I stood beforeSylvia. Something was wrong. She was wringing the hem of her shirt in herhands. She sighed.
“Just tell me.”My voice echoed off of the walls. Honestly, I wasn’t sure I could take muchmore. I didn’t think there couldbemuch more.
Sylvia turned toface me. Her green eyes and striking auburn hair reminded me of a cat. Her eyestransformed and glowed silver. She was in the zone.
“When the balancehere on Earth is threatened, a Devi incarnates with a great purpose, to makethings right,” she told me in an ominous voice.
“Okay … thatdoesn’t sound so bad.” I was picking at my cuticles nervously.
“Well, it’s not.It’s just that … legend says, when the Devi is done with their purpose, theyleave.”
“Like after thatlife is over, they die?” This conversation was getting weird. My wolf wascoming to the surface. I sensed a threat.
Sylvia clearedher throat nervously. “Like, after their purpose is completed, they leave theirbody immediately. They always die young.”
I laughed. Icouldn’t help it. Yesterday my life couldn’t get any weirder but it just did. Imade a classic Aurora decision then. Denial. This wasn’t happening. Buh-Bye.
“I’m not a Devi,and I’m not going anywhere. Goodnight, Sylvia.” I turned and left. She wasright, I had had enough. I slammed the door on my way out. It made me feel alittle better. I would probably apologize to Sylvia later for running out, butI couldn’t deal with this nonsense.
Sylvialived deep in the woods of Sandy, Oregon. Her home was a short drive down themountain from ours. As I drove back up the mountain, I tried not to think ofreincarnation and Devis. My brain was a traitor because that’s all it wanted tothink about! As I passed the spot where I had my car accident, I slowed. Mypalms grew sweaty. If I hadn’t been in that accident, then Kai wouldn’t havechanged me and I would still be a human with a simple life.Destiny,mywolf told me.
But,then I wouldn’t have met Kai. My stomach warmed at the thought of him. I didn’ttrust men. All men in my life had abused me, cheated on me, or walked all overme, but not Kai. I pulled up to the private drive that led to our expansivehome on Mount Hood. The trees were so thick on our property, the sun barelymade it through. A fine mist covered the ground. It was a cool time of year. Iloved the crisp bite of the wind against my face as I rolled down my window tobreathe in the morning air. This mountain settled my soul.
Iparked my car and sat inside for a few minutes clearing my mind. I didn’t wantKai picking up on my anxiety. I took another deep breath and rolled up mywindow. After clearing my thoughts, I entered the home we shared. I could heartalking at the back of the house in Kai’s office. I knocked lightly at thedoor. He had been spending a lot of time in there over the past few weeks, alwayson the phone, always with hushed voices. He was constantly having ‘meetings’that took up most of his time.
“Comein, Aurora,” his deep, husky voice said through the door.
Ismiled. Of course he knew it was me. I could smell him through the door as well.My werewolf nose was very good. My wolf and I had become one; we were workingtogether like a well-oiled machine. I entered the room and let my eyes roamover my mate. At six foot one inch tall with caramel East Indian skin, I could genuinelysay that Kai was tall, dark and handsome.
Neverone for beating around a subject, I blurted out what I was thinking. “What’swith these hushed meetings you are having in here?”
Kaismiled and the tips of his canines pressed onto his plump bottom lip. “I can’tslip anything past you, can I?”
Hepulled me up onto his lap. I straddled him in his office chair and let my longblonde hair fall like a curtain around us. I nipped his bottom lip gently.“So?” I pressed him again. He sighed but didn’t say anything. I took that as asign things were about to get serious and stepped off of him. He growled.
“Aurora,I want to marry you,” Kai stated.
Notthis argument again. “The vampires want to take my fertile blood after ourmating ceremony and create baby vampire spawn. We can’t have that happening, andI can’t kill all of the vampires myself, so …” I put my hair into a big bun,fastening it with a pencil from Kai’s desk. Kai’s father, Raj, had originallyadvised us not to marry. The intel he discovered a few months ago said I wasinfertile, but would become fertile after we had our mating ceremony. It wastrue. I checked it out myself. Infertile. Kai had some big plan to take outLayla, the queen of the North American vampire clan. I thought it was toodangerous. I wanted to marry Kai, I did. But at what cost? Werewolves didn’texactly have high numbers to rival the vampires.
“So… what’s the plan, boss man?” I teased, hoping to lighten the mood.
Kaistood then and crossed the room eerily fast. His gift of speed never ceased toamaze me, even though I had the same gift. He cupped my face in his hands. Hiseyes turned yellow; his wolf was out. “Aurora, I need you to trust me. I can’ttell you my entire plan now, only that I have accepted an offer to join thewerewolf council.”
Irecoiled slightly. “Really? You hate politics! You denied their request threetimes. Why now?” I remembered the awful day Kai had taken me to the Alphacouncil meeting and I collapsed in front of everyone when I had my big vision.The council members didn’t exactly seem like a bunch of chummy folks. Icouldn’t imagine Kai grouping with them.
Kai’seyes turned brown. “Trust me, Meri Pyari.” He kissed my nose and smelled myneck. I growled softly. Why the hell was he keeping me in the dark? He thoughtI was fragile, that I couldn’t handle things. I didn’t like secrets.
Kaigave me a look that said don’t be mad.
“Ihave a self-defense class to teach at Safe Haven,” I reminded him with justenough sass in my voice to tell him I was upset.
Heclosed his laptop. “I will come along.”
“NowI can’t be alone? I need a bodyguard?” I grabbed the keys to the new car Kaibought me. Why was everyone trying to protect me all the time? I could takecare of myself. Kai grabbed my wrist and turned me to face him.
“Aurora,you are the Matefinder, the most rare and hunted wolf. Excuse me if I seem overprotective. It’s because I love you.”
Okay.Dammit. He knew just what to say. I kissed him long and deep and left a growlin his throat when I turned away. He followed.
