Briannas Prophecy (20 page)

Brianna eyed herself in the streaked mirror and frowned. She didn’t look any different. She didn’t look like she’d just had the most incredible night of sex she could have possibly imagined. She shrugged and continued to towel herself dry, mindful of the tender places on her skin. She looked down at herself and flushed.

There were whisker burns all over her body. Wherever she looked, there was evidence of their lovemaking. She hugged herself and smiled, remembering how wonderful each, and every, one of Niklas’s caresses felt.

Dressed in blue jeans and her favorite T-shirt, that boldly announced,
give me my stinkin’ coffee now, or suffer the consequences
, she went in search of Killer to let him outside for his morning bark-fest. No matter where she looked, Killer was nowhere to be found. Putting her shoes on, she rushed next door. Maybe Niklas knew where he was, or at least maybe she could get him to help search for him.

Brianna knocked on the door, waited a moment, then knocked again. Her patience was near the breaking point. She loved that little pain in the butt. If he had been hurt because she’d forgotten him outside last night, she’d never forgive herself.

Niklas opened the door with a smile. He was holding Killer and immediately handed the squirming bundle of hair to her. He knew it was why she was there.

Brianna hugged Killer close and kissed him on the ear. “Why did you take him? I was worried sick.”

He stepped back, waved her into the house and closed the door behind her. “You were sleeping. I brought him here, so he wouldn’t disturb you. I left you a note. Didn’t you see it?” He looked at her quizzically, his brow raised in a way that made him look even sexier.

Brianna blushed. She was embarrassed that she didn’t think Niklas would have left a note. “I was so frantic I didn’t even look for one. Where did you leave it?” Cuddling Killer close, she rubbed his ears and pressed little kisses to the side of his head.

Niklas smiled. “It was on the table in your kitchen.” He placed a gentle hand on her back, massaging it lightly. “And there is no need for you to look so embarrassed. I understand your apprehension. You love him.”

She sighed, relieved. How did he always seem to have the ability to make her feel so comfortable? He had an agreeable way about him that erased any embarrassment she felt. Brianna opened her mouth to apologize, and Niklas interrupted.

“You do not owe me an apology or an explanation. I left your home with something you love. You had every right to be upset.”

How did he always seem to know what she was thinking now? She gave a mental shrug and smiled into his eyes. She then looked around, noticing for the first time that most of his belongings were gone. She frowned. “What happened to all of your furniture?” She wandered across the almost empty room to stand by the window that faced her house.

* * * *

Niklas closed his eyes for a moment and let out a deep breath. He’d hoped she would sleep a bit longer. At least until he could have returned to her and explain. He’d felt her embarrassment earlier. He had hoped she’d been dreaming, but it was not the case. He’d been using a holographic device to give orders to the crew and wasn’t able to go to her at the time. They needed to leave this place as soon as he was able. When he felt her anxiety over the missing pet, he knew she was indeed awake and would have to be dealt with, whether he was ready or not. Finished with the holo device, he’d been coming down the stairs when she’d started pounding on the door.

He took her arm and sat her down on the sofa, one of the few furnishings left in the house. He put his arm around her shoulders, drawing Brianna closer to his body. He wanted a firm grip on her when she heard what he had to say. “I am packing to leave.” The sooner he got this over with the better, as far as he was concerned. She stiffened. It was a reaction he’d expected, yes, but one he certainly did not welcome. He held fast when she tried to wrench herself free from his grasp.

Tears began to pool in her eyes, trembling like gems on her lashes. She was obviously under the mistaken impression that he was leaving this world without her. Niklas could feel the emotions roiling within her. Of them all, anguish, confusion, fear and anger, mostly he felt her anger. She thought he’d used her. Each emotion swirled within her, each trying to control the direction of her thoughts.

She turned her head. Eyes blurred with tears found his. “But…but why? After last night I thought—” She covered her mouth with her hands, the last of her words coming out on a sob.

Killer stood on his hind legs, licking her face in an attempt to console. It was a measure of her distress when she pushed him away.

Brianna scrubbed her face with her hands, her feelings of humiliation and loss obvious.
I won’t cry over him. I won’t cry because my spell didn’t work and I’ll have months to wait before the planets will be in the right alignment again.

Niklas’s arm tightened around her as he heard her thoughts and she tried to pull away again. He held her firmly to his side. He couldn’t bear to see her like this. He couldn’t take the time to stay, to reassure her, to give her the time to grow to trust him thoroughly.

He cursed under his breath. Why did things have to happen this way? Why did they always have to be so difficult? If he didn’t have to rush back, he could take all the time he needed to reassure her.
What a strange twisted universe this is.
He groaned, knowing he had to tell her, yet wasn’t quite sure how to do so. Where should he begin?

She turned away, but not before he could see how her eyes reflected her anguish. It was obvious she couldn’t bear to look at him anymore.

 
”
Laharra
, look at me, please,” Niklas pleaded. He reached out, trying to gently turn her head back toward him, but she fought.

“I can’t. I won’t. I don’t think I can ever—” she sobbed into her hands, resting her forehead against the wall.

He didn’t have time for this. He would have liked nothing more than to stay here with her until she could grow to trust him. He’d been lucky, very lucky, just to have found her. He couldn’t protect her here as well as he could on
Terrna
. Or even as well as he could on his ship, now that he was relatively certain all of the spies were gone. “I have to go home,
Laharra
. I would take you with me, if you would go.”

* * * *

Brianna looked up at him through her tear-filled eyes. How could he think she could leave the country with him? She didn’t know him. How did she know he wasn’t some sort of strange axe murderer or a man who dealt in sexual slavery? “Don’t you understand? I don’t even know you, not really,” she cried. “I can’t go anywhere with a man I don’t know. I don’t even believe I had sex with you. I never do things like that.” She was breaking his heart, she could feel it.
Good, then he knows how I feel. The jerk.
Strangely, she could feel his remorse. He didn’t want to hurt her. The knowledge gave her a small measure of comfort, and she was able to calm herself a bit.

Maybe he was what he said he was, but how could she be sure. He said he was here on a mission for his government, but what government? He didn’t even bother to tell her what country he was from. Why should she trust anything he had to say when he so obviously didn’t trust her?

“You will have a hard time believing this,
Laharra
, but I am not from another country. I have come from another world in search of my
El’edal
, my mate, and the woman who can save my entire planet. After searching many worlds, I have finally found you.
You
are my
El’edal, Laharra
.”

She began to struggle again and Niklas released her. Standing quickly, she backed away from him before he could change his mind and pin her to his side again.
Another planet? The guy is nuts!
“You really believe that, don’t you?” She looked at him and wondered why her? Why after all those years of waiting for man who could accept her as she was, she had to end up with a crazy person?

“Of course I believe it. You are the one I’ve been searching the universe for. Only you can save my planet. It will die without your help.”

“Then find someone else. I’m not interested.” She crossed her arms, not sure why she was even still in his house. She should leave, before he got the idea to kidnap her or something, but she couldn’t do it. Part of her hoped he would confess to this being some sort of sick joke.

“I cannot find someone else. It is you. Only you can save my people, my world.”

* * * *

Niklas didn’t know what else to say. He watched as Brianna bent slowly, picked up a frantic Killer with trembling hands and walked to the door.

“I don’t believe this,” she said, burying her face in Killer’s neck. “I thought you were different, but you’re not. You were just smarter than other men, smart enough to figure out how to get me in bed when others couldn’t.” Brianna whimpered, “I was just another conquest for you, wasn’t I?” She laughed, near hysterics. “I can’t believe you’re actually telling me this.” She snorted. “Another planet? Ha!”

Niklas stood speechless as she walked through the door. What could he say? She didn’t believe him. Besides, he needed a little more time to get things in order. Let her go home and be angry. It cost him little. Just little pieces of his soul.

Chapter Twelve

“He used me,” she sniffed. “He used me, and I liked it! Oh, God, I’m such a slut,” Brianna cried. She threw herself down her bed and sobbed.

I did not use you
, Laharra.

“Stay out of my mind, you pig,” she screamed at the ceiling and threw her pillow at the wall in frustration. Geeze, this was just like when the faeries could hear her thoughts. Could Morgaine help rid her of this connection, too?

What if he
was
telling the truth? After all, it wasn’t normal to have such a connection with someone, was it? Brianna bit her lip and covered her ears as though it would block out the sound of her logical inner voice.

“Larin?” The name came out as a whimper. Brianna looked around her room and bit her thumbnail, hoping to see him standing in the corner again. Morgaine said he had to come when she called. Okay, maybe he’d found a loophole or something. Maybe she had to deliberately say she wanted to see him. Or maybe it had been just a dream after all. “Larin, I summon you,” she said imperiously.

“Getting a bit bossy, aren’t you, beauty?”

Brianna jumped. He’d appeared behind her, leaning against the doorjamb, his arms crossed over his chest.

“Don’t do that again. You scared the crap out of me.” She stood and began to pace.

Larin looked her up and down and inhaled deeply through his nose. “I doubt that very much.” He bowed low. “You summoned me, oh beauteous human?”

Brianna turned to glare at him. “Shut up, Larin. Why do you always have to be such a creep? Why can’t you be nice once in a while?”

“Nice?”

She shrugged. I don’t know. Be amenable or something.” She stalked over to her vanity, sat on the dainty wooden chair and leaned forward, holding her stomach.

He smirked at Brianna acrimoniously. “It’s very refreshing not knowing what’s on your mind. You surprise me with your rapier wit and merciless tongue.”

She sighed and shook her head. “Stop being such a jerk, Larin.”

He raised a brow. “I was just trying to be nice.”

Brianna laughed, “Yeah, right! Nothing you could ever do could make me change what I think about you.” He was rude and a general pain in the butt.

He chuckled. But the laughter didn’t quite reach his eyes.

She saw a flicker of…pain? She disregarded the glimpse, not sure it had really been there. It was most likely a figment of her imagination anyway. It seemed that Larin lived to make others’ lives miserable. Why should she be any different?

Larin straightened and walked to the window. He pushed the heavy curtain aside, leaving nothing covering the window but sky blue lace. He looked over his shoulder. “Ah, you
can
take the sunlight. You had me worried for a moment.”

“What do you mean by that?” Brianna’s eyes narrowed to little slits. “Just because I’m a night person doesn’t mean there’s something wrong with me.” She didn’t want to examine
that
comment too closely. She closed her eyes and chanted to herself.
I don’t want to know. I really don’t want to know.
She was having enough problems right now without having to worry about whether or not there were really vampires in the world.

Larin closed his eyes and sighed. “What do you wish, Brianna?” He sounded tired.

Wish? Could he grant wishes? She didn’t even want to go there. “I need to see Morgaine again. Would you take me to her?”

The corners of his lips drew down in a slight frown and he tilted his head to the side. “Why do you wish an audience with my Queen?”