Brooke Sanders just wants to get away from her life for a while. A remote cabin in Montana fits the bill. She doesn’t expect to encounter a mysterious stranger with unusual blue eyes, or events that cannot be explained…
Colin Fielding is on a mission – scout a planet and return home to Endhivar. Simple really. What he doesn’t anticipate is that fate has a pretty twisted sense of humor. Suddenly, this human calls to him, every part of him, like the call of a true mate, and he can’t deny the connection as he gets closer to her.
Little do they know, someone is out to do them harm, as well as the world Brooke holds so dear. Can they stop what’s coming before it’s too late? Or will the universe lose a perfect gem?
Nothing was there, and yet she was drawn to some unknown source. Of their own volition, her fingers shifted, unlocking the doors, and then pushed them open. The cold breeze was hardly a deterrent.
In her bare feet, she walked across the deck and took the stairs, the same steps she’d used before. She trudged through the woods, her legs sinking into the tall snow. A low hum came from nearby, and she followed it. There, a green light came again, just through the trees. It was a circular glow, as if radiating around an object. She reached a section in the forest, now a clearing, as several trees had been knocked down by a mysterious force. The bright green light had disappeared. Before her was more snow. Instinct drove her forward. She sank to her knees and began to dig. Hard. Her hands grew numb, but she didn’t let it stop her. She drew strength from unknown reserves. Soon, her fingers tapped a solid surface.
Brooke brushed the flakes away and sat back on her heels, staring. Before her lay a strangely shaped object constructed of shimmery metal, almost liquid. It was in the outline of a marquis with an iridescent jewel-like object on each corner. She rose and stepped forward. Her hand encountered the cool metal. Beneath her touch, it grew warm, changing to a soft red hue. This was some kind of vessel, she gathered, but she didn’t know where it had come from.
“You shouldn’t be here.”
She turned and saw Colin. Instead of appearing dressed, he was back in his pale blue skin. Her breaths grew short as he approached, and she stood to keep him from intimidating her.
He reached out and touched her cheek. The contact was cool, yet it sizzled with energy. “Too curious,” he murmured. “What will I do with you?”
“Do?” she whispered, though the word, for some reason, caused her mind to spin into visions she was sure weren’t her own. Images of their bodies rolling over sheets, moving gently together, made her heat up from the inside. Her eyes fluttered closed for a moment before she looked up and saw that strange blue color flash once more.
When his mouth descended upon hers, it was cool at first until their mingled breaths warmed the experience. She opened to him without question, and felt his arms slowly encompass her. Her hands moved to explore his biceps, shoulders and nape, where his dark hair lay. Still, his body was cold, and she wanted to warm him somehow. Putting one hand to his chest, she found his heart as it throbbed in soft beats beneath her touch.
He groaned, speared a hand into her dark tresses, now a little damp from the falling snowflakes around them. She didn’t care. All she wanted was this man, his lips on hers, even on her body if he was willing.
“Not in a dream, marghitippe.”
“Dream?” She wet her lips as she pulled away a bit to look at him. He’d said that word before. “What language is that? Gaelic?”
“A dying language only. You wouldn’t know it.”
She nodded. “What does it mean, what you said?”
“Something like ‘my miracle’.”
Her breath caught. “So, you think I’m yours?”
Then his face changed, his features hardening into an emotion she didn’t recognize, and she was suddenly suffused with fear. Her heart kicked into a panicky rhythm. She didn’t know the first thing about him, and yet she’d been in his arms, allowed him to kiss her until she couldn’t think of a reason she should say ‘no’.
“Indeed. But the fault is not yours, sweetheart.”
He’d read her mind, she thought. But how?
He squeezed her arm, but not enough to hurt her. “Go. Head back to your cabin. You got lost somehow, like earlier.”
“I know what I saw,” she protested.
“And I pray you’ll forget,” he muttered.
She knew she should still be afraid, but something about the way his gaze moved over her face warmed her body. “Why don’t you want me now?”
He frowned. “My wanting you is not in question.”
Her gaze traveled across his exposed skin. “Who are you?” she whispered, suddenly fascinated by how different he was, from her, from anyone she’d met before.
His lips firmed into a thin line. “Go. Go now. I’ll not ask again.”
That’s enough of that, she thought. She wouldn’t be a victim ever again. She stepped up to him, satisfied when his eyes widened. “Or you’ll what? Rhett Butler my ass all the way back? I don’t think so.”
He frowned. “You humans speak so strangely.” He shook his head. “I don’t want to do this, marghitippe.”
“Do what?”
“This will hurt, and I’m sorry.” She tensed as his hand rested upon her forehead. Pain shot through her skull and her knees buckled. He caught her up in his arms. Brooke gazed up at him, into his black eyes, which now shifted colors, to the brightest blue she’d ever seen. Then the lights went out.
She jerked awake later, crying out, and nearly slipped off the sofa before her hand shot out to stop her momentum. The room was still warm, the fire crackling close by. She shivered from the effects of the vision.
Quite a dream, she thought. Clearly her reading material had gotten into her head. That must be why she also had a splitting headache. She squeezed her eyes shut, and began to shiver incessantly. Brooke drew the throw tighter over her skin. Curious, she reached inside her shirt to feel for her body temperature. Odd, she was cool to the touch like she’d snuggled up to an iceberg instead of the nearby flames, or maybe she’d come down with something.
Great. Just her luck. She was out in the middle of nowhere and she was getting the flu.
With a shrug, she stood up from the sofa, and headed in the direction of the bedroom. A weird tingle ran up her spine and she froze in mid-step. Brooke turned, and then looked back at the sliding glass doors. They were closed, but she still felt a chill in the air. It was so strange. She felt as if she was being watched, too, yet nothing was there.
After a moment, she shook her head. Maybe leftover paranoia from the dream. She forced herself to go to bed. As she climbed under the covers and her mind began to calm, she thought of that incredible kiss. Her body began to tingle in a strange fashion. She couldn’t deny Colin was attractive. Obviously, her subconscious wanted to torment her with it. But he was dangerous, she thought. He might never physically hurt her, yet she had no guarantees, just as she didn’t with anyone she dated or met.
She wanted to believe he had good intentions, and there was something unusual about the man, a mystery she couldn’t figure out. Still, she feared trouble was not far behind. So she would forget him. That wouldn’t be too hard, right? Hell, she’d turned down his offer to go out, if that’s what he meant earlier. So, he’d be easy to forget.
As her heart called her a liar, she cursed, turned over in the sheets and closed her eyes.
In her bare feet, she walked across the deck and took the stairs, the same steps she’d used before. She trudged through the woods, her legs sinking into the tall snow. A low hum came from nearby, and she followed it. There, a green light came again, just through the trees. It was a circular glow, as if radiating around an object. She reached a section in the forest, now a clearing, as several trees had been knocked down by a mysterious force. The bright green light had disappeared. Before her was more snow. Instinct drove her forward. She sank to her knees and began to dig. Hard. Her hands grew numb, but she didn’t let it stop her. She drew strength from unknown reserves. Soon, her fingers tapped a solid surface.
Brooke brushed the flakes away and sat back on her heels, staring. Before her lay a strangely shaped object constructed of shimmery metal, almost liquid. It was in the outline of a marquis with an iridescent jewel-like object on each corner. She rose and stepped forward. Her hand encountered the cool metal. Beneath her touch, it grew warm, changing to a soft red hue. This was some kind of vessel, she gathered, but she didn’t know where it had come from.
“You shouldn’t be here.”
She turned and saw Colin. Instead of appearing dressed, he was back in his pale blue skin. Her breaths grew short as he approached, and she stood to keep him from intimidating her.
He reached out and touched her cheek. The contact was cool, yet it sizzled with energy. “Too curious,” he murmured. “What will I do with you?”
“Do?” she whispered, though the word, for some reason, caused her mind to spin into visions she was sure weren’t her own. Images of their bodies rolling over sheets, moving gently together, made her heat up from the inside. Her eyes fluttered closed for a moment before she looked up and saw that strange blue color flash once more.
When his mouth descended upon hers, it was cool at first until their mingled breaths warmed the experience. She opened to him without question, and felt his arms slowly encompass her. Her hands moved to explore his biceps, shoulders and nape, where his dark hair lay. Still, his body was cold, and she wanted to warm him somehow. Putting one hand to his chest, she found his heart as it throbbed in soft beats beneath her touch.
He groaned, speared a hand into her dark tresses, now a little damp from the falling snowflakes around them. She didn’t care. All she wanted was this man, his lips on hers, even on her body if he was willing.
“Not in a dream, marghitippe.”
“Dream?” She wet her lips as she pulled away a bit to look at him. He’d said that word before. “What language is that? Gaelic?”
“A dying language only. You wouldn’t know it.”
She nodded. “What does it mean, what you said?”
“Something like ‘my miracle’.”
Her breath caught. “So, you think I’m yours?”
Then his face changed, his features hardening into an emotion she didn’t recognize, and she was suddenly suffused with fear. Her heart kicked into a panicky rhythm. She didn’t know the first thing about him, and yet she’d been in his arms, allowed him to kiss her until she couldn’t think of a reason she should say ‘no’.
“Indeed. But the fault is not yours, sweetheart.”
He’d read her mind, she thought. But how?
He squeezed her arm, but not enough to hurt her. “Go. Head back to your cabin. You got lost somehow, like earlier.”
“I know what I saw,” she protested.
“And I pray you’ll forget,” he muttered.
She knew she should still be afraid, but something about the way his gaze moved over her face warmed her body. “Why don’t you want me now?”
He frowned. “My wanting you is not in question.”
Her gaze traveled across his exposed skin. “Who are you?” she whispered, suddenly fascinated by how different he was, from her, from anyone she’d met before.
His lips firmed into a thin line. “Go. Go now. I’ll not ask again.”
That’s enough of that, she thought. She wouldn’t be a victim ever again. She stepped up to him, satisfied when his eyes widened. “Or you’ll what? Rhett Butler my ass all the way back? I don’t think so.”
He frowned. “You humans speak so strangely.” He shook his head. “I don’t want to do this, marghitippe.”
“Do what?”
“This will hurt, and I’m sorry.” She tensed as his hand rested upon her forehead. Pain shot through her skull and her knees buckled. He caught her up in his arms. Brooke gazed up at him, into his black eyes, which now shifted colors, to the brightest blue she’d ever seen. Then the lights went out.
She jerked awake later, crying out, and nearly slipped off the sofa before her hand shot out to stop her momentum. The room was still warm, the fire crackling close by. She shivered from the effects of the vision.
Quite a dream, she thought. Clearly her reading material had gotten into her head. That must be why she also had a splitting headache. She squeezed her eyes shut, and began to shiver incessantly. Brooke drew the throw tighter over her skin. Curious, she reached inside her shirt to feel for her body temperature. Odd, she was cool to the touch like she’d snuggled up to an iceberg instead of the nearby flames, or maybe she’d come down with something.
Great. Just her luck. She was out in the middle of nowhere and she was getting the flu.
With a shrug, she stood up from the sofa, and headed in the direction of the bedroom. A weird tingle ran up her spine and she froze in mid-step. Brooke turned, and then looked back at the sliding glass doors. They were closed, but she still felt a chill in the air. It was so strange. She felt as if she was being watched, too, yet nothing was there.
After a moment, she shook her head. Maybe leftover paranoia from the dream. She forced herself to go to bed. As she climbed under the covers and her mind began to calm, she thought of that incredible kiss. Her body began to tingle in a strange fashion. She couldn’t deny Colin was attractive. Obviously, her subconscious wanted to torment her with it. But he was dangerous, she thought. He might never physically hurt her, yet she had no guarantees, just as she didn’t with anyone she dated or met.
She wanted to believe he had good intentions, and there was something unusual about the man, a mystery she couldn’t figure out. Still, she feared trouble was not far behind. So she would forget him. That wouldn’t be too hard, right? Hell, she’d turned down his offer to go out, if that’s what he meant earlier. So, he’d be easy to forget.
As her heart called her a liar, she cursed, turned over in the sheets and closed her eyes.
Marie Lavender lives in the Midwest with her family and three cats. She has been writing for a little over twenty-five years. She has more works in progress than she can count on two hands. Since 2010, Marie has published 23 books in the genres of historical romance, contemporary romance, romantic suspense, paranormal romance, dramatic fiction, fantasy, science fiction, mystery/thriller, literary fiction and poetry. She has also contributed to several anthologies. Her current published series are The Heiresses in Love Series, The Magick Series, The Code of Endhivar Series and The Blood at First Sight Series. Feel free to visit her website at marielavender.com for further information about her books and her life. Marie is also on Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and LinkedIn.
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