Zora's Dawn (Defender Book 1) (18 page)

Zora was
annoyed with herself for feeling ignored as she listened to him climb into his
bed. Her skin tingled when he moaned in pleasure – his bed must be as
fabulously comfortable as hers - and to her irritation she felt her nipples
tighten in response. It had to be because of the bond that she was having such
a visceral response to a man she preferred to ignore only a few days ago. Nothing
else made sense. But then nothing about this new world made sense.

She lay as
still as she could while Powers rustled around for a few more minutes. Then
there was silence, followed by deep regular breathing. He was asleep, just like
that. Zora was left lying wide awake in her bed. How could he just accept the
situation and fall asleep so quickly? She was acutely aware of him lying close
to her in the darkened room. She was so attuned she could feel every movement
he made as though he really was next to her. And she apparently had so little
effect on him that he just dropped off to sleep in seconds. And wasn’t he in
this room so he could guard her? How was he going to effectively guard her when
he was dead asleep, snoring no less. Irritated, she flung herself onto her back
and stared at the patch of light showing around the edge of the curtained
window. She was never going to get to sleep.

Powers
woke instantly, senses alert, body poised for action. Zora was whimpering in her
bed, terrified whimpers. Powers checked but couldn’t see or smell anything that
shouldn’t be there. He took a few more seconds to be certain before going to
her. Zora was dreaming, by the sounds of it a nightmare. He sat down beside her
and took her hand, kicking himself yet again for not making her aware of her
heritage years ago. No wonder she had nightmares, she had been thrust into a
frightening world. She was twisting her head about on the pillow as though
trying to get away from something, so he ran a hand over her hair in a soothing
gesture, part of his mind noting the way the soft moonlight from the window
seemed to make the strands glow under his hand.

Zora was
still whimpering, her eyes flickering rapidly under the lids. He leaned closer,
making soft shushing sounds and stroking the side of her face. It seemed to
calm her, the whimpering was easing and she was not thrashing about as much.
Powers kept his hold on her hand and continued stroking her hair until she
gradually settled back into a more peaceful sleep. He sat up and started easing
his hand away so he could go back to bed. Sleeping Zora however had other ideas
and would not let go of his hand, instead pulling as though she wanted him beside
her.

Powers
considered his options. If he continued to pull his hand away she might wake
and be furious with him for getting so close. If he continued to sit there he
would fall asleep and fall onto her and she would wake and be even more
furious. He sighed, wondering if he was really only justifying what he wanted
to do. With a shrug he gave in, and lay down beside her, careful to stay on the
outside of the bed covers. Zora sighed and snuggled against him, his hand still
firmly clasped in hers. He rested his chin on the top of her head and breathed
in her scent. Zora always smelt wonderful to him. He would just lie here for a
little while until she was deeply asleep, and then he would go back to his bed.
Even if he slept a little he was sure to wake before her.

Zora woke
in the predawn light. She was at first disoriented, with that panic people get
when they wake in an unfamiliar room and are unable to remember where they are.
As memory returned she relaxed, snuggling closer to the pile of pillows beside
her. Wait, what pillows? She poked experimentally at the shape next to her. It
was firm, definitely not a pillow. As her senses came online she realised she
was breathing in the familiar scent of Powers. What was unfamiliar was his body
lying so close to hers on her bed. Powers was on her bed? What was he doing
there? Zora racked her brain but had no memory of Powers joining her. That
meant he must have come here while she was asleep.

There was
only one reason Zora could think of, apart from a clumsy attempt to take
advantage of her and she was pretty sure he would be under and not on the
covers if that were the case. No, Powers just had an over developed sense of
what a guardian needed to do to protect her. Well she was not having him
sleeping on her bed like an overgrown puppy every night. There had to be some
boundaries! Annoyed, Zora tried to get out of the bed but the dead weight of
Powers had her stuck under the covers like a mummified figure. She tried to
pull the covers out from the other side of the bed, but they had been folded
underneath with military precision and in the awkward position she was lying in
she couldn’t tug them loose. Well ok, that left one option. She gave a mighty
heave that a few days ago would have shifted him a few centimetres at best, but
with her enhanced strength flipped him straight off the bed. He tumbled to the
floor with a satisfying thud, but was up and crouched in a fighter’s stance so
fast Zora froze in shock half way out of the bed.

They
remained like that for a few seconds, protagonists in a bizarre fight, before
Powers relaxed his position. “Ow! What was that for?” He rubbed his hip with
one hand, the other pushing through his hair as he peered at her in the half
light.

“You were
sleeping on my covers, I couldn’t get out of bed!”

“And you
didn’t think to just wake me, you had to tip me off the bed?”

“Well you
shouldn’t have been on the bed, you don’t need to sleep on top of me to protect
me!”

Powers
stared at her for several long seconds as he processed that comment. “You think
I was sleeping on your bed the better to protect you? No! I was perfectly
comfortable in my own bed! You had a nightmare and I simply came to calm you
before you woke the whole household. It was you wouldn’t let go of my hand, you
who pulled me onto the bed. You wouldn’t let me leave.”

“That’s
absurd. I didn’t have a nightmare and even if I did I wouldn’t want you
sleeping with me. You’re imagining things.” Zora tossed her head and stood up.

“Imagining
things? You think I would choose to sleep on the edge of your bed with you
draped all over me? You have too high an opinion of yourself my girl. If I want
to sleep with you, firstly we would not be sleeping much and secondly you would
be in my bed, not the other way around. And I would not be shivering on top of
the covers – man this air-conditioning is efficient. We would both be under the
covers, and we would damned well be naked!”

Zora gaped
at him, trying very hard not to imagine the scenario he described, and grasping
at her righteous indignation like it was an ephemerous cloak. The problem was
that despite her anger, despite the fact that she knew,
knew
it was an
effect of the bond, still his words sent shivers along her nerve endings. The
thought of being naked with Powers should infuriate her, but it didn’t. Downright
salacious images scrolled through her mind’s eye, causing her to blush so hotly
he could probably see her face burning even in this half-light.

Half-light?
All thoughts stopped in their (bawdy) tracks Zora looked at her watch - five am.
She was awake at five am. She never woke this early. She was never able to
function if she did. Zora groaned and sank back onto the bed.

Instantly solicitous
Powers asked, “What, what’s wrong?”

“It’s five
am! I’m awake at five am! It’s almost dawn and I’m awake! Axel was right, I’m
going to become one of those damned morning people. I’m going to be up with the
birds and in bed by ten pm because I’m so damned exhausted from waking up so
damned early!”

“Is that
all? You’re awake early one morning and you think life as you know it has
ended?”

Zora
looked up scornfully. “Life as I know it
has
ended. I just wanted to
hold onto one shred of normality. And it’s not one morning, it’s two in a row.”

“So? Ok, I
get you wish things had never changed, but they have. And two mornings does not
a habit make. Even if you do become a morning person it just means you get to
drink more tea before you have to do anything. That’s got to be good, more tea
means friendlier Zora.”

“More
early mornings means sleep deprived grumpier Zora.”

Powers
sighed, she really was a pain in the mornings. He gave up talking and strode
over to the window, pulling the curtain aside to let in the early morning
light. Their room faced due east, so the window showcased the first fingers of
dawn light reaching tentatively above the trees bordering the house grounds.
Swinging around he beckoned to Zora. “Get over here, sit down, let the dawn
light do its thing and I’ll go get tea for you and coffee for me. Really strong
coffee.”

So saying
he pulled a pair of sweats over what Zora belatedly realised were black boxers
and damn he looked good in them. Shrugging a t-shirt over his head Powers
wasted no more time in talk and left the room. Zora stared at the closed
bedroom door for a few seconds, then shrugged and went to sit in one of the
chairs. May as well do as he said, especially if he came back with tea. She
hoped it was a pot and not just a cup.

When
Powers came back she was sitting in the chair, looking out at the sunrise. Her
hair and skin were glowing and she was holding her pendant. She looked
magnificent. He paused, appreciating the view of this glowing goddess dressed
in ridiculous but cute purple pyjamas. Zora looked around when she heard the
door, but her gaze slid past Powers and straight to the tray he was holding. On
it were two pots, one tea and one coffee judging by the glorious smells rising
with the steam. There were two cups, a jug of milk, and some buttered toast.
She sighed happily. Powers set the tray on the table between the two chairs and
took the unoccupied seat.

Zora
poured his coffee and then her tea, before reaching for the toast. Tea and
toast in the dawn light – the concept had some merit she conceded. They sat in
silence while the sun made its stately journey into the sky.

Once Zora
had poured her third cup Powers commented quietly. “It’s really not that bad
getting up this early Zora. You need the strength from the sun’s rays and you
need to connect to Gaia, especially now while you adjust to this new life.”

Zora
sighed. “I’ve been very selfish haven’t I? You’re right, it’s not much to wake
a bit earlier each day. At least I’m waking, not like those poor victims.”

They both
resumed staring out the window. Some thoughts were too heavy to consider when
the world seemed peaceful and birdsong filled the air. Zora stirred first. “I
need a shower, I feel so rumpled this morning.”

Powers
checked her over, his appreciative gaze making her blush. “You look wonderful,
but go ahead. You had a disturbed night.”

Zora
blushed deeper at this reminder of the earlier incident. She rose abruptly and
started gathering clothes for the day, stopping when she remembered they were
travelling again. “Powers, what should I…?”

“Just
something comfortable will be fine. We will refresh at the Melbourne house before
we meet any more people.”

She smiled
her thanks, for the moment not troubled by his ability to read her mind.

She took a
quick shower, then packed her bag ready for travel. Powers showered while she
was packing, and they walked to the dining room in companionable silence.