Desire Awakened (Aaron's Kiss #13)

Aaron’s Kiss Series

Book 13

By

World Castle Publishing, LLC

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters,
places, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or
are used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any
resemblance to actual events, locations, organizations, or person,
living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

World Castle Publishing, LLC

Pensacola, Florida

Copyright © Kathi S. Barton 2013

Smashwords Edition

ISBN: 9781939865571

First Edition World Castle Publishing, LLC
June 16, 2013

http://www.worldcastlepublishing.com

Smashwords Licensing Notes

All rights reserved. No part of this book may
be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written
permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in
articles and reviews.

Cover: Karen Fuller

Editor: Eric R. Johnston

“Ah, now I see where our communication has
broken down. You are under the misguided opinion that we should
care what Billy’s mom does. Sadly, I think Billy’s mom is a cow and
should keep her opinion to herself. However, I’m a grown woman and
have made my own way for quite some time, as you are well aware.
So, the answer is still no. You are not now, nor are you ever
going, to go on a skiing trip with Billy, his
au
pair,
and her boyfriend, and I’m fairly certain that your
dad would agree. And before you impart that no doubt sarcastic,
witty reply that is currently rumbling around that head of yours, I
want you to reflect a moment on your pitifully sheltered social
life and the plans you have for next week.”

He looked at the woman with so much anger
that Lizzy could feel it across the room. The woman simply stood
there and grinned at the little boy.

“I don’t care for you very much right now.
And at least I have a social life, pitiful or not.”

Lizzy burst out laughing and quickly turned
it into a hard cough when the woman looked up at her sharply. The
kid had balls, she’d give him that. And so did the woman, for that
matter.

“I can appreciate that. I don’t like me much
either most days. So, do we order, or would you like to go home and
sulk with me? I’m up for either one, really.”

The little boy looked at her for a few more
seconds, then turned and looked at the desserts in the long glass
case. “We can order, but I’m getting chocolate. And I’m telling my
dad it’s your fault entirely. You’ve driven me to a need for
it.”

Again, she laughed, but this time the woman
didn’t look in her direction.

“Yes, I can see that I have. I’m sorry. Just
so you know, for as much as I get on your nerves, I love you ten
times that much.”

“I don’t think that’s even possible, ‘cause
I’m pretty irritated at you.”

“And that goes without saying. Order, I have
to get you back to your dad, you scamp.”

Lizzy stood next to the counter and watched
the little boy look over all the selections. Sam winked at her when
she came from behind the counter and sat with her. She nodded to
the counter.

“They come in here once a week. I’ve never
seen the dad, but the woman is his sister. Her name is Donna. His
is Mathew. I’m not sure why you’d care, but I saw you enjoying
their banter too. He’s a trip.”

Lizzy had a moment to wonder why Sam was
telling her this when the woman walked to the counter. She was
limping. Lizzy looked at Sam.

“No, not what you’re thinking. She was hurt
as a kid, and since there was no real income, she wasn’t able to
get the care she needed. I doubt she even notices it. He’s a cutie,
isn’t he?”

He was. Lizzy thought him to be around ten
or so. He had hair as dark as the woman had light and he had to
have the greenest eyes she’d ever seen. One of her aunts had green
eyes, but this little boy’s were so intense they defied even the
shine of emeralds. She looked at Sam when she sighed.

“What is it?”

Sam shook her head, and the woman and little
boy walked out.

“Sam, tell me nothing happens to that little
boy.”

“He’s a human. And you know how your dad
feels about me getting involved with human problems any more. He
gets all medieval and throws a fit. I swear there are times when
he’s more possessive than even my own mate, Tucker.” Before Lizzy
could point out that she didn’t know the half of her dad’s wrath,
she stood up. “If you go out there, you’ll have to see to the woman
first. The boy will make it if you help him later, but the woman
won’t.”

The sounds of cars screeching when she
opened the door startled her. She looked back at Sam, and she
nodded. Lizzy took off in the direction of the gathering crowd and
wondered what had happened.

The little boy was under the car. His legs
were both broken. She started for him. Then she saw the woman. She
looked into the car and saw that there was no one in the seat.
Lizzy got in, careful of the glass and blood. The woman was half
in, half out of the windshield of the car that the little boy was
under.

“Get Mathew. I’m fine. Get my nephew.” Lizzy
could see that she was anything but fine and reached out to touch
her. “Please, Mathew first. He’s hurt.”

“He’s going to be fine. I have to help you
or you’ll die.” The woman shook her head, and blood poured from her
throat. “You’re going to die if you don’t listen to me.”

Lizzy did the only thing she could do and
bit into her wrist. Blood poured from the wound, and she knew that
she’d bitten deep because she had never done it before. Lifting her
wrist to the woman’s mouth, she commanded her to drink, glad for
the magic from both her parents. As the woman sipped from her
wrist, Lizzy reached for her Aunt Sam.

“
Call an ambulance. Tell them that the
little boy has been…never mind, you know more than I do. I’m saving
the woman, but I don’t know. She’s lost a great deal of blood. Her
throat’s been cut. I think whatever she’s taking from me is going
right back out.”

“
Cut into your other wrist gently and rub
your blood over her throat. It’ll heal the wounds quicker, but your
blood will give her the boost she’ll need to live.”

She did as Sam said and watched the wounds
at the woman’s neck start to close off. Reaching into her mind,
Lizzy gave her the will to live by telling her that her nephew
would never forgive her if she gave up and died.

People started to gather around them, and
Lizzy pulled shadows around them so she could feed the woman. When
she stirred, Lizzy pulled her wrist away and sealed the wound
closed as she’d done on the other arm. Stumbling out of the car,
she moved to the little boy. Someone had pulled him out from under
the car and she looked at his mangled legs.

He was crying in pain but wasn’t screaming,
she was sure. When she leaned over him, he looked at her. She
wasn’t sure if he was really seeing her, because he was in so much
pain, but he spoke.

“My Aunt Donna. You have to help her.
Please, that man tried to kill her.” She looked at the car and
noticed there were no plates on it, and then she remembered there
had been no one in the car. “She can’t die. Daddy will be so upset
with her.”

“Your dad might be upset with you if you
were to die as well, don’t you think?” He nodded and moaned. “Your
aunt is going to be fine. So are you as soon as the ambulance gets
here. You should try to sleep, don’t you think?”

“I hurt. I’m trying to be brave like Daddy
says I should, but I really hurt.” She put her hand on his left
leg, the worst, and pushed some of her power into him. “Don’t tell
him I was crying. Please.”

“Never. And sometimes I cry when I’m happy.
My daddy never makes fun or teases me.”

When his leg was broken in one place rather
than the entire leg crushed, she put her hand on the other and
healed it completely, thinking how hard it would be for him to get
around. She was weak with loss of power and blood. Knowing that she
would have to sleep to rejuvenate, she moved away to leave them
both to the authorities who had just arrived. She saw her Aunt Mel
standing in the crowd.

“They were going to die.”

Mel nodded, and that’s when she realized she
was just a shadow of herself and not really there.

“I’m not leaving him. He may need more from
me and I can’t leave him.”

“Of course you can’t. But I can’t help you
either with all these humans around. Do you think you can find
someone to feed from? You need your strength or your father will
come.”

Her dad. He’d be really pissed with her for
doing this. One of the rules of being a vampire was they couldn’t
change the outcome of someone’s life without just cause. She looked
at Mel and then around the crowds of people as the ambulance came
to a screeching halt in front of her. She stood up when one of the
medics asked her to move.

“No. Please. I want to hold her hand. Can I
please?” They both looked at Mathew. “Please. She helped me.”

The medic moved enough that Lizzy could sit
next to him and take his hand. He was bloodied here as well, but
not nearly as bad as his legs. As they put in an IV, the medic told
her and Mathew what he was doing. Soon the little boy was drifting
in and out.

“He’s lucky. This could have been a great
deal worse.” She nodded. “I mean, it looks like he was run over,
but the wounds aren’t showing that it was as bad as it could have
been. He might have lost both legs.”

Lizzy watched the other people that had come
in the ambulance help Donna. She was screaming now; her arm was
lodged in the glass and they had inadvertently cut her deeper.
Before Lizzy could think, she stood up and only stopped when Mel
appeared in front of her.

“She’ll live, Lizzy, but not if you murder
the men hurting her. Take a deep breath and go back to Mathew. The
blood running through her veins will help her now that you’ve given
her a fighting chance.” Lizzy looked at Mel before she nodded. “Go
on. I’ve contacted your dad, and he and your mom will meet you at
the hospital. Don’t tell your father that Sam was involved. He’s
very protective of her right now.”

Sam was going to have another child. This
would give her and Tucker three, and everyone was so happy for
them. Lizzy said she’d make sure he never knew and stepped back to
Mathew as they were putting him in one of the three ambulances. She
looked back at the car before getting in, memorized the VIN, and
nodded. She would have to see what she could find from Pete.

~~~

Logan Burris looked up when the door opened.
He stood when he saw the look on his secretary, Anna Pierce’s,
face. Something had happened. He came around his desk and picked up
his jacket as she spoke.

“They’re both going to be fine. They’re at
Good Sam and both will be in surgery by the time you get to them. I
have a car out front and the police have agreed to escort you.
Donna and Mathew were hit by a car.”

He stilled, his body frozen from the inside
out.

“Logan, you have to let go of my hand.”

He released the grip he had on her hand and
reached for the wall; the room was spinning. When he felt his head
being shoved between his knees, he realized that he was about to
pass out. When he started to stand, Anna held him down.

“Even if you’re fine, I’m not. You scared
the crap out of me.” He put his hand on hers at his head and sat up
slowly. “I’ve spoke to the doctor, Logan. I swear to you they are
both going to live.”

“Where did it happen at?”

She told him she didn’t know and followed
him to the elevator.

“I don’t know when I’ll be back.”

“You just take care of the two of them, and
I’ll take care of what I can here. Call me when you hear anything
or if you need anything. You have my number.” He nodded, and the
doors closed. He was nearly to the ground floor when he remembered
he had three meetings set up for today and then dismissed it from
his mind. Anna would take care of everything.