My Savior (3 page)

Felix sniffed and tried to look manly, the effort ruined by the steady stream of tears rolling down his cherub-like cheeks. He nodded then reached inside his shirt. He twisted his pendant and seconds he flew away.

Of course, a sprite would be able to tell that he was fading. They were distantly related to the fae. Darian stood and put his phone in his pocket before heading back to the dining room. If these were his last days then he was going to enjoy every scrap of Ryuu's cooking that he could.
 

*****

"I thought you knew the story!" Aiden exclaimed, wiping more tears from Meryn's face with some theater napkins.
 

She was blubbering so hard she couldn't form coherent sentences. People were shooting Aiden evil looks as they walked by assuming he was the reason she was crying.

He had to admit, it did look incriminating for his commander. Meryn was only slightly taller than a toddler and just showing a pregnant belly behind her cartoon t-shirt that made her seem even younger.

Beth and Rheia stood on either side of Meryn making shushing noises. Gavriel, Colton, and Keelan looked just as distraught and helpless as their commander.
 

Darian thought about it for a moment before deciding on a course of action. "Meryn, would you like some ice cream? The shop across the street is supposed to have a really good selection."

Meryn stopped mid-sniffle. "Ice cream?" She used her coat sleeve to wipe her nose.

"Yes, and toppings."

Meryn turned to Aiden. "Can we get ice cream?"

Aiden nodded frantically. "Of course you can get ice cream." He looked over at Darian and mouthed the words, "Thank you."

Darian shrugged. The sooner Meryn composed herself, the sooner they could return to the Alpha estate.

"We'll go with you. You men wait here," Beth said, as she and Rheia looped their arms through Meryn's. Together the three of them crossed the street and disappeared into the ice cream parlor.

"Oh. My. Gods." Aiden rubbed his hands over his face.

"Thank fuck! I didn't know she could cry like that." Colton let out a long breath.

"I didn't know
anyone
could cry like that," Keelan admitted, looking pale.

"Pregnancy hormones," Gavriel said simply. The four men nodded together.

"Good battle scenes though," Colton declared, changing the subject.

"Made me want to brush up on my axe skills," Keelan admitted.

Darian turned his head and watched the door to the ice cream shop close behind the women. He turned and started scanning the area as the men discussed the merits of using an axe over a broadsword. He wished he could die honorably in battle, defending his loved ones, but he knew better. As things stood, he would turn and have to be put down like a rabid dog, he just prayed to Fate that he didn't hurt anyone in the process.

*****

"For the last time, no, you cannot fly out here and escort me home. I'm fine!" Amelia Ironwood felt her blood pressure rising. Only her brothers could affect her so much, so quickly.

"There have been missing persons reported in that area, baby girl. You're on your way home anyway." Caiden argued.

"I'll be in Lycaonia by nightfall. I'll hit the shops in the morning then be on my way to Storm Keep. I'll be home before you know it."
 

"Come home now," Caiden ordered. She paused. This wasn't like him; he sounded anxious.

"What's really wrong?"

"I had a dream."
 

Amelia waited for him to continue. When he didn't, she prompted him. "And?"

"And you fucking died!" Caiden exploded. Amelia pulled the phone from her ear. "You fell into darkness and died. This will happen soon. In my dream, the calendar was for this year and month, right before Imbolc."

This wasn't the first time that Caiden had a dream about her. Usually, it was for smaller things like which date to cancel or which job to accept. He had never seen her in danger before now.

"Listen, I can't travel much more today anyway. I'll make sure I'm in Lycaonia tonight and leave first thing. I'll call you when I'm on the road."

"Please be careful, baby girl," Caiden pleaded.

"Always," she promised. She ended the call and stared at her phone. Their conversation sure put a damper on her evening. She looked around. She was in the small human town of Madison outside of Lycaonia. When her eyes landed on an ice cream shop, she did a happy dance on the sidewalk. Grinning, she skipped across the street and pushed the door open. A huge dose of sugar always helped in situations like this. She'd indulge in enough calories to put a bear shifter into hibernation, call the council number Caiden had given her, and arrange for an escort into Lycaonia. With any luck, the shops would still be open for some late evening shopping! She had already booked an overnight stay at one of Lycaonia's best bed and breakfasts. If she got an early enough start in the morning, she could stay at the spa in Dallas longer than she had planned, especially if she was giving up visiting Lycaonia because of her brother's premonition. She smiled; she might even be able to get Caiden to pay for the spa if she played her cards right.

Lucky!

Humming to herself, she stared into the ice cream case.

"Can I get you something?" A male voice asked.

She looked up and smiled at the middle-aged human. "Yes, I'd like a triple scoop ice cream cone. Only I'd like the ice cream cone smashed up in a bowl with the ice cream on top. I'd like bubble gum, butter pecan and mint chocolate chip please." She happily pointed to the brightly colored ice creams.
 

When he didn't respond, she looked up. His eyebrows were knit together in a frown. "The two of you related?" he asked, pointing across the shop.

Amelia followed his finger to where three women sat eating their ice creams. Amelia was about to ask the human what he meant when she spotted a bit of pink in the smaller woman's bowl.

She hurried over to the group and looked down. "No way! Bubble gum, butter pecan, and mint chocolate chip?" she asked the woman, unable to believe someone else ate her own special creation.

"Yeah, why?" Green eyes narrowed at her.

"Cone crushed up at the bottom?"

"Yeah. Who are you?" The small woman edged closer to the blonde woman who was staring at her in disbelief.

"Sorry, my name is Amelia Ironwood and that is exactly what I just ordered. I have never met anyone else who liked that combination."

"Miss, your ice cream," the man behind the counter called.

Amelia looked at the women. "Be right back." She turned around, paid for her order, and returned to their table with her own ice cream. Without asking, she pulled up a chair and sat down with them. She picked up the spoon and took her first bite.

"Yummy."

"Why is she sitting with us?" the petite woman asked with a scowl.

The dark-haired woman in scrubs laughed. "Meryn, that's rude. She's just being friendly." She turned to Amelia. "My name is Rheia Bradley, this is Elizabeth Monroe, and the anti-social one is Meryn McKenzie."
 

Amelia nodded. "Pleased to meet you. Do you all live here in Madison?"
 

Elizabeth shook her head. "No, we live... a little bit outside the city."

Amelia stopped digging through her bowl for the bubble gum flavored ice cream and took in her words. "You wouldn't be from Lycaonia would you?" she asked, going out on a limb. She had read the map; there wasn't anything for two hundred miles in any direction from Madison.

Elizabeth's eyes widened. "Actually yes. Is that where you're heading?"

Amelia nodded. "I need to call a Rene Évreux to arrange for an escort into the city."

Meryn growled and stabbed at her ice cream. "Don't call him; he's a total douchebag. You can follow us. We're going to the Alpha estate. One of the guys can show you how to get to the city."

"That'd be great! Without having to wait for an escort, I'll definitely get some shopping in tonight. Whoo hoo!" She waved her spoon around.

Meryn watched her with a guarded expression. "You're too happy."

Amelia nodded. "So I've been told. It's just my nature."

"Are you on drugs?" Meryn asked bluntly.

"Meryn!" Elizabeth swatted at her arm.

Amelia laughed. "No, but I've been asked that, too." She turned to Elizabeth. "She said that you are going to the Alpha estate, do you have business there? Did you need a place to stay? I have a room at the Rise and Shine bed and breakfast in the city if you need a place to crash," she offered.

"No, we live there." Meryn frowned at her. "Seriously? You would ask complete strangers to share a room with you? What if you woke up in the bathtub with missing kidneys?"

Amelia grinned. "Wouldn't be the first time," she joked.

Meryn and Elizabeth stared as Rheia began choking on her ice cream.

"Seriously?" Meryn whispered, her eyes wide.

"No, but I had you for a second, didn't I?"

Meryn scowled. "There's something wrong with you." This time, neither Rheia nor Elizabeth chastised her.

Amelia shrugged. "I like people."

"I hate people," Meryn admitted honestly as she scrapped the side of her bowl.

"You're talking to me," Amelia pointed out.

"You're kinda making me talk to you. I don't know if I like it yet." Meryn put her bowl down.

Amelia turned to Elizabeth. "You all live there? Are you mated?"

Rheia nodded. "Our mates are members of the Alpha Unit. I'm mated to Colton Albright."

"I'm mated to Gavriel Ambrosios," Elizabeth said, putting her empty bowl down.

Amelia turned to Meryn. Meryn stuck her tongue out at her. "What?"

"You're so adorable." Amelia smiled and took another bite of ice cream. Meryn reminded her of a hissing, spitting kitten.

Elizabeth turned to her. "I thought so, too, right after I met her, so much so, I adopted her as my little sister."

Meryn grinned at Elizabeth and began to eye Amelia's ice cream bowl. Amelia took one last bite and pushed her half-eaten bowl over to Meryn.

Meryn looked at her in surprise, her eyes becoming unguarded. "Really?"

Amelia nodded and pointed at Meryn's belly. "You're eating ice cream for two unless I'm mistaken."

Meryn smiled wide and pulled the bowl close. "I'm mated to Aiden McKenzie, and yes, I am eating ice cream for two." She dug in with gusto.
 

Amelia put her chin on her hands and watched her eat. She really was just like a kitten. Angry one second and purring the next. She was envisioning late night shopping when a thought struck her.

"Wait, Aiden McKenzie.
The
Aiden McKenzie? The Unit Commander?" she asked.

Meryn nodded. "Yup."

"That's crazy. Your mate is kinda like my brothers' boss."

Elizabeth turned to her. "Who are your brothers?"

"Caiden, Kyran and Tristan Ironwood. They lead the Nu, Xi, and Pi Units in Storm Keep."

"What a small world," Elizabeth murmured under her breath.

"Truly," Amelia admitted.

"Ladies, I suggest we head out. If we sit here much longer, the men will launch an all out assault on this poor shop." Rheia said standing. She gathered the bowls, including Meryn's now empty second bowl, and threw them away.

"Thanks for the escort. I heard it can sometimes take hours to get someone from the city to guide you in." Amelia stood and walked out with them.

"No worries. I mean we're heading that way anyway," Meryn said, blushing.

"Too cute!" Amelia pulled Meryn in for a hug. She pressed her cheek against hers and swayed back and forth.

"She's hugging me!" Meryn complained.

Rheia laughed. "And yet, you're not dead."

With her ears turning red, Meryn muttered, "It's not so bad."

"Somehow I knew we'd be friends," Amelia said, letting go.

Meryn looked up at her. "How'd you know?"

"I'm half witch. We get flashes of intuition."

"It was the ice cream," Rheia and Elizabeth said at the same time. The four looked at each other and started laughing.

"Okay, maybe it was the stellar ice cream choices." Amelia bumped hips with Meryn.

"Let's go introduce you to the guys," Meryn said, pulling her hand.
 

They looked left, then right and stepped out into the street. They had only taken a couple steps when they heard the terrified shouts from the men. When Amelia looked to her left, she saw a car heading straight toward them. Seconds later, she felt the rush of magic and a small explosion blew the hood up on the car causing it to veer to the right where it rammed into a light pole.

Beside her, Meryn's knees gave out. Amelia quickly wrapped a steadying arm around her waist to keep her upright.

"Meryn!" A deep male voice shouted.

"Rheia!"

"Beth!"

As men surrounded them, a tall figure walked past them. The man she assumed was Aiden didn't wrap an arm around Meryn to support his mate; he simply lifted her off the ground and into his arms.

A blond man was holding Rheia, and an incredibly handsome, dark-haired man checked Elizabeth over.
 

A fourth man, with auburn curls, took her hand. His warm, honey-colored eyes looked frantic. "Are you hurt?" he asked.

She shook her head and stared at him in shock. "Keelan?"

He frowned. "I'm sorry, do I know you?"

She smiled wide. "No, but I know all about you. Your brother Kendrick is best friends with my eldest brother and my
Athair.
"

"Amelia? You're Amelia, right?" His face broke out into a huge smile. He pulled her into a spine-cracking hug. He stepped back, still smiling. He was so warm and open, completely opposite of his brother.

Bang!

"That's me. I'm glad I got to see you on my trip. I'm only staying a night. I have a reservation with Rise and Shine in the city." Amelia couldn't believe she had almost been run over in a human city. Damn her brother with his premonitions! He could have said watch out for cars!

The auburn haired man blinked. "You're going to Lycaonia?"

"Yes, then I'll be heading home in the morning."