed. My father is alive? How is that possible? I was told he died before my mother did. It is in her journals and everyone I have talked to says the same thing. Wait, was he taken and kept alive? Anger settles in my stomach, and I feel my body heat rising.
I glare at Meikal. “What have you done?”
He laughs, the sound rakes my ears like nails on a chalkboard. “You haven’t agreed to rule with me. Why should I tell you anything?”
“Rule with you?” I scoff, shaking my head in disbelief, then rattle the chains holding my arms. “You consider this ruling? Chained to a wall begging for food?” He roars as I raise my voice to be heard. “You are more delusional than crazy if you think you still lead your army!”
Meikal’s whole body jerks, his arms straining against the chains, screaming his rage out for a long time before I notice movement at the door. Damiana enters looking pissed, and I would have grinned if I weren’t in such a compromising position. She watches Meikal for a moment after glancing at me, then moves forward and steps directly into his view. He is panting, though he stops straining as much against the bonds.
“Release me, I have my hunger under control, and I have plans.” He is glaring at her, no room for question in his voice, and I expect for a moment that she will let him go. Instead, she saunters up to him and presses her body against his. If I had food in my stomach, I might vomit.
“It is not time yet to release you. The army is exuberant that we have captured the princess and until they have breached the walls of the castle, we can’t reveal that you are Devlo yet,” she pauses, and Meikal just stares at her. “We need to have control of the castle before we can make you King.”
I frown at her flawed logic, and I wait for Meikal to disagree and demand to be let go. He was so adamant when she first walked in, and why would it matter if he is Devlo or not? Instead, he completely surprises me by raking her body with his eyes. I stare wide eyed at the abnormal reaction compared to how angry he was earlier. Then I realize as she smiles in what looks like triumph, she has a hold over him. She must have some sort of power to be able to control another’s thoughts, to make Meikal go from full on angry to completely oblivious. My body grows cold at the thought. Marc appears at the door, and I hear him snort as I glance at him.
Meikal doesn’t even look his way, though I can see the disgust clearly written on Marc’s face. He looks over at me and eyes me much the same way Meikal just did to Damiana. I swallow, knowing that I am completely vulnerable. Marc moves across the room to stop in front of me, I can barely see Meikal over Marc’s shoulder.
There is no disgust on his face as he looks me in the eye, though I think I do see something calculating. “While they are busy, I don’t see why we can’t be also.” I flinch back against the wall, my chains rattling as he traces my cheek with his finger.
Bile hits the back of my throat at his suggestion, and this time I wish I had eaten something recently so I could vomit on him, in pleasure.
“You will not touch her.” My body jerks in shock at Meikal’s command, and as Marc turns, I see the surprise on his face before he masks it.
Damiana looks livid and is glaring at me, jealousy and rage more than evident. “What is so great about her?”
Marc glances at me, a smug look on his face. “She is hot.” He shrugs as if that is the only reason there needs to be, and I feel dirty with his pronouncement.
“You will not touch her,” Meikal says again, his voice full of fury as he glares at Marc.
He doesn’t see Damiana’s mouth drop open, and he doesn’t see the anger in her eyes sparking as she looks between him and I. Neither Meikal nor Damiana seem to see the glee on Marc’s face as Damiana shifts to look at Meikal.
“What has she promised you that I haven’t?” Damiana demands, moving in between Meikal and me.
Meikal glances down at her, finally taking his eyes of Marc, and frowns. “She has promised me nothing, just as her mother promised me nothing, but she will.”
Understanding crosses her face as she smirks at me. “So you had a thing for the Queen.”
She moves slowly with purpose to me and locks her eyes with mine, instantly I feel her trying to worm her way into my brain, and I try to close my eyes or look away, but I can’t. Fear and panic flood my mind, but I can’t seem to make my body work the way I want it to.
“Markon, release her chains,” she says, and her voice seems to reverberate against my skull.
My arms are lowered, and I feel an intense, painful, tingle shoot down them to my fingers. I gasp, but I can’t do anything else. I can’t even speak.
“I think I want to see a bit of a show. How about you, Markon?” Damiana grins at me, and I feel horror as the idea forms in my head.
“Sure, as long as I can be part of it.” Marc takes my waist, but Damiana growls and shoves him away from me.
Suddenly, I have another idea forming, and I feel confused and angry knowing that the thoughts are not my own. I feel myself take an unsteady step forward, then another, bringing me closer to Meikal. I feel tears falling, and I can’t do anything but what my mind is telling my body to do. Even though I am screaming for my body to stop, it won’t.
“I bet you are jealous he wants me more than he wants you,” I hear the words come from my mouth, but my voice sounds dead, and I let out a strangled scream as my body finally stops inches away from Meikal’s.
His eyes are intently, greedily, devouring my body, and I can feel the heat emitting from him. He is straining toward me and as his body brushes mine, he groans, closing his eyes. I whimper, feeling helpless and angry, tears blur my vision and my muscles strain waiting for a command. I feel a sharp pain in my head as I am yanked back by my hair and fall hard to the floor.
“What did you say bitch?” Damiana’s fist is in my hair, she looks insane.
“Don’t touch her!” Meikal roars, as Marc laughs manically.
A sob breaks through as the hold on my mind is severed. I lay there trembling in horror and fear. I don’t know how to fight off her power, and obviously jealousy works, but if I push too far she may kill me, there is no real reason she needs me. Damiana looks up at Marc and moving fast, she has him against the wall.
“Talia,” I hear Meikal say, and I look at him to see concern on his face, he thinks I am my mother.
“You are close to being let go, Markon. You would do well to remember who the boss is.” Damiana is holding him against the wall, and his face is red in what I assume is anger, though he doesn’t struggle against her. “Using the princess to piss me off is not a good idea. Now, I think you need to be punished, and I need to be rewarded, let’s go.”
I wonder briefly why she is calling him Markon, but I assume it is because he didn’t give Jane his real name, or his full name rather. Damiana glances back and after glaring at me for a beat, she struts out of the room with Marc on her heels, the door slamming shut. I let out a sigh and slump against the floor for a moment, then pull myself back against the wall where I was chained, putting some distance between Meikal and I.
I hear Jules enter and I watch out of the corner of my eye as she shuts the door softly. Meikal apparently doesn’t hear as all his focus is still on me. Jules is carrying a small tray, which has a lovely smell of chicken noodle soup wafting from it. She sets it on the ground, but keeps her hand on it as she sits next to me.
“Whatever I touch will be invisible also, I don’t think it is a good idea to have him see this.” She gestures to Meikal though she doesn’t look at him.
I dip my chin as a nod then look back over at Meikal, he has a perplexed look on his face and his eyes are darting around the room. I notice the door that I remember seeing in my vision, and I nod to it. Jules looks over, then smiles.
“It is a small bathroom, I had to go earlier while you were sleeping. I will go in there, then you can eat.” She doesn’t wait for me to answer but carries the tray into the other room.
I move slowly, my entire body aching. “Don’t leave me, Talia.” I ignore Meikal’s plea, and I half crawl into the bathroom, shutting the door most of the way, I want to be able to hear if someone else enters the room.
Meikal is struggling again and making noises, but I shut him out and settle on the floor of the small bathroom, leaning my aching head against the wall. There is a toilet, shower, and sink. Nothing else that I can see and I frown wondering if the water works, though Jules said she used the bathroom, so it must.
Jules smiles a little at me and gestures to the tray. Feeling overwhelmed, I smile back as much as I am able, then I open my arms to the sweet, brave little girl sitting in front of me. She flies into my arms and grips me hard as if I may disappear before she can get a hug. I hear her sniffle into my neck and I sigh, holding her close right back. Thankful that she is so clever and came with me, but then worried that they will find her and I won’t be able to protect her.
I turn my head and very softly I whisper in her ear, “Thank you.” She nods and we sit like this for a little while.
My stomach rumbles and I let out a huff, remembering not to make a sound at the last moment. Jules sits back a little, and I tuck some of her hair behind her ear as she settles back on the floor and I scoot up to the tray she had set next to me.
The soup is amazing and soothing, and I feel tons better once I have eaten. I drink all the water and refill it twice from the sink where the water runs clear, so the shower must work also. Glancing down at my ruined dress, I wonder if there are any clothes in the room where Meikal finally went silent. I push the tray under the sink and lean in close to Jules.
“I will be right back.” I whisper barely making a sound, and she nods.
I stand, feeling sore but overall better, and make my way back into the room. Meikal’s eyes instantly lock on me, and I do my best to ignore him as I walk to the dresser and open the drawers searching for pants and a shirt. Surprisingly, the drawers are full as if one day they were just shoved into a corner and left. I pull out a pair of sweat pants, a plain black t-shirt, and a pair of socks. I start to head back into the bathroom but then stop and grab another t-shirt as I didn’t see any towels in the bathroom. I look around wondering if there is soap anywhere and I see a cupboard by the door to the hall I didn’t notice before.
I move to it and open it seeing soap, a toothbrush, toothpaste, and other various hygiene items. I grab what I need and still ignoring Meikal, I turn and decide to try the door, I can only hope that maybe Damiana was too distracted to remember to lock it. I twist the handle and to my surprise it gives easily. Before I can open it though, a sharp pain shoots through my head and I let my head drop to the door knowing that Damiana still has some control over my mind. I want to leave the room, but my mind won’t let it happen.
“Don’t leave me, love. Talia, I have missed you.” I tense at Meikal’s words, and I drop my hand from the doorknob, turn, and quickly move into the bathroom, still ignoring the obviously delusional Meikal.
Once inside, I set the clothes down and move to the shower. I turn the handles and thankfully water blasts out. I try the temperature and almost groan when I feel the warmth. I turn to look at Jules who is sitting against the wall in between the toilet and sink across from the door. She nods when I gesture to the shower and my ruined dress. I sigh when the water hits me, then close my eyes as the water flows over my face. Meikal obviously thinks I am my mother, whom he killed. I push my hair back into the spray, turning as I consider that my father is still alive, well at least that’s what Meikal says and he does think I am my mother. I shake my head knowing that until I get out of here at least, I can’t do anything about it. I take inventory of my body using the soap to scrub the blood from me.
There are a few cuts on me, most likely from the struggle at the castle, but otherwise bruises are all I see once the blood, that wasn’t mine, washes away. I finish up knowing I need to keep my wits about me so that I can fight against whatever it is that Damiana does to me. I settle on the bathroom floor again with Jules in my lap and close my eyes, straining to find the connection between Jaiden and me. I still can’t feel anything, and I just don’t know if it is because he isn’t there, or I am too weak. With my head leaned back, I try to calm myself so that I can think through this and how to get us out. I need to get us back to the castle, and I need to know if Jaiden is alive.
Please Everlasting, help me to get out of here safely with Jules. Help those at the castle, and please make sure Jaiden is okay.
The burning in my shoulders wakes me and my head swims as I blink open my eyes. Leaving my head hanging, I try to get my brain to catch up. I see my blood soaked dress so torn and filthy that if I weren’t hanging chained to a wall, I would be more upset that the beautiful gown is ruined. Instead all I can see is Jaclyn’s blood. Knowing that she had quit breathing, even though I could tell she was still alive once they lifted her off me, I worry that she isn’t okay. Then I still have no idea what happened to Jaiden. I think I can feel a connection, but I can’t be sure with the amount of pain in my own body. I tried to dream walk once I passed out, but I must be too exhausted to make it work.
My stomach grumbles and a pain flashes through me, tears fall as I worry for my unborn child. I can’t lose my baby.
“Queen Dani, I can go get you some food,” Jules’ little voice says from next to me, and I jerk as I look down at her. “He can’t hear me or see me, no one can unless I want them to.” I relax a fraction, though I wonder if I can communicate with her without actually talking.
I look her over, and she looks okay. She is still wearing the dress that Shelly helped her dress in. It is light blue and has a full skirt like mine used to, though there are spots of dried blood here and there. My stomach rumbles again forcing my gaze from the blood to meet Jules’ eyes.
I mouth to her, “Water, please.”
Jules nods, then walks across the room and out the door without looking at Meikal once. The door, for whatever reason, has been left open. I finally lift my head to look over at Meikal and I cringe as he is staring at me. Now that I am really with it, he looks like he has aged years since I saw him last.
“You look like your mother,” his voice is low and gruff.
I swallow, my throat dry, but don’t answer him. His appearance hasn’t changed much since I’ve been chained here, though he looks less crazy–his eyes are less feral, more calculating. He hasn’t roared again since I was locked in, and after a couple humans were let in to their dooms, he calmed. I welcomed the blackness of sleep then and tried to stay asleep as long as I could in the uncomfortable position I am in.
“I can’t wait to enter the castle again, it has been years since I have been there.” He smiles, though the look is more evil than I have seen on him before. “I hear your human family is still there, I may spare them if you agree to rule with me.”
I frown as the pieces I’ve been researching fall into place. “You killed my mother.” Meikal just gazes at me. “Did you kill my father too?”
Meikal shakes his head, and smirks. “Your father is very much alive.”
My mouth drops open, and I can’t seem to make my brain reason out what he just proclaimed. My father is alive? How is that possible? I was told he died before my mother did. It is in her journals and everyone I have talked to says the same thing. Wait, was he taken and kept alive? Anger settles in my stomach, and I feel my body heat rising.
I glare at Meikal. “What have you done?”
He laughs, the sound rakes my ears like nails on a chalkboard. “You haven’t agreed to rule with me. Why should I tell you anything?”
“Rule with you?” I scoff, shaking my head in disbelief, then rattle the chains holding my arms. “You consider this ruling? Chained to a wall begging for food?” He roars as I raise my voice to be heard. “You are more delusional than crazy if you think you still lead your army!”
Meikal’s whole body jerks, his arms straining against the chains, screaming his rage out for a long time before I notice movement at the door. Damiana enters looking pissed, and I would have grinned if I weren’t in such a compromising position. She watches Meikal for a moment after glancing at me, then moves forward and steps directly into his view. He is panting, though he stops straining as much against the bonds.
“Release me, I have my hunger under control, and I have plans.” He is glaring at her, no room for question in his voice, and I expect for a moment that she will let him go. Instead, she saunters up to him and presses her body against his. If I had food in my stomach, I might vomit.
“It is not time yet to release you. The army is exuberant that we have captured the princess and until they have breached the walls of the castle, we can’t reveal that you are Devlo yet,” she pauses, and Meikal just stares at her. “We need to have control of the castle before we can make you King.”
I frown at her flawed logic, and I wait for Meikal to disagree and demand to be let go. He was so adamant when she first walked in, and why would it matter if he is Devlo or not? Instead, he completely surprises me by raking her body with his eyes. I stare wide eyed at the abnormal reaction compared to how angry he was earlier. Then I realize as she smiles in what looks like triumph, she has a hold over him. She must have some sort of power to be able to control another’s thoughts, to make Meikal go from full on angry to completely oblivious. My body grows cold at the thought. Marc appears at the door, and I hear him snort as I glance at him.
Meikal doesn’t even look his way, though I can see the disgust clearly written on Marc’s face. He looks over at me and eyes me much the same way Meikal just did to Damiana. I swallow, knowing that I am completely vulnerable. Marc moves across the room to stop in front of me, I can barely see Meikal over Marc’s shoulder.
There is no disgust on his face as he looks me in the eye, though I think I do see something calculating. “While they are busy, I don’t see why we can’t be also.” I flinch back against the wall, my chains rattling as he traces my cheek with his finger.
Bile hits the back of my throat at his suggestion, and this time I wish I had eaten something recently so I could vomit on him, in pleasure.
“You will not touch her.” My body jerks in shock at Meikal’s command, and as Marc turns, I see the surprise on his face before he masks it.
Damiana looks livid and is glaring at me, jealousy and rage more than evident. “What is so great about her?”
Marc glances at me, a smug look on his face. “She is hot.” He shrugs as if that is the only reason there needs to be, and I feel dirty with his pronouncement.
“You will not touch her,” Meikal says again, his voice full of fury as he glares at Marc.
He doesn’t see Damiana’s mouth drop open, and he doesn’t see the anger in her eyes sparking as she looks between him and I. Neither Meikal nor Damiana seem to see the glee on Marc’s face as Damiana shifts to look at Meikal.
“What has she promised you that I haven’t?” Damiana demands, moving in between Meikal and me.
Meikal glances down at her, finally taking his eyes of Marc, and frowns. “She has promised me nothing, just as her mother promised me nothing, but she will.”
Understanding crosses her face as she smirks at me. “So you had a thing for the Queen.”
She moves slowly with purpose to me and locks her eyes with mine, instantly I feel her trying to worm her way into my brain, and I try to close my eyes or look away, but I can’t. Fear and panic flood my mind, but I can’t seem to make my body work the way I want it to.
“Markon, release her chains,” she says, and her voice seems to reverberate against my skull.
My arms are lowered, and I feel an intense, painful, tingle shoot down them to my fingers. I gasp, but I can’t do anything else. I can’t even speak.
“I think I want to see a bit of a show. How about you, Markon?” Damiana grins at me, and I feel horror as the idea forms in my head.
“Sure, as long as I can be part of it.” Marc takes my waist, but Damiana growls and shoves him away from me.
Suddenly, I have another idea forming, and I feel confused and angry knowing that the thoughts are not my own. I feel myself take an unsteady step forward, then another, bringing me closer to Meikal. I feel tears falling, and I can’t do anything but what my mind is telling my body to do. Even though I am screaming for my body to stop, it won’t.
“I bet you are jealous he wants me more than he wants you,” I hear the words come from my mouth, but my voice sounds dead, and I let out a strangled scream as my body finally stops inches away from Meikal’s.
His eyes are intently, greedily, devouring my body, and I can feel the heat emitting from him. He is straining toward me and as his body brushes mine, he groans, closing his eyes. I whimper, feeling helpless and angry, tears blur my vision and my muscles strain waiting for a command. I feel a sharp pain in my head as I am yanked back by my hair and fall hard to the floor.
“What did you say bitch?” Damiana’s fist is in my hair, she looks insane.
“Don’t touch her!” Meikal roars, as Marc laughs manically.
A sob breaks through as the hold on my mind is severed. I lay there trembling in horror and fear. I don’t know how to fight off her power, and obviously jealousy works, but if I push too far she may kill me, there is no real reason she needs me. Damiana looks up at Marc and moving fast, she has him against the wall.
“Talia,” I hear Meikal say, and I look at him to see concern on his face, he thinks I am my mother.
“You are close to being let go, Markon. You would do well to remember who the boss is.” Damiana is holding him against the wall, and his face is red in what I assume is anger, though he doesn’t struggle against her. “Using the princess to piss me off is not a good idea. Now, I think you need to be punished, and I need to be rewarded, let’s go.”
I wonder briefly why she is calling him Markon, but I assume it is because he didn’t give Jane his real name, or his full name rather. Damiana glances back and after glaring at me for a beat, she struts out of the room with Marc on her heels, the door slamming shut. I let out a sigh and slump against the floor for a moment, then pull myself back against the wall where I was chained, putting some distance between Meikal and I.
I hear Jules enter and I watch out of the corner of my eye as she shuts the door softly. Meikal apparently doesn’t hear as all his focus is still on me. Jules is carrying a small tray, which has a lovely smell of chicken noodle soup wafting from it. She sets it on the ground, but keeps her hand on it as she sits next to me.
“Whatever I touch will be invisible also, I don’t think it is a good idea to have him see this.” She gestures to Meikal though she doesn’t look at him.
I dip my chin as a nod then look back over at Meikal, he has a perplexed look on his face and his eyes are darting around the room. I notice the door that I remember seeing in my vision, and I nod to it. Jules looks over, then smiles.
“It is a small bathroom, I had to go earlier while you were sleeping. I will go in there, then you can eat.” She doesn’t wait for me to answer but carries the tray into the other room.
I move slowly, my entire body aching. “Don’t leave me, Talia.” I ignore Meikal’s plea, and I half crawl into the bathroom, shutting the door most of the way, I want to be able to hear if someone else enters the room.
Meikal is struggling again and making noises, but I shut him out and settle on the floor of the small bathroom, leaning my aching head against the wall. There is a toilet, shower, and sink. Nothing else that I can see and I frown wondering if the water works, though Jules said she used the bathroom, so it must.
Jules smiles a little at me and gestures to the tray. Feeling overwhelmed, I smile back as much as I am able, then I open my arms to the sweet, brave little girl sitting in front of me. She flies into my arms and grips me hard as if I may disappear before she can get a hug. I hear her sniffle into my neck and I sigh, holding her close right back. Thankful that she is so clever and came with me, but then worried that they will find her and I won’t be able to protect her.
I turn my head and very softly I whisper in her ear, “Thank you.” She nods and we sit like this for a little while.
My stomach rumbles and I let out a huff, remembering not to make a sound at the last moment. Jules sits back a little, and I tuck some of her hair behind her ear as she settles back on the floor and I scoot up to the tray she had set next to me.
The soup is amazing and soothing, and I feel tons better once I have eaten. I drink all the water and refill it twice from the sink where the water runs clear, so the shower must work also. Glancing down at my ruined dress, I wonder if there are any clothes in the room where Meikal finally went silent. I push the tray under the sink and lean in close to Jules.
“I will be right back.” I whisper barely making a sound, and she nods.
I stand, feeling sore but overall better, and make my way back into the room. Meikal’s eyes instantly lock on me, and I do my best to ignore him as I walk to the dresser and open the drawers searching for pants and a shirt. Surprisingly, the drawers are full as if one day they were just shoved into a corner and left. I pull out a pair of sweat pants, a plain black t-shirt, and a pair of socks. I start to head back into the bathroom but then stop and grab another t-shirt as I didn’t see any towels in the bathroom. I look around wondering if there is soap anywhere and I see a cupboard by the door to the hall I didn’t notice before.
I move to it and open it seeing soap, a toothbrush, toothpaste, and other various hygiene items. I grab what I need and still ignoring Meikal, I turn and decide to try the door, I can only hope that maybe Damiana was too distracted to remember to lock it. I twist the handle and to my surprise it gives easily. Before I can open it though, a sharp pain shoots through my head and I let my head drop to the door knowing that Damiana still has some control over my mind. I want to leave the room, but my mind won’t let it happen.
“Don’t leave me, love. Talia, I have missed you.” I tense at Meikal’s words, and I drop my hand from the doorknob, turn, and quickly move into the bathroom, still ignoring the obviously delusional Meikal.
Once inside, I set the clothes down and move to the shower. I turn the handles and thankfully water blasts out. I try the temperature and almost groan when I feel the warmth. I turn to look at Jules who is sitting against the wall in between the toilet and sink across from the door. She nods when I gesture to the shower and my ruined dress. I sigh when the water hits me, then close my eyes as the water flows over my face. Meikal obviously thinks I am my mother, whom he killed. I push my hair back into the spray, turning as I consider that my father is still alive, well at least that’s what Meikal says and he does think I am my mother. I shake my head knowing that until I get out of here at least, I can’t do anything about it. I take inventory of my body using the soap to scrub the blood from me.
There are a few cuts on me, most likely from the struggle at the castle, but otherwise bruises are all I see once the blood, that wasn’t mine, washes away. I finish up knowing I need to keep my wits about me so that I can fight against whatever it is that Damiana does to me. I settle on the bathroom floor again with Jules in my lap and close my eyes, straining to find the connection between Jaiden and me. I still can’t feel anything, and I just don’t know if it is because he isn’t there, or I am too weak. With my head leaned back, I try to calm myself so that I can think through this and how to get us out. I need to get us back to the castle, and I need to know if Jaiden is alive.
Please Everlasting, help me to get out of here safely with Jules. Help those at the castle, and please make sure Jaiden is okay.
A Spellbinding Christmas Chapter 1
Homecoming
As Trinity pulls into the small town, she felt the familiar clench in her stomach. It had lessened over the years, but not by much. She just may be over him: Travis Young, the love of her life. Well, at least her life before she moved away from Scottsville, Nebraska. Carefully maneuvering through the snow-covered streets where she was raised, she smiles at the memories the familiar sights brought to mind. As she pulls into the driveway of her childhood home, she sat in her car and surveyed the house. It was now a light gray with dark blue trim, instead of the white house with yellow trim she remembered. Her eyes automatically slide to the house next door, where Travis lived with his uncle, but she doesn’t see any obvious sign of him. Trinity forces thoughts of him away and emerges from the warmth inside the car to the freezing air. She grabs her bags and hurries up the walk to the front door. The familiar scent of sugar cookies and herbs hits her as she lets herself in, and she grins, feeling giddy to be home. A wave of nostalgia washes over her.
“Gran!” she calls as she set her bags down and stripped off her coat, hanging it quickly and heading toward the kitchen, eager to see her favorite person in the whole world.
“Trinie, it has been too long, my child.” Gran opens her arms and Trinity rushes into them, feeling like she is finally home.
Sighing in happiness, her eyes prickle with the feeling of familiarity and warmth from Gran’s embrace. “I have missed you.”
“You sure have a funny way of showing it,” a familiar masculine voice boomed. Startled, she jumps in Gran’s arms before whirling around to find where it came from.
At Gran’s table, looking angry and smug, sits the object of every fantasy she has ever had. A buzz shocks through her body as she meets his gaze, and her stomach twists.
“You haven’t visited Marabeth in years, yet you miss her?” He shakes his head, his voice heavy with disgust as his eyes travel her body, making the warmth from the hug vanish with an uneasy shiver.
What is he doing here? Trinity feels her heart clench right along with her stomach as her feelings intensify, surpassing dread and becoming more like guilt. What Travis said is true; she hasn’t been home in a long time. But that was mainly because of him. She didn’t want to see him, or hear him, or look at him. It was just too hard after mooning over him for years.
“Trav,” Gran scolds. Her voice is firm and seems to demand an apology.
The scorching gaze finally leaves Travis’s eyes, and the softer look makes Trinity’s knees weak. The look he gives her Gran is so full of love. She has seen that look many times on his handsome face, directed at different girls while they were growing up. It is a look she longed to see when he looked at her, instead of icy anger, which confused her slightly. Why would he be angry with her?
“I’m sorry, Marabeth, I am going to go. I’ll see you later.” Travis rose, his tall, muscular form unfolding gracefully from his seat at the kitchen table.
Without another word nor a glance at Trinity, he moves to Gran, whose scowl barely masks her affection for him. He bends, kissing her on the cheek before flashing his devilish grin and leaving. He swirls his coat on as he walks out the kitchen door, leaving the masculine smell of cologne in his wake and an icy pit in Trinity’s stomach.
Trinity watches through the window with involuntary longing as he crosses the path that connects the two houses, his uncle’s and her gran’s. His long legs eat up the distance in mere seconds, and he disappears behind the snow-covered evergreen that divides their property from hers.
“Trinity, don’t let what he says make you feel bad. I am so happy you are here,” Gran says. Her grandmother’s voice snaps Trinity out of her head and back into the cozy kitchen.
With sadness in her heart, she hugs Gran again. The guilt Travis brought to the surface makes her hug a bit tighter.
“I’m going to go settle in, Gran, but I will be right down to help you with supper.” Trinity smiles and turns to head back to the front door.
Her feelings of safety and warmth are somewhat diminished by Travis’s role in Gran’s life. Not only does he live next door, but he obviously loves Gran and appears to come over often, given the way he slouched comfortably in the chair.
Trinity starts up the stairs, noting with surprise that they looked new. There was no more squeaking and the wood looked shiny. Also, the walls looked like they had been given a fresh coat of paint. The carpet in the hallway leading to the rooms upstairs is also new – not the familiar off-white with various stains, but a darker brown. The guilt lays even heavier in Trinity’s stomach upon realizing that Travis must have been the one to step in and help Gran, while she hasn’t even visited in the past decade.
Her room is much the same as it had been when she left, though she notices little changes, like a new comforter and a few boxes stacked just outside the closet. All of her pictures and memorabilia from high school are still on the walls, and her books and CDs line the bookshelves. She set her bags down on the bed with a sigh, both wishing she hadn’t come back and feeling happy to spend time with Gran. Her grandma raised her after her parents were killed in a plane crash. At age eight, she moved in with Gran and next door to the reason she left and never wanted to come back. Travis caught her eye a few days after she moved in. Trinity was sitting in the backyard, feeling sad and confused about her parents, when she heard the laughter from next door.
There was no fence dividing the two yards, so when the young boy raced out the back door and into the yard with his dog, she watched them roll around and wrestle for hours. She remembered the look on Travis’s face as he smiled with pure joy and love at his new puppy. Her heart had stuttered in her chest, and she was a goner. Though she watched him over the years, he rarely seemed to notice her and hardly every spoke to her. She always hoped for it, almost to the point of obsession.
Trinity moves to the window and looks out at the lightly falling snow. She gets lost in her thoughts for a moment before movement catches her eye and she sees Travis smiling at something out of view. She smiles automatically, the familiar buzz starting in her body, and watches as Travis’s dog, Duke, races toward him, a toy hanging from his mouth. Travis reaches down and Duke releases the toy instantly, his dark fur dusted with snow. He waits, completely alert, for Travis to throw the toy. When Travis does, Duke bounds after it, looking so joyful it is hard to watch with all the heaviness settling on her heart. A Christmas song floats up from downstairs and Trinity takes a deep breath. Gran begged her to come home for Christmas, and Trinity does miss seeing her grandma. She watches for a few more seconds, then turns to change from her bulky sweater and jeans into something easier to move in while she cooks dinner.
Travis grins watching Duke, his black Lab, bound through the snow, ears flailing as he chased his toy. Sensing eyes on him, he looks up at Marabeth’s house and sees a flash of blonde hair disappear from the upstairs window. He frowns, knowing that it had to be Trinity, since Marabeth’s hair is gray. He shouldn’t have said anything when she flew into the house looking like an angel – with her cheeks pink from the cold and her hair flowing around her – and engulfed her grandmother in a hug. He was angry that he felt an attraction to her, and doubly angry that she hadn’t bothered to come home to check on her grandmother. He saw the sadness and guilt that crept onto her face upon seeing him, smothering the joy and contentment that had been there as she hugged her grandma.
He tried to not feel shame for his harsh words, but she deserved them. Trinity hadn’t been there as Marabeth grew older and frailer and needed more and more help. She is such a sweet old lady and, since he doesn’t have any family now that Uncle Jake had passed away, he thinks of her as his surrogate grandma. If he had a grandma like her, he wouldn’t ever leave her for years at a time. She talks often of Trinity, and her love for her granddaughter is obvious, though he could always see the yearning to see Trinity in person each time she spoke of her.
Travis throws the ball again after Duke barks to get his attention. “OK, boy. I’m sorry, go get it.”
Duke takes off and Travis shoves his hands into his coat pockets. This Christmas will be his first without his uncle, the closest thing to a father he ever had, and the pain nearly crushes him as he hunches in on himself. The wind bites into his skin, adding to his misery. He forgot to pull on a beanie when he came out to play with Duke. Travis’s phone vibrates from his pocket, and he pulls it out, looking at the display.
“Hey, beautiful,” he answers, his heart squeezing at the giggled response.
“Oh, Trav, you charmer. I am calling to invite you over for supper, and I will not take no for an answer.” Travis can hear the smile and steel in Marabeth’s voice and sighs, his breath visible as he reaches down to throw Dukes toy again.
He can’t say no to her, even though he knows Trinity will be there. He loves Marabeth Falough and would do anything for her.
“Alright, Marabeth. What time should I come over, and what should I bring?” he questions after glancing at the window where Trinity had been watching him earlier.
“No need to bring anything other than yourself; and you know Duke is welcome, also,” Marabeth answers. He smiles at her, though she can’t see it. “No arguing, see you at six.”
The phone disconnects and Travis shakes his head before pocketing it. Duke bounds back to him, but slower than he had when they first came out.
“Come on, boy, let’s go in and get warmed up. It’s too cold to stand out here anymore.” Travis pats his leg and turns toward his house with Duke on his heels.
A shiver works its way up his back and he glances around, wondering what exactly the feeling means, but then shrugs it off as he opens the front door, ushering Duke in first. He hangs his coat up and stomps the snow from his boots, taking a deep breath. He will need to keep his anger and attraction for Trinity in check so that he doesn’t disappoint Marabeth again.
That is the full first chapter... Are we excited to find out what happens?
As Trinity pulls into the small town, she felt the familiar clench in her stomach. It had lessened over the years, but not by much. She just may be over him: Travis Young, the love of her life. Well, at least her life before she moved away from Scottsville, Nebraska. Carefully maneuvering through the snow-covered streets where she was raised, she smiles at the memories the familiar sights brought to mind. As she pulls into the driveway of her childhood home, she sat in her car and surveyed the house. It was now a light gray with dark blue trim, instead of the white house with yellow trim she remembered. Her eyes automatically slide to the house next door, where Travis lived with his uncle, but she doesn’t see any obvious sign of him. Trinity forces thoughts of him away and emerges from the warmth inside the car to the freezing air. She grabs her bags and hurries up the walk to the front door. The familiar scent of sugar cookies and herbs hits her as she lets herself in, and she grins, feeling giddy to be home. A wave of nostalgia washes over her.
“Gran!” she calls as she set her bags down and stripped off her coat, hanging it quickly and heading toward the kitchen, eager to see her favorite person in the whole world.
“Trinie, it has been too long, my child.” Gran opens her arms and Trinity rushes into them, feeling like she is finally home.
Sighing in happiness, her eyes prickle with the feeling of familiarity and warmth from Gran’s embrace. “I have missed you.”
“You sure have a funny way of showing it,” a familiar masculine voice boomed. Startled, she jumps in Gran’s arms before whirling around to find where it came from.
At Gran’s table, looking angry and smug, sits the object of every fantasy she has ever had. A buzz shocks through her body as she meets his gaze, and her stomach twists.
“You haven’t visited Marabeth in years, yet you miss her?” He shakes his head, his voice heavy with disgust as his eyes travel her body, making the warmth from the hug vanish with an uneasy shiver.
What is he doing here? Trinity feels her heart clench right along with her stomach as her feelings intensify, surpassing dread and becoming more like guilt. What Travis said is true; she hasn’t been home in a long time. But that was mainly because of him. She didn’t want to see him, or hear him, or look at him. It was just too hard after mooning over him for years.
“Trav,” Gran scolds. Her voice is firm and seems to demand an apology.
The scorching gaze finally leaves Travis’s eyes, and the softer look makes Trinity’s knees weak. The look he gives her Gran is so full of love. She has seen that look many times on his handsome face, directed at different girls while they were growing up. It is a look she longed to see when he looked at her, instead of icy anger, which confused her slightly. Why would he be angry with her?
“I’m sorry, Marabeth, I am going to go. I’ll see you later.” Travis rose, his tall, muscular form unfolding gracefully from his seat at the kitchen table.
Without another word nor a glance at Trinity, he moves to Gran, whose scowl barely masks her affection for him. He bends, kissing her on the cheek before flashing his devilish grin and leaving. He swirls his coat on as he walks out the kitchen door, leaving the masculine smell of cologne in his wake and an icy pit in Trinity’s stomach.
Trinity watches through the window with involuntary longing as he crosses the path that connects the two houses, his uncle’s and her gran’s. His long legs eat up the distance in mere seconds, and he disappears behind the snow-covered evergreen that divides their property from hers.
“Trinity, don’t let what he says make you feel bad. I am so happy you are here,” Gran says. Her grandmother’s voice snaps Trinity out of her head and back into the cozy kitchen.
With sadness in her heart, she hugs Gran again. The guilt Travis brought to the surface makes her hug a bit tighter.
“I’m going to go settle in, Gran, but I will be right down to help you with supper.” Trinity smiles and turns to head back to the front door.
Her feelings of safety and warmth are somewhat diminished by Travis’s role in Gran’s life. Not only does he live next door, but he obviously loves Gran and appears to come over often, given the way he slouched comfortably in the chair.
Trinity starts up the stairs, noting with surprise that they looked new. There was no more squeaking and the wood looked shiny. Also, the walls looked like they had been given a fresh coat of paint. The carpet in the hallway leading to the rooms upstairs is also new – not the familiar off-white with various stains, but a darker brown. The guilt lays even heavier in Trinity’s stomach upon realizing that Travis must have been the one to step in and help Gran, while she hasn’t even visited in the past decade.
Her room is much the same as it had been when she left, though she notices little changes, like a new comforter and a few boxes stacked just outside the closet. All of her pictures and memorabilia from high school are still on the walls, and her books and CDs line the bookshelves. She set her bags down on the bed with a sigh, both wishing she hadn’t come back and feeling happy to spend time with Gran. Her grandma raised her after her parents were killed in a plane crash. At age eight, she moved in with Gran and next door to the reason she left and never wanted to come back. Travis caught her eye a few days after she moved in. Trinity was sitting in the backyard, feeling sad and confused about her parents, when she heard the laughter from next door.
There was no fence dividing the two yards, so when the young boy raced out the back door and into the yard with his dog, she watched them roll around and wrestle for hours. She remembered the look on Travis’s face as he smiled with pure joy and love at his new puppy. Her heart had stuttered in her chest, and she was a goner. Though she watched him over the years, he rarely seemed to notice her and hardly every spoke to her. She always hoped for it, almost to the point of obsession.
Trinity moves to the window and looks out at the lightly falling snow. She gets lost in her thoughts for a moment before movement catches her eye and she sees Travis smiling at something out of view. She smiles automatically, the familiar buzz starting in her body, and watches as Travis’s dog, Duke, races toward him, a toy hanging from his mouth. Travis reaches down and Duke releases the toy instantly, his dark fur dusted with snow. He waits, completely alert, for Travis to throw the toy. When Travis does, Duke bounds after it, looking so joyful it is hard to watch with all the heaviness settling on her heart. A Christmas song floats up from downstairs and Trinity takes a deep breath. Gran begged her to come home for Christmas, and Trinity does miss seeing her grandma. She watches for a few more seconds, then turns to change from her bulky sweater and jeans into something easier to move in while she cooks dinner.
Travis grins watching Duke, his black Lab, bound through the snow, ears flailing as he chased his toy. Sensing eyes on him, he looks up at Marabeth’s house and sees a flash of blonde hair disappear from the upstairs window. He frowns, knowing that it had to be Trinity, since Marabeth’s hair is gray. He shouldn’t have said anything when she flew into the house looking like an angel – with her cheeks pink from the cold and her hair flowing around her – and engulfed her grandmother in a hug. He was angry that he felt an attraction to her, and doubly angry that she hadn’t bothered to come home to check on her grandmother. He saw the sadness and guilt that crept onto her face upon seeing him, smothering the joy and contentment that had been there as she hugged her grandma.
He tried to not feel shame for his harsh words, but she deserved them. Trinity hadn’t been there as Marabeth grew older and frailer and needed more and more help. She is such a sweet old lady and, since he doesn’t have any family now that Uncle Jake had passed away, he thinks of her as his surrogate grandma. If he had a grandma like her, he wouldn’t ever leave her for years at a time. She talks often of Trinity, and her love for her granddaughter is obvious, though he could always see the yearning to see Trinity in person each time she spoke of her.
Travis throws the ball again after Duke barks to get his attention. “OK, boy. I’m sorry, go get it.”
Duke takes off and Travis shoves his hands into his coat pockets. This Christmas will be his first without his uncle, the closest thing to a father he ever had, and the pain nearly crushes him as he hunches in on himself. The wind bites into his skin, adding to his misery. He forgot to pull on a beanie when he came out to play with Duke. Travis’s phone vibrates from his pocket, and he pulls it out, looking at the display.
“Hey, beautiful,” he answers, his heart squeezing at the giggled response.
“Oh, Trav, you charmer. I am calling to invite you over for supper, and I will not take no for an answer.” Travis can hear the smile and steel in Marabeth’s voice and sighs, his breath visible as he reaches down to throw Dukes toy again.
He can’t say no to her, even though he knows Trinity will be there. He loves Marabeth Falough and would do anything for her.
“Alright, Marabeth. What time should I come over, and what should I bring?” he questions after glancing at the window where Trinity had been watching him earlier.
“No need to bring anything other than yourself; and you know Duke is welcome, also,” Marabeth answers. He smiles at her, though she can’t see it. “No arguing, see you at six.”
The phone disconnects and Travis shakes his head before pocketing it. Duke bounds back to him, but slower than he had when they first came out.
“Come on, boy, let’s go in and get warmed up. It’s too cold to stand out here anymore.” Travis pats his leg and turns toward his house with Duke on his heels.
A shiver works its way up his back and he glances around, wondering what exactly the feeling means, but then shrugs it off as he opens the front door, ushering Duke in first. He hangs his coat up and stomps the snow from his boots, taking a deep breath. He will need to keep his anger and attraction for Trinity in check so that he doesn’t disappoint Marabeth again.
That is the full first chapter... Are we excited to find out what happens?
Zoku's Hope Chapter 1
Daniah
~Present day, spring 2027~
If you would’ve told me six months ago I was a princess – soon-to-be queen – leading the resistance in a war for our lives? Well, I probably would’ve told you that you needed some sleep, or that you should seek medical attention. I definitely wouldn’t have believed you. Then again, six months ago I thought that my tidy life in Juniper was pretty much perfect.
Sure, I was a little overworked at the salon I owned, and I had no idea that a friend of mine was in love with me. Nor did I know that there was an entire race of half-angel, half-human beings called Zoku that protect the humans from an evil set on stealing their souls. I also didn’t know that I was one of those beings, and that my visions and dreams were actually part of my magic, part of my power to help me rule as queen.
“What are you thinking about, love?” Jaiden leans over to whisper in my ear.
I turn my head and smile. “I was just thinking about how different my life is now.” He frowns and I add, “I am happy, don’t worry.” I place my lips against his.
Jaiden is another thing I didn’t think I would ever have. We have been love-bonded for just over six months now, and I love him more than I thought I could love another. He is my perfect match.
“Dani, are we going to see my parents today?” Cordelia asks from my other side and I smile at Jaiden, kissing him one more time before turning to look at her.
Cord is my protector, shared with her protector-bond Trevor, and one of my closest friends. She went through so much to find me and once she did, it was like we had known each other forever.
“Yes, we will go see them so that we can finish plans for next weekend,” I nod, linking my fingers together so that my nerves won’t show.
Next weekend is the ceremony for my ascension to the throne. Come Saturday morning, I will be queen of all Zoku. Becoming queen has been a steady topic of conversation since I arrived in Garnet City, and I get more nervous with each passing day. I feel sick most days with worry that I won’t be the leader I need to be in order to save my people.
I have studied everything I can find on being Zoku and practiced my magic. I have also started training to fight, even though the queen isn’t supposed to even have the chance to fight. The queen is to be protected at all times. Though it obviously hadn’t worked for my mother, the previous queen.
I worked tirelessly with Cord’s mother, Saige, to get the laws changed so that I am able to move around a bit more freely. My mother, Queen Natalia, who died when I was just a few weeks old, had made a few laws to keep herself and me safe when I was little. My father had been taken before I was born, and Natalia had thought it best to have few people around her. This way, she could protect me even if she wasn’t there to do it herself.
When she died, her trusted Secret, who happened to be Jaiden’s dad, immediately hid me in order to keep me alive until I could be queen. Since Natalia had only told a few people about me, it was rather easy to stay hidden, especially since I didn’t even know what I was for 26 years. I knew I had been adopted, and that my birth mother and father had died when I was very young, but I had no idea I wasn’t completely human. When Jaiden’s dad was murdered, it spurred Jaiden into finding me and telling me who I am.
Because of what happened, I think that the more friends and allies I can get around me, the better. I know that if I die, the Zoku will have no hope against the evil intent on stealing their souls, but I can’t keep myself locked away forever, either. Luckily, I have Jaiden – who is my love bond, or husband in human terms – and he has the ability to read minds. His Maki Zach, or beloved brother bond, is also very helpful as he senses emotions and can tell what kind of Zoku you are. Despite knowing them for such a short time, I can’t imagine my life without them now. Janessa, whom everyone calls Jane, and Zach are twins who were separated when they were young. Jane has similar magic as Zach, they can both heal, and she can influence people’s feelings.
They help keep me safe from those who would deceive me. I have been reading the books Natalia wrote when she was alive, and I have a feeling that someone close to her was her betrayer. I haven’t been able to figure out whom yet, but I know I will and with help, I hope to bring peace to Zoku again.
“I am going with you two,” Trevor says, looking up from his plate of food at me, then at Cordelia, bringing my thoughts back to the present.
I smile at him; Trevor is Jaiden’s older brother and also my Secret. He inherited the magic from his father, who was my mother’s Secret, though he told me once that he is very happy to help me whether he inherited the position or not. Trevor has been helping me quite a bit, since he has all his father’s memories from when my mother was queen. I nod in agreement and sit back as conversation flows around me. My stomach turns and I swallow hard to keep myself from having to leave the table.
We gathered at the castle today – I smile to myself, as the castle I now live in is not much like the castles as I heard about them in fairytales when I was young. There is no moat, no real towers, and really the only thing in common with a fairytale castle is that it is made of stone and has a stonewall surrounding it. Inside the castle are multiple meeting rooms (mostly used for business), a throne room with an actual throne, and the queen’s personal chambers or office. There is also a living space like a small apartment that was added when my mother was queen, where Jaiden and I live now.
There are two smaller cottages within the stonewall surrounding the castle, Cordelia and Janessa live in one, and the other is empty at present. I offered the cottage to Trevor, but he lives with Jim, whom Cordelia and Trevor met while tracking Jaiden to Juniper, and Jake, my human brother, in the house that Jaiden and Trevor’s parents lived in before they were killed.
I invited everyone over for breakfast so we could have some normal time together before everything gets crazy with coronation activities. I made gypsy toast, eggs, bacon, and fruit. I sip my coffee, hoping my stomach will settle, as I think of Shelly. I force my thoughts back to my friends after briefly wondering where she is. Shelly is an angel, and she had to leave us while we were still in Juniper, but said she would be back. I trust her, though that doesn’t help me not to worry as I wonder where she is. She was very kind, and I miss her.
I watch Jake as he leans into Janessa and says something that makes her shake her head and laugh. Jake met Janessa when we were in Juniper and has followed her everywhere since. Jake is a doctor and asked to come with me to Garnet City to help us; I agreed because I knew he would follow anyway if I said no. Jake is the only one Janessa will open up around; she is so very quiet otherwise. Doc Jim is sitting next to Jaclyn, who is my second protector, and they are glaring at each other between bites. I don’t think they dislike each other, but they do argue quite a bit. Doc Jim and Jake are the only full humans with us; Jake has no special powers and is my brother through adoption. Jim met Trevor and Cord when they were on their way to find Jaiden in Juniper; he is a doctor also and studies everything he can about Zoku healing, and he can also sense Devlo.
Devlo are evil beings that were once Zoku and have given up their own souls for immortality. They feed off pain and misery while stealing human souls. They are what we are fighting against in this war.
“Are you finished?” Cord asks motioning to my half-full plate.
“Yes, just enjoying my morning.” I smile and she nods, then stands to remove our plates.
Moments later, Trevor stands and gathers a few empty plates, following Cord to the kitchen. I smile, knowing that Cord and Trevor like each other, but neither has done anything about it. They avoid each other while still staying close, since they have a protection bond together. I see Jim watch them disappear before turning to say something to Jaclyn, who actually laughs. After Jim found Trevor and Cord by chance, he became very close to Cord and now they act like siblings.
“Hey, I am going to go with Jaclyn and Jim to search for more Toyek. If you can spare Jaiden, that would be great,” Zach says, coming to sit in Cord’s empty chair next to me.
I smile at Zach; he and I grew close when we first met and I think of him as my brother. “We are going to Cord’s parents, and I’ll have Cord and Trev with me, so that should work.”
“Try not to worry about Saturday, you are going to be a wonderful queen,” Zach says, looking at me seriously while lowering his voice.
He must have sensed my nerves from earlier. Zach is very kind, and I love him like I do my brothers. I nod at him despite still feeling anxious, then sigh as we embrace.
“Thanks, Zach,” I whisper, then pull back to look at him.
“Have you heard from Shelly?” he questions, and I realize that the others must miss her also.
I shake my head, then say quietly, “take care of J for me.” Zach nods, smiling at me.
Jaiden and I stand, and he pulls me into his arms. “Be careful, OK?” he says. I nod and give him one more kiss before he leaves the room with Jaclyn, Jim, and Zach.
They have been searching for any trace of hidden Toyek, and even though they think they may be onto someone, they haven’t found any yet. Toyek is what I am; we are always females and are the key to saving human souls from Devlo. Toyek were hunted and killed before I came to Garnet City; now that I am here, there are fewer killings, but without more Toyek, Zoku have to come to me. With all the concern for my safety, we have to scan everyone who comes to me for help, and it is a long and exhausting process.
Also, without a Tracker that we trust, we have to use Zach and his ability to sense Zoku. He doesn’t sense what kind of Zoku they are unless he is around them for a period of time, and it makes it difficult to find other Toyek.
I grab a few more plates and follow Jake to the kitchen.
“How are you, baby sis?” he asks, flinging an arm around my shoulders.
“I’m doing OK, a bit nervous for Saturday.”
“You are going to be great; you already are.” He grins. “I talked to Jared yesterday,” he adds, sounding a bit sad.
“Yeah?” I ask happily, “What did he have to say?”
“Everyone is doing fine, he asked again if they can come for the coronation,” Jake says looking hopeful.
“I will think about it.” I really want them here with me, but I’m not sure it would be safe for them.
My adoptive family and I are very close, and I miss them terribly. I just don’t want anything to happen to them. When we were all still in Juniper, Devlo attacked my brother-in-law, and he didn’t make it.
“That’s what I told him,” Jake says chuckling and continues, “Belle is getting big I guess, the twins are doing good, and she asked about you,” he trails off, probably thinking about my sister, Belle, as I am.
After Devlo killed my sister’s husband six months ago, the rest of the family found out that Belle was pregnant with a boy, now due in a few months. She also has twin boys who are a little more than a year old. Feeling all the sadness that comes with thinking about what happened, I change the subject.
“So what are you and Jane doing today?” I ask, glancing around to see where Jane went.
“I think we are going to just stay in and watch a movie, we both have things to do later this week so today is going to be just us,” he answers, looking excited.
“Sounds great. Here, I’ll take that. You go find Jane and have a good day.” I reach for the dishes he holds.
“Thanks, baby sis.” He gives me a half-hug, then turns to go find Jane.
I shake my head and enter the kitchen to unload the dishes in my hands. I am surprised to find Trevor alone.
“Hey.” I’m sure that my confusion over not seeing Cord is clear on my face.
“Cord had to get something from home, she said she would be right back,” Trevor says, and I nod.
I watch as he methodically rinses dishes and stacks them in the dishwasher, looking sullen.
“Is everything OK, Trev?” I ask softly, coming to stand next to him.
He glances up at me and smiles slightly. “Yeah, I’m OK,” he answers, then sighs. “I just have a lot on my mind.”
“Well, if you ever need someone to talk to, I’m here,” I say seriously, and he nods.
“I know.” He glances at me again. “Thanks, Dani. Really.”
I nod and pat his arm, then help put the last few dishes in the washer before we walk to the front of the castle to meet Cord.
“You ready?” I question as we meet Cord at her car.
“Yep! Oh, and I’m driving.” She grins. “So J and J are staying here?” she asks, referring to Jake and Jane, as we get in the car.
“Yeah, something about a movie day.”
Cord starts the car as Trevor settles in the backseat and I take the front. We are quiet as we drive into Garnet City, then to Cord’s parents’ house. We park in the driveway, and the three of us walk inside. Something catches my eye and I stop, turning my head to see a Devlo rounding the house. I grab Cord’s arm. Instantly, she’s on the offensive, taking off after the Devlo, and Trevor steps in front of me.
“Trev, let’s move toward the house, we are too exposed here,” I whisper and he nods, both of us looking around as we slowly make our way to the door. “The door,” I say softly, as I am closest to the house.
The door is standing open, and there seems to be movement inside.
“We are going to move slowly, in case Saige and Patrick are armed and waiting inside for more Devlo.” Trevor says, speaking to my mind. He inherited the power from his dad when he died.
I open the door slowly, palming the dagger I keep in my belt. I move to the side for a better view, and there seems to be no one in the entryway. I nudge Trevor, we walk in, and he shuts the door behind him so we’ll hear it if someone else comes in. We slowly move forward, I look to the left just as a Devlo lunges at me from the doorway. I duck and shoot out my arm, hoping to get a good jab in that will slow it down.
I feel my dagger drag across its stomach as it howls and falls to the ground. Trevor swiftly slices through its neck, right across the black band marking it as Devlo. It implodes, leaving only ashes behind. I hear grunts coming from the kitchen, and I turn to look up at Trevor.
“I think we should call out, it sounds like fighting is going on, and that way Saige and or Patrick will know we are here,” he suggests, speaking in my mind again.
“Patrick, Saige,” Trevor calls. “We are here.”
“There are four in the house somewhere,” Patrick calls back, and I wonder where Saige is.
Trevor motions up the stairs and I follow his lead, watching my back so no one can attack us from behind. I hear something thud above and a feminine cry, and we move a bit faster. A Devlo comes running out of the first room on the right, dripping blood from a chest wound. Trevor stabs at it, it stops and stumbles then implodes and I see another from the right and I push Trevor a bit so that the Devlo misses the punch. I reach up and slice its neck, turning as it implodes to move down the hall. I check two rooms before coming to the bathroom. Saige emerges with a gash on her forehead and cradling her arm.
“Saige, are you OK?” I ask.
“I will be fine. Patrick? Cordelia?” she asks as I reach up to her forehead to stop the flow of blood with my hand.
“We spoke with Patrick briefly, he was fighting in the kitchen, and Cord was fighting outside How many do you think were here?” I ask, steering her back into the bathroom to grab a towel.
“I’m not entirely sure, I think there were eight,” she answers and I nod, looking over to Trevor.
“Let’s move downstairs. Can you walk and move OK?” I ask. “You aren’t dizzy?”
“I’m fine, I will heal quickly,” Saige assures us.
Trevor moves toward the stairs, descending a bit faster than we came up. Saige and I follow, and we make our way to the kitchen where Patrick is slicing through two Devlo, spinning to catch one after the other. Suddenly, Cord bursts in through the back door.
Patrick glances around then moves to Saige quickly as Cord pulls out her phone.
“Jane, can you and Jake come to my parents’ house…” Cord begins, and I cut her off.
“Maybe it would be safer to go back to the castle?” Cord glances to her parents; Trevor nods and turns to lock the back door.
“Actually, we are headed back your way,” she says into the phone and we move to the front door. “Be waiting, OK?” she adds. Seemingly satisfied with the answer, she pockets the phone and turns to her parents. “Mom, Dad, are you both OK?”
“We will be,” Saige replies, holding a towel to her forehead. Patrick paces next to her, looking alert and ready for another fight.
I haven’t actually seen the Rowans in a fight before. They helped train me, but to watch Patrick against the Devlo was amazing.
“Cord, you drive Dani, and I’ll drive Patrick’s car,” Trevor says, moving to the door and waiting until he gets nods from all of us before opening it.
We quickly file to our respective cars and head back to the castle. All the while knowing that the amount of Devlo around meant it was not a random attack. It seems as though Meikal still has plans, and we need to find him before his plans turn deadly.
That is the full first chapter... Are we excited to find out what happens?
~Present day, spring 2027~
If you would’ve told me six months ago I was a princess – soon-to-be queen – leading the resistance in a war for our lives? Well, I probably would’ve told you that you needed some sleep, or that you should seek medical attention. I definitely wouldn’t have believed you. Then again, six months ago I thought that my tidy life in Juniper was pretty much perfect.
Sure, I was a little overworked at the salon I owned, and I had no idea that a friend of mine was in love with me. Nor did I know that there was an entire race of half-angel, half-human beings called Zoku that protect the humans from an evil set on stealing their souls. I also didn’t know that I was one of those beings, and that my visions and dreams were actually part of my magic, part of my power to help me rule as queen.
“What are you thinking about, love?” Jaiden leans over to whisper in my ear.
I turn my head and smile. “I was just thinking about how different my life is now.” He frowns and I add, “I am happy, don’t worry.” I place my lips against his.
Jaiden is another thing I didn’t think I would ever have. We have been love-bonded for just over six months now, and I love him more than I thought I could love another. He is my perfect match.
“Dani, are we going to see my parents today?” Cordelia asks from my other side and I smile at Jaiden, kissing him one more time before turning to look at her.
Cord is my protector, shared with her protector-bond Trevor, and one of my closest friends. She went through so much to find me and once she did, it was like we had known each other forever.
“Yes, we will go see them so that we can finish plans for next weekend,” I nod, linking my fingers together so that my nerves won’t show.
Next weekend is the ceremony for my ascension to the throne. Come Saturday morning, I will be queen of all Zoku. Becoming queen has been a steady topic of conversation since I arrived in Garnet City, and I get more nervous with each passing day. I feel sick most days with worry that I won’t be the leader I need to be in order to save my people.
I have studied everything I can find on being Zoku and practiced my magic. I have also started training to fight, even though the queen isn’t supposed to even have the chance to fight. The queen is to be protected at all times. Though it obviously hadn’t worked for my mother, the previous queen.
I worked tirelessly with Cord’s mother, Saige, to get the laws changed so that I am able to move around a bit more freely. My mother, Queen Natalia, who died when I was just a few weeks old, had made a few laws to keep herself and me safe when I was little. My father had been taken before I was born, and Natalia had thought it best to have few people around her. This way, she could protect me even if she wasn’t there to do it herself.
When she died, her trusted Secret, who happened to be Jaiden’s dad, immediately hid me in order to keep me alive until I could be queen. Since Natalia had only told a few people about me, it was rather easy to stay hidden, especially since I didn’t even know what I was for 26 years. I knew I had been adopted, and that my birth mother and father had died when I was very young, but I had no idea I wasn’t completely human. When Jaiden’s dad was murdered, it spurred Jaiden into finding me and telling me who I am.
Because of what happened, I think that the more friends and allies I can get around me, the better. I know that if I die, the Zoku will have no hope against the evil intent on stealing their souls, but I can’t keep myself locked away forever, either. Luckily, I have Jaiden – who is my love bond, or husband in human terms – and he has the ability to read minds. His Maki Zach, or beloved brother bond, is also very helpful as he senses emotions and can tell what kind of Zoku you are. Despite knowing them for such a short time, I can’t imagine my life without them now. Janessa, whom everyone calls Jane, and Zach are twins who were separated when they were young. Jane has similar magic as Zach, they can both heal, and she can influence people’s feelings.
They help keep me safe from those who would deceive me. I have been reading the books Natalia wrote when she was alive, and I have a feeling that someone close to her was her betrayer. I haven’t been able to figure out whom yet, but I know I will and with help, I hope to bring peace to Zoku again.
“I am going with you two,” Trevor says, looking up from his plate of food at me, then at Cordelia, bringing my thoughts back to the present.
I smile at him; Trevor is Jaiden’s older brother and also my Secret. He inherited the magic from his father, who was my mother’s Secret, though he told me once that he is very happy to help me whether he inherited the position or not. Trevor has been helping me quite a bit, since he has all his father’s memories from when my mother was queen. I nod in agreement and sit back as conversation flows around me. My stomach turns and I swallow hard to keep myself from having to leave the table.
We gathered at the castle today – I smile to myself, as the castle I now live in is not much like the castles as I heard about them in fairytales when I was young. There is no moat, no real towers, and really the only thing in common with a fairytale castle is that it is made of stone and has a stonewall surrounding it. Inside the castle are multiple meeting rooms (mostly used for business), a throne room with an actual throne, and the queen’s personal chambers or office. There is also a living space like a small apartment that was added when my mother was queen, where Jaiden and I live now.
There are two smaller cottages within the stonewall surrounding the castle, Cordelia and Janessa live in one, and the other is empty at present. I offered the cottage to Trevor, but he lives with Jim, whom Cordelia and Trevor met while tracking Jaiden to Juniper, and Jake, my human brother, in the house that Jaiden and Trevor’s parents lived in before they were killed.
I invited everyone over for breakfast so we could have some normal time together before everything gets crazy with coronation activities. I made gypsy toast, eggs, bacon, and fruit. I sip my coffee, hoping my stomach will settle, as I think of Shelly. I force my thoughts back to my friends after briefly wondering where she is. Shelly is an angel, and she had to leave us while we were still in Juniper, but said she would be back. I trust her, though that doesn’t help me not to worry as I wonder where she is. She was very kind, and I miss her.
I watch Jake as he leans into Janessa and says something that makes her shake her head and laugh. Jake met Janessa when we were in Juniper and has followed her everywhere since. Jake is a doctor and asked to come with me to Garnet City to help us; I agreed because I knew he would follow anyway if I said no. Jake is the only one Janessa will open up around; she is so very quiet otherwise. Doc Jim is sitting next to Jaclyn, who is my second protector, and they are glaring at each other between bites. I don’t think they dislike each other, but they do argue quite a bit. Doc Jim and Jake are the only full humans with us; Jake has no special powers and is my brother through adoption. Jim met Trevor and Cord when they were on their way to find Jaiden in Juniper; he is a doctor also and studies everything he can about Zoku healing, and he can also sense Devlo.
Devlo are evil beings that were once Zoku and have given up their own souls for immortality. They feed off pain and misery while stealing human souls. They are what we are fighting against in this war.
“Are you finished?” Cord asks motioning to my half-full plate.
“Yes, just enjoying my morning.” I smile and she nods, then stands to remove our plates.
Moments later, Trevor stands and gathers a few empty plates, following Cord to the kitchen. I smile, knowing that Cord and Trevor like each other, but neither has done anything about it. They avoid each other while still staying close, since they have a protection bond together. I see Jim watch them disappear before turning to say something to Jaclyn, who actually laughs. After Jim found Trevor and Cord by chance, he became very close to Cord and now they act like siblings.
“Hey, I am going to go with Jaclyn and Jim to search for more Toyek. If you can spare Jaiden, that would be great,” Zach says, coming to sit in Cord’s empty chair next to me.
I smile at Zach; he and I grew close when we first met and I think of him as my brother. “We are going to Cord’s parents, and I’ll have Cord and Trev with me, so that should work.”
“Try not to worry about Saturday, you are going to be a wonderful queen,” Zach says, looking at me seriously while lowering his voice.
He must have sensed my nerves from earlier. Zach is very kind, and I love him like I do my brothers. I nod at him despite still feeling anxious, then sigh as we embrace.
“Thanks, Zach,” I whisper, then pull back to look at him.
“Have you heard from Shelly?” he questions, and I realize that the others must miss her also.
I shake my head, then say quietly, “take care of J for me.” Zach nods, smiling at me.
Jaiden and I stand, and he pulls me into his arms. “Be careful, OK?” he says. I nod and give him one more kiss before he leaves the room with Jaclyn, Jim, and Zach.
They have been searching for any trace of hidden Toyek, and even though they think they may be onto someone, they haven’t found any yet. Toyek is what I am; we are always females and are the key to saving human souls from Devlo. Toyek were hunted and killed before I came to Garnet City; now that I am here, there are fewer killings, but without more Toyek, Zoku have to come to me. With all the concern for my safety, we have to scan everyone who comes to me for help, and it is a long and exhausting process.
Also, without a Tracker that we trust, we have to use Zach and his ability to sense Zoku. He doesn’t sense what kind of Zoku they are unless he is around them for a period of time, and it makes it difficult to find other Toyek.
I grab a few more plates and follow Jake to the kitchen.
“How are you, baby sis?” he asks, flinging an arm around my shoulders.
“I’m doing OK, a bit nervous for Saturday.”
“You are going to be great; you already are.” He grins. “I talked to Jared yesterday,” he adds, sounding a bit sad.
“Yeah?” I ask happily, “What did he have to say?”
“Everyone is doing fine, he asked again if they can come for the coronation,” Jake says looking hopeful.
“I will think about it.” I really want them here with me, but I’m not sure it would be safe for them.
My adoptive family and I are very close, and I miss them terribly. I just don’t want anything to happen to them. When we were all still in Juniper, Devlo attacked my brother-in-law, and he didn’t make it.
“That’s what I told him,” Jake says chuckling and continues, “Belle is getting big I guess, the twins are doing good, and she asked about you,” he trails off, probably thinking about my sister, Belle, as I am.
After Devlo killed my sister’s husband six months ago, the rest of the family found out that Belle was pregnant with a boy, now due in a few months. She also has twin boys who are a little more than a year old. Feeling all the sadness that comes with thinking about what happened, I change the subject.
“So what are you and Jane doing today?” I ask, glancing around to see where Jane went.
“I think we are going to just stay in and watch a movie, we both have things to do later this week so today is going to be just us,” he answers, looking excited.
“Sounds great. Here, I’ll take that. You go find Jane and have a good day.” I reach for the dishes he holds.
“Thanks, baby sis.” He gives me a half-hug, then turns to go find Jane.
I shake my head and enter the kitchen to unload the dishes in my hands. I am surprised to find Trevor alone.
“Hey.” I’m sure that my confusion over not seeing Cord is clear on my face.
“Cord had to get something from home, she said she would be right back,” Trevor says, and I nod.
I watch as he methodically rinses dishes and stacks them in the dishwasher, looking sullen.
“Is everything OK, Trev?” I ask softly, coming to stand next to him.
He glances up at me and smiles slightly. “Yeah, I’m OK,” he answers, then sighs. “I just have a lot on my mind.”
“Well, if you ever need someone to talk to, I’m here,” I say seriously, and he nods.
“I know.” He glances at me again. “Thanks, Dani. Really.”
I nod and pat his arm, then help put the last few dishes in the washer before we walk to the front of the castle to meet Cord.
“You ready?” I question as we meet Cord at her car.
“Yep! Oh, and I’m driving.” She grins. “So J and J are staying here?” she asks, referring to Jake and Jane, as we get in the car.
“Yeah, something about a movie day.”
Cord starts the car as Trevor settles in the backseat and I take the front. We are quiet as we drive into Garnet City, then to Cord’s parents’ house. We park in the driveway, and the three of us walk inside. Something catches my eye and I stop, turning my head to see a Devlo rounding the house. I grab Cord’s arm. Instantly, she’s on the offensive, taking off after the Devlo, and Trevor steps in front of me.
“Trev, let’s move toward the house, we are too exposed here,” I whisper and he nods, both of us looking around as we slowly make our way to the door. “The door,” I say softly, as I am closest to the house.
The door is standing open, and there seems to be movement inside.
“We are going to move slowly, in case Saige and Patrick are armed and waiting inside for more Devlo.” Trevor says, speaking to my mind. He inherited the power from his dad when he died.
I open the door slowly, palming the dagger I keep in my belt. I move to the side for a better view, and there seems to be no one in the entryway. I nudge Trevor, we walk in, and he shuts the door behind him so we’ll hear it if someone else comes in. We slowly move forward, I look to the left just as a Devlo lunges at me from the doorway. I duck and shoot out my arm, hoping to get a good jab in that will slow it down.
I feel my dagger drag across its stomach as it howls and falls to the ground. Trevor swiftly slices through its neck, right across the black band marking it as Devlo. It implodes, leaving only ashes behind. I hear grunts coming from the kitchen, and I turn to look up at Trevor.
“I think we should call out, it sounds like fighting is going on, and that way Saige and or Patrick will know we are here,” he suggests, speaking in my mind again.
“Patrick, Saige,” Trevor calls. “We are here.”
“There are four in the house somewhere,” Patrick calls back, and I wonder where Saige is.
Trevor motions up the stairs and I follow his lead, watching my back so no one can attack us from behind. I hear something thud above and a feminine cry, and we move a bit faster. A Devlo comes running out of the first room on the right, dripping blood from a chest wound. Trevor stabs at it, it stops and stumbles then implodes and I see another from the right and I push Trevor a bit so that the Devlo misses the punch. I reach up and slice its neck, turning as it implodes to move down the hall. I check two rooms before coming to the bathroom. Saige emerges with a gash on her forehead and cradling her arm.
“Saige, are you OK?” I ask.
“I will be fine. Patrick? Cordelia?” she asks as I reach up to her forehead to stop the flow of blood with my hand.
“We spoke with Patrick briefly, he was fighting in the kitchen, and Cord was fighting outside How many do you think were here?” I ask, steering her back into the bathroom to grab a towel.
“I’m not entirely sure, I think there were eight,” she answers and I nod, looking over to Trevor.
“Let’s move downstairs. Can you walk and move OK?” I ask. “You aren’t dizzy?”
“I’m fine, I will heal quickly,” Saige assures us.
Trevor moves toward the stairs, descending a bit faster than we came up. Saige and I follow, and we make our way to the kitchen where Patrick is slicing through two Devlo, spinning to catch one after the other. Suddenly, Cord bursts in through the back door.
Patrick glances around then moves to Saige quickly as Cord pulls out her phone.
“Jane, can you and Jake come to my parents’ house…” Cord begins, and I cut her off.
“Maybe it would be safer to go back to the castle?” Cord glances to her parents; Trevor nods and turns to lock the back door.
“Actually, we are headed back your way,” she says into the phone and we move to the front door. “Be waiting, OK?” she adds. Seemingly satisfied with the answer, she pockets the phone and turns to her parents. “Mom, Dad, are you both OK?”
“We will be,” Saige replies, holding a towel to her forehead. Patrick paces next to her, looking alert and ready for another fight.
I haven’t actually seen the Rowans in a fight before. They helped train me, but to watch Patrick against the Devlo was amazing.
“Cord, you drive Dani, and I’ll drive Patrick’s car,” Trevor says, moving to the door and waiting until he gets nods from all of us before opening it.
We quickly file to our respective cars and head back to the castle. All the while knowing that the amount of Devlo around meant it was not a random attack. It seems as though Meikal still has plans, and we need to find him before his plans turn deadly.
That is the full first chapter... Are we excited to find out what happens?
Juniper's Princess Chapter 1
Daniah
~Present Day Fall 2026~
“Your eleven forty-five is here, Dani,” Cassie says as she walks in to the back room and hands me a clipboard.
“Thanks Cass, did you offer refreshments?” I ask, as I finish my coffee. She nods that she did. “I’ll be right out.”
“His name is Jaiden,” Cassie calls, as she walks back to the reception desk.
As I rinse out my coffee mug and place it on a towel to dry I decide that I did a smart thing hiring Cass. Cassie has been my friend for a while now, she is taking night classes for Cosmetology, and if she wants, I will have her work here in my extra chair when she is done. She is very efficient and friendly; she also helps me to be able to rest. I think about all the long years that I had been working mostly by myself. Most days I didn’t even get lunch I was so busy. Rachel has been working here as a nail technician for about four years, and she helps but she is pretty busy herself. Cassie, Rachel and I are good together, and we try to go out outside of work as often as possible.
Lately I have been so tired, more exhausted, like I have been running a marathon all night. I’ve been having these strange dreams and they keep my brain working so I can’t rest. I see random people in the dreams and I always feel like there is something I need to do; I just can’t reach them or figure out what it is. I push the dreams out of my mind as I walk to the front desk, I think of all the appointments I have today. I’m anxious about when I will be able to go home; maybe I’ll be able to get to sleep early. I love my job, but today I want to head home and kick up my feet and rest. Luckily I only have one morning appointment and four in the afternoon. Rachel was here most of the morning and she handled all the extra appointments.
“Jaiden,” Cassie calls out as I reach the front, holding the clipboard that Cass handed me in the back room; I haven’t even looked at it yet. I look down at the information on the paper all clients fill out. Jaiden Storm it says, age blank, emergency contact blank, address says Juniper only. Huh, I think to myself, mysterious, and a bit annoying.
“That’s me,” a deep voice booms from the reception area.
I look up and almost forget to breathe. He is gorgeous. Rachel is going to be mad she missed this appointment.
Jaiden is tall probably six feet two inches. He looks to be around thirty years old. He has on black converse shoes, dark blue jeans and a dark green T-shirt with black trim around the neck and arms; from what I can see through the stretch in the material he is built. As my gaze travels up to his face his eyes lock on mine, and I feel slightly dizzy. He has the greenest eyes I have ever seen, like bright, sparkling emeralds. I could probably stare at them forever. I tear my eyes from his to look at his hair, which is dark, wavy and almost to his shoulders. He has a neatly trimmed doorknocker beard, and full lips that are slightly turned up into a knowing smirk. He seems to have a dark way about him, he moves like he knows he is cute, so I try to ignore it. I wipe all emotion from my face take a deep breath and introduce myself.
“Hello, my name is Dani and I will be working with you today.” I hold out my hand for a handshake, seeing Cassie’s mouth drop out of the corner of my eye.
He grasps my hand but instead of a handshake he turns my hand, brings it to his mouth and kisses the back while looking up at me through his lashes. “It’s a pleasure,” he purrs.
Cassie gasps; I drop his hand and say only, “follow me.”
“Anywhere, babe,” Jaiden replies with a smile and a cocky wink before I can turn around.
I turn my back and head to the first room off the front, managing not to stomp down the hall. I hate being called babe. I open the door and he swaggers in like he doesn’t have a care in the world. I motion to the two chairs; he lounges in one, kicking his feet out and leaning back. I close the door and sit on the edge of the other chair with my back straight opposite him.
I clear my throat as I glance back at the clipboard then say, “so you are here for a chest wax?” I guess I get to look under that shirt after all.
“Yes, I believe I am,” he answers as he glances down at my chest with a grin on his face.
“Have you had your chest waxed before?” I ask, ignoring his look.
“No, have you?”
I give him one of my best are-you-kidding disgusted looks and instead reply, “have you had any part of your body waxed before?”
He raises his eyebrows and I swear he is going to say something inappropriate so I narrow my eyes and he answers, “no.”
“Okay, well just to give you another option, waxing is a bit painful, have you considered shaving?” I ask as I do with all my waxing clients whom haven’t done this before.
He smiles at me like he is keeping a secret. “Someone suggested I do this, so I decided that I will.”
“I understand, but it isn’t like ripping a band aid off, your chest is a big area, it will probably hurt.”
“I imagine it will probably sting, but I can handle it,” he replies with a bit of disdain, acting like a tough guy.
At this point I nod my acceptance and explain what will happen and each step. I inform him of the upkeep, what to do when he gets home, and the cost.
Then I ask, “would you like to wax anything else while you are here today, maybe shape your eyebrows?” I look him directly in the eye and smile.
A flash of surprise crosses his features. “Are you suggesting something?” he asks, with a half laugh.
“Nope, just doing my job.”
“Sure, let’s also do the eyebrows,” Jaiden says, shrugging. “Why not?”
“Okay well, we will start with your chest wax and after that I will shape your eyebrows; this way your skin can calm a bit before you replace your shirt.” I stand up and walk to the counter where my supplies are and set down the clipboard. “So if you will remove your shirt and lay down on the table there,” I tell him, gesturing to the table that looks more like a lounge chair completely reclined, as I go over his form and check my supplies. I make sure he filled out the medical part of the form completely and nothing is going to interfere with the wax.
“Not one to dawdle, are you, babe?” Jaiden asks with his deep voice. He’s standing close behind me next to the table.
“My name is Dani, and don’t…” I cut off as I turn around, my face at perfect chest level, and see him without his shirt.
Wow is all I can think, crap he is more than gorgeous. He has some hair on his chest but he isn’t excessively hairy. Calm down, I tell myself, breathe Dani.
“And don’t...?” he asks, smiling up at me as he sits on the table then swings his legs up and lies down.
“Huh?” I reply, completely forgetting what I was doing. He is ripped. His abs are perfectly sculpted and his skin looks so smooth I want to run my hands over him. His skin is tanned and looks tight, and every time he moves his muscles flex. How am I going to be able to do this, I wonder.
“Wax? That is the first step, right?” Jaiden says, winking at me and breaking me out of my thoughts.
Holy crow! What just happened? Get a grip Dani. I take a deep breath and walk over to the wax; well I guess I do get to run my hands over him. How embarrassing! I can feel myself flushing; this is going to be a long appointment!
“Okay,” I say as I clear my throat, “yes, wax is the first step. Are you ready?” I ask as I pick up a stick to dip in the wax, trying to avoid eye contact.
“Ready for you,” he says; the double meaning is loud and clear.
It might be my imagination so pushing that to the back of my mind, I start to apply the wax to his chest, working my way from center out at his collar bone.
“That’s warm,” he says as he watches my every move.
“Oh yeah, it is warm but it will cool down and as it does the wax attaches to the hair, then the hair comes out when I pull,” I explain, trying to keep my mind on the wax and not his gorgeous body.
“Are you pulling this off all at once?” he asks, a bit of anxiety in his voice. I had applied a space covered in wax the size of a textbook.
“No, I will pull it off in strips,” I answer with a bit of a laugh. I hold up a wax strip to show him how big. He’s not so tough now is he I think to myself. Smiling, I look at his face.
“Did you just laugh at me?”
“Oh no, sorry,” I say, flushing as I meet his eyes. “You ready?” I ask as I lay down the strip on top of the wax.
“Yes,” he replies, slowly eyeing me.
I place the strip across his chest and rub over the strip to make sure the wax adheres to the strip. I press the heel of my hand on his skin to hold it taut as I grip the strip to pull and as my hand touches the skin I feel something like a bolt of electricity shoot up my arm. I see a vivid picture of a woman’s face I have never seen before in my mind. I blink then look up at Jaiden in surprise as he looks at me in astonishment. Slowly he starts to smile.
“Your hands are cold, babe,” he says with a smug smile.
I scowl at him as I grip the strip and rip it off quickly. I see his eyes widen and even though he doesn’t have much hair on his chest, I’m sure it hurt. He wasn’t expecting anything like that. I place the strip back down in the wax next to where I just pulled it off, rub then rip again. I do this three more times quickly, Jaiden flinching each time, but not saying a word. On anyone else I normally would place my hand on the skin to cool the sting in between each pull. Instead I do the whole section and then rest my hands against his chest. It may be petty but it probably was a bit more painful than it should have been. When I look up at Jaiden he has tears brimming in his eyes. He shouldn’t have called me babe.
I smile at him and ask, “are my hands still cold?
He grimaces, “nope, I really didn’t think it would hurt that much.” He looks down at his chest. “Damn bet, well, we can’t leave it like this can we?” he asks, looking like he really wants to stop.
“I wouldn’t if it was me, but if you promise not to call me babe I will try to be gentler,” I reason with a smug smile.
He looks at me in shock. “You made it hurt more didn’t you?”
“Maybe.”
“Deal. I won’t call you babe, but can I call you beautiful?”
“What?” I glance over, narrowing my eyes at his smirk. Now it is my turn to be shocked.
“Sorry,” he amends with a solemn look. “I will be good, just try not to cause me undue pain, please.”
I give him one last look, and then go about putting more wax on his chest and pulling off the strips then pressing to ease the pain this time.
“Bet, huh?” I ask.
He shrugs his shoulders; he seems like he is in less pain this time and watches me the whole time. As I move down to his abs, I explain that if he flexes his muscles it will pull the skin taut and it would probably hurt less. He does as I instruct without saying anything. I finish with the wax and inspect his chest by getting down on eye level with it to make sure I removed all the hair, catching a few I had missed. Then I grab my waxy residue remover, a bottle of oil, and absently start rubbing his skin to remove any leftover wax. To make sure there is no wax left on him so his clothes won’t stick to his skin, I start at the top of his chest and work my way down to his abs. As I get to where I had him tuck a towel in his jeans at his waist I slide my hand under the edge of the towel, not more than a half inch. Jaiden then sucks in a breath and grabs my wrists.
Startled, I look up at him and notice he has a very strange look on his face. He is looking at my hands; apparently when they slipped under the towel at the waistband of his jeans he thought something of it. He glances up to my face, I blush and I quickly try to pull my hands away to get a towel to wipe my hands and his chest off. He won’t let my hands go, he continues to stare at me. Slowly his face softens and he smiles.
I flush again, on principle. I wasn’t trying to feel him up, but now I am embarrassed.
“I, ah…” I can’t figure out what to say. He lets go and I quickly get a towel, and clear my throat.
“Well, we are done, if you want to go ahead and finish wiping the wax remover off of your chest, then you can put your shirt on and Cass can help you at the front.” I hold the towel out to him so that he can wipe off the oil. I half turn to head out the door when he finally talks.
“What about my eyebrows?”
“Damn.” I suck in a breath and cover my mouth with my hand. What is wrong with me today? I am not acting professional and suddenly I am so tired. I close my eyes and slowly turn to face him. I open my eyes to meet Jaiden’s and sigh. “I’m sorry,” I apologize, and look down. “I’m not usually this rude.”
“Dani,” he says and waits for me to look up. “I’m sorry as well, I didn’t mean to make you feel uncomfortable. It is my fault.” He sits up and reaches out to take the towel from me.
“Oh no, it’s okay, I…” I stumble over my words. I walk over to him and put my hand on his shoulder and push him back. “I will finish this,” I say as I motion to his chest. “Please lay back and we will be done in no time,” I encourage him.
Taking a breath to steady myself, I wait for him to lean back. I wipe all the oil away from his chest and then grab the aloe to cool his skin.
“This is aloe; it will help to cool your skin. I know it probably burns a bit,” I explain as I squeeze some on to my palm, talking to keep myself thinking about the task at hand.
“Burns! I feel like my chest is on fire!” he scowls at me. “Oh!” he exclaims as I start to rub in the aloe, “that feels wonderful.” He lets out a breath and closes his eyes.
I look over his face while I rub the aloe on to his skin. With his face relaxed, he looks younger than I initially thought. Being careful not to rub too close to his waistband I follow all the lines of his abs and chest, marveling at his masculine beauty. I can’t believe that this gorgeous man is laying here and I am rubbing his chest. I look up to see him watching me, not my hands but my face, and I flush again.
“How does it feel?” Jaiden asks, trying to act serious but failing.
“Huh?” I ask stupidly, pulling my hands away from him and wiping the excess off onto a towel.
“I was told that after you wax it feels really smooth, does it?”
“Um, yeah it does.”
I walk over to the wax to do his eyebrows. I dip the small stick in and as I look over to bring it over to his face, he is looking directly up at me with those bright green eyes. I look down into his face and it feels like we are locked together in this gaze and I can’t break it.
“You, you have to close your eyes, so I don’t get wax on your eyelashes,” I tell him. It is like a magnetic pull, I can’t look away.
“But you are beautiful, I like looking at you.”
“Oh, ah...” I mumble and clear my throat. “Please,” I whisper. I am starting to see pictures of faces in my mind while trying to pull my eyes from his, a face of a woman becoming suddenly clear in my mind. The same woman from earlier; she has blond hair and blue eyes.
He smiles and closes his eyes. When the contact is broken I feel like I can barely stand, my knees are weak and I have to put my hand on the table to steady myself. What the heck?
There is something about this man that is affecting me, I feel like there is some sort of connection between us. Like I should know who he is, or why I feel so affected. He is very cute, he has a gorgeous body, he’s nice though a little sarcastic. He has made comments about me being pretty, but he is most likely joking, he is way out of my league. That all very well may add to it, but I need to get a grip.
I take a deep breath, steadying myself, clearing my head and dip the stick in to the wax. I wax both his eyebrows, clean the wax off and rub in the aloe. It is much easier to focus when he has his eyes closed, even if they are great to look at. When I finish with his brows, I grab a mirror and hold it over his face.
“OK, I’m done, how do they look?” I ask.
He opens his eyes slowly and instead of looking straight up at the mirror his eyes focus on me.
“I would be honored if you would join me for dinner tonight,” he says as our gazes lock again.
What is going on? There is a half-naked gorgeous man laying here asking me out and no man ever asks me out. Looking at his eyes I feel like there is a strange pull coming from him again, like even if I wanted to walk away from him, I instead walk toward him. This is so strange and I can’t remember what I’m supposed to be doing. I just want to keep staring into his eyes. The room starts to disappear around me, I can’t remember where I am, was I supposed to say something? I swallow, my knees feel weak again, all I can see is Jaiden’s face, all I want is to reach out and touch his cheek. I feel my hand moving as if it has a mind of its own, and watch as my hand lands on his cheek.
“Um...” is the only response I can think of. Staring into his eyes, I lean against the table for fear that I will fall.
Jaiden takes the mirror from me without even glancing at his reflection, and puts it down on the table as he sits up. My hand falls to my side, and I am frozen in place, I can’t even blink. After he sits up he is very close to my face. He shifts so that I am standing in between his legs.
“Ah...” Why can’t I make a coherent sentence, what was the question anyway? What am I supposed to be doing?
“Dani,” Jaiden begins, “would you do me the honor of joining me for dinner?” Can he read my mind? I wonder to myself and as I’m still staring at him he raises one eyebrow as if to say your answer should be yes, of course.
“Yes, okay, sure I will go to dinner with you,” I finally sputter out as my knees start feeling like spaghetti. It is the only answer I can think of.
“I’ll pick you up at seven, is that okay?” he asks smiling at me.
“Yeah,” I whisper as my knees finally give out, and I start to slide down to the floor. Jaiden reaches out to steady me with a hand on each side of my hip.
“Whoa,” he says as he breaks eye contact, and I blink fiercely. He leads me to one of the chairs and sits me down. He kneels down in front of me, leans in and kisses my cheek. “I’ll walk myself out, see you tonight.” Jaiden stands, grabs his shirt and pulls it on as he leaves the room.
Holy crow! What did I just get myself into? How is he picking me up he doesn’t even know where I live? Why do I feel so weak? What is going on?
“Hey, do you want to do lunch?” Cassie asks as she walks into the wax room.
“What time is it?” I ask, wondering how long we have been in here.
“Almost two,” she replies, “I’m hungry, want to get take-out?”
“Sure, sounds good. No wonder I feel so shaky.” We have been in here nearly two hours. “Let’s go, I’ll clean this up after lunch.”
As I walk with Cassie to get our purses I feel like the fuzz in my mind is clearing and I am more exhausted than I was this morning. Unfortunately, it now looks as if a quiet night at home isn’t going to happen.
That is the full first chapter...my favorite part of the book! Are we excited to find out what happens?
~Present Day Fall 2026~
“Your eleven forty-five is here, Dani,” Cassie says as she walks in to the back room and hands me a clipboard.
“Thanks Cass, did you offer refreshments?” I ask, as I finish my coffee. She nods that she did. “I’ll be right out.”
“His name is Jaiden,” Cassie calls, as she walks back to the reception desk.
As I rinse out my coffee mug and place it on a towel to dry I decide that I did a smart thing hiring Cass. Cassie has been my friend for a while now, she is taking night classes for Cosmetology, and if she wants, I will have her work here in my extra chair when she is done. She is very efficient and friendly; she also helps me to be able to rest. I think about all the long years that I had been working mostly by myself. Most days I didn’t even get lunch I was so busy. Rachel has been working here as a nail technician for about four years, and she helps but she is pretty busy herself. Cassie, Rachel and I are good together, and we try to go out outside of work as often as possible.
Lately I have been so tired, more exhausted, like I have been running a marathon all night. I’ve been having these strange dreams and they keep my brain working so I can’t rest. I see random people in the dreams and I always feel like there is something I need to do; I just can’t reach them or figure out what it is. I push the dreams out of my mind as I walk to the front desk, I think of all the appointments I have today. I’m anxious about when I will be able to go home; maybe I’ll be able to get to sleep early. I love my job, but today I want to head home and kick up my feet and rest. Luckily I only have one morning appointment and four in the afternoon. Rachel was here most of the morning and she handled all the extra appointments.
“Jaiden,” Cassie calls out as I reach the front, holding the clipboard that Cass handed me in the back room; I haven’t even looked at it yet. I look down at the information on the paper all clients fill out. Jaiden Storm it says, age blank, emergency contact blank, address says Juniper only. Huh, I think to myself, mysterious, and a bit annoying.
“That’s me,” a deep voice booms from the reception area.
I look up and almost forget to breathe. He is gorgeous. Rachel is going to be mad she missed this appointment.
Jaiden is tall probably six feet two inches. He looks to be around thirty years old. He has on black converse shoes, dark blue jeans and a dark green T-shirt with black trim around the neck and arms; from what I can see through the stretch in the material he is built. As my gaze travels up to his face his eyes lock on mine, and I feel slightly dizzy. He has the greenest eyes I have ever seen, like bright, sparkling emeralds. I could probably stare at them forever. I tear my eyes from his to look at his hair, which is dark, wavy and almost to his shoulders. He has a neatly trimmed doorknocker beard, and full lips that are slightly turned up into a knowing smirk. He seems to have a dark way about him, he moves like he knows he is cute, so I try to ignore it. I wipe all emotion from my face take a deep breath and introduce myself.
“Hello, my name is Dani and I will be working with you today.” I hold out my hand for a handshake, seeing Cassie’s mouth drop out of the corner of my eye.
He grasps my hand but instead of a handshake he turns my hand, brings it to his mouth and kisses the back while looking up at me through his lashes. “It’s a pleasure,” he purrs.
Cassie gasps; I drop his hand and say only, “follow me.”
“Anywhere, babe,” Jaiden replies with a smile and a cocky wink before I can turn around.
I turn my back and head to the first room off the front, managing not to stomp down the hall. I hate being called babe. I open the door and he swaggers in like he doesn’t have a care in the world. I motion to the two chairs; he lounges in one, kicking his feet out and leaning back. I close the door and sit on the edge of the other chair with my back straight opposite him.
I clear my throat as I glance back at the clipboard then say, “so you are here for a chest wax?” I guess I get to look under that shirt after all.
“Yes, I believe I am,” he answers as he glances down at my chest with a grin on his face.
“Have you had your chest waxed before?” I ask, ignoring his look.
“No, have you?”
I give him one of my best are-you-kidding disgusted looks and instead reply, “have you had any part of your body waxed before?”
He raises his eyebrows and I swear he is going to say something inappropriate so I narrow my eyes and he answers, “no.”
“Okay, well just to give you another option, waxing is a bit painful, have you considered shaving?” I ask as I do with all my waxing clients whom haven’t done this before.
He smiles at me like he is keeping a secret. “Someone suggested I do this, so I decided that I will.”
“I understand, but it isn’t like ripping a band aid off, your chest is a big area, it will probably hurt.”
“I imagine it will probably sting, but I can handle it,” he replies with a bit of disdain, acting like a tough guy.
At this point I nod my acceptance and explain what will happen and each step. I inform him of the upkeep, what to do when he gets home, and the cost.
Then I ask, “would you like to wax anything else while you are here today, maybe shape your eyebrows?” I look him directly in the eye and smile.
A flash of surprise crosses his features. “Are you suggesting something?” he asks, with a half laugh.
“Nope, just doing my job.”
“Sure, let’s also do the eyebrows,” Jaiden says, shrugging. “Why not?”
“Okay well, we will start with your chest wax and after that I will shape your eyebrows; this way your skin can calm a bit before you replace your shirt.” I stand up and walk to the counter where my supplies are and set down the clipboard. “So if you will remove your shirt and lay down on the table there,” I tell him, gesturing to the table that looks more like a lounge chair completely reclined, as I go over his form and check my supplies. I make sure he filled out the medical part of the form completely and nothing is going to interfere with the wax.
“Not one to dawdle, are you, babe?” Jaiden asks with his deep voice. He’s standing close behind me next to the table.
“My name is Dani, and don’t…” I cut off as I turn around, my face at perfect chest level, and see him without his shirt.
Wow is all I can think, crap he is more than gorgeous. He has some hair on his chest but he isn’t excessively hairy. Calm down, I tell myself, breathe Dani.
“And don’t...?” he asks, smiling up at me as he sits on the table then swings his legs up and lies down.
“Huh?” I reply, completely forgetting what I was doing. He is ripped. His abs are perfectly sculpted and his skin looks so smooth I want to run my hands over him. His skin is tanned and looks tight, and every time he moves his muscles flex. How am I going to be able to do this, I wonder.
“Wax? That is the first step, right?” Jaiden says, winking at me and breaking me out of my thoughts.
Holy crow! What just happened? Get a grip Dani. I take a deep breath and walk over to the wax; well I guess I do get to run my hands over him. How embarrassing! I can feel myself flushing; this is going to be a long appointment!
“Okay,” I say as I clear my throat, “yes, wax is the first step. Are you ready?” I ask as I pick up a stick to dip in the wax, trying to avoid eye contact.
“Ready for you,” he says; the double meaning is loud and clear.
It might be my imagination so pushing that to the back of my mind, I start to apply the wax to his chest, working my way from center out at his collar bone.
“That’s warm,” he says as he watches my every move.
“Oh yeah, it is warm but it will cool down and as it does the wax attaches to the hair, then the hair comes out when I pull,” I explain, trying to keep my mind on the wax and not his gorgeous body.
“Are you pulling this off all at once?” he asks, a bit of anxiety in his voice. I had applied a space covered in wax the size of a textbook.
“No, I will pull it off in strips,” I answer with a bit of a laugh. I hold up a wax strip to show him how big. He’s not so tough now is he I think to myself. Smiling, I look at his face.
“Did you just laugh at me?”
“Oh no, sorry,” I say, flushing as I meet his eyes. “You ready?” I ask as I lay down the strip on top of the wax.
“Yes,” he replies, slowly eyeing me.
I place the strip across his chest and rub over the strip to make sure the wax adheres to the strip. I press the heel of my hand on his skin to hold it taut as I grip the strip to pull and as my hand touches the skin I feel something like a bolt of electricity shoot up my arm. I see a vivid picture of a woman’s face I have never seen before in my mind. I blink then look up at Jaiden in surprise as he looks at me in astonishment. Slowly he starts to smile.
“Your hands are cold, babe,” he says with a smug smile.
I scowl at him as I grip the strip and rip it off quickly. I see his eyes widen and even though he doesn’t have much hair on his chest, I’m sure it hurt. He wasn’t expecting anything like that. I place the strip back down in the wax next to where I just pulled it off, rub then rip again. I do this three more times quickly, Jaiden flinching each time, but not saying a word. On anyone else I normally would place my hand on the skin to cool the sting in between each pull. Instead I do the whole section and then rest my hands against his chest. It may be petty but it probably was a bit more painful than it should have been. When I look up at Jaiden he has tears brimming in his eyes. He shouldn’t have called me babe.
I smile at him and ask, “are my hands still cold?
He grimaces, “nope, I really didn’t think it would hurt that much.” He looks down at his chest. “Damn bet, well, we can’t leave it like this can we?” he asks, looking like he really wants to stop.
“I wouldn’t if it was me, but if you promise not to call me babe I will try to be gentler,” I reason with a smug smile.
He looks at me in shock. “You made it hurt more didn’t you?”
“Maybe.”
“Deal. I won’t call you babe, but can I call you beautiful?”
“What?” I glance over, narrowing my eyes at his smirk. Now it is my turn to be shocked.
“Sorry,” he amends with a solemn look. “I will be good, just try not to cause me undue pain, please.”
I give him one last look, and then go about putting more wax on his chest and pulling off the strips then pressing to ease the pain this time.
“Bet, huh?” I ask.
He shrugs his shoulders; he seems like he is in less pain this time and watches me the whole time. As I move down to his abs, I explain that if he flexes his muscles it will pull the skin taut and it would probably hurt less. He does as I instruct without saying anything. I finish with the wax and inspect his chest by getting down on eye level with it to make sure I removed all the hair, catching a few I had missed. Then I grab my waxy residue remover, a bottle of oil, and absently start rubbing his skin to remove any leftover wax. To make sure there is no wax left on him so his clothes won’t stick to his skin, I start at the top of his chest and work my way down to his abs. As I get to where I had him tuck a towel in his jeans at his waist I slide my hand under the edge of the towel, not more than a half inch. Jaiden then sucks in a breath and grabs my wrists.
Startled, I look up at him and notice he has a very strange look on his face. He is looking at my hands; apparently when they slipped under the towel at the waistband of his jeans he thought something of it. He glances up to my face, I blush and I quickly try to pull my hands away to get a towel to wipe my hands and his chest off. He won’t let my hands go, he continues to stare at me. Slowly his face softens and he smiles.
I flush again, on principle. I wasn’t trying to feel him up, but now I am embarrassed.
“I, ah…” I can’t figure out what to say. He lets go and I quickly get a towel, and clear my throat.
“Well, we are done, if you want to go ahead and finish wiping the wax remover off of your chest, then you can put your shirt on and Cass can help you at the front.” I hold the towel out to him so that he can wipe off the oil. I half turn to head out the door when he finally talks.
“What about my eyebrows?”
“Damn.” I suck in a breath and cover my mouth with my hand. What is wrong with me today? I am not acting professional and suddenly I am so tired. I close my eyes and slowly turn to face him. I open my eyes to meet Jaiden’s and sigh. “I’m sorry,” I apologize, and look down. “I’m not usually this rude.”
“Dani,” he says and waits for me to look up. “I’m sorry as well, I didn’t mean to make you feel uncomfortable. It is my fault.” He sits up and reaches out to take the towel from me.
“Oh no, it’s okay, I…” I stumble over my words. I walk over to him and put my hand on his shoulder and push him back. “I will finish this,” I say as I motion to his chest. “Please lay back and we will be done in no time,” I encourage him.
Taking a breath to steady myself, I wait for him to lean back. I wipe all the oil away from his chest and then grab the aloe to cool his skin.
“This is aloe; it will help to cool your skin. I know it probably burns a bit,” I explain as I squeeze some on to my palm, talking to keep myself thinking about the task at hand.
“Burns! I feel like my chest is on fire!” he scowls at me. “Oh!” he exclaims as I start to rub in the aloe, “that feels wonderful.” He lets out a breath and closes his eyes.
I look over his face while I rub the aloe on to his skin. With his face relaxed, he looks younger than I initially thought. Being careful not to rub too close to his waistband I follow all the lines of his abs and chest, marveling at his masculine beauty. I can’t believe that this gorgeous man is laying here and I am rubbing his chest. I look up to see him watching me, not my hands but my face, and I flush again.
“How does it feel?” Jaiden asks, trying to act serious but failing.
“Huh?” I ask stupidly, pulling my hands away from him and wiping the excess off onto a towel.
“I was told that after you wax it feels really smooth, does it?”
“Um, yeah it does.”
I walk over to the wax to do his eyebrows. I dip the small stick in and as I look over to bring it over to his face, he is looking directly up at me with those bright green eyes. I look down into his face and it feels like we are locked together in this gaze and I can’t break it.
“You, you have to close your eyes, so I don’t get wax on your eyelashes,” I tell him. It is like a magnetic pull, I can’t look away.
“But you are beautiful, I like looking at you.”
“Oh, ah...” I mumble and clear my throat. “Please,” I whisper. I am starting to see pictures of faces in my mind while trying to pull my eyes from his, a face of a woman becoming suddenly clear in my mind. The same woman from earlier; she has blond hair and blue eyes.
He smiles and closes his eyes. When the contact is broken I feel like I can barely stand, my knees are weak and I have to put my hand on the table to steady myself. What the heck?
There is something about this man that is affecting me, I feel like there is some sort of connection between us. Like I should know who he is, or why I feel so affected. He is very cute, he has a gorgeous body, he’s nice though a little sarcastic. He has made comments about me being pretty, but he is most likely joking, he is way out of my league. That all very well may add to it, but I need to get a grip.
I take a deep breath, steadying myself, clearing my head and dip the stick in to the wax. I wax both his eyebrows, clean the wax off and rub in the aloe. It is much easier to focus when he has his eyes closed, even if they are great to look at. When I finish with his brows, I grab a mirror and hold it over his face.
“OK, I’m done, how do they look?” I ask.
He opens his eyes slowly and instead of looking straight up at the mirror his eyes focus on me.
“I would be honored if you would join me for dinner tonight,” he says as our gazes lock again.
What is going on? There is a half-naked gorgeous man laying here asking me out and no man ever asks me out. Looking at his eyes I feel like there is a strange pull coming from him again, like even if I wanted to walk away from him, I instead walk toward him. This is so strange and I can’t remember what I’m supposed to be doing. I just want to keep staring into his eyes. The room starts to disappear around me, I can’t remember where I am, was I supposed to say something? I swallow, my knees feel weak again, all I can see is Jaiden’s face, all I want is to reach out and touch his cheek. I feel my hand moving as if it has a mind of its own, and watch as my hand lands on his cheek.
“Um...” is the only response I can think of. Staring into his eyes, I lean against the table for fear that I will fall.
Jaiden takes the mirror from me without even glancing at his reflection, and puts it down on the table as he sits up. My hand falls to my side, and I am frozen in place, I can’t even blink. After he sits up he is very close to my face. He shifts so that I am standing in between his legs.
“Ah...” Why can’t I make a coherent sentence, what was the question anyway? What am I supposed to be doing?
“Dani,” Jaiden begins, “would you do me the honor of joining me for dinner?” Can he read my mind? I wonder to myself and as I’m still staring at him he raises one eyebrow as if to say your answer should be yes, of course.
“Yes, okay, sure I will go to dinner with you,” I finally sputter out as my knees start feeling like spaghetti. It is the only answer I can think of.
“I’ll pick you up at seven, is that okay?” he asks smiling at me.
“Yeah,” I whisper as my knees finally give out, and I start to slide down to the floor. Jaiden reaches out to steady me with a hand on each side of my hip.
“Whoa,” he says as he breaks eye contact, and I blink fiercely. He leads me to one of the chairs and sits me down. He kneels down in front of me, leans in and kisses my cheek. “I’ll walk myself out, see you tonight.” Jaiden stands, grabs his shirt and pulls it on as he leaves the room.
Holy crow! What did I just get myself into? How is he picking me up he doesn’t even know where I live? Why do I feel so weak? What is going on?
“Hey, do you want to do lunch?” Cassie asks as she walks into the wax room.
“What time is it?” I ask, wondering how long we have been in here.
“Almost two,” she replies, “I’m hungry, want to get take-out?”
“Sure, sounds good. No wonder I feel so shaky.” We have been in here nearly two hours. “Let’s go, I’ll clean this up after lunch.”
As I walk with Cassie to get our purses I feel like the fuzz in my mind is clearing and I am more exhausted than I was this morning. Unfortunately, it now looks as if a quiet night at home isn’t going to happen.
That is the full first chapter...my favorite part of the book! Are we excited to find out what happens?