

Crossover

The Chosen One Trilogy

Book One

Mireille Chester

Copyright © 2016 by Mireille Chester

Published by Mireille Chester

Smashwords Edition

This book is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any way, shape, or form without the express written permission of the author. For more information, please visit http://mireillechester.blogspot.com

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are a product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Acknowledgents

First and foremost, I have to thank my husband. Kyle, you encouraged me to follow my dreams and even gave me a few pushes here and there when I was sure giving up was the only option.

A big thanks to Baico Publishing for making my dreams come true when I first started out.

A huge thanks to Booktrope for keeping that dream moving forward.

To my team, I just have to warn you, if I ever meet any of you in person, you will be hugged to death. Jennifer, Stephanie, Anna, and Laura, you are all amazing.

For a friend and fan, Miss Bree, one of the strongest and most amazing young women I have the pleasure of knowing.

And for my Sweet, who insists on reading over my shoulder even though he knows it annoys the hell out of me.

Prologue

It's hard to believe that at one point life had seemed dull, boring, average and uneventful. That was the way I liked it. My life was routine--one day at a time with no extra fuss. Everything I did was so uneventful that, for the most part, I didn't even dream, or at least I didn't have any dreams that I could remember. My days followed a simple rhythm. I got up every Monday morning, took a shower, ate breakfast, and headed to school. There, I sat and suffered for eight hours. I was in my first year of classes for veterinary medicine. Now, don't get me wrong, I loved my coursework. The reason I felt like I was suffering was because those eight hours stood between me and Dodge.

Dodge was my thirteenth birthday present. He'd been a goofy looking weanling with long legs and soft eyes. He'd stood looking up at me from his stall with a big green bow tied around his neck. He was perfect.

You see, I'd been riding since I was eight and begging for a horse since I could talk. Before he'd given me my horse, my dad had told me I had to prove to him that I was going to stick with it. That hadn't been hard to do. I can't begin to count the arguments we've had about the fact that I spend most of my free time with Dodge.

Dodge is now ten and I'm twenty-three. He has grown into a beautiful, muscular horse and I'm, well, I'm happy with life as it is. Just me and Dodge. It's not that I'm not interested in men. I've had one fairly serious relationship that lasted a year and a half. At least I thought it was serious. When I think back on it now, it's hard to believe I'd thought he was the most amazing guy. Well, he was, until I loaned him my truck for a weekend and found a very nice pair of lacy underwear that didn't belong to me under the seat the next day. They say Canadians are sweet, polite, and will forgive anything and everything. Yeah. Apparently, I didn't get the memo.

I've had a few other boyfriends, but most of them didn't understand why I'd rather go to the barn on a Friday night instead of going to the bar. The thought of going out and being paraded around just isn't my thing, and I'll admit that some of it probably has to do with my personal image of myself. I don't put myself in the "beautiful people" category.

My slightly wavy dark brown hair that falls to the middle of my back is never done. I prefer ponytails and baseball hats. I also don't have the greatest body. At five-foot-four, I'm kind of thin and seriously lacking curves. Of course, I don't really dress to flatter, either. My wardrobe consists of Wranglers, t- shirts, and tank tops, though I do own one dress. My dad made me buy it for my cousin's wedding when I was seventeen. It's been worn as little as possible since then. I think my best feature is my eyes. They're a deep green with gold and grey specs and long eyelashes. No mascara for me. Well, no makeup, period. I always end up smearing it because I forget I'm wearing it.

You're probably getting tired of hearing about me, but I need you to understand one thing before I get on with this story. I've always been a loner, that person who is never comfortable around people. Now, don't get me wrong, I like most people, but I've always felt like I didn't belong. You know, like there was something very important missing.

Then one day everything changed. It was a Friday...

Chapter One

The late afternoon sun was painting the closing hours of the day a beautiful shade of gold as I drove up to the stables. I watched the staff bringing in the horses for the night as I pulled into a parking spot and got out of my truck, and noticed that Dodge was still standing in his pen, patiently waiting his turn.

"Hey, Hayden!"

I looked back to the barns and saw Shaynna. Shay was eighteen and was looking forward to her high school graduation in a few weeks. She was the kind of girl who was beautiful and knew it, but still didn't mind getting a little dirty. Her blond hair was short and spiky, her eyes blue. She was always done up.

Dodge saw me making my way toward- him and nickered. He always made me smile. Shaynna stopped at Macho's pen and put his halter on. Macho was stunning; a sleek, black, massive stallion, perfect for show jumping. He made Dodge look like a pony.

"Should we head to the bridge, Shay?"

She smiled. "Sounds like a plan!"

I tied Dodge to the outside of his stall and grabbed the brushes from my tack box. When he was groomed and saddled, I went out to meet Shaynna and Macho in the outside ring where she was talking to her instructor. She nodded when she saw us coming. Macho ambled over to the fence.

"Hey," she said. "Change of plans. Do you mind if we go to the bridge tomorrow? Anita is giving an extra lesson today to anyone who wants it, and with our first show of the season next weekend, I'd like to get as much practice in as possible."

"Sure," I nodded. "Not a problem. I'll just do the short trail today. Maybe the ropers will be here when I get back and I can give them a hand with the chute. Is Shawn coming tonight?"

She shook her head. "No. He had to work late."

I waved goodbye and turned Dodge towards the trails behind the barns. The second longest trail was my favorite. It went over an old bridge and on either side of the river were flat, grassy banks. I loved packing a book and a bag of chips and just hanging out there while Dodge ate grass. I didn't have time for that kind of leisurely ride today.

I was so lost in my thoughts that I never noticed that I passed the turnoff for the short trail until I got to the bridge.

"We better keep going, Dodge." I patted his neck. We crossed the bridge and turned left where the trail forked. "Tomorrow we'll take the other one. We'll have all day to play here."

I nudged him into a trot to try to make up for the time we'd lost taking the longer trail. We hadn't gone far when I noticed a new fork in the road.

"That's funny. No one said anything about them adding trails..." I was confused. Although the trail was narrower than the one I was on and slightly overgrown, it didn't seem like a new addition. A new trail would have been clean cut. I was positive that it hadn't been there before.

I turned Dodge left again so that we could start back toward the barns. He balked and pivoted toward the unexplored trail.

"Come on, buddy. We've got to head back."

Dodge remained still, perked up his ears, and looked down the trail. I followed his gaze and caught my breath. Farther up the trail on the ridge of a hill a man stood as still as a tree. The sun broke through the trees and made his dark brown hair gleam like it was on fire. His shaggy curls rustled in the breeze. What really caught my attention were his eyes. Even from this distance they bore into mine. Green met blue and locked. I realized I was lightheaded before I remembered to breathe.

"Holy shit!" I whispered.

I blinked as I inhaled, and when I focused on the top of the hill again he was gone.

I closed my eyes and shook my head. "Did that just happen?" I asked Dodge. I was pretty sure it had, though I was known to daydream. "Probably just a hiker taking advantage of a beautiful day."

Still, my thoughts returned to the sudden discovery of the path. It was weird about the unmarked trail.

Dodge swished his tail.

"You're right. We'd better get going."

We picked up a steady canter and made our way to the outside arena. Shaynna was leading Macho out of the outdoor ring as Dodge and I slowed to a walk. She waved me over to her.

"How was your lesson?" I asked.

"Great! I think we're ready for next weekend." She grinned from ear to ear, and I smiled at her excitement.

"That's awesome! You guys will do great." I dismounted Dodge and walked to the barn with Shaynna.

"How was your ride?" she asked.

"Nice." I paused. "Say, did you hear anything about a new trail back there?"

She shook her head.

"Weird. Maybe I just never noticed it before."

"Whereabouts?"

"After the bridge, just past the clearing."

She frowned. "I don't remember one there, either. Are you coming back tomorrow morning?"

I nodded. "I'll be here before ten. Dale is giving a lesson then and I really want to get some more lead changes practiced with Lena before the show." Another reason I spent so much time at the arena was the horses I was training for other people. Though I did get paid for the work, I hesitate to call it actual work. I mean, I got to play with horses all day. Lena was a little three-year-old dun Quarter horse mare. Her owner wanted her ready as a reiner for the shows this summer. I was also riding Crush, an old chestnut roping horse that needed miles put on him to get him back into shape. My newest student was Rosy. She was a two-year-old Percheron, black as the night itself. She was going to start under harness Sunday when I had a bit more time to play.

"I don't know how you ever find time to eat with all the horses you have in training right now," she teased.

I grinned. "What can I say?"

"Well, you could admit that you prefer horses to people."

I laughed. "I've never kept that a secret."

She rolled her eyes. "Ok. I'll be here just after lunch. I have to watch my nephew tomorrow morning."

I grimaced with her and we laughed. Her five-year-old nephew was a holy terror. Shay had once compared babysitting him to trying to divert a tornado bent on destruction. She'd thought bringing him to the barns one day to see the horses might be a good idea until he'd disappeared. We'd searched everywhere and Shaynna had been close to tears, thinking the worst had happened. Thankfully, he'd simply fallen asleep in the straw bales with some baby kittens he'd found. That was the last time she had brought him.

We brushed the horses and bedded them down for the night before stopping at the cafeteria to grab an iced tea from the pop machine.

Shaynna screamed as someone jumped from behind the main door, picked her up, and crushed her against the wall.

"Shawn!" She giggled and he planted a few quick kisses on her lips. "You scared the shit out of me!"

He laughed and pulled away, hooking his arm around her waist.

They'd been dating for two years. They met when he started hauling his horse in to rope twice a week.

He looked more like a sixteen-year-old than a nineteen-year-old. His carrot-orange hair, freckles, and dark blue eyes nullified any resemblance his six-foot-two, 230-pound frame had to a man's.

By the looks of them, they were an odd couple at best. Shaynna stood in her breeches and half chaps snuggling against his red t-shirt, her index finger hooked into the belt loop of his Wranglers. His white straw cowboy hat hid both their faces as he leaned in for another kiss.

"I thought you weren't coming in tonight!" Shaynna's face flushed.

"I got out of work early so I could see you."

Shaynna grinned and bumped hips with me. "Want to stay and help with the ropers?"

I rolled my eyes and laughed. "Twist my rubber arm."

We headed to the indoor arena. Shay and I went to the chute and loaded the first steer while Shawn went to get his horse, Doc. The next couple of hours flew by as everyone took turns heeling and heading.

Once the horses were put away and the steers had been returned to their pen, we all headed up into the small lounge that overlooked the arena. Shaynna sat beside me at one of the tables and looked on lovingly as Shawn got each of us a beer from the fridge.

Her smile faltered and her eyes narrowed. "Your secret admirer is on his way."

I groaned, not bothering to look up to see who it was.

"Hi, Hayden."

"Hey, Dave."

He sat across from me beside Shawn.

"Aren't you a little young to be having a beer?" he asked Shay.

"Aren't you a little old to be hitting on Hayden?" she snapped, anger flaring in her eyes.

Shawn choked on his swallow of beer. I took a long drink from my bottle and tried not to laugh.

Dave ignored her and turned back to me. "So, I was thinking that we could go to the movies tomorrow night."

I was glad I was already busy and didn't have to make up an excuse. I was a terrible liar. "Some of the girls and I already have a movie night planned. Sorry."

"Oh. Well, we could meet up afterwards."

"It's an all-nighter. We're going to Tara's." I took another swallow of beer and considered him. He was handsome. He had deep brown eyes and dark brown hair that went complemented his dark complexion. The fact that he was thirty-two didn't even really bother me. It was his attitude that turned me right off. To him, women were trophies. He had confided in me about all his conquests when I was dating his friend, Chris.. It was backfiring on him now.

I had to give it to him, though. He was persistent. Persistent to the point of being harassing if he'd had too much to drink. On more than one occasion he'd shown up at the same club or dance, gotten right pickled and tried to bodily haul me out with him. Thankfully, I never went out alone and we usually had a few guys in the group. Shawn was not his biggest fan. But instead of telling him he was just plain unlikeable, I gave him the same excuse I used every other time. I was way too nice.

"Dave, I told you. It would be too weird if we hooked up after I was with Chris for so long."

He shrugged and left it at that. I knew I was only staving him off until next time. He chugged his beer and got up to get another. I breathed a sigh of relief when he didn't come back to our table.

"What a jackass," muttered Shawn.

I smiled. "Yeah. That, he is."

I finished my beer and stood. "Well, I'd better head home. I'll see you tomorrow, Shay."

"See you!"

I hopped into the truck and headed home. When I got there, a note from my parents on the kitchen counter let me know that they had gone out with some friends and would be home late.

As I stood in the empty house, I started thinking again about my plans to get my own apartment this summer. I knew it was going to be a big adjustment. My best friend, Tara, had offered to let me move in with her and her boyfriend, Ben. It would have been a lot cheaper to share costs, but I wanted out of my parent's place so that I could be alone. Tara and I had been friends for quite a few years. She had moved here at the beginning of grade ten, I had been in grade nine.

I remembered the first time we met. I had been sitting out in the school yard during lunch. I had my art pad open and was working on a drawing of a horse jumping over a fence.

"You like horses?"

I had jumped at the voice coming from behind me. I nodded shyly at the blonde-haired girl.

"I have a mare. Her name is Foxy. Do you jump?"

"No. I rein. I have a little bay named Dodge."

"Nice! I rein too. I just moved here. Foxy should get here this weekend. I'm keeping her at the arena just north of town."

I smiled. "That's where I keep Dodge."

We had hit it off immediately and been best friends ever since.

I headed up to my room, turned on the radio, and settled in at my desk to work on my most recent drawing of a horse. After staring at my paper for a good ten minutes, I turned the page on my art pad. My pencil came to rest on the paper as I tried to figure out what I wanted to draw. I started with one tree, then another, until soon a forest was emerging on my page. Through that forest ran a trail, and at the end of the trail was a hill.

I stopped. I had never drawn from memory before. I put the pencil back on the paper on top of the hill. Here my memory failed. I only remembered his eyes, so blue they matched the sky. The rest was blank.

Had he been handsome? I'm pretty sure he hadn't been naked! I would have remembered that! So what had he been wearing?

The intensity of his stare was impossible to get right on paper. I stared at my sketch a bit longer and decided I wasn't going to remember any more details tonight. I slipped into my sweats and a t-shirt and went to bed

Chapter Two

He lay with his arms behind his head and looked up into the darkening sky. A frog croaked to his left. He tensed at the sound, then chuckled to himself. What was wrong with him, he wondered. He'd stood at the top of the hill and looked down on the girl, unable to move. It was her eyes; they were unbelievable. It was like they'd been peering into his very being. He'd been caught in her gaze, trapped, the urge to go down to her, overwhelming. But she'd blinked and he'd been able to regain control of himself, to get off the path and out of sight.

He'd heard it could be like that. Getting thrown off balance by a look. He groaned at the memory. The urge to go to her, to look deeply into those mesmerizing eyes and watch their reaction if he were to press his lips against hers.

A heavy feeling settled on his chest and he stretched to get rid of it. Maybe he should have gone to see her. What if she didn't come back?

A growl made its way up his throat and he shook his head. She'd be back. If that look had anywhere near the impact on her as it had on him, she would be back. Stick to the plan, he thought to himself. If it could really be considered a plan

Chapter Three

I woke up Saturday morning around seven-thirty, just like every morning. I could smell coffee brewing downstairs which meant my dad was up.

"Morning, Hayden."

"Morning, Dad." I popped some raisin bread into the toaster. "How was poker night?" I asked as I poured myself a cup of coffee and stirred in some sugar and cream.

"Not bad. Steve cleaned up as usual," he chuckled. "But Mom surprised us and actually won a few hands."

My mom poked her head into the kitchen and grinned. "I told you I knew how to play. I was just letting you guys win!" She gave my dad a playful shove with her hip as she passed him.

My toast popped up and I quickly moved them to the counter before they could burn my fingers.

"I'm going to the arena for the day. Dale is giving a lesson this morning and I want to work on lead changes with Lena. She's giving a bit of trouble with the left one and I'm hoping he can give me a hand. Shaynna is going to meet me out there and we're going to the bridge for a picnic."

Dad nodded. "Sounds good. Will you be home for supper?"

I shook my head. "We're all going to Tara's tonight to watch movies. If it gets too late, I'll just crash there."

"Ok, honey. Have fun. Let us know if you decide to spend the night."

I nodded and started throwing a lunch into a bag. The arrangement I had with my parents was great. My rent was cheap and as long as they knew where I was, they really didn't care what I was doing. Some of my friends thought it funny that I would phone and let them know if my plans had changed, but I thought it was the least I could do. After all, they did let me stay with them, their way of ensuring I wasn't a starving university student.

I ran upstairs and quickly pulled on my Wranglers and a khaki green tank top before I headed out the door.

"Bye, Mom. Bye, Dad."

"Hayden, your cell phone!" My dad tossed it to me and I clipped it to my belt.

"See ya!"

I checked the clock on my dash as I started my truck. Nine o'clock.

"Perfect timing."

I rolled up to the arena ten minutes later. John, the barn's manager, was having coffee in the cafeteria with Carl and Steve, the stable hands.

"Hey, guys!"

"Hey, Hayden." John smiled. He was a short, thick man in his sixties with a full head of white hair.

"John, do you mind if I put my lunch in the fridge?"

"Nope. Go ahead."

"Thanks. Is Dale here yet?"

"Not yet. But he said something about having the lesson outside if it was nice. Tara and Ben are already out there."

I headed to the barn and made my way to Dodge's stall. I took down the note I had left for John, asking him to keep Dodge in this morning.

"Hey, buddy." I picked a piece of straw out of his forelock and fed him a crunchy. Dodge never said no to his favorite cookies. "I'll be back after the lesson."

I moved on to Lena's stall and got her ready. Once she was saddled, we made our way outside to join the other reiners who trained with Dale.

Tara was loping a smooth circle at the far end of the arena, her dirty blond hair pulled back into a ponytail. She looked up and her caramel colored eyes squinted in the sun. Foxy, her sorrel mare, stopped quickly when she was asked. Ben was on his gelding, Baldy, a big brown and white paint with brown eyes that matched Ben's. Ben ran a hand through his light brown hair and shook out a pollen fuzz that had lodged in the strands.

We waited another ten minutes while four other riders either walked over from the barn or pulled up with their trailers. By ten o'clock the lesson was underway and, by noon, we were all perspiring and hungry.

"Ok, guys, listen up!" Dale rallied the group before dismissing us to share some final details about next weekend's show. "Good work today. I'll be here at six on Wednesday if you want to get one more in before next weekend. And remember, we are leaving at four on Friday so we can get to Carefree Stables early enough to have a quick lesson before we bed the horses down for the night. Joan, try to make sure you're there for that one. It will give Spike some time to get used to being away from home."

I hopped off Lena and loosened her cinch. We headed back to her stall where she ate her oats while I unsaddled and brushed her. I left her to relax and bolted the stall door.

"I'll be right back," I told Dodge as I passed his stall to go grab my lunch. I passed Shaynna as she saddled Macho.

"Meet you outside," she said.

I hurried back to Dodge's stall, saddled him, and tied on the saddle bags. He followed me quietly down the aisle and we made our way outside where I swung on and gave his neck a pat.

We headed out at a walk, taking our time in the warm afternoon. An hour later we were at the bridge.

"Man, I'm starving!" I stripped Dodge's saddle off and put his hobbles on so he could wander around and eat grass.

We were almost done eating when Shaynna's phone rang. She talked for a few minutes, a big grin on her face.

"That was Shawn. He's in town today and wants to take me out to dinner and a movie." She beamed. Was it really possible to be that happy? I thought. For her sake, I hoped so. "Do you mind if we start heading back? I need to take a shower and get ready."

"Sure. I want to show you that trail I told you about the other day. Should I tell Tara you're ditching on movie night tonight?" I smiled when she blushed.

"I totally forgot about that!"

"That's ok. I'm sure she'll understand. Ever since her and Ben have started dating, she's been just as annoying as you with this mushy stuff!"

She laughed. "You know, Hayden, one of these days you'll meet a guy who is more interesting than Dodge." She frowned. "And who isn't a total jackass." Her frown disappeared and her grin returned. "When that happens, I will be the first to say I told you so!"

I laughed with her, but shook my head. "Don't hold your breath."

The horses saddled, we started out past the bridge. We took a left at the forks and brought the horses to a jog.

"So where's this mystery trail of yours?"

"It should be just up ahead, after the clearing."

Two minutes later we were still on the main trail, past the clearing. Ten minutes later there was still no sign of the trail.

"I could have sworn I saw a trail yesterday!"

"Maybe you were daydreaming. You do that a lot."

I stuck my tongue out at her. "Maybe." But I didn't think so.

Shay's phone rang again. I rolled my eyes for her benefit and smiled.

"Yeah. She's here. Hang on." She reined Macho in closer to Dodge and handed me her phone. "It's Tara."

"Hello?'

"Hayden, where's your phone? I've been trying to call you. I have to cancel for tonight. My pharmacology class is having a study session. I hope that's ok."

"Sure. No problem. I should really study for finals anyway. Speaking of that, I still need to borrow your genetics notes from last year." Tara was a year ahead of me in the vet med program. "There are a few classes I know I missed."

"Ok. I'll drop them off at your house when I leave later."

"Sounds good."

I handed Shay her phone back.

I looked down at my side, expecting my phone to be where I'd clipped it, but it wasn't there.

"Hang on, Shay." I stopped and hopped off of Dodge and went through my saddle bags. "Crap."

"What is it?"

"I must have dropped my phone by the bridge." I looked back along the trail. "Why don't you just go ahead. I'll run back and get my phone. We wouldn't want you to be late for your date!" I teased her.

"Are you sure?"

"Go. I shouldn't be too far behind you anyway."

"Ok. I'll talk to you tomorrow."

"Have fun!"

She smiled and turned Macho back toward the barns while I remounted Dodge and turned him toward the bridge. "Sorry, buddy. I'll make it up to you when we get back. Extra oats and some molasses, promise."

When we got to the bridge it took me all of three seconds to find my phone. It was sitting under the tree where the saddles had been leaning.

"All right, Dodge. Let's head home." We trotted over the bridge, took the left fork, and passed through the meadow. Dodge stopped short almost pitching me over his head.

I straightened myself in my saddle and looked around to see what had taken Dodge by surprise. My jaw dropped. The trail was back!

"How is that even possible?" I had just been here with Shay. I looked to the top of the hill, thinking he would be waiting, and I was surprised at how disappointed I was that he wasn't there.

Dodge took a few steps forward onto the narrow trail, then stopped and pricked his ears back at me as if to ask if he should go on.

"Well, I guess we have a bit of time now. But not too long." He seemed happy with that and started forward again.

It was a beautiful trail and I lost track of time as we wandered down it. Dodge walked lazily up a hill. Ahead of us, the trees started thinning and we continued until we found ourselves in a beautiful meadow. The grass was chest high on Dodge and freckled with flowers of every color. At the far end was a clear blue creek that ran downhill.

"Wow! This is great!" Dodge wasn't listening. He was too busy chewing the tips of the grass around him.

I caught my breath at almost the exact moment Dodge's head snapped up to look at the far end of the meadow. There, sitting on a large rock by the creek, was the man I had seen on the hill.

He was staring, his eyes slightly narrowed, as if he was deep in thought. I stared back, unable to do anything else. The meadow disappeared. All that existed were his eyes. The light-headed feeling returned and I reminded myself to breathe. I inhaled slowly, not wanting him to disappear like yesterday.

Dodge took a few steps forward and the man tensed. I tore my eyes away from his and took note of his features which had escaped my memory the previous day. His face was beautiful. A strong jaw, high cheek bones, slightly slanted eyes and a nose that showed evidence of having been broken at one point were all surrounded by messy, dark brown curls and a couple days' stubble. He was wearing khaki colored pants and a white cotton shirt that seemed to cling to his arms and torso as the breeze blew it against his body.

He stood in one fluid motion, the movement so fast I expected him to dash away. Instead, he walked over slowly, seeming unsure of himself.

"Hello."

My heart fluttered. His voice was unbelievable. It was what I imagined when I read a book and the author described the leading man's voice. Deep, smooth, and with a hint of an accent. Was that Scottish? Shivers went down my back.

He smiled. "Are you alright?"

I blinked and blushed. "I'm fine. I'm just surprised to see anyone out here."

His grin widened and he walked closer, putting a hand on Dodge's nose. "Nice horse."

"Thanks. His name is Dodge."

He stroked Dodge's face, staring intently at him. After a brief moment he nodded, the movement so small I wasn't sure I'd seen it. He looked up at me.

"I'm Jasper."

"I'm Hayden." I blushed. Again. "Do you do a lot of hiking?"

He frowned.

"I just thought, you know. This is the second time I've seen you on the trails in two days and there isn't much out here..." My voice trailed off as his eyes bore into mine. I forgot what I was saying.

He smiled. "I love hiking. It gives me time to think."

"So, are there any nice spots around here for that?" I wanted to keep him talking so he wouldn't say he had to go.

"There's a little waterfall just few minutes away. Would you like to see it?"

I glanced at my watch. Three o'clock. I still have plenty of time before I have to get back. His eyes caught mine and his head tilted in question. Oh, man. Yep. I'm doing this. What is it about those eyes? I nodded. He started leading the way and I followed on Dodge. A little voice in the back of my head tried to talk some sense into me.

What are you thinking? Are you sure you should go deeper into the woods with this strange man?

"How old are you?" I asked, trying to shut out the little voice.

"Twenty-eight. You?"

"Twenty-three."

He looked back at me and smiled. "Almost there." We'd taken another, smaller trail by the creek and as we moved further along the sound of the waterfall reached my ears.

"Oh! Wow! It's beautiful!"

The waterfall wasn't big, but it was clear, and the water shone like diamonds where the sunlight hit it. A perfect white sand beach surrounded the small pond at the base of the waterfall.

"You like it?" Jasper asked. He seemed pleased.

"I love it!" I dismounted Dodge and walked to the water's edge.

Jasper was looking at Dodge again and I saw him shake his head.

"What's wrong?" I asked him.

He looked at me, surprised. "Nothing. Just thinking." He sat on the sand and patted the ground beside him.

"I don't think I have time." I looked at my watch. Three o'clock. Wasn't it three o'clock when we headed toward the waterfall? "Hey, do you have the time? I think my watch is broken."

"No. Sorry."

I pulled my cell phone out and looked at the time on the screen. Three o'clock.

"That's strange." I muttered.

"What is?" He looked up at me from the ground.

"When I checked the time a little while ago it was three o'clock. Now both my watch and my cell phone still say three o'clock."

He shrugged. "Maybe you read it wrong the first time."

"Maybe, but I don't think so." I looked at him and decided I wasn't quite ready to leave.

He smiled as I sat. "So, Hayden. What else do you do besides ride trails?"

I glanced at him, wondering just how much information I should give him. "Well, I'm studying to be a vet. Other than that, there's not much to tell. You?"

He seemed surprised that I was interested. "Um...well. I'm in the army."

I grinned. "I thought of joining when I was younger. We had a career day in high school and all these different universities, colleges, and professions had booths set up. It was a toss-up between the army and the police force." I laughed. "But I've always liked animals better than people."

He chuckled.

"What made you chose the army?" I asked.

Jasper picked a small rock from beside him and tossed it into the pond. "I was born into it. My whole family is military. I suppose it never occurred to me to do anything else."

A bird chirped overhead and I glanced up. A flock of birds was settled on several branches in the trees. "I've never seen that many bluebirds together," I remarked. Jasper glanced up. "I've never really noticed." He shook his head again.

"Are you ok?"

He nodded and stood, his eyes burning into mine. What was it about those eyes? He offered me his hand to help me up and I took it.

"Well, I better get going." I contradicted myself by standing still, my hand still in his.

He smiled, but didn't seem extremely cheerful. "Alright. Will you come back?"

I grinned stupidly at the question. "Are you camping in the area? How long will you be out here?"

He shrugged. "I'm not sure. A few more days, for sure."

I nodded. "Ok. I'll come back tomorrow."

His smile lit up his whole face.

Dodge stomped a foot and I forced my gaze away from his. "Alright, buddy. Let's head home." I pulled my hand out of his reluctantly and swung into the saddle. "What time should I come?" I looked down at Jasper's hand on my knee, surprised by the gesture, but oddly not uncomfortable with it.

He laughed. "Whenever. I'm not really on a schedule here. I'll find you."

I nodded. "Ok. It will probably be after lunch."

We stood still, unable to look away from each other.

Dodge snorted and Jasper blinked.

"See you tomorrow," he said softly before turning and disappearing into the woods.

I looked after him for a minute then shook my head. "You probably just made a date with a serial killer, Hayden," I muttered.

Dodge shook out his mane.

"Alright, bud. Home time."

We set off at a trot and as we stepped back onto the main trail back to the barn I looked back to the top of the hill. My heart jumped in my chest and I frowned. Had he been there watching? I could have sworn I'd seen him standing up there. Impossible. There's no way he could have kept up with Dodge. I laughed at myself. It was time to dial down my imagination.

By the time I got back to the stables, all the horses were in the barn and having their supper. I gave Dodge an extra scoop of oats and added some molasses like I'd promised him.

"Good night, buddy. I'll see you tomorrow."

He nuzzled my face and went back to his oats.

I waved at everyone in the cafeteria, got into my truck, and made my way home.

"Hey, honey." My mom gave me a quick kiss as I walked through the door.

"Hey, Mom."

She picked up a couple of binders from the couch and handed them to me. "Tara dropped these off for you."

"Thanks." I smiled at her. I'd always thought my mom was the most beautiful woman alive. She had long blond hair and green eyes, though not the same green as mine. Hers were more of an aqua color. She was also tall, a good four inches taller than me. She made a great match for my dad who was six -foot-five. His blond hair was slowly turning silver, but his grey eyes weren't losing any of their sparkle. Sometimes I wondered what my real parents had looked like, but I wasn't really interested in actually finding out. As far as I was concerned, these two were my parents. Someone had definitely been watching over me the day my adoption papers had been signed.

"Did you eat? Tara told me you guys had to cancel, so I made enough for you."

"No, I'm good, mom. I'm not really hungry. I think I'll just go upstairs and study."

"Ok, hon. It's in the fridge if you change your mind."

"'kay." I made my way upstairs and settled myself at my desk with my genetics notes spread before me.

I stared at the papers for a good half hour before I realized that the only thing on my mind was Jasper. I rolled my eyes. Giddy. I felt giddy and shy and I couldn't stop thinking about him.

You think you might be a bit old for a high school crush? I shook my head. But he is gorgeous. Good god, those eyes!

I laughed, decided I was hungry after all, and managed to have supper and concentrate on some studying.

As I lay in bed that night, though, my covers pulled up to my chin, I fell asleep thinking of Jasper.

Chapter Four

It was impossible to fall asleep. Jasper rolled over onto his stomach and laid his head on his crossed forearms. He remembered the feel of her hand in his, the way her thumb had rubbed his. He'd loved how she had blushed when he had looked back at her and smiled. It had taken every ounce of strength he had to let her walk away.

You have your orders, man. He growled. He was finding it harder and harder to follow those orders.

He looked up at the rustling of the leaves in the bushes ahead of him. A small grey rabbit made its way into the open, then bolted at the sight of him.

He shrugged and stood with a stretch. Since he wasn't able to sleep, he might as well go hunting.

Chapter Five

The following morning I hurried through my morning routine. Dad looked up in surprise from his seat at the dining room table as I ran down the stairs and threw together a lunch.

"I'll be gone all day, Dad! I'll let you know about supper." I gave him a quick kiss and ran to the entrance.

"What was that all about?" I heard my mom asking as I shut the door.

I jumped into my truck and made my way out of town. My heart was beating wildly. I thought of Jasper's eyes and smiled. It had been a while since I had felt anything like this, or let myself feel anything like this. Maybe it was because he was a stranger. I was pretty sure he wasn't from around here. Maybe deep down I thought a couple days of fun would be safer than getting attached to someone again, only to have him hurt me.

I pulled up to the arena and glanced to the pens. Dodge was already outside. He perked his ears when he saw me heading toward him.

"Hey, buddy." I put his halter on and led him to the barns.

"I brought my books so I can study," I told with him as I saddled him. "I told Jasper I'd meet him after lunch, and I have no clue where his campsite is, so I thought the two of us could go hang out at that little waterfall for the morning."

Dodge snorted.

I went back to the truck and grabbed my lunch, some blankets to sit on, and my backpack full of books. I stopped by Dodge's stall to grab my sweater from the tack box. I put that and my lunch into the saddlebags, rolled the blankets and tied them behind my saddle, and pulled on my backpack.

"Alright. Let's go."

I glanced around outside as I swung into the saddle. There was no one around and I exhaled with relief. The thought of having someone else along for the ride today made me anxious. Thankfully, I wasn't going to have to tell anyone that I didn't want company. I was sure it wouldn't have gone over well.

I imagined the conversation in my head.

"Hey, Hayden, mind if we tag along?"

"As a matter of fact, girls, I do. I'm on my way to meet a gorgeous stranger out in the middle of nowhere and no one will be able to hear me scream for help when he turns out to be a serial killer."

I laughed. I could always try to defend myself with my hoof pick.

"Ok, Dodge."

I turned his head toward the trail and silently wondered if the mystery trail would be there today. My stomach stayed in knots over the thought until we passed the clearing. I took a deep breath and smiled. It was there. Dodge seemed to know that was where we were headed and made his way up the hill with no direction from me.

I was amazed once again at how beautiful the meadow was when we reached it. I guided Dodge to the smaller trail by the creek and inhaled deeply to calm the butterflies in my stomach.

"Man. And to think this place has been here all this time and I never knew about it."

Dodge stopped by the pond and waited patiently as I took everything off of him.

"Shit."

Dodge stopped drinking and looked at me.

"I forgot your hobbles. I put them with Rosie's harness, thinking I was going to work her this morning."

He shook his head and went back to drinking.

"I'll just put your halter on. No funny business, mister."

I could never remember a time when Dodge had ever wandered away from me and was fairly sure he wouldn't, but didn't think that testing the theory this far out in the woods was a good idea. At least this way I could grab the lead rope if he got a bit too far away.

I unrolled one of the blankets and spread it out over the sand then settled on my stomach with one of my notebooks.

I read all of the headings then skimmed over the main points, muttering definitions and answers to questions.

"Live vaccines... killed vaccines..." I took a break after the vaccines to grab an apple out of the saddle bags. I took a bite and chewed thoughtfully.

"Intravenous...into the vein. Intramuscular...into the muscle. Subcutaneous....under the skin."

I smiled as I studied and lost myself in the definitions. Pharmacology was one of my favorite classes.

I glanced up to make sure Dodge was still close enough to catch. My heart jumped in my throat and I screamed in surprise.

Jasper laughed as he stepped away from the tree he had been leaning on and came towards me. "Sorry. You were concentrating so hard I didn't want to bother you."

I glared at him and tried to get my heartbeats to slow down. "How long have you been standing there?"

He smiled and sat beside me. "A few minutes."

As my breathing slowed, my irritation dissipated. "Good god, don't ever do that to me again!" I smiled.

He laughed. "What are you doing?"

"Studying. I have finals this week." I laid my head down on my arms and eased the tension in my shoulders. "What time is it?"

"It's after lunch."

My stomach growled. "Hmm. So it would seem. Did you eat? I brought a lunch."

He shook his head. "I was fishing and lost track of time. Do you like fish?"

"I love fish."

He grinned. "I'll make lunch. You can study some more if you want." He wandered into the woods and came back out with sticks and some bigger dead branches.

"There's a lighter in my saddlebags if you need one."

He shook his head and pulled two stones out of his pocket. I watched in amazement as he struck the stones together and a spark flew toward the sticks and dead grass he'd bunched under them. It took three more tries, but he soon had a fair-sized fire going.

"When you go camping, you really go camping!"

Jasper looked up and smiled and I had to catch my breath. He went back into the woods and reappeared with a handful of long green branches and a fish. After tying the branches together he placed the fish on top of them and held it over the flames. I watched every move he made, mesmerized.

He glanced sideways at me and I blushed with the embarrassment of being caught staring. He held my gaze with his and I saw him take a deep breath. He blinked and turned back to the fish.

"All done."

I moved my books out of the way to make room. He held the sticks up in the air for a few minutes to let them cool down then set them on the blanket.

"That smells great!" I reached into my saddlebags and pulled out the cheese and bread I had brought along.

Dodge gave a loud sigh from his sunny spot, his eyes half closed. We were quiet as we ate. I concentrated on the food and picking the bones out of the fish so I wouldn't get caught staring again.

Something moved in the bushes to our right and made me jump.

Jasper bolted to his feet, the movement so quick I wasn't sure he had been sitting at all.

Everything happened at once. Dodge stepped in front of me just as Jasper looked my way, his blue eyes narrowed with indecision. He seemed to make up his mind just as quickly and ran toward where the noise had been, a growl erupting from his throat.

My heart dropped and the blood drained from my face. Jasper's body blurred as he ran, then morphed into a tiger just as he jumped over the bush. The tiger collided with something I couldn't see and the sound of animals fighting made my throat tighten.

Dodge pushed his shoulder into me but I was frozen in place. A yelp pierced the air and a grey wolf streaked through the clearing before it jumped over the creek.

I noticed blood on his hip as he flashed into the bushes.

Dodge stepped on my foot and the pain broke the trance I was in. "Jasper!" I ran toward the bushes and stopped short when I came face to face with the tiger. It stood there, motionless, staring at me. Its eyes were the same perfect sky blue as Jasper's. Its shoulder twitched, making me glance at its side.

"You're bleeding." I wasn't sure what to do. Part of me wanted to go to it and see if I could help. The other part wanted to run away, screaming.

It seemed to sense my indecision and lay on its side. Mustering all the courage I had, I squatted down beside it and gently touched where the wolf had bitten it. I exhaled with relief. "These aren't deep at all. I'll be right back."

I ran to Dodge and pulled my sweater out of the saddle bags then went to the creek to wet it.

I knelt beside the tiger and cautiously wiped the bite clean. It lift its head and looked at me.

"This has to be a dream," I said out loud, not sure if I was talking to myself or to the tiger. "I must have fallen asleep studying." I nodded, glad with this reasoning.

The big cat closed its eyes and lay its head on my lap. Without thinking I ran my fingers through its fur. It started to purr.

I started to laugh. "This is too much," I muttered to it.

The tiger stood and walked away.

"Wait! Where are you going?"

It kept walking until it was hidden by the bushes. All I could do was stand and stare. Why did I suddenly feel all alone? I felt like crying. Maybe it was just the stress of this weird dream, but I didn't want the tiger to leave. I wanted Jasper to come back.

As if reading my thoughts, he reappeared from behind the bushes.

"Jasper!"

His eyes opened wide as I ran, threw myself into his arms, and broke down, my tears soaking into his shirt. His arms were unbelievably strong as they held me up and he placed his cheek on top of my head.

"Shhh..."

"Wha...wha...what was...that?" I sobbed into his chest.

He simply smoothed my hair and held me until my sobs had stopped.

"This can't be real," I whispered.

"I'm so sorry." His voice was quiet. He held my face gently in his hands. "Are you alright?"

I gazed into his eyes and nodded weakly. We stayed like that for a minute, looking at each other. He looked away first and turned his focus to Dodge.

"Do you think?" he seemed to ask my horse.

I frowned. "I didn't say anything."

He looked back down at me and was quiet for a moment. "Alright. Let's go."

"What? Where?" I started to panic. I began to think coming here had been a bad idea.

"I'll explain on the way." He took my hand and started leading me to Dodge.

"Wait! I...I have to get home. My mom and dad will think something happened to me!"

I looked at my watch and then my phone. Ten o'clock. AM. "What's going on!" I pulled my hand free of his and stopped walking.

He kept walking toward Dodge. "She doesn't want to go. I can't make her." He stuffed my sweater back into my saddlebags and saddled him for me. He went back to the blanket and rolled it up before tying it where it belonged. His eyes widened and he looked at Dodge. "Yes, those are my orders."

The surprised look turned into a glare. "No. I can't."

There was a pause. "I don't know why." He shrugged.

I noticed that his shoulder was bleeding. "You should put some pressure on your shoulder," I mumbled.

Jasper turned to look at me then back down at his shoulder. "I'm fine." His attention returned to my horse and he nodded. "Why don't you get on Dodge and I'll take you back to the main trail." His shoulders sagged and I wondered why he looked so defeated.

"But... I... You..." My head started to spin and I sat on the ground, trying to settle my breathing. "Wake up," I whispered. "Wake up, wake up."

I heard him sit in front of me. "What part of this seems like a dream?" he asked softly and took my hands in his.

"All of it."

Chapter Six

He moved both of my hands to one of his and used the other one to brush some stray hairs back behind my ear.

I inhaled deeply and slowly opened my eyes.

"Ask away," he said, keeping his eyes locked on mine. He frowned. "Wait." He turned to Dodge. "No. She needs to know. She's about to have a meltdown."

I started to object to that comment and stopped. He was right. I was having a meltdown. I was imagining that this absolutely gorgeous man sitting across from me was arguing with my horse about my sanity. I didn't know if I should laugh or cry, so I did both. It came out as a snort.

Jasper seemed about to say something so I held up a finger to stop him. I started with the obvious.

"Am I awake?"

He smiled. "Yes."

"Is my watch broken?"

"No. Things from there don't work here."

"Where is here?"

"Quelondain."

I paused and took a deep breath. "Did you turn into a tiger?"

"Yes."

I looked into his eyes, trying to find any indication that he was lying, joking. "How?"

"I am one of the Namael. We are able to change our shape."

"You can turn into anything?" This was ridiculous.

He shook his head. "No. I turn into a tiger. That's it."

"You talk to Dodge."

"And he talks to me. I can hear his thoughts. But I can't do that with all animals."

"What is he thinking now?"

"He is not pleased. It is not my place to explain things to you. My orders are to find you and get you to Queen Melana."

"How does he know all of this?"

"He is one of your guardians. He is from here."

"Does he change into a human?"

Jasper laughed. "No. He is just a horse."

Dodge stomped his foot. Jasper laughed even harder and looked at him. "Oh, don't be so sensitive! I didn't mean it like that." He turned back to me. "Anything else?"

I looked into his eyes for a moment, my train of thought slipping away even as my mind exploded with questions.

Dodge and Jasper's heads snapped up to look at the other side of the clearing.

"A pack!" Jasper growled. In a flash, he was on his feet. He picked me up and threw me into the saddle. "Go!" he yelled at Dodge. "I'll meet you in the blue woods!"

Dodge spun and galloped off past the waterfall and deeper into the forest.

I couldn't think; only years of riding were keeping me in the saddle. I held the reins but didn't used them. Dodge seemed to know where he was going. Behind us, I heard a deep growl and some excited barks.

Dodge ran for all he was worth and, soon, sounds of the fight faded away.

I let Dodge have his head and he continued at a speed I had never thought possible of him. Just when I thought he might drop from exhaustion, he slowed to an easy lope but kept heading deeper into the woods. We crested a hill and I caught my breath at the sight.

Jasper hadn't been kidding. Atop the ridge, I found myself looking at a forest made up of blue tinged trees. I had almost managed to convince myself it was trick of the light when a flash of orange and black streaked through the trees to our left.

My heart jumped into my throat. Was it normal to feel this happy at the sight of a tiger? I wasn't sure, but I thought that in these circumstances, it was possible. One tiger seemed a lot safer than a whole pack of whatever was behind us.

Dodge slowed to a jog and we entered a field. Jasper slipped behind the cover of the blue trees and reappeared as himself.

"Are you alright?" His eyes searched my face for an answer.

I nodded weakly.

"Let's stop here for a bit. Dodge looks like he needs to cool down." He laughed and gave my horse a playful punch to the shoulder, though his breathing was just as labored. That sounded good to me. I needed a drink and some time to think before anything else happened. When I felt I could trust my legs, I dismounted and walked to the saddlebag where I had stored some water bottles and other supplies.

I grabbed a bottle of water and poured it into Dodge's collapsible bucket.

I looked at Jasper, suddenly unsure if treating Dodge like a regular horse would be insulting. "Um. Is that ok?"

Dodge answered by coming to have a drink.

"How did Dodge know where he was going? I got him as a weanling and he's never been anywhere without me."

"It is in his memory. Passed on from his sire and his sire before him."

I grabbed two more bottles and handed one to Jasper.

I noticed some blood soaking the side of his shirt. "Are you ok?"

He shrugged. "I'm fine. It's just a scratch."

"Let me see."

"No. Really. It's fine."

I ignored him and pulled his shirt up so I could have a look and apologized when he flinched as I wiped the blood away to see the damage better. The cut was a clean one, about five inches long, and not too deep. I grabbed my still-damp sweater from the saddlebag and put pressure on it.

"Stupid dog," muttered Jasper.

I raised an eyebrow at him. "That doesn't look like a scratch."

"Trust me. Compared to what it could have been, it's a scratch."

"So, a dog scratched you?"

He laughed. "No. He sliced me with his dagger."

I shook my head and closed my eyes. Was anything going to make sense today?

"He thought he could surprise me by dropping out of a tree while I was fighting the other two."

I gawked at him. There were so many things wrong with that statement. "A dog was in a tree and managed to cut you with a dagger," I repeated slowly.

He laughed. "He wasn't a dog at the time. He wasn't shifted."

Shifted. Tiger shifters and dog shifters... Jesus.

He sucked in his breath as I shifted from one foot to the other and increased the pressure I was putting on his wound.

"Sorry."

He rested his arm on my shoulder to keep it out of the way.

"It was three against one, and all you came out of it with is this?" I looked up at him. "What happened to them?"

He grinned. "The two that were on the ground got away with a few scratches of their own." His eyes narrowed. "The one in the tree got to feel what his dagger felt like from the receiving end."

"Oh." It was such a pathetic response, but it was all that came to mind. I pulled the sweater away to see if the bleeding had stopped. I was suddenly very aware of his arm on my shoulder and the fact that he was so close. "There. I think you'll live."

He chuckled. "I should hope so."

Taking a drink of my water, I sat, noticing some bluebirds up in the trees. Jasper whistled a few notes and a dozen of the birds landed around us. One of them settled on my leg and looked at me, its head cocked to the side.

"That's right." Jasper was talking to the bird. "Really? No, she's exactly how I pictured her." I looked away from the bird and glanced at him. He was staring intently at me.

"I don't know how I knew." He looked sharply at the bird. "You know that doesn't happen!" If birds could shrug, I was positive this one had just done it.

Jasper looked uncomfortable and stood abruptly. "Well, you know what you have to do."

With a chirp, the little blue birds scattered and flew away. Jasper's eyes found mine and he took my hand to help me up.

"You have more questions." It wasn't a question. He let go of my hand long enough to take Dodge's bridle off and hook it on the saddle horn. "Ask away."

He took my hand in his again and we started walking toward one of the most beautiful mountains I had ever seen.

"You talk to the birds, too."

"Yes. But just bluebirds."

"Why does it seem like I was expected?"

Dodge blew loudly out of his nose.

"Well, I can tell her a little bit about it. This isn't exactly going as planned, now is it?"

Dodge shook out his mane.

"Fine." Jasper looked extremely annoyed with my horse. He glanced down at me. "There are things that I am not at liberty to tell you."

I didn't like not knowing what was going on. "But..."

Jasper placed his hand over my mouth, cutting off my protest. "Please. Though you have no reason to, I'm asking you to trust me. Can you do that?" His eyes pleaded with mine.

Dodge seemed to think he was trustworthy. Hell, Dodge seemed to know him. This was nuts.

Jasper gave my hand a squeeze. "Ask another question."

I thought for a bit. "What exactly was the plan?"

"Oh. Well, I suppose there wasn't really a thought out one. I was hoping just to keep meeting with you until you trusted me enough to follow me."

"I see." I tried not to laugh at how embarrassed he looked.

"I'm realizing now that the best plan would have been to tie you up and get you to Melana as quickly as possible." Dodge nodded, and Jasper laughed at the glare I gave the horse.

"What were you and the bird arguing about? You said something like, 'You know that doesn't happen.'" When he didn't answer, I looked up at him and was surprised to see he looked uncomfortable.

He glanced at Dodge. "Everyone knew you were coming back, but you've been gone for twenty-three years. You were just a baby when you left. No one knew what you would look like." He paused, unsure if he should go on. When he did, it was like he was talking to himself. His voice was so soft I could barely hear it. "But I knew. It doesn't make sense." He stopped again.

"The bird?" I pushed.

"She said we must have been fated."

I was lost. I was concentrating so hard trying to process all of this information that I tripped over a stump. He managed to catch me before I hit the ground, although I stumbled again and fell into him. I looked up, embarrassed, and was shocked by the look on his face. He looked devastated. He had both my hands in his, his voice barely a whisper.

"It's never happened. Not that I've heard of. Everyone is fated to their own kind. And yet I saw you. Have been seeing you for years..." His voice trailed off.

I couldn't look away from his eyes. The confusion was still there, but the pain had dimmed. He seemed to make up his mind.

"There is one way to be sure," he whispered. He tilted my chin with his fingers, his thumb lightly grazing my bottom lip. I felt an electric current course through my body. He lowered his head, his lips pausing less than an inch from mine.

I hadn't realized I'd closed my eyes until I felt his forehead touch mine. He exhaled slowly.

"You're right. That would be selfish." He kept his head against mine.

It was my turn to be annoyed with my horse. "Who cares what the horse thinks?" I mumbled, though I was curious as to why Dodge might object to a kiss. "But, just out of curiosity, why would it be selfish?" My voice was barely a whisper.

He didn't move, his head on mine, my face still in his hands. "If two people are fated, they know of each other through dreams. Every night," he pulled away and looked at me with eyes that burned with intensity. "I dream of you."

I felt weak-kneed. He put his forehead back on mine. "When you find the one you are fated with, a kiss seals the bond. From that day on, you live for each other. At first, it's nearly impossible to think of anything other than that person. As time goes by, you are able to return to normal life, though you're never alone again."

That didn't sound so bad. Spending every minute like this with him. To feel what I saw in Tara and Shaynna's eyes. I sighed. I was pretty sure I could handle that. I was glad we were still connected at the forehead so he couldn't see my face. He'd think I was an idiot for being upset. I wasn't sure I wanted to know the answer to the question racing through my mind, but I asked anyway.

"And you don't want to kiss me to know for sure?"

I must have done a terrible job of keeping how I felt out of my voice. He pulled away, his eyes wide with shock.

"I want that more than anything! Do you know how hard it was for me not to run down that hill the first time I saw you? Or again in the meadow? Or now?" His voice was husky as he continued. "This is supposed to be the best moment of a being's life and yet I must deny it for the well-being of everyone else. I have finally found you and I can't do a bloody thing about it!"

It was getting harder and harder not to wrap my arms around his neck and pull him down to me.

His voice was just a whisper. "You are meant for greater things. You're the one we've all been waiting for. If we are fated and I was to kiss you, your life would gravitate toward me and everything else would be lost."

He paused, his eyes narrowing. "You are one annoying beast!" he snapped. He walked over to Dodge and took the saddle off his back. "Go then. We are making camp here tonight." He glared at my horse.

If looks could kill, I thought.

"Of course I won't do anything stupid!"

Dodge came to nuzzle my face, seemed to hesitate, then trotted off.

"There is a herd of horses a couple of miles from here. He will go spend the night with them and come back in the morning," explained Jasper.

That's when I noticed that daylight was fading. I walked over to my saddlebags and untied the two blankets I'd brought for our picnic. It seemed like ages ago. I lay one of them on the ground and sat on it. Was I really going along with this? Did I really believe everything Jasper was telling me? It seemed I was and I did.

Jasper searched for firewood and I watched him move around the campsite. He was beautiful. Each of his movements was flawless. I smiled. Like a cat.

The fire lit, he looked across it and our eyes met. Jasper took a deep breath and let it out slowly. I tried to remember to inhale and exhale regularly. I had one question I wanted to ask before I went to sleep. As if I was actually going to be able to get some sleep. Was it even possible to sleep in your dreams?

Jasper sat, unmoving, by the fire. Flames danced in his eyes.

"What did you mean by 'their own kind'?"

He stayed where he was. "Namaels with Namaels, Wedelves with Wedelves, and so on."

"And you're a Namael."

He nodded.

"So what am I?"

He hesitated.

I clenched jaw, pissed. "Look. I'm going to find out anyway. This is about me! It's my life and I think I have a right to know. I'm more than just a little freaked out about all of this, and I think I might feel better about it if I heard it from you."

"I'm actually not sure..."

"That's it. If anyone around here believes I should stay to save this world, or whatever it is I'm supposed to be doing, someone had better explain things to me now!"

"But..."

My throat tightened and my chest heaved with sobs. The mental breakdown had arrived. I looked away from Jasper and into the trees as the tears ran down my face.

"I want to go back! This is ridiculous! Tigers and Wedelves and wolves and talking horses! They just don't exist! Why the hell can't I just wake up?"

My tirade was punctuated by a tree bursting into flames. I fell backwards and lay there, stunned. Jasper was on the ground, covering his head with his hands.

"Hayden?" He was peeking at me from under his arms. "I need you to calm down." He chuckled.

I blinked. "Me?" I gawked at him. "What are you laughing at?" I glared, my anger rising again. "I don't find any of this very amusing!"

He grinned and shook his head. "No... I'm sorry...don't get mad. I'm not laughing, just relieved." He took a few deep breaths and came to sit beside me as he regained his composure. "I'm sorry. I just didn't think it could happen. I'm just glad you weren't looking at me!"

I continued to scowl. "What are you talking about?"

"You did that. You set the tree on fire. It's impossible, really. There's no way you should be able to manifest any kind of magic without some sort of training, but you did." He looked me over, concerned. "Are you alright?"

That seemed to be the question of the day.

"No." I put my head on my knees and wrapped my arms around them. The tears were about to start again. "I almost set you on fire!" A sob raked through me and then another. Once they started, it was impossible to stop.

"Shush, now." Jasper slid closer to me and pulled me to his chest, a small laugh escaping his throat again. "I wasn't lying, you know. I don't know. The stories never said what you are." His strong arms held me and he gently stroked my hair until I was done crying. "Better?"

I didn't answer. The events of the day had finally caught up to me and exhaustion had won. I fell asleep in his arms, knowing I was safe.

Chapter Seven

"No," a deep voice whispered. There was a pause. "Yes, I was going to tell her." Another pause. "I already explained to you; I didn't get the chance."

I lay with my eyes closed, listening to my dream.

"It was amazing. She was so mad. Her eyes flashed this brilliant green and the next thing I knew, the tree was on fire!" The voice laughed quietly. "She can be stubborn, I think. Was she over there?" He chuckled at the answer.

"Yes, I realize that might have been me." The arms around me shifted a little. "Well, you're the one who insisted on keeping her in the dark."

I was so comfortable I didn't want to move. My face was pressed against his chest and I thought there was only one man alive who could smell this good after sweating and bleeding. Very... manly, I thought. My head wasn't the only part of me to think so.

"Go easy on her. She had a rough day yesterday. Let her sleep. We have another ten or so days to go yet. She needs her rest."

A soft growl made its way up his throat. "What do you think I am? She woke up in the night shivering and crying. I'm assuming she had a nightmare. She asked me to hold her so she could go back to sleep."

I heard a snort.

"Well, no. I'm not saying I'm not enjoying this immensely. She feels heavenly in my arms. Fits perfectly. And if we are fated, the least you can let me do is hold her."

I couldn't help myself. He sounded so happy at having me in his arms. I giggled.

"Good morning. I thought you were still sleeping."

I glanced up at his face and smiled. He was so red. I snuggled my face back into his chest.

"Good morning," I murmured.

He wrapped his arms around me tightly and put his lips on my hair.

I didn't want this moment to end. That's when I had a thought that made me laugh. "Man, Shaynna is going to say 'I told you so!'"

"What about?"

I sighed. "You." I heard a foot stomp.

"No. I told you. It didn't happen. I didn't kiss her. It is taking every ounce of strength I have not to do just that right now." He sounded so sad. "But I won't jeopardize everything." He did let himself kiss my forehead then proceeded to untangle himself from me and the blankets. I looked up at him as he stood.

Was it really possible to look that good after sleeping outside all night? He could have been modeling for Cabella's as he made sure the fire was out, his dark curls disheveled yet perfect.

Ugh. What did I look like right now? I ran my fingers through my hair. Thank goodness for elastics. I pulled my spare one off my wrist and tied my hair into a ponytail.

I stood and gave Dodge a hug. "Morning, buddy." I jumped back quickly. "Oh! Sorry. I forgot you're not a horse. Well, you are. But you're not."

Jasper laughed. "Don't be sorry. He doesn't mind that at all."

"Oh. Good." I rubbed his ear.

Jasper brought my saddle over and put it on Dodge. "He is wondering if you would mind going without a bridle." He held it out to me, giving me the option to put it on or not.

"Of course not! I wish I had known you understood like this before. I feel horrible!" I stuffed the bridle into my saddlebags.

Dodge shook his mane and nudged me with his nose.

"He says not to worry about it."

I swung up into the saddle and Jasper put a hand on my knee. "Ready?" he asked.

I looked down into his eyes, looking for the courage I needed to say yes. He smiled when I finally nodded.

This is turning out to be one hell of a dream, I thought. Might as well see where it goes.

We traveled at a walk, stopping only once to have some lunch.

I felt like a teenager with her first high school crush. My eyes were forever stealing glances at Jasper as we walked and I would blush when he caught me looking. My heart would jump in my chest when I found him looking at me as well. Beneath all the heart palpitations and shortness of breath, there was another more primal feeling I hadn't felt in a long time. I was definitely not a teenager, and my body was aching to have Jasper meet a need I hadn't had satisfied in over a year.

We made it to the base of the mountain just as the sun was starting to set.

I unsaddled Dodge and gave him a pat. "Thanks, buddy."

He bobbed his head.

"Are you leaving again?" I tried not to laugh as he looked to where Jasper was making a fire. "I don't think he'll try anything. That is a man with one amazing sense of duty!"

Dodge snorted.

"Go," I said. "Be a horse! I'll see you in the morning."

He nuzzled my face goodbye then trotted off into the woods.

"What was that about?" Hearing Jasper's voice and finding him directly behind me nearly made me jump out of my skin.

"Shit! How do you do that?"

He grinned and started untying the blankets. "Sorry."

"Here, I'll get those." I grabbed them and concentrated on setting the blankets a short distance from the fire.

"I wish Dodge would have waited. Can you stand being alone for a minute?"

I snapped my head up to look at him. "What? Why?"

"I just thought you might want some supper."

My stomach answered for me, though I wasn't happy with the thought of being alone in a world I knew nothing about.

"I'll be right back." With that, he was gone.

I busied myself finding more firewood. I didn't want to think about what might be lurking out there. It didn't take long before I had a decent pile stacked nicely. Something rustled in the bushes and I tensed.

"Hayden, it's just me."

I exhaled, not realizing I'd been holding my breath.

He pulled a rabbit out from behind his back and presented it with a smile. "Supper." He sat and skinned it for me then placed it over the fire on sticks. "I'll be right back." He sprinted into the woods again.

I looked after him and waited for him to return, wondering what he'd gone off to do this time. I tried to keep the nervousness from taking hold of me. Surely he wouldn't leave me alone if danger lurked.

I checked the rabbit. It seemed done, but I waited a few more minutes just to make sure.

What was he doing and what was taking him so long? I was getting more than a little nervous about why Jasper hadn't come back. "Crap!" The rabbit was turning black. I mumbled my apologies to the rabbit and pulled it off the sticks to let it cool.

Hunger and curiosity overtook my patience, and when I tasted the grilled meat I was pleasantly surprised. It wasn't half bad. I looked up as Jasper walked back into camp and forced myself to swallow. The firelight glistened off of his wet bare chest. His dark hair looked black. He hung his shirt up on a branch to dry then shook his head like a dog, water flying in all directions.

I couldn't stop staring.

"Is everything alright?"

I nodded and made myself take another bite and concentrate on the fire. I held the rabbit out to him without making eye contact.

"Thanks." He tore a leg off. "Are you sure you're alright?" I could feel his eyes on me.

I nodded and chanced a look sideways at him. "How are your side and shoulder?"

He shrugged. "They've been worse."

"Do you think I could go to the creek and ... clean up?" What I should have said was cool down. Good Lord, he was doing this on purpose, wasn't he?

"Sure. Just let me know when you're ready."

I stood quickly. "I'm ready."

He raised an eyebrow and I could have sworn he looked amused. Instead of stopping at the creek, he led me to the place where the creek fed into a lake. I snatched his hand as he turned to leave.

"Wait!" The thought of being alone was very unnerving. "Stay. Please. Maybe you could just... I don't know." I felt the blood rush to my face and I was glad it was dark. "Just turn around?"

He walked to the log I had pointed to and sat facing the forest. "Like this?" He glanced back, grinning.

"Yeah, like that. Thank you." I waited for him to turn back around and then quickly stepped out of my clothes. I walked to the edge of the water and dipped my foot in. It was warm. I kept going until I had to swim and ducked my head under.

Where's a shampoo bottle when you need one? Hell, even a bar of soap would have been a godsend at this moment. I did my best to scrub myself clean then started to swim back toward the shore. I was a little surprised to see Jasper sitting exactly like he had been when I'd left.

I used my sweater to dry off and pulled on my jeans and tank top . I combed my hair with my fingers as best as I could.

"Ok. I'm done."

He turned and came back toward me. "Ready to go back?"

I shook my head. "No. This is beautiful!" It was dark now and the moons were full. Moons? I blinked. There was a normal sized one and a slightly smaller one that was partially hidden behind the first. The reflection in the lake was breathtaking, and the blue tinged trees around the edge took on a deep purple hue. I sat on the sand to admire the view and Jasper joined me.

"I have more questions." I glanced at him.

He nodded and waited.

"What is it that I'm supposed to do? And none of this 'I can't tell you' crap."

He grinned. "We're not sure, actually. Legend had it that a baby girl would be found abandoned in the Wedelven Woods. This girl would have powers beyond belief. It was also said that the dark king Damian would use this girl to destroy the good queen, but that it was possible to change the outcome of this future. When the Wedelves found you, they sent you from this world to keep you safe. It was foretold that when you were ready you would find your way back. The legend doesn't specify much after that. All we know is that you are important, and I will do everything in my power to keep you safe."

The change in his voice as he said those last words made me look up in surprise. The pain was back in his eyes.

"You are a Namael."

"Yes."

"I am a...." It occurred to me that I still didn't know. "I guess we don't know what I am, do we?"

"Well, after yesterday, I think it's safe to say you are a sorceress."

"I am a sorceress." It sounded weird. "Can a Namael be a sorceress?

He nodded.

"Could I be a Namael?"

"I suppose you could be. I could check for the mark if you want."

"What mark?"

"All Namaels are born with a mark; a straight line, just behind your ear. Would you like me to look?"

I nodded.

He moved behind me on his knees, gently brushed the hair back from my neck and pulled my ear forward. Not finding anything there, he moved on to the other side. My skin tingled at his touch.

"Nope. Nothing. So you're not a Maj, either. They have a crescent mark." He sat back down beside me. "The dogs," he explained. "My guess is you're human."

I grunted, slightly disappointed. "Well, that's no fun."

He laughed.

"Ok. So let's go back to questions. I'm not a Namael and beings are only fated to their own kind."

"Yes."

"And you know you're fated to someone because you dream of them."

"Yes." He started to look slightly perplexed as he confirmed my statements.

"I have never dreamed of you." I took his hands in mine. His eyes were so sad. "What I mean is, you can stop being so upset. You don't have to deny being with the one you are fated to because I'm not her."

Understanding crept into his eyes. "It doesn't make sense," he whispered. "Why have I been dreaming of you?" He shifted so that he was kneeling in front of me, his hands still in mine.

"I don't know why, but you just said it. There is no way we can be fated." I let go of his hands and placed mine on his chest. Goose bumps appeared under my fingers and he jerked at the touch. "Right?"

He looked unsure about what I wanted, but gave a small nod.

"Then there's no reason why I can't do this," I muttered as I stretched up and touched my lips to his.

Jasper's eyes widened in surprise and I laced my fingers behind his head, scared he was going to pull away. I didn't need to worry. He groaned and pulled me tighter against him, wrapping his arms around me.

I couldn't think of anything else but the feel of his body against mine. He felt as solid as stone, his arms hugging me to his chest. That's when I saw a flash. But that didn't make sense because my eyes were closed. There was another flash.

My eyes flew open and I pulled away from his kiss. Jasper ran his lips along my jawline, then brought his lips back to mine. This time it was my turn to moan. The instant I closed my eyes I was assaulted by another bright spark of light.

One of his arms let go of me and reached past me so he could lower me to the sand. He lay on one elbow, his other hand on my waist.

He ran his tongue against my bottom lip and a flash came and stayed.

I gasped.

"I'm sorry." Jasper started to pull away. "I don't know what–"

"No!" I threw myself at him again, wrapping my arms around his neck and pulling him down on me. The instant our lips touched the flashes started. Over and over. Picture after picture flashed through my head.

The kiss slowed, became softer. Jasper groaned and buried his face in my hair. "What have I done?" he whispered.

"I'm so sorry. I didn't know." I tried to catch my breath. "You didn't do anything! I kissed you first!"

Picture after picture had flashed through our minds. Flashes of me in his dreams. Pictures of him in dreams I didn't remember.

Until now.

Chapter Eight

The sun slipped behind the trees and we found a little clearing to make camp. Dodge couldn't smell any horses nearby and stayed with us. I lay in Jasper's arms, enjoying the feel of his lips on my hair.

"So, how far to the Wedelves?"

"It shouldn't be more than another day to their border. Once we cross it, we'll have another four days to go to get to Sageden. That's the closest Wedelven town."

I nodded. I had a good feeling about this. "What's 'Shlova'?"

I felt him startle behind me. "When did I say that?"

"This morning, when we started off. Before you got mad at Dodge, you said, 'We better get going, Shlova.'"

"Oh. Well, it means love." His voice was quiet.

"What language is that?"

"None." I felt him smile against the back of my neck. "My siblings and I made it up. We had enough words that we could have a whole conversation without anyone being able to understand. I haven't spoken that since I was fourteen."

"Hello, camp!"

Jasper was up in a flash, a growl rising into his throat. I froze.

"Jasper. Relax."

Jasper looked at the man walking into the firelight and smiled. "Zane! What brings you to these parts?"

"You know, I'm not sure? I woke up three days ago and started to wander." He looked back into the bushes. "It's alright, fellows. It's Jasper."

Two more beings walked into the clearing. Not people. At first glance, they seemed to be animals, yet that term didn't really describe what my eyes were seeing.

Zane appeared human. He was tall, at least six-foot-three with shaggy black hair and black eyes, his skin the color of milk chocolate.

With him was-- holy shit-- a centaur! He stood about six feet tall. From the waist up, he looked like a twelve-year-old boy with blond hair and amber eyes. From the waist down, he was a horse. His body was the same color as his hair. I gawked as I tried to grasp what I was seeing. His body wasn't covered with hair like a horse's. He was covered in scales. He jogged up to Jasper and gave him a hug.

"Jasper!"

"Hello, Phlann!"

When the third person in the party joined his traveling companions, I inhaled sharply. This scaly centaur stood over nine feet tall, and his chest and arms were immense. His body was a few shades darker than his light blond hair and his chocolate brown eyes warmed at the sight of us.

"Jasper. Dodge." The centaur's deep voice resonated as he nodded to both of them.

Jasper nodded back. "Shanus."

Dodge swished his tail and Shanus looked at him. "Three days ago we all woke up with an urge to travel. We met up along the way." Shanus smiled at me. "It seems you have a way of drawing people to you, young lady."

Zane sat by the fire, his focus on Dodge.

"Well, that's annoying," I muttered.

Jasper sat beside me. "What is, Shlova?"

"Everyone can hear Dodge but me!"

"I can't hear him." Phlann walked over and stood by my side.

"Oh. Why is that?"

Phlann shrugged. "Dad is blocking me. He still likes to think I'm too young for all of this, even though I came of age two seasons ago." He wrinkled his nose at Shanus.

Jasper put his arm around my shoulder and gave me a squeeze. Dodge had joined Zane and Shanus by the fire. My horse stomped his foot and both of them turned to gawk at us.

"You're right," mumbled Phlann. "That is annoying!" He glared at Shanus.

Jasper sighed. "We are fated," he explained for Phlann's benefit.

Phlann's eyes widened but he managed to keep his mouth shut.

The blood rushed to my face and my temper rose.

Shanus was the first to get some control of his mouth. His thoughts sprang to life. "But how?"

"Oh, for crying out loud!" I stood up. "Are we going to have to do this with everyone we meet? We don't know how. He thought we might be. I didn't know. I kissed him. I guess it happened just like it happens to everybody else! Why does everybody have to act like it's the end of the world because it happened to us?"

Red waves wrapped themselves around my hands and I shuddered with the sudden energy that engulfed me. "Oh, shit!" I tried not to focus on anything, but I knew I wasn't going to be able to control these waves.

Jasper spun me around and faced me away from the group toward the forest just as the energy travelled down my arms and I released the red waves. Everyone threw themselves to the ground as three trees exploded into flames.

Dodge snorted and Jasper nodded. "It does appear to be getting stronger. We have to find someone to teach her how to control it."

"I'm sorry." I sat heavily on my blanket and buried my head in my arms. "Please tell me that trees aren't beings here."

Jasper pulled me against him. "There are tree folk, but don't worry. Those were just trees."

"Wow!" Phlann looked at me with wide eyes. "That was great!"

"Glad you think so," I mumbled. I leaned into Jasper as he grabbed the second blanket and wrapped us in it.

"Shanus, do you know anything about color waves?" Jasper asked.

He shook his head. "No. Mine is more of a mind magic; illusions and things of that sort. I can't see the colors."

I wondered if I could do illusions, too. What else am I capable of? I yawned, suddenly exhausted. Magic sure is hard on the system. Jasper pulled me closer and pressed his lips to my temple. I fell asleep listening to them catching up on events of the last few days, the heat from our campfire warming me. The last thing I heard was something about evidence of dog patrols.

Everyone was asleep when I opened my eyes. The fire had almost gone out and I snuggled closer to Jasper to keep warm. He mumbled something in his sleep and tightened his arms around me.

I was looking at the fire when something caught my eye in the woods behind it. Fireflies. I smiled. At least something here was familiar. The fireflies blinked out at the same time and reappeared. I frowned. They weren't moving. Whatever these were, they weren't flying bugs. I tensed as another pair appeared beside them, and then another. My heart skipped a beat and started to hammer in my chest. Eyes.

"Jasper," I whispered. "Wake up!"

He mumbled something and I elbowed him.

"Huh?" he mumbled, his voice thick with sleep.

"Something is looking at us from the woods." I tried to keep my voice hushed despite the panic I was feeling.

He moved slightly, pretending to still be asleep.

"Dogs!" He growled as he sprang to his feet. It was all the others needed to come to life on full alert. Jasper flew over the fire, shifting into a tiger in midair.

Phlann positioned himself in front of me, bow and arrow ready. Shanus unsheathed two huge swords from the scabbards strapped to his back.

The wolves broke into the clearing. Jasper collided with the leader and managed to hold it by the throat. Another wolf jumped on Jasper's back, biting the back of his neck. A black cat swooped down on top of the second wolf, pulling it off of Jasper. The panther rolled and hissed at the wolf as they circled, eyeing each other. Zane!

I spun around, panicked by the sound of an angry growl behind me. Phlann moved with me, his arrow already flying through the air. The grey wolf fell to the ground with a yelp. A second wolf, this one the size of Dodge, ambled confidently toward us. Its midnight blue eyes confronted me. Phlann fired two arrows into the wolf, but it seemed to laugh at us and kept advancing.

It lunged quickly, aiming for me. Phlann pushed me back, his eyes wide as the wolf closed its jaws around his arm, crushing bone and tearing skin.

"Phlann!" I screamed, paralyzed by shock.

"Shush, Hayden. It's alright." Jasper's arms were tight around me.

"How is it alright?" I closed my eyes and buried my face into his chest, glad he was there to hold me but confused he wasn't helping his friends.

I blinked, suddenly aware that we were still laying on our blanket. The rest of the group was looking at me. Phlann was snoring. I glanced around the campsite, trying to make sense of what was happening. I noticed that the fire was bigger than the one in my dream.

"We have to go now!" I had never been more certain of anything in my whole life.

"Shlova, it was just a dream."

"No. It wasn't. Phlann was supposed to take first watch, right?"

Jasper nodded.

"But he's sleeping. In the dream, the fire is a little lower than this. They're coming. You get the first one. Zane rips one off your back. He's a panther, right?"

They all stared at me.

"No one told me he was like you! Now, tell me I'm wrong and that he doesn't shift into a panther!"

Zane ran to my saddle and threw it on Dodge. "Phlann! Wake up, you good for nothing toddler!"

"Hey? What's going on?" He saw the looks on everyone's faces. "I fell asleep! What happened?"

"Nothing yet," growled Jasper. "Let's go!"

I swung onto Dodge and watched as Jasper and Zane shifted into cats. We raced into the night, distancing ourselves as far from the clearing as possible.

Just before dawn, the group finally slowed. Jasper called some bluebirds down from the trees and asked them to do some scouting. We stopped at a river and I fell out of the saddle, exhausted. Every muscle burned with fatigue from the effort I'd exerted to remain on my mount.

Jasper brought me some water and handed me a piece of bread from the saddlebag.

"Can you tell us what else you saw?" he asked, tucking my hair behind my ear.

"There were six, maybe seven wolves. Normal ones. But there was one big one, the size of Dodge!"

"What color was the big wolf?" asked Zane.

"Black. Why?"

Jasper explained. "The Majs' soldiers are shifters, like us. We turn into cats, they turn into dogs." He spat out the word. "There are three big wolves that are the size of Dodge. One brown, one grey, and one black. The brown one is Damian. You won't see him because he always stays in his keep and sends everyone else out to do his dirty work. The grey one is his second in command, Rainen. She is a very powerful sorceress. The black one is Rainen's son, Ream. He is still young and his powers as a sorcerer are undeveloped."

"So what does it mean, then? Were they really here, or was I dreaming?"

Zane and Jasper looked at each other. "You weren't dreaming. It seems you're a dream seer. You're able to foretell events through dreams." Jasper turned to Zane and continued. "They sent Ream to supervise this little mission because they really want what they're after." Jasper went quiet at the realization.

I shivered even though the day was starting to warm under the sun's early rays.

Zane asked the next question. "You yelled Phlann's name when you woke up. Why?"

"The black wolf was coming at me and Phlann pushed me out of the way. He was getting ripped to shreds..." I whispered.

Shanus grumbled. "Serves him right for falling asleep."

My eyes widened and I glanced at Phlann. He looked miserable.

One of the bluebirds returned, and both Zane and Jasper listened intently. Dodge stomped his foot, annoyed.

"Now you know how I feel," I told him.

Jasper crushed me to his chest and kissed the bridge of my nose. "You are amazing, my love," he whispered in my ear.

"I'm glad you think so," I grinned up at him. "Maybe you wouldn't mind letting the rest of us know why."

"Our campsite was destroyed. There are dog prints everywhere. And from what the animals have been telling the birds, Ream is with the pack." He leaned down and kissed me softly. "If not for you, they would have gotten the better of us."

"If it wasn't for me, we wouldn't be in this situation in the first place."

"Shush, now. You didn't ask for this."

"It doesn't matter. I can't have you guys getting killed because of me. Maybe it's best if we head to see Queen Melana." I eyed each of them, hoping to build a consensus.

Phlann turned to me. "What do you think we should do?"

I thought hard for a minute, but only managed to give myself a headache. They all continued to look at me, awaiting my decision.

Chapter Nine

"Could you guys give me a minute? All your staring is making it hard to think."

"May as well go find some breakfast." Zane shifted and bounded into the trees.

"Should I go as well?" Jasper inquired.

"Of course not. You help me think."

"What would you like me to do?"

I smiled up at him. "Just what you are doing now." I leaned my head against his chest. He pulled me closer and set his chin on my head. I tried closing my eyes to focus, but thinking about it didn't help. I had no facts to base my decision on, so I went with my gut.

I looked up at him.

"So?"

"I still think we need to go to the Wedelves."

"How would you feel about the Wedelves coming to you?"

I jumped at the voice coming from behind me.

"Hey, Hayden," sang a musical voice.

Jasper stood, pulling me up with him. I whirled around. "Tara!" I gawked at the woman coming toward us. "Is that you?"

She laughed. "Yes. It's me." She turned in a small circle so I could get a look at her.

I slowly walked up to her and stared. The eyes were the same caramel color they had always been and her hair was no different, but her skin...

"Holy shit! Your skin is green!" I fought back the urge to poke her.

She laughed and waited for me to snap out of my trance.

I looked her up and down, taking in all the details. She was wearing light colored buckskin pants that tucked into her calf high dark brown leather boots. Her shirt was a cream colored tunic that fit snugly and stood out against the army green color of her skin. She had on a belt that held a dagger and a quiver full of arrows hung next to a bow on her back.

"Wow. I don't know what to say." I was speechless.

She stepped forward and gave me a hug. "Are you ok?" She took a step back and looked up at me.

I looked at her again and smiled. "Yes. Yes, I am." I laughed. "It's a very good color for you. It makes your eyes stand out!" I gave her another hug. "What are you doing here?"

"Well, after you left I wasn't sure if you had just taken a road trip or actually come here, so I waited for the bluebirds to come and get me. I wasn't doing much good guarding you over there, so I came as quickly as I could."

"First Dodge, now you! Who else comes from here?"

Her caramel eyes squinted with her smile. "Just Ben, though he was never put on guardian duty. When I came home to report some months ago, we ran into each other and found we were fated. So he tags along when I'm there to watch over you. There have been other Wedelven guards sent to protect you, but I've never met them." She grinned as Ben stepped out of the woods carrying a bag.

"Hey there, Hayden."

"Wow. This just keeps getting better." I smiled at them. Though Ben was just as transformed as Tara, I wasn't as shocked with the difference in appearance this time.

Ben was wearing similar pants and boots as Tara, though his were a bit darker. The only difference in his attire was the fact that he wasn't wearing a shirt, which seemed to magnify the fact that his skin was a golden brown with dark army green striping that blended into it.

As we ate bread and cheese for breakfast, I noticed some differences in the way they acted. The way they looked at each other was so much more intense, so much more passionate than when they interacted back home. It was almost as if one was always aware of where the other was.

A breeze blew through the trees and I stopped chewing.

"What?" Tara frowned.

"Your ears are pointy!"

Everyone almost choked on their food. Tara's laugh was like bells. "Of everything you just saw, that's the most shocking?" She doubled over with laughter.

I grinned and shook my head. "I guess so. Hang on. Why do you look so different here? How do you camouflage your looks there?"

"Well, we couldn't be walking around there with pointy ears, now could we?" She snorted. "Though I think the skin color might be more of shocker. When we cross over, an illusion is created so that we blend in. Ben looks a little taller than he really is, but I stay the same height."

I looked from one to the other, suddenly remembering that I hadn't really looked at myself since I'd crossed over to Quelondain. "Do I look different?"

She shook her head. "No. No pointy ears for you." She grinned.

"Hmm. Can everyone from here go there?"

Jasper shook his head. "Only those with a cross gem can go, and only a few are chosen by the queen and given one. I imagine the Majs have some."

Tara pulled on the chain around her neck and fished out the stone that hung on it from inside her shirt.

"Your grandma's necklace." I remembered the story she told me. The stone was about the size of my thumbnail and a beautiful deep blue. In it were two lighter blue lines that made the shape of a cross.

"Well, it really wasn't my grandmother's." She grinned at me.

Ben pulled his out of his pocket to show me. It was the same as Tara's.

"I wonder why I can go back and forth without one." I waited to see if they would explain it to me, but all three of them shrugged in ignorance.

"It obviously has something to do with why you're so special." Tara smiled.

I laughed. "You know, this still feels like a dream."

Jasper put his arm around me. "I truly hope it isn't."

Tara grinned. "Leave it to Hayden to barely look at a man for twenty-three years then spend four days in Quelondain and become fated to one of the most sought-after bachelors on the guard."

I laughed at Jasper's blush. "Most sought-after, are you?"

He shrugged.

My heart did a flip in my chest. "Did you...I mean, do you have someone else?"

His eyes widened. "Not for six years. Not since I started dreaming of you."

"Beings here are a lot like the ones where you come from," explained Ben. "We get into relationships and such. But once you start to see the one you are fated to, the urge goes away until you find that one."

"Interesting." I leaned my head on Jasper's shoulder. "And comforting. I don't think I would win a fight against a big cat to win you."

He chuckled. "Now wouldn't that be something to see."

The rest of the group started wandering back into camp and everyone was introduced.

"Do we have a plan?" Zane asked.

I was shocked to find they were all looking at me. "You guys will go wherever I go?"

Jasper took my hand. "Like Shanus said yesterday, it seems you have a way of drawing people to you. And after what happened last night, no one doubts your judgment."

"Ok, then." I was a little nervous. "I still think we need to go to the Wedelves. I'm sure there's something or someone there I'm supposed to see or find."

They all nodded.

"What happened last night?" asked Ben.

I saddled Dodge while Jasper gathered the blankets. "I'll start at the beginning when we get moving," he said.

"Sounds good."

"So, where's the bridge?" asked Phlann.

I laughed. "Like you can't see the bridge!" Everyone looked at me like I had three heads. I stopped and frowned. "Oh, now what?"

"Where do you see the bridge?" Jasper asked.

I pointed a short way up the river to a beautiful wooden bridge.

Zane was obviously impressed. "Is there anything you can't do?"

When Ben saw my confused expression, he clarified the situation for me. "Only Wedelves can see the bridge. It keeps us from having to worry too much about intruders. Every so often we move it so the location stays secret. There are a few out there, like Jasper, who are kept informed of its location because we trust them, but for the most part, people try to brave the river to cross onto our land."

The way he said that made me shiver. I didn't think many succeeded.

With Dodge as my transportation, we resumed our journey. Tara and Ben led the way over the bridge. Dodge followed behind Jasper as he briefed them on the events of the past four days.

The forest along the river that created the border of Wedelve territory was amazing. The number of blue trees decreased the farther we got from the river. In their stead were tall, slender trees with faded brown, almost white trunks. Their leaves were large, one aspen-shaped leaf covering both of my hands when I held it to examine its mesmerizing greenish silver color that shimmered in the sun. Every now and then I would catch a glimpse of what looked like big spruce trees, though these had red drooping flowers hanging from their branches instead of cones.

I fought off the urge to sleep and my head snapped up as I caught myself starting to slip out of the saddle.

"Close your eyes, Shlova," whispered Jasper in my ear. How he had mounted Dodge behind me without my knowing was beyond me. He put his arms around me and I leaned back against him. It wasn't long before I was asleep.

*****

"Hayden. We're stopping for lunch." Jasper gave me a squeeze and kissed the back of my neck.

A shiver ran through me and I reached back and ran my fingers through his hair with a smile.

"Hello." He murmured in my ear. "Did you have a good sleep?"

I nodded and opened my eyes. "Whoa! What are those?"

Standing a short distance away were a couple of animals that resembled white tailed deer. These were taller, though, and the way their antlers curled back reminded me more of mountain goat horns. The tines stuck out at dangerous angles.

Tara laughed. "They're deer."

I shook my head and blushed. "Yeah, I can see that. What I mean is, do they talk? Are they like Dodge?"

She shook her head. "No. They're like horses back where you're from. We use them for riding and chores. Mine's Peena and Ben's is Goop."

I burst out laughing. "Goop?"

Ben grinned. "Don't make fun of Goop--you'll hurt his feelings." He walked over and patted the bigger of the two deer on the head. "Goop is Wedelven for strong."

I was still laughing. "I'm sure he is."

I walked over to Goop and Peena and let them sniff my hand.

Goop snorted.

"Do you use bridles?"

Tara nodded and showed me hers. "They're like hackamores. No bits. And we use saddles. Deer don't move anything like horses! You just can't stay on without the stirrups."

I examined Tara's saddle. It was small, like a racing saddle. I turned at the sound of trotting coming toward us to my left. Shanus and Phlann were both carrying three rabbits each. Phlann stopped in front of me and bowed gracefully. "Dinner, my lady." His eyes twinkled with amusement as he straightened.

I held the edge of my imaginary dress and curtsied. "Thank you, my lord."

Shanus chuckled. "My lord, indeed." He nudged his son's ribs with his free elbow.. "Come along, my lord. You can help skin these."

Phlann flashed me a smile and followed his dad.

I left Ben and Tara to tend to their deer and walked toward Zane and Jasper, who were deep in conversation. Jasper looked up at his friend, his eyes wide, and started to laugh, the sound floating over to me on the breeze. I smiled.

I caught some movement out of the corner of my eye. "What's this?" I mumbled to myself and bent down. The creature in question was hiding in a bush, only its bright green eyes visible. I sat on the ground in front of the bush, not quite facing it, and waited for curiosity to bring out whatever was in it.

I looked over as a tiny pink nose sniffed in my direction. "Are you hungry?"

I reached into my pocket and pulled out a bit of cheese I had put there after breakfast. "Here you go."

A tiny paw reached out of the bush for the cheese and I pulled it away to draw it out of its shelter.

"Oh! You're beautiful," I whispered. "You look just like a lemur. But tiny."

The little lemur-like creature was no bigger than a rat and was all white with almost chartreuse eyes. It paused at the sound of my voice and looked up at me. Having decided I wasn't much of a threat, it took a few steps closer and reached for the cheese.

"Here you go." I gave it the cheese and smiled when it decided to stay beside me to eat it.

I looked up and smiled at Jasper who was watching me. He made his way toward me, stopping when he was close enough to talk to me without scaring the tiny monkey.

"What is it?" I asked.

"It's called a tairat."

"A tairat. Is it a baby?"

He shook his head. "No. That's as big as they get." He shifted his weight to his other foot and a branch snapped under him.

The tairat jumped, ran up my arm, and burrowed itself in my hair, its long tail wrapping itself around my neck.

Jasper came closer and laughed at the warning being chattered at him. "I think she's decided you're hers."

I smiled. "How can you tell she's a girl?"

"She's all white. The males are white but have a dark brown stripe that runs from their nose to the end of their tail."

"What do they eat?"

"Besides cheese?" He smiled. "Bugs and fruit, mostly."

The tairat relaxed its hold on my neck and peeked out from under my hair to sniff Jasper. He accommodated her by sitting beside me where she could reach over to investigate him.

I looked toward camp and leaned my head on his shoulder. Zane was standing by the fire chatting with Shanus and Phlann while they all watched the rabbits cook. Tara and Ben were sitting on a rock talking about something that was obviously humorous. Dodge had taken this rest time to find a patch of grass where he was busy enjoying his own lunch.

"What are you thinking?" Jasper asked softly, invading my thoughts. He leaned his head against mine then pulled it away with a laugh when the tairat chittered at him.

"I'm thinking that this is the best dream I've ever had." I looked at him and smiled, reached back to remove the tairat from my hair so I could hold her away from Jasper, and closed my eyes as his lips met mine.

The tairat chattered from her position on my arm. Jasper looked down at her. "She was mine first, you know." He reached over and tried to pet the tiny head. He jerked his arm back as little teeth tried to sink into his finger. "You're just going to have to learn how to share."

I laughed at the tiny growl. "Does she understand you?"

He shook his head.

"Now, Tiny, you're going to have to get used to him. I have a feeling he plans on being around for a while."

Jasper smiled. "Tiny?"

"Well, she is, isn't she? It's fitting."

He shrugged. "Maybe we can come up with something else after lunch."

I laughed. "Speaking of lunch, Tara is waving us over. Come on, Tiny. Let's go find you a bit more cheese."

Jasper stood and took my hand. "To be replaced so soon, and by a tairat." He grinned down at me.

"I definitely won't be replacing you any time soon." I squeezed his hand. I tilted my head up to give him a kiss and pulled back at Tiny's warning to him. "Maybe you should give her the next piece of cheese. This could get annoying if she decides to hate you forever."

He laughed. "Tara, is there any cheese left in the bag?"

"Uh-huh. How big of a piece do you want?"

"Just a small one. It's for Hayden's new friend. I'm hoping this puts me in her good graces." He grinned.

Tara handed him the cheese and peered around my shoulder to look at Tiny. The little tairat looked back at her with wide eyes but didn't make a sound.

Tara shook her head and smiled. "Only you, Hayden."

"What?" I laughed.

"Leave it to you to find a creature willing to follow you home."

"Here you go, Tiny." Jasper reached out the piece of cheese so that she had to stretch to take it from him.

Her nose wiggled and her little tongue flicked toward it.

"Come on, now. Take it nicely."

Tiny reached out and took the cheese with her paws.

"There you go." Jasper experimented by putting a hand on my shoulder and smiled when Tiny didn't chatter at him.

"Well, that's a good start." I grinned at him. "Let's eat. I'm starving."

We all sat around the fire, eager to eat and get going again.

When we were done, I saddled Dodge and watched as Tara and Ben saddled their deer.

I put my hand on my shoulder and Tiny walked onto it. I removed her from her perch. "Well, my girl, I think it's probably best if you stay here. I have no idea where we are going or how long it will be. You should be in your natural habitat." I grabbed a piece of cheese from the bag and walked back over to the bush where I'd found her. Placing the cheese under the bush, I gave the little tairat one last pet on the head before setting her down. She stood on her hind legs and gazed up at me with wide eyes. She chattered at me once then turned her attention to my parting gift.

I smiled at Jasper as I walked by him to get to Dodge. He glanced over to the bush and jogged to catch up to me.

"Hang on a bit," he said, his arm snaking around my waist. "There's something I was wanting to do before you acquired your little guardian there." He smiled and leaned down to kiss me softly, his tongue gently finding mine. My head started to spin.

"Hmm." I groaned, disappointed, when the kiss ended.

"We better get going. The others aren't waiting for us."

I looked up and found that he was right. I grinned at him. "I wouldn't mind a bit of privacy right now." I reached up and brushed a couple of stray curls away from his eyes.

Jasper closed his eyes and I traced the lines of his cheekbones and jaw with my finger.

"Ow!" Jasper jumped back and grabbed the hand he had been resting on my arm. "You are evil!" He glared at Tiny.

"Bad, Tiny. Bad!" I tried to discipline my protector without laughing. She cocked her head to one side, the proceeded to crawl the rest of the way up my arm to rest on my shoulder, her tail wrapped loosely around my neck.

"Are you ok?" I took Jasper's hand and inspected the four little drops of blood emerging on the end of his thumb.

"No worries, Shlova. I've had much worse." He scowled at the tairat.

"Ok. Let me settle her again under the bush so she'll stay when we leave. We'd better get going." I broke off another piece of cheese and left Tiny where I'd found her.

I jogged away and caught up with Dodge, who'd come to see what was taking us so long. I put my foot in the stirrup and swung on. Jasper shifted.

"Let's catch up to them, buddy." I patted Dodge on the neck and he cantered slowly as he moved out to join the group.

Chapter Ten

By our third day in the Wedelven woods, the assortment of flora and fauna was even more diverse. Along with the silver trees and evergreens, there were quite a few more bushes, all of them covered in beautiful flowers. There were also some smaller versions of the silver trees, though these had leaves that were pink instead of green. During our travels I'd also seen a snake with two tails, some florescent pink owls, and a little family of raccoon-like animals I was warned were venomous.

We'd just finished eating supper and were getting ready to make camp for the night when I heard a noise in the bushes behind me. I turned slowly, not sure who or what to expect.

"You're kidding," I muttered, to no one in particular. A little tairat made its way toward me, its green eyes wide. "Tiny, is that you?"

"Tiny?" Jasper came to stand beside me, shirtless after getting cleaned up at the creek. "I suppose there's an easy way to test if it's her or not." He turned and pulled me against him, his lips only partly on mine as he eyed the little creature warily.

The tairat bared her teeth and ran toward us, chattering her disapproval at Jasper, who grunted before jumping away from me. Tiny ran up my leg and settled on my shoulder.

Jasper glared at her. "Evil. That's what we should name her. Evil."

I laughed. "That's not very nice."

"Neither is she."

"I wonder if it's because you're a cat. Do you hunt these?"

He laughed. "Why bother? It would take ten of them to make a meal."

I snorted. He was right. "Go and get some cheese from the bag and you can hold her while I get cleaned up at the creek." I handed her over to him, both of them looking displeased at the notion, and went down to the creek to wash as best as I could.

"I'll tell you one thing I'm really missing about home," I mumbled to myself. "A shower."

By the time I walked back to camp, Jasper and Tiny had come to the agreement that Jasper was not going to eat Tiny, so long as she didn't bite him.

Jasper smiled at me. "I think we're done with the biting, but now I think she is trying to choke me."

I laughed and leaned in for a kiss. Jasper tensed, waiting for the attack he thought was coming, then relaxed when he realized it wasn't going to happen. He wrapped his arms around me and kissed me deeply.

"Hmmmm. Much better," he whispered before kissing me again.

Tiny took advantage of the moment to walk from his shoulder to mine.

As it started to get dark, everyone bedded down for the night.

"Let's go to sleep, Shlova," Jasper whispered in my ear.

*****

I awoke to the noise of Tara and Ben making bets.

"I don't know why you bother, Sweets. You know you're going to lose." Tara grinned.

"You just wait. Goop has been getting much quicker on his turns." Ben patted his deer between the eyes.

Tara shrugged. "It's your new bow."

He laughed. "It's going to stay my new bow. But can you bear to part with your emerald dagger?"

She snorted and made sure her saddle was secure.

"You're going to want to see this, Shlova," Jasper said, as he took my hand and helped me to my feet.

We followed behind as they led their deer down the trail.

"I don't know why they bother making bets. They never do exchange prizes," he laughed.

"You know Tara and Ben from before?"

He nodded. "I was doing some scouting along the Wedelven border when I came upon Tantara, high in a tree. She was surrounded by dogs and was casually taking them out, one by one, every time they would try to come after her."

Tara looked back and grinned. "Jasper was nice enough to lend me a hand. When we were done getting rid of them all, I brought him home so I could feed him a decent meal as a thank you.

"I'd just come back for a few days and when we got talking, Jasper told me about being on the lookout for the Chosen One--that the queen thought you might be coming back soon. I had brought some pictures with me, so I showed him one of you so he'd know you when he found you."

Jasper started to laugh. "I fell off my chair."

"Literally," Tara continued. "When he looked at it, his eyes got big, and he stood up real fast, tripped on the chair, and fell."

"I had been dreaming about you for two years prior to that day, but had always assumed you were probably at the castle and I hadn't seen you yet. When she gave me the picture and I realized that you were the one I was dreaming of, I have to admit I was completely baffled."

Tara laughed. "He thanked me for his meal and left like his ass was on fire. That was about four years ago."

I smiled. "You poor thing. You must have thought it was a lost cause."

He nodded. "I did. Not only was I fated to the one being who could save or destroy us all, you weren't even in this world!"

I took his hand and gave it a squeeze. "Sorry I took so long."

He grinned at me. "It's quite alright. You're here now."

We crested a hill and found ourselves looking at an obstacle course. There were fallen trees over a trail that looped around and doubled back on itself multiple times before finishing where it started. I noticed that the trail crossed the creek several times.

"This is where they hold the races for Wellfore. It's weeklong festival that marks the end of summer. It's a great time. Well, I can do without the ball the first night, but the rest of the time is a blast," Jasper explained as the other two made their way down to the course. We sat on the hill to watch. "So many beings come to celebrate. You'll love it."

"When is it?"

"In another two months, I think. I'll have to ask. I haven't been in civilization for a couple of months now."

I glanced at him. "You told me you had been camping for a week."

"I had been, in that spot. I wasn't sure where you were going to come from, so I'd been monitoring a few of the gate trails."

"Do you have a cross stone?"

He nodded.

"Have you used it?"

"Just once, about four years ago. Right after Tara showed me your picture, actually." His eyes narrowed slightly. "I'd thought I'd find you instead of waiting for you to come back here."

"So what happened? Obviously, you didn't find me."

He shook his head. "No. I didn't stay there long enough. I crossed over and thought I was dying."

I frowned. "Why?"

"There's no magic there. In order for me to shift, I have to have a source of magic. In this world, it's just here. It's in the air, the trees, the ground. Everything here operates on magic. The tiger part of me lives through magic. When I crossed over, that part of me was lost. It was like half of me died. I tried to ignore it. Some can. I couldn't."

I put my head against his shoulder. "Well, either way, you managed to find me."

He leaned his cheek on my head. "I think it's more like you found me."

Tara and Ben were at the start of the obstacle course and had mounted their deer. Both of them looked up to where we were sitting and I waved to them. Tiny grunted in annoyance as her perch moved suddenly.

Tara and Ben stood the deer at the starting line facing backward. Suddenly, they pivoted their deer in opposite directions so they wouldn't run into each other.

Peena was faster coming out of the spin and bounded away from Goop.

"Ooh. She's quick!" I admired.

"Just wait. Goop is faster on the flat. He's also stronger."

We watched as the two of them bounded along at an unbelievable speed. I had seen deer in the woods at home, but to see them with riders was amazing.

Ben and Tara were standing in their stirrups, their knees absorbing the force of each landing.

Tara was still in the lead as they reached the first jump. Peena gathered herself and leapt into the air. Goop heard Tara's holler to Peena to jump and gathered himself as well. He left the ground a whole deer length behind Peena and sailed through the air.

"Whoa! Did you see that?" Goop had managed to propel himself into the lead, landing ahead of Peena on the other side.

The race was neck and neck. Goop would pull ahead over the jumps and Peena would outrun him through the curves. Both Tara and Ben were urging the deer on as they came out of the final turn and headed toward the finish line.

"I'll bet you a back rub Tara and Peena take it."

Jasper chuckled. "You're on."

Tara came out of the last turn a whole deer length ahead of Ben, who managed to close the distance so that Goop was only a head behind Peena.

Both deer were bounding as fast as they could. The lead changed with each cloven footfall.

Tara held her arm up in victory as Peena leapt a half a stride ahead of Goop and flew across the finish line.

I laughed. "Wow. That was great!" I looked at Jasper and grinned.

"You're just itching to get on one, aren't you?"

My grin widened and he laughed. "Maybe we can find you one once we get everything done and over with. You have to get them as babies to form a bond. Once that imprinting is done, only that person can ride that deer."

I looked down at the course where Tara and Ben had gotten off of the deer and were leading them around to cool down. They were making their way back toward us.

Tara laughed and Ben hooked his arm around her waist.

"Of course I let you win," we heard him say as they approached us.

She grinned at him. "Of course you did."

He laughed as she stuck her tongue out at him and he pulled her in for a kiss. His arms held her tightly against him, his mouth claiming hers. She melted against him.

"It doesn't matter," I heard him say softly. "Either way, I'm always the winner."

Tara smiled and kissed him again.

Jasper took my hand and led me away. "I think we best leave them alone," he whispered to me.

My eyes widened. "What? Here? In the bush?"

He laughed. "They've only been fated for four or five months, I think. It's hard to resist."

I grunted in agreement. "Tell me about it." I gave his hand a squeeze.

He glanced at me quickly and smiled back. "Let's get back to camp. Maybe if my stomach isn't hungry, the rest of me won't be as well."

I blushed. "It's worth a try."

I hadn't realized how long of a walk it had been until we made our way back. By the time everyone had eaten and everything had been packed up, it was well into the afternoon.

We got to Tara and Ben's house in Sageden after dark. Silhouettes of houses were all I could see of the town.

Jasper shifted back into his human form and held a hand up to me to help me out of my saddle.

"Do I look as tired as I feel?" I smiled at him.

"You look exhausted." He pulled me against him, then grinned and swept me into his arms.

I laughed at him. "I'm not so tired that I can't walk!"

Jasper's arms jerked and he sucked in a breath. "Ow! Tiny! Leave off, now! I'm just taking her inside! Just get on my shoulder and you can come, too!"

I laughed and set her on his shoulder.

I lay my head against his chest and closed my eyes, enjoying the feel of his muscles moving against me as he carried me to a room. He set me down and opened the door.

"Go to bed. I'll unsaddle Dodge so he can find a spot for the night."

"Where will he go?"

He shrugged. "I'm not sure. There is a herd around here, but they are about a day's ride away. He'll probably bed down with Goop and Peena in the back."

"Ok. Come get me if he wants me, though."

Jasper nodded and left.

I walked into the room and sighed. "A bed!" I pulled off my riding boots and sat on the bed.

There was a knock on the door.

"Come in," I answered.

Tara peeked her head in. "Oh, good. You're alone. I brought you a nightgown. You must be tired of sleeping in your jeans." She smiled at me. "Also, here's a big bowl of hot water and some soap. There's a towel and a sponge on the dresser."

I laughed. "I'll admit that, after a week, I was starting to wonder if they made soap here."

"Get some sleep. I'll see you in the morning."

"Goodnight, Tara."

I waited until she had closed the door then shed the rest of my clothes. I stood in front of a mirror and wiped myself clean with the soap and a sponge. After drying myself, I pulled on the nightgown.

Geez, Tara. I might as well be naked! The nightgown was a sheer cream color with a low neckline and a short hemline.

I pulled a brush through the tangles in my hair, cringing until they were tamed.

"There," I said to Tiny. "Human again."

She chattered something at me from the bed. I grabbed a towel and made a nest for her on one of the chairs.

"Here you go." She seemed happy with the arrangement and promptly curled herself into a ball.

I pulled the covers back and lay down. It was lying down on a cloud.

There was another knock on the door.

"It's me. Can I come in?"

I laughed. "Why are you knocking, Jasper?"

He came in and shrugged. I noticed he had washed as well.

"Do you want me to make a bed on the floor?"

I snorted trying to keep the laughter in. "You're kidding, right?"

Again, the only answer I got was a shrug.

"Jasper, we have been sleeping beside each other for over a week now. Why in the world would you want to sleep on the floor when there's a bed available?"

"There wasn't much choice before."

"There's not much choice now, either. Come to bed. It's like sleeping on a thousand little cotton balls."

He laughed. "That sounds wonderful." His voice was muffled as he pulled his shirt over his head.

He made his way to the other side of the bed, pulled back the covers, and stopped. He groaned.

"I had better sleep on the floor."

I blushed, more than a little pleased with his reaction. "Don't be stupid. Get into bed, pull up the covers, and we can both pretend we're sleeping in five layers of baggy clothing."

"Both?"

"You have no idea how I see you, do you?" I asked, my heart racing, as I looked him over.

He laughed. "You must be tired; you're starting to hallucinate." He slipped into bed and covered both of us with the covers .

I was suddenly very aware of the fact that he was in bed with me, half naked, and that I was wearing almost nothing at all.

I turned onto my side with my back toward him. "Goodnight, Jasper."

"Goodnight."

I lay there and listened to his steady breathing, trying to fall asleep. I'd spent the last week sleeping with his arms wrapped around me and found that I was missing that security. Those arms were my blanket of protection, my guarantee that he wouldn't let anything happen to me.

"Hayden."

I jumped.

"I need to hold you." Jasper stayed on his back.

"That's good." I scooted so that my back was against his side. "I don't think I can sleep if you aren't."

I sighed and relaxed as he turned, his legs fitting snugly against the back of mine. He put his arm around me and my hand found his automatically, our fingers lacing together. I felt the tension leave his body.

"That's better," he whispered. "Goodnight, Shlova."

I felt him smile in my hair as we fell asleep holding each other.

The following morning I awoke feeling like I'd been sleeping for days. The first thing I noticed was that Jasper was gone.

Don't panic. It's ok. Everything is just fine. I'd had two dreams during the night. I needed to tell Jasper about them.

I sat up and saw a platter with fruit, bread, and cheese. My stomach growled. I noticed a note tucked under the big plate.

My love,

I thought I should let you sleep. There is a bath and soaps in the next room. I will be back shortly.

Jasper

I finished eating what I could of the food, then headed to the next room after I pulled on my jeans and tank top. I didn't want to run into Zane or Ben wearing nothing but the see-through nightie.

The bath was deep and already full of hot water. I stripped and slid into the tub. The water smelled like flowers. I sighed and lay with water up to my chin, enjoying the normalness of it.

A knock on the door interrupted my daydreaming.

"Who is it?"

"It's me. How does your bath feel?" My heart jumped at the sound of Jasper's voice.

"Terrific. Actually, I think I'm done, but I can't see a towel in here."

He laughed. "I have it here. Do you want me to leave it outside the door?"

Always the gentleman, I sighed. Here, we should have been holed up in a cave somewhere and he still refused to peek. "Sure."

"Alright. I'll be in our room."

My heart skipped again. Our room.

I stepped out of the tub and cracked the door open just enough to grab the towel. I dried my hair then wrapped it around me, tucking it under my arms.

I looked at my clothes on the floor and threw them into the tub. I washed and rinsed them the best I could, wrung them out, and headed to our room.

Jasper was lying on his stomach, head in his arms, his eyes completely covered.

I had to laugh.

"What's funny?" he mumbled into the pillow.

"You! You're going to give me a complex." I hung my clothes eon the back of a chair.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, here I'm supposed to be irresistible to you and all you should want is to be...you know..." I blushed. "Yet you won't even attempt to sneak a peek when I'm anywhere near indecent. I might start thinking there's something wrong with me."

"Of course there's nothing wrong with you! That's the problem." He still had his head buried in the covers. "I'm afraid that if I see you in your indecent state, as you put it, I might not be able to control myself."

"Oh." I sucked in a breath, trying to not think how it would feel when he finally lost control.

There was a brush and some folded clothes on the end of the bed. I took the brush and sat on the chair in front of the mirror. Behind me, I could see him lying on the bed.

"What did you do while I was sleeping?"

He looked like he was about to lift his head, then changed his mind. "Not much really. I got cleaned up and had some lunch while Zane caught me up on the last six months at the castle."

"Why were you away from the castle for so long?"

This time he raised his head and rolled onto his side. "I like patrolling; it keeps me away from the towns and cities. That, and I was looking for you."

Our eyes met in the mirror.

"How did you know I was coming?" I reminded myself to breathe.

It took him a second to answer. "It was just a feeling I had. That's the best way to explain it."

We both jumped at the knock on the door.

"Everyone decent?" It was Tara.

"You can come in."

"I was just checking to see if the clothes I found for you fit." She stopped short when she saw us still staring at each other in the mirror. "You know what? I think I'll come back later."

Neither of us noticed her leave.

I took a deep breath. "Why is it that you don't want to 'lose control'?"

Jasper got up and came to stand behind me. He took the brush and set it on the desk.

"I am afraid it might not be what you want."

I blinked.

"Also, I'm nervous that if we did do anything of the sort we would end up like everyone else I know who has been fated. There is too much at stake to lose sight of what we are supposed to be doing at the moment."

Spoken like a true soldier, I thought, a little annoyed.

He was running his fingers through my hair, each touch sending shivers along my skin. I closed my eyes and a small groan made its way up my throat. His hands made their way down my neck. My head slumped forward as he started to massage my shoulders, each rub making the heat between my legs move higher into my belly.

"Good god," I muttered. I stood and walked around the chair so we were facing each other. I pulled out his shirttail and heard him suck in a breath as I ran my hands up his chest.

"Never doubt how I feel about you," I whispered. I pushed on him lightly with my hands, guiding him backwards to the bed. He stopped when his legs touched the frame.

I started with the bottom button on his shirt and worked my way up, taking my time. He stood frozen as I stripped the shirt off his shoulders and let it fall to the ground. I took a quick look at the cut on his side and made sure it was healing well before I stood on tiptoe and kissed along his neck and collarbone. He had shaved and smelled amazing.

"What about..."

I cut him off with a gentle kiss. "We aren't your typical fated couple, are we, or we would have done this a long time ago." I could hear his heart drumming in his chest.

My towel picked that moment to fall around my ankles. Jasper glanced down and groaned. He wrapped his arms around me and lay me on the bed. His lips left trails of fire along my skin. He stopped for a quick look at my face, his eyes burning with desire. If he was looking for any indication that this was not what I wanted, he didn't find it. He growled in surrender as I reached down and undid the ties on his pants. Jasper pulled himself up and kissed me tenderly. I grabbed handfuls of his curls as his lips moved down my body to pay attention to my breasts. He kissed each one softly and gently sucked each nipple. My head spun.

"You are so beautiful," he whispered and brought his mouth back down on mine.

I moaned and arched under him, wanting him to take me. I could feel him, hard against my leg.

His mouth still on mine, he gently ran his hands over my belly. His fingers caressed the insides of my thighs and I shivered. I caught my breath as he slid his fingers into me and stroked me on the inside. My eyes glazed over with pleasure and he smiled.

"Mmmm." I seemed incapable of coherent speech for a moment. I grabbed fistfuls of sheets and felt the heat wave wash over me. I bucked under him and groaned.

His mouth claimed mine again, his body repositioned on top of mine.

I could feel the tip of him sitting, questioningly, between my legs.

"Now, Jasper. Please."

I wrapped my legs around his waist and moaned as he slid into me. We took our time, learning each other's bodies, smiling every time we made each other moan or gasp.

I ran my hands over his back, feeling his strength as he held himself over me, and then ran them back up again to his face to pull his lips down to mine. Jasper pulled himself up on his elbows, his thrusts getting faster. I dug my nails into his back and pulled him deeper with my legs as I exploded from the inside out.

He flattened himself against me and groaned into my neck as he jerked with his release.

We lay that way until our breathing had settled down. I chuckled as I felt him stiffen again. I pushed him over so that he was on his back and I straddled him.

"Maybe we are just typical," I mumbled as we started over again.

Chapter Eleven

Sometime later, there was a knock on the door.

"Just letting you know supper should be ready in about a half hour, if you're interested." Tara giggled as she walked away.

I looked up at Jasper and blushed. "They all know, don't they?"

"Considering we are newly fated, they're pretty amazed it just happened now. For most, it happens right after the kiss. You just can't stop yourself."

"I wonder why we can resist."

"I have no idea. Maybe we can find some answers to all of this while we're here."

"That reminds me. I had a dream. We have to find a Wedelven healer named Fillian. She can help us."

He nodded. "We'll ask around after supper, maybe Tara or Ben knows of her. Are you hungry? Should we go down?"

I grinned as I rolled myself on top of him. "Who needs to eat, really?"

"Who indeed," he mumbled into my neck.

We missed supper.

The next morning I woke to Jasper running his fingers through my hair.

"Good morning, my love," he leaned down and kissed my cheek.

"Good morning." I stretched and smiled at the small protest my muscles made. If anyone had the nerve to say sex wasn't a good form of exercise, they'd probably never had really good sex.

"I went down and got some breakfast. I thought you might be hungry." He laughed.

"Why would you think that?"

"Because your stomach woke me up!" He was still laughing as he sat on the bed.

"Well, it has been a while since we ate." I blushed. I reached over his shoulder and grabbed a piece of fruit and kissed his neck while I was there. The goose bumps that appeared almost made me forget about the food. My stomach growled at me and I laughed.

"I think I'd better eat something."

He grinned and kissed my nose. "I'll go downstairs and ask Ben about Fillian." He started to leave.

"What?" I asked when he stopped by the door.

He came back to me and held me to his chest for a moment then gave me a long, soft kiss. "Had I known how great life would feel with you in my arms, I would have stayed there and found you four years ago," he whispered to me.

Humming some slow song I couldn't name, I went to the chair with the clothes Tara had found for me. The shirt was a white tunic with some gold and brown stitching. It was form fitting and extremely comfortable. The pants were buckskin like everyone else's. At the end of the bed were some boots. They were calf high, dark brown leather with laces all the way to the top. I looked at myself in the mirror and laughed. All I needed were some pointy ears and earthy-colored skin and I could have passed as a Wedelve.

There was a knock at the door. "It's just me." Tara let herself in. She grinned when she saw me. "Not bad! Jasper's going to want to undress you, though, as soon as he gets back! As it is, I can't believe he managed to tear himself away! Remember when I missed two weeks of school because I had mono?" She grinned at me when my eyes widened.

"No!"

She nodded. "Yep. And even that is a short amount of time compared to some!"

"Holy shit!"

She laughed and sat on the bed. "So? How are you feeling?"

I took my time and thought for a moment. "Well, I miss my mom and dad. I'm scared about what's going on, but excited, too. And then there's Jasper." I blushed. "I'm happy. I am unbelievably happy. I would fight dragons if that's what it took to stay with him." I laughed. "Are there dragons here?"

She laughed with me and nodded. "But don't worry. They tend to keep to themselves up in the Northern Regions." She tossed me a belt with a little scabbard on it. "Put this on and let's go."

I stared at it. The dagger handle that was peeking out of the scabbard was beautiful. It was silver and imbedded with green stones. "Go where?"

"Practice."

"Oh, no! I can't fight! I'll do more damage than good!" I contradicted my statement by putting on the belt.

"Don't worry. I'm going to teach you a few defensive moves, just in case. From what the others tell me, your magic will wipe out the enemy before we even have the chance to draw our weapons!" She laughed at the shocked look on my face.

At that moment, Jasper and Zane came to the doorway. They both stopped short and stared at me. Jasper looked over at Zane and elbowed him playfully.

"Go find your own. She's mine!" He was laughing, but the way he said it made me blush. He walked over and planted a kiss on my hair. His casual gesture betrayed the look I saw in his eyes. I could tell he was already relishing the thought of what he would do with me when he got me alone. I turned scarlet.

He wrapped his arms around me, and his hand brushed against my belt. He looked down, then turned and glared at Tara.

"I told you no."

"She has to know how to defend herself!"

"She won't have to! I'll be there!"

Zane put a hand on his shoulder. "What happens if you're fighting and another dog sneaks up on her? Are you going to trust Phlann to keep her safe after what almost happened last time? You can't be everywhere at once, Jasper."

Jasper turned to glare at his friend. "Well, what if she just stayed here? She doesn't have to come! It doesn't make sense to bring her anyway. She's the one they're after!"

It was my turn to glare. "If you think you're going to leave me here while you run off into danger, you're crazy! I go where you go! I am not going to stand around here pacing while you guys are off fighting!" The thought of him engaged in combat almost made me choke. Suddenly I realized that my heart was pounding.

"What's wrong?" Jasper's head snapped up from the invisible hole he had been drilling into the floor with his eyes.

I stood as still as I could. "The colors are back."

Jasper turned to Tara. "You need to go find a Wedelven healer named Fillian. She can help Hayden."

"I know who she is. She's the one who sent Wedelven guards for Hayden. She actually just got here this morning." I heard her run off.

Jasper and Zane stood still.

"Jasper? They're everywhere. I can't even see through them!"

"I'm here, Shlova. Do you have any on your hands?"

I shook my head and managed to relax as he took my hands in his. He wrapped his arms around me and pulled me in close. I lay my head on his chest, counting his heartbeats, trying to make the waves disappear.

"My goodness, child! Put those away!" The voice was new to me.

"I'm trying!" I felt a hand touch my shoulder.

"You need to find something to think about. Something calming. Whatever this thing is, it must be able to make everything else disappear."

The first thing that popped into my head was Jasper. The colors brightened.

"No. That's not it. Whatever you just thought about is a good thing. That may be the thought that makes your colors stronger. Try something else."

I thought hard, still listening to Jasper's heartbeat. It reminded me of something. The steady rhythm. The thumping noise. Something clicked. There was only one thing that could calm me, one thing that always made things right. Only one thing made me feel at peace.

I concentrated on Dodge. Riding in the trails, working in the ring. My two hours of peace and quiet away from the rest of the world.

I opened my eyes. The colors were fading. I thought of lying in the grass and watching him eat by the bridge. His soft nose on my hand when he ate crunchies.

The colors evaporated and I sighed with relief.

"Thank you," I said as I turned to my helper. "You must be Fillian."

She smiled back. "You must be Hayden."

Fillian was beautiful. She had waist-long, thick strawberry blond hair. Her skin was a smooth caramel color with darker brown shadows blended into it. She was a couple of inches shorter than me and had curves in all the right places. My quick glimpse of her in my dream had been lacking details.

I glanced up at Jasper and was surprised to find him still looking at me. He planted a kiss on my forehead.

"Good job," he whispered.

I looked back to Fillian. "I need your help."

She nodded. "Tantara was explaining everything on the way here." She gestured to Tara. "It seems you are a bit of a mystery."

"I can do things no one seems to think I should be able to do. Like manipulate the colors, or see the bridge, or see the future in dreams. That's how I knew about you."

She nodded as she listened.

"It seems the only thing I can't do is hear Dodge."

She laughed. "No worries there, dear. Soon enough he'll find his stone and you will hear him loud and clear."

"His stone?"

Jasper cut in. "I'll explain Dodge to you later. Let's concentrate on you for now."

I nodded.

Fillian smiled kindly. "I guess I should start at the beginning. It would clear up a lot of things."

"Wait. I think everyone should hear this," I said.

"I'll go find Ben." Tara ran off.

Zane claimed Phlann and Shanus. "We'll meet you in the courtyard."

Jasper nodded. "Let's find Dodge." He took my hand and we made our way outside.

Fillian excused herself. "There's someone else who should be at this little meeting. I'll be back shortly."

We headed toward the back of the house. The Wedelven village was beautiful, with houses and shops made of white stone-lined cobblestone paths. Though most Wedelves chose to live outside of town, there were a few who preferred life close to the shops and their offerings.

"It's beautiful here!" I exclaimed. I wrapped my arm around Jasper's waist as we walked. "So, is there a Wedelven leader?"

"No. The Wedelves are Free Folk. They respect the laws of the queen when traveling on her lands, but when they are here, they keep to themselves."

Free Folk. I liked the sound of that. "Do you think we could come back here when all of this is said and done?"

He stopped and turned to me. "You really like it here." He gazed into my eyes.

I nodded. "It's like..." I tried to find the right words. "It's almost like this feels like home."

He tucked some hair behind my ear. "Shlova, we can go wherever your heart desires. I'll live with the dragons, as long as I'm with you."

"How did you know, in the room?" I asked, needing some answers, now that we were alone.

"What do you mean?"

"You weren't looking at me, but you knew when the colors came."

He frowned, thoughtful. "I felt it. When you got scared, it was like I was scared, but I knew it wasn't me."

I smiled. "Can you tell what I'm feeling now?"

He lifted my chin with his fingers and softly kissed my lips. My head spun.

He looked behind me and rolled his eyes. "Do you plan it like this, or do you simply have the worse timing imaginable?"

Dodge snorted.

"We better head back anyway." I gave my horse a hug. "Fillian is going to explain things to us." The butterflies in my stomach were crashing into each other. I couldn't decide if I was excited or scared. I determined it was a little of both.

Back at the courtyard everyone was there except Fillian and her mystery guest. I chose to sit beside Tara and Ben. Jasper settled beside me, not letting go of my hand.

"So," I smiled at Tara. "Tantara, hey?" I looked past her to Ben. "I don't suppose your real name is Ben, then?"

He smiled at me. "Roben." His focus shifted to the end of the courtyard. Fillian and another Wedelve had arrived.

As they walked closer, I could see Fillian's companion was nervous. His steady, unwavering gaze made me more than a little uncomfortable.

Jasper put his arm around me and pulled me closer to him.

The strange Wedelve glanced quickly at him, then turned his gaze to me again. "It's like looking at a portrait," he mumbled to Fillian. His eyes were a deep green, shining bright against his black hair and dark brown skin.

"Everyone, this is Brinnan." Fillian introduced him. He sat by Phlann and continued to stare until Fillian started to talk.

"You've all heard the stories told about the baby girl found in the Wedelven woods."

Everyone nodded.

"The prophecy was vague. A baby girl would be born in the Wedelven woods. It was said the Majs would find her and train her for the sole purpose of destroying the queen. When Hayden was found, those involved were sworn to secrecy to thwart the Majs from succeeding."

Everyone stared at her in shock. Except Brinnan.

"Twenty-five years ago, something unheard of happened and changed the lives of two beings." Brinnan frowned as Fillian continued. "Twenty-five years ago, a Wedelve discovered she was fated to a human from the other world. Her family shunned her when she decided to bring him back to these lands. They had each other, and though she missed her family, they were happy.

"She sent letters to keep her family up-to-date, always hoping that one day they would find it in their hearts to accept her mate. In one such letter, she let them know that she was with child. She begged them to change their minds.

"She was in labor when one lone relative, her brother, came to see her. Her mate was losing his mind. Things weren't going well. Her brother ran to find a healer--me--but by the time we reached her, it was too late.

"We managed to save the child, but her mother had lost too much blood. Before she died, she told me to take the baby and keep her safe, that she had seen armies colliding over the life of this little girl. Until her mother told me her dream, I hadn't realized this might be the prophesied girl."

Fillian seemed lost in her thoughts as she remembered the scene. "Her father took his own life, unable to live without his mate." She returned to the present and turned to me.

"I remember you were a week old when you started playing with the colors!"

Brinnan laughed. "Remember when she set off the hurricane in your house? I thought we were all going to drown trying to get out!"

Fillian grinned and continued. "That's when we sat down with Melana and decided it was best to send you to a place void of magic until you were old enough to control it."

It was my turn to stare at Brinnan. "You're my uncle."

He nodded. "You look exactly like your mother, except for the coloring." He smiled. "Brayanne had the same hair and eye color, but her skin was a warm tan color. She was the kindest soul to ever live. When our parents banished her from our home, I tried to leave with her. She wouldn't let me." His eyes filled with pain. "When I received the letter stating she was with child, I went to her as quickly as I could, but I was too late."

I didn't realize I was crying until Jasper lifted me onto his lap and held me against his chest.

"This is the worst story ever," I mumbled.

"What did your parents tell you of your origins?" asked Fillian.

"Just that they couldn't have their own children and adopted me as a baby."

She nodded. "This is true. What they didn't tell you was that your adoptive father was your real father's friend. He knew of your mother and our world. When we approached him about keeping you safe, he was willing to take on the task."

"Do they know I'm here now?"

"Do you remember when I sent those bluebirds away the first day you were here?" asked Jasper.

"Yes."

"Some of them went to them to let them know."

A wave of relief washed over me. My mom and dad didn't think I had run away, or been killed by some psychopath. They know where I am.

"That's why I can see the bridge!" I looked at Fillian. "And the dreams?"

"Those are unique to you and your mother. Brinnan doesn't recall anyone else in the family having them. There aren't many other dream seers."

Jasper asked the next question. "What about Hayden's mother being fated to a human. Does that happen more often than we're told?"

Fillian shook her head. "No. I have searched and inquired. They are the exception. The only two beings to have ever been fated with one of a different kind."

Jasper and I looked at each other.

"Until now!" stated Phlann.

Brinnan looked at him. "What do you mean?"

"Hayden and Jasper are fated."

Fillian looked closely at us. "Unbelievable. The only half Wedelve in existence fated to a Namael."

"You may want to curb your enthusiasm," Shanus teased. "There aren't any trees in this courtyard."

Our little group laughed at my blush.

"What did we miss?" inquired Brinnan.

"When she gets mad," explained Zane, "she loses control of the colors and sets trees on fire."

"Only by accident!" I exclaimed. "It was either the trees or you!"

Fillian was shaking her head. "That doesn't make sense at all. There is no way a healer can use the reds. We can see them, but if we try to touch them, they just evaporate. It goes against everything."

Dodge snorted.

"That right," Jasper translated. "A couple of days ago, she used a green and made a dead stump grow."

"So, healing and sorcery together." Fillian looked just as awed by me as the rest. "Do you mind if we continue this tomorrow? I have some research I need to do."

Everyone looked at me, which made me want to roll my eyes. "That's fine. I think it's almost time for lunch anyway." I looked over to my uncle. "Will you eat with us?"

He looked surprised. "You would want me to stay?"

"Of course! I just found out I have an uncle. Maybe you could tell me more about my mom."

Brinnan smiled. "Of course. I just thought that with everything that had happened..." He looked sad again.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, with your parents dying and us sending you away."

"It's not your fault my parents died."

His head snapped up. "If I had gotten there sooner, or simply gone to live with them in the first place..."

I shook my head. "You've been blaming yourself for twenty-five years, haven't you?"

He shrugged.

He looked so sad. I got up and walked over to him. His eyes widened in surprise as I gave him a hug. Shyly, he hugged me back.

"Now," I smiled at him. "Let's go have lunch. We have a lot of catching up to do."

As we ate, Brinnan told me about my mother and about the games and tricks they had played together. He had me laughing so hard I could barely finish my lunch.

His voice quieted as he told me about when she had met my father. They had seen each other on the same hill where I had first seen Jasper. She had gone to the other world to be with him, knowing that her parents wouldn't accept how things were.

"It had never happened! She was scared of what people would do or think, but she missed us and the magic of this world. When they came here, it was just as she'd expected. People stared and talked. I think the worst thing for her was when people simply ignored them. That was when they decided to build their home farther into the woods. They would come get supplies when they needed them, and that was when I would meet her in secret." Brinnan sighed. "I'm told it is hard for twins to be too far apart from each other for any length of time."

"You were twins!"

He nodded. "That was one reason I was so upset with our parents. As far as any of us knew, there had never been a set of Wedelven twins, and, as far as everyone knows, there never has been since. For the first few years of our lives, my parents would only take Brayanne or I out separately. When we got older they would take us both, telling people I was a year younger. We were the first and the last as far as I've been able to find out, and yet they had no trouble judging her for being different.

"Brayanne was the most loving person. She was forever taking care of sick animals, helping people around her, and she never asked for anything in return. When I lost her, it almost did me in, but it was also because of her that I found Fillian. I don't think I ever would have found the one I was fated to had I not shown up at that moment."

He looked at me closely. "I still can't believe how much you look like her. You're taller. That must be the human in you." He smiled. "That and you're missing the pointy ears."

I smiled back at him.

He looked thoughtful. "I'm afraid there isn't much I can tell you about your father, though I can tell you with absolute certainty that he made your mother happy. He loved her more than life itself."

When we were done eating, Tara smiled. "Let's go practice some moves."

The whole group decided to come watch and help where they could.

The first thing Tara wanted me to learn was sparring, so she paired me with Phlann. Jasper sat cross-legged on the ground, glaring at the whole affair. Every time someone would pretend to attack me, his muscles would twitch with tension.

My uncle had excused himself after lunch, but he returned later and sat down by Jasper to watch. He placed what looked like blankets on the ground.

Phlann charged at me and faked to the left. I caught him glancing to the right and blocked his blow.

"She's a natural!" Brinnan commented.

Jasper's only response was a growl.

When Tara decided I might benefit from a break, I made my way back to Jasper and caught my breath as I sat beside him. He handed me a canteen.

"Very well done," my uncle said, ignoring Jasper's attitude..

"Thanks!"

"I brought you something I think your mother would want you to have." He reached down and handed me the blankets.

I stared, speechless, as I unfolded them and saw two short swords.

Jasper seemed about to say something, but stopped and glared at the ground.

"They were your mother's. Watching you move like you were makes me think these are going to be perfect for you. You handle yourself exactly like she did!" He sounded both awed and sad.

"Thank you."

I looked at Jasper, who was still sulking beside me. "Maybe you or Zane could shift so I could practice against an animal?"

His head snapped up and the look in his eyes made me catch my breath. He looked like he was being tortured.

"Or not," I mumbled. I looked at the rest of the group, knowing they were waiting for me to say something. "I'm all played out, guys. Let's call it quits for today."

They all nodded and left. I stood and held my hand out for Jasper's. "Let's go put these in our room."

I said goodbye to my uncle, who promised to come back the next day. Once back in our room, I put the swords under the bed so Jasper wouldn't be so disturbed by them. He stood by the window, looking but seeing nothing.

"Jasper."

He didn't turn.

I walked over to him and hugged his back. He relaxed as I leaned into him.

"I can't lose you," he whispered. "The thought of you getting hurt, or worse--" His voice caught in his throat. He took a deep breath then turned and looked down at me. "I just found you." His eyes were full of anxiety.

"You won't lose me, Jasper. You couldn't get rid of me now even if you wanted to." I stood on my toes and kissed him lightly. "But I'm who they're after. If for some reason they happen to get close enough to try to take me, I have to make sure that they can't."

I didn't tell him about my second dream, in which I was surrounded by four dogs.

He still looked worried as he hugged me close and leaned his head onto mine.

"I suppose I'll have to get used to the idea that you can take care of yourself." He glanced down at me with a sheepish grin. "And by what I saw today, I don't think it will take too long before you'll be teaching me a thing or two!"

I grinned back at him. "So you'll help me?"

He nodded. "You know," he said, the look in his eyes changing, "watching you this afternoon, the way you were moving with your hair flying everywhere..." Jasper stopped trying to explain himself and crushed my lips with his, his fingers lacing in my hair.

We made our way to the bed, dropping clothes on the floor as we went.

Chapter Twelve

It was dark when I awoke, covered in sweat and barely able to breathe. I sat up trying to suck air into my starving lungs. Jasper sat up next to me a fraction of a second later, pulling me close to him.

"What is it? What did you see?"

"They're coming here!" I had to force my voice to work.

"When?"

"Not very long. A week. Two weeks?"

"Let's go! Pack your things. We're leaving. I'll go let the others know."

He jumped out of bed and started pulling on his clothes.

"No."

"Hayden, we have time to move. Let's go!"

"No."

He stopped trying to get his shirt on and stood gawking at me.

"No more running."

"We don't have enough men! A week or two is not enough time to plan! This isn't the time to be stubborn!"

"The Wedelves will help."

His mouth fell open. "The Wedelves don't mix themselves in everyone else's business. You saw them in the dream?"

I shook my head. "No. It's just a feeling I have. In the dream it's just you and me. We're on a ridge with a waterfall. They start to come out of the woods and cross a clearing. That's pretty much all I saw."

He tried another approach. "Let's go to the castle. We'll warn Queen Melana. When they decide to attack there, we will be ready for them."

I simply shook my head. "They are coming here, regardless. I won't run and leave the Wedelves to fight alone."

He sat heavily on the bed, his head in his hands.

I reached over and put a hand on his arm. "I can't leave them," I whispered.

"Did you see how it ends?"

I shook my head. "I woke up too soon."

He turned his face toward me, shaking his head in disbelief. "You are amazing. Two weeks ago, the most excitement you had was running circles on Dodge. Now you are willing to face the Majs to save the Wedelves. And what is even more amazing than all of that is the fact that you are mine." He leaned down and kissed me tenderly, his hands cupping my face. "Even if it may be for a shorter amount of time than I had anticipated."

I reminded myself to breathe as his words sank in.

"Do you have a plan?" he whispered, his forehead against mine.

I glanced out the window into the darkness. Maybe running was the best option. I screamed in my head, telling myself I should have finished the dream. What if he died? What if I did? Was it possible that we only have a week or two left together? I pushed the thoughts out of my head. Somehow, I wouldn't let that happen.

I wrapped my arms around his neck and pulled him to me. I moaned as Jasper explored me with a new urgency, as if trying to fit a lifetime of touches and kisses into the next few hours.

When the sun came up, I took a deep breath. "Let's go warn the others."

After we dressed, Jasper showed me how to strap my short swords on my back.

Outside, we ran into Phlann. I explained quickly that he needed to find Fillian and Brinnan and bring them back as soon as possible. Then we tracked down Tara and Ben. After letting them know what was about to happen, they ran off to round up as many of the Wedelves as they could find. Jasper called down some of the bluebirds and sent them to find any of the Namaels who might be in the area. It was a long shot, but any little bit of help was better than none.

It was a long day filled with waiting.

Jasper, Shanus, and Zane questioned me over and over, trying to ferret out any minute detail I might not have remembered from the dream. When they weren't planning, the three of them were training me how to wield my short swords.

Late that afternoon, Fillian, Brinnan, and Phlann came running into the courtyard.

I brought them up to speed on the situation. Brinnan and Jasper conferred about our defense plan.

Two nights later, Tara and Ben were the next to return. They had ten Wedelves with them. "More are coming," Tara explained. "Friends of ours offered to keep up the recruiting so we could get back."

"We need to establish our line of defense along the ridge over the waterfall," Jasper explained. "From what she could see in her dream, we'll need to have most of the Wedelven archers hidden in the trees there. That way, you should be able to take quite a few of them out as they step out into the clearing."

Ben nodded his agreement with the strategy.

Just then, I remembered another detail from the dream. "They have more than just wolves. There are all sorts of dogs and creatures who look like minotaurs. They have bulls' heads on a human torso but cows' legs. Oh! And four arms and a lizard tail."

"Those are Bailaus," explained Jasper.

"We'll take care of the cows!" grumbled Shanus.

As if on cue, a half a dozen centaurs galloped into the courtyard

Not centaurs, Hayden. Scannoves, I reminded myself.

One of the females trotted up to Shanus and hooked her arm over his back. She was amazing to behold. Her roan coat was blue, and her silver hair that fell to her waist was streaked with black. She wore a leather halter top that didn't quite cover her six-pack.

Shanus leaned down and kissed her passionately in front of everyone.

She blushed.

"Hayden, I would like for you to meet my mate, Prense." She nodded to me, smiling.

"Hi," I smiled back.

She turned to Shanus. "A Wedelve named Cholta found us and explained what was happening."

"What were you doing this far from home?" Zane inquired.

"About two days after Shanus and Phlann left, we decided to mount a search to see why they hadn't come back. For some reason, we ended up traveling in this direction."

Shanus laughed. "All of us here know the feeling." He winked at me.

It was my turn to blush.

Waiting and practicing defined the next three days. Fillian taught me how to control the colors. Even though healers can't use the colors that can cause harm, they are able to use those that protect. We created hypothetical battle scenarios and worked on using the elements to force the enemy to retreat.

"I want you to push this cup over with wind," Fillian instructed me as she placed a cup on one of the benches.

I took a deep breath and focused on the grey waves, letting them move in front of me. I picked a light grey one that would act as a strong breeze.

"Now, remember. Calmly. We just want to push the cup."

I took a deep breath and thought of Dodge, letting all but the wave I had picked disappear.

"Just the cup," I muttered to myself. I pushed the wave ahead of me and watched as the grass started to move in the wind. I pushed it a little harder and was rewarded when the cup moved a fraction of an inch away from me.

"See, Hayden, you can do this," Fillian encouraged me. "Now try to push it along the length of the bench."

I nodded and pushed even harder. The cup started to move backwards along the bench and I smiled. "Yes!"

Before I realized what was happening, the cup picked up speed and flew backwards, sailing through the air and hitting Zane in the head. He fell to the ground.

"Zane! Oh my god! I am so sorry!" I ran to him and helped him up. "Are you ok?"

He grinned and gingerly touched the goose egg that was already forming on his right temple. "I'm fine. It's my fault, really."

I stared at him with my mouth open. "How in the world is it your fault that I can't control this?"

His grin widened. "Well, after seeing the destruction you unleashed with your mini tornado yesterday, I should have known not to stand in the line of fire!"

Jasper and Phlann burst out laughing. I turned red and glared at them. I heard a snort coming from my left and was surprised to see Fillian covering her mouth to hide a smile.

"You're doing just fine, dear. The key is to stay calm. Always calm." She grabbed the cup from the ground and placed it back on the bench. "Now. Let's try that again."

I took a deep breath.

"You're doing great, Shlova." Jasper gave me a soft kiss and wrapped me in his arms.

I inhaled deeply and sighed. "Ok. Let's do this again."

He kissed my forehead and went to stand behind me. Phlann and Zane joined him.

"Calm, cool, and collected," I mumbled to myself. Cautiously, I pushed the grey wave away from me toward the cup. The vessel moved slowly along the bench, and I fought to contain my excitement. "Calm, Hayden, calm." I succeeded in slowing the wave until it gently nudged the cup off the bench and landed softly in the grass.

"Good job, Hayden." Fillian smiled at me.

I turned toward Jasper and grinned at him. "I did it!" I ran and threw myself at him, knocking him onto his back. "Yes!"

He laughed. "I knew you could."

We decided to end that exercise on a good note and moved on to sparring.

Dodge insisted I practice fighting from his back. Both Jasper and he agreed that this was the safest place for me to be. I wondered if they weren't conspiring to whisk me away if the fighting got too intense.

Every now and then our training would be interrupted as small groups of Wedelves made their way into the town. By the fifth day, the Namaels began to arrive. The first three were in human form as they walked into the courtyard. We were all sitting on the ground, taking a break from sparring.

Jasper looked up as they came to stand directly in front of him.

"Captain," they said, addressing him as military protocol required. My mouth dropped open.

He glanced at me, embarrassed.

"It's just Jasper here." He addressed them. "No one is being ordered to do anything. We are all here because we want to be. I thought I had told the birds to make that clear."

The blond one spoke up. "They did, sir."

"Jasper."

"Yes, sir. Jasper." He looked extremely uncomfortable. "Sir."

"Alright, then. By the looks of things, we are just heading to lunch. Feel free to do as you please. We leave for the ridge the day after tomorrow."

The three of them stood still, as if awaiting orders.

Jasper sighed. "Dismissed."

I couldn't help myself. As soon as they were far enough away, I started to laugh.

"I don't know who looked more uncomfortable, you or them!" I gave him a playful shove. "Why didn't you tell me you are a captain?"

He shrugged. "No reason, really." His blush gave him away.

"Come on, now. I won't laugh. I promise."

"Honestly, I wasn't sure if we were fated or not. I thought we were, but the fact that we are different always made me wonder." He blushed a little deeper. "In case we weren't, I wanted you to want me for me. Not because of my rank." He glared at me when he noticed I was trying to contain my amusement. "You said you wouldn't laugh!"

"I'm so sorry. I just...the thought of wanting someone for their rank..." I took a few deep breaths to get under control. "Ok. I'm okay. Sorry. It doesn't matter to me if you're the king of the universe or a beggar on the street. I love you for you. How could I not want to be with you?" I frowned. "Why doesn't Zane call you by your rank?"

"The panthers aren't part of the guard. We don't know for sure why or how, but long ago they split from the guard. They still come and go from the keep and help if asked. But somehow, their bond to the queen isn't there."

"I think you are more like the panthers."

He shook his head. "No. The panthers aren't obligated to obey. I am."

"No, you're not. Your orders were to find me and take me to the queen. Yet, here we are."

He shook his head again. "That may be because we're fated." I could tell he was still shocked by the thought.

Our conversation was cut short when two tigers, a jaguar, and a lion walked into the courtyard and stopped in front of Jasper.

He explained everything to them just as he had to the other three. Again, he had to dismiss them.

"You know," I said, grinning at him, "I have to admit that this captain thing is turning me on!"

He laughed. "Well, had I known that, I would have mentioned something earlier."

I took a quick look around to make sure no one was watching. I pushed him onto the grass and sat on him, kissing him tenderly.

Something small landed on my shoulder and I jumped up, screaming.

"Hayden, stop!" Jasper was laughing so hard he had tears in his eyes. I glared at him. "It's just one of the bluebirds!"

The bird came back and landed on Jasper's knee. It cocked its head at me and back to Jasper.

"Alright, fine then. You told me so."

I laughed. It was the bird from my first day here that had told Jasper we must be fated. I smiled at the memory until I noticed that Jasper was frowning. He was listening intently to the bird, nodding slowly.

"I will let them know," he stated.

The bird chirped.

"Day after tomorrow. We're all meeting here before we leave."

She bobbed her head then chirped again.

"She wants to know if she can stay with you tomorrow."

"Sure. Why not?" I smiled, then wondered what Tiny was going to think of the idea. The little tairat was out hunting for her lunch.

She flew up, landed on my shoulder, gave me a peck on the cheek and flew away.

Jasper shook his head. "Even the birds can't help themselves."

"What was she telling you?"

"I'm afraid we are about to lose a significant part of our army." He shook his head, clearly frustrated.

"Why?"

"The Namaels have been ordered back to Pinsaber. Queen's orders."

My heart dropped.

His eyes bore into mine. "Are you sure I can't get you to change your mind? Hayden, without the cats, we don't stand much of a chance."

My gaze fell to the ground. "I can't leave, Jasper. I just can't. And I can't explain it, either. It's just this feeling."

He blew a breath out of his nose then tilted my face up so I was looking at him once again. "Then we stay."

"I love you," I whispered and hoped he knew how much. "No matter what happens on that ridge, I wouldn't trade the last three weeks for anything." I stood on my tiptoes and kissed him softly.

I felt him smile against my lips as he muttered, "I love you more."

*****

I woke up screaming with my heart in my throat. Jasper had his arms around me in a flash.

"Shush, Hayden. It's alright. I'm right here." He brushed my hair back from my face. "What was it?"

I couldn't talk. All I could see, over and over, was a tiger falling to the ground in front of me, impaled by two arrows, as a Bailau dragged me away.

I buried my face into his chest, sobbing.

"Shush..." Jasper lay down, holding me tightly to him. He ran his fingers through my hair. "It will be alright."

I cried myself back to sleep.

Chapter Thirteen

When he asked her about the dream the next morning, all she could manage was a new wave of tears. She leaned against him and he rubbed her back. It was taking everything he had to calm her fears, to remain confident himself.

"You have to leave," she whispered.

He looked down at her in shock. "You saw me leaving you? You're wrong! There is no way that I would leave you!"

Hayden shook her head. "I mean that I want you to leave. You can't stay here." Another sob shook her.

"I will not!" He was yelling. Her eyes flew open. This was the first time he had lost his temper around her. "I don't care what you saw! I am not leaving! The only way I am leaving is if you are coming with me!"

Hayden broke down.

It was strange to be feeling two different things. How could she even suggest such a thing? And yet, even as he considered her suggestion, a visceral sense of her fear, her desperation, gripped him.

He took a deep breath and composed himself. "Hayden," he whispered into her hair. "Whatever it was you saw, you know it's not set in stone. We'll find a way to change it."

She nodded into his chest. "You have to promise me something."

He looked down at her, unsure.

"You have to promise me that when the Bailau grabs me you won't try to save me."

He shook his head. "No."

"Jasper, please. I don't know what happens after that, but if you die trying to save me--"

"What if I can save you?" he interrupted her train of thought. "There has to be a way."

"You can't. You don't. Jasper, I promise that I will find a way to get away from it. But you won't be successful coming after me. That much I have seen. I can't risk losing you." She looked into his eyes, pleading. "Please. I need you to stay alive."

He looked back at her and was lost in a sea of green. Finally, he nodded.

Chapter Fourteen

The day of our departure arrived. Everyone waited for us in the courtyard. I looked around in amazement as we walked over to where our original group was assembled. There were now about twenty Scannoves, fifty Wedelves, and at least seventy Namaels.

The air was charged with expectancy. The little bluebird landed on my shoulder and Tiny peeked around my head to have a look at her. I was relieved the pair seemed companionable.

Jasper looked like the leader he was as he stood on a bench so everybody could see him. His confidence was palpable.

"First and foremost," he addressed the group, "we would like to thank everyone for volunteering to help." He stopped and frowned slightly. "Before we go any further, I have been informed that I must order my men to return to the castle."

A murmur spread through the crowd and each looked at his neighbor.

He motioned for quiet and continued. "Queen Melana is ordering all members of the guard to return to reinforce the keep."

My head snapped up at the word "all".

Jasper waited patiently until the noise had died down. "Orders have been issued and must be obeyed. Men, though we appreciate your offer to help, you are to head back to the queen."

The blond boy from the first group to arrive, who looked to be about nineteen, spoke. "What will you be doing, Captain?"

"I'll be staying."

Everyone was shocked into silence, so Jasper explained himself. "I am needed here. Whether Hayden is here or not, the dogs are coming. We can't leave the Wedelves to fight alone. I will not ask any of you to disobey an order from the queen. You are dismissed."

A group of five bowed to him and left.

The blond looked at his friends and back at Jasper. "I'm staying, sir."

Jasper nodded to him as he made his way to the bench. "Thank you, Brice."

Brice climbed onto the bench beside Jasper and turned to address the crowd. "I can only speak for myself on this, but I will stay with the captain. Jasper has always put us, his men, first. He has tweaked orders and plans to make sure that most of us would get home to our families. It was a rare occasion when we were defeated. If he feels that this is the right thing to do, then I trust his judgment." He stepped down and joined his group.

I looked up at Jasper, overwhelmed with love and pride. Standing in front of us were men who were obedient from birth. Yet, somehow, they were ignoring an order because of the kind of man Jasper was.

He looked down at the group in amazement as only four more of his men bowed and left.

He turned his attention to the entire group once more. "We will head out in an hour to set up on the ridge. Roben will explain our strategy to the rest of the Wedelves, and Shanus will lead the Scannoves. Any opinions or ideas are appreciated." He paused. "Again, thank you."

He stepped off the bench and I threw my arms around him, not caring who watched.

"You, my dear, are amazing!" I kissed him.

He blushed.

"Do you realize how many of those men just broke their bonds with the queen to stay with you?"

He shook his head in wonder. "I don't understand it." He looked down and kissed me. "I am fairly sure, though, that their decision has a lot to do with you."

When everyone returned to the courtyard with their supplies, we set off on our trek to the ridge. There was a bit of chatter, but for the most part everyone was quiet, thinking about what awaited them.

I leaned down from my saddle and gave Dodge a pat on the neck.

"Did I tell you that to control the colors, I think of you?"

He shook his head.

"I want you to promise me you won't do anything stupid tomorrow. I'll need you around after this, you know." I tried to keep my voice from shaking.

He blew out of his nose and nodded his head.

"He said he'll promise if you'll promise the same," Prense translated from a few strides behind us.

"I promise."

I looked back toward her. "Do you know anything about a stone that Dodge is supposed to find? Fillian and Jasper mentioned something about it, but with the events of the past six days, I never got a chance to ask again."

She nodded and trotted up beside us. "Dodge comes from a herd of horses called the Winged Ones. They are the queen's personal herd. They are born regular horses and stay that way until age three. At that point, they set off on their stone quest. For some of them, it can take years, and because they must go to the Northern Regions where the dragons live, there are a large number that never make it back."

"So they have to find a stone?"

She nodded. "It depends on the horse. It can be a ruby, an opal, a garnet, or an emerald. A different stone for each horse. Once they find their stone, they grow their wings and are able to communicate telepathically with anyone they choose. At that point, they join the queen's guard."

I looked down at Dodge, amazed. "You were supposed to go find your stone seven years ago! Why in the world didn't you go?"

"He says keeping you safe is more important."

Dodge snorted.

"That his stone can wait."

"How about this, buddy? We both stay alive tomorrow. When everything has settled down, I'll get my magic up to par and we'll go stone hunting together."

He nodded.

A short distance ahead, the ridge loomed. Fear bombarded me as thoughts of tomorrow filled my head. I looked around for Jasper and relaxed at the sight of him in his tiger form, trotting beside Zane the panther.

He seemed to sense I was looking at him and glanced back, slowing to a walk so we could catch up to him. Jasper shifted midstride and hopped on behind me.

"Show off," I teased as I leaned back into him. "When we first met, you always hid to shift. How come?"

He laughed. "I thought I was protecting your fragile mental state."

I twisted in my saddle to make eye contact with him. "Well, I suppose I must have looked pretty close to a breakdown those first few hours."

"And now look at you." He gazed into my eyes and leaned down to kiss me.

For the next half hour I relaxed against him, enjoying the feel of his arms around me.

Once we arrived at the ridge, everyone gathered around as Ben, Jasper, and Shanus laid out their defense strategies.

The Wedelve archers were to climb the trees and be ready to take out the first wave of attackers. The Namaels were to face the attackers on the ground and be ready to engage anyone who escaped the archers. The Scannoves were to watch our backs.

Jasper came to stand by me and Dodge as the meeting adjourned and everyone took their positions. One by one, small fires were started so that suppers could be made. We knew the Maj would arrive just as the sun was starting to rise. They were hoping to surprise us while we slept.

Boy, are they in for a shock! I thought. They were expecting just Jasper and me. Even with our band of volunteers, I knew the battle wasn't going to be easy. We were outnumbered, and losing even one friend in this battle was going to be too much to bear.

I wondered what would come first, the dream where I was surrounded by wolves, or the one where the Bailau dragged me away. I shivered at the thought.

Jasper put his arms around me. "Are you cold?" He went to grab a blanket from my saddlebags and came back to sit behind me, wrapping both of us in its warmth.

"Are you nervous?" I asked him.

He kissed the top of my head. "Very much so."

"Is that normal?"

"No." He pulled me more tightly to him, nestling his head on my shoulder, his cheek against mine. "Usually I am very calm before a fight, but this time I actually have something to lose."

I turned my head and kissed him lightly on the cheek. "You're not going to lose anything."

"Promise me."

"What exactly is it that you want me to promise?"

He looked at me, his eyes a mixture of love and worry. "Promise me that tomorrow night you'll still be mine. That you'll still be alive."

I gazed back at him, a lump forming in my throat. "I promise," I whispered.

He took a deep breath.

"Feel better?" I asked.

"Not really."

"Me either." I snuggled as close to him as I could and closed my eyes, wishing the night would go on forever and that tomorrow's perils would never come.

*****

I didn't realize I had fallen asleep until I became aware of a soft voice trying to rouse me. Jasper was brushing my hair back from my face. "Hayden."

I opened my eyes. His face was inches from mine and I leaned in closer and kissed him. I closed my eyes when his hand cupped my cheek without breaking the kiss. He pulled away reluctantly. "It's time to get ready."

I peeked over the blankets at the group. Tara and Ben already had their bows and arrows on their backs, daggers at their sides. Prense and Shanus were sharpening their long swords. They were chatting easily as if this was any other day. Zane was talking with Brice, and Fillian and Brinnan sat quietly, looking at each other.

I looked around to the others who had joined us. Faces I had never seen before and that, after today, I may never see again. My gaze fell on Phlann and I started laughing.

"What?"

"Phlann looks like he's had about ten cups of coffee!"

He was trotting around so fast he looked like he was about to jump through time.

I took a deep breath. "Ok. Let's do this." I threw back the blankets, pulled my short swords onto my back, and strapped my dagger onto my belt.

"Crap."

"What's wrong?"

"Oh, nothing major. I lost my elastic." It sounded stupid. "I didn't want my hair in my face."

Jasper looked around. "Here, will this do?" He pulled the leather lacing out of the front of his tunic, pulled my hair back gently and tied it up. I shivered at the feel of his lips on the back of my neck.

"Thank you," I whispered. I turned to him, trying to keep tears from flooding my eyes. "You won't do anything stupid. Promise me."

He hugged me close. "I promise." He gave me a small grin. "Feel better?"

"No, not really." I tried to smile back. We packed everything away and took our places in the battle formation.

Jasper caught my arm just as I was about to swing onto Dodge.

"Hayden," he crushed my lips with his, his kiss urgent, wanting. I had to catch my breath when he pulled away, his eyes burning.

He held my face in his hands and leaned his forehead against mine. "Jer yun hanter ain troin lafe en tre ona yan justa cham de, trant est combin bion a shlova yan."

I couldn't help but smile at him. "Really?" The only word I knew was shlova.

"More than anything in this world or the one you just came from, Shlova," he whispered. "That's how much I love you."

The lump in my throat was making it almost impossible to speak. "How do you say, 'I love you more'?"

He smiled. "'A shlova yan jer.' But I doubt it."

The little bluebird picked that moment to land on my shoulder. She looked at Jasper and his eyes narrowed.

"They're coming."

I mounted Dodge and checked my swords. I hadn't become very consistent using the colors, and everyone had agreed it would be safer for everyone on our side if I didn't try to use them.

Jasper shifted and stood beside us, teeth bared in anticipation.

The next five minutes were the longest in any world's history.

Then, all hell broke loose.

The first Majs broke through the cover of the bush and into the clearing below the ridge. I heard arrows fly through the air and saw wolves fall to the ground. I noticed that coyotes, wolverines, foxes, and a few bears were also among the casualties.

I glanced around me at the big cats. Tigers, lions, panthers, leopards, cougars, and jaguars.

I looked back at the dogs, tears springing to my eyes. Those weren't just animals. They were people, too, just like the cats. I heard yelps and whines as arrows connected. I wanted to run into the middle of the clearing and yell for this to stop. I'm not worth it. This isn't necessary. I wasn't going to take anybody's side.

I grunted in surprise as the impact of my decision solidified. I really wasn't going to pick a side. They can't use me to hurt or destroy anybody.

As the archers ran out of arrows, a larger pack of dogs ran closer to the ridge. Behind them, the Bailaus followed. As they started the climb the hill, a growl rumbled deep in Jasper's throat.

I looked down at him. All of his fur stood on end, his tail twitching. If I didn't pick sides, no one could try to use me against anyone else. This meant I would never put Jasper in this situation again. I would never see his eyes filled with worry and fear.

Faint color waves started to appear and I thought of Dodge, trying to calm down. I looked at Fillian and saw her playing with her colors. She was directing them toward the dogs. One of them yelped as a strong wind picked it up and threw it off the ridge.

Everyone held their positions, waiting for the enemy to advance.

I looked past the clearing to the edge of the woods and felt a bit of relief. There weren't any more of them joining the fight, and the archers had done a good job of thinning out the first soldiers. I glanced around, searching for any of the big wolves. It appeared they'd decided to stay home this time.

When the dogs were halfway up the ridge, Jasper roared and the big cats leaped forward at the command. Cats and dogs clashed. I saw one of the tigers that had stopped to talk to Jasper go down under three wolves. My chest constricted and I forgot to breathe. This is wrong.

Dodge spun around at the sound of fighting behind us. A wolf leapt past the barricade of scaly bodies and ran toward us. I felt Dodge tense, assessing his next move.

I unsheathed my swords and a strange calm engulfed me.

The wolf lunged and Dodge jumped to the side. I brought my swords around in an arc and felt a warm spray on my face as they connected with the wolf. It fell to the ground.

I didn't have time to think before I felt Dodge scoot in the opposite direction. I looked down just in time to see a coyote coming from the other side. I stabbed down, my arm going numb from the impact of my blade against its skull. I lost my grip and my sword fell to the ground.

"Shit!" Dodge spun and plowed over another coyote with his shoulder.

I saw the fox coming from the opposite direction before Dodge did. I nudged him with my leg to make him spin the other way.

The fox seemed to anticipate the move and dodged our advance, matching its movement with Dodge. His teeth closed on my calf.

I grabbed the saddle horn to keep from being pulled off and screamed as the teeth sank deeper into my leg. I jabbed down with my sword and stabbed the fox in the side of the neck. It released its grip on my calf and fell to the ground.

I turned my head just in time to see a Bailau with his head down, aiming for Dodge.

Dodge grunted as the beast collided with his shoulder. I found myself airborne, and landed heavily on my back. My breath was gone. I gasped for air as I tried to get to my feet. I staggered and was knocked down again as rough hands grabbed me. My eyes locked on Jasper's and knew he was about to spring towards us.

"No!" I screamed as loud as I could.

He hesitated for a fraction of a second then flew through the air, running toward me. His hesitation was enough. Two arrows plunged into the dirt ahead of him.

I reached down and grabbed my dagger. With a grunt, I twisted and plunged the knife into the Bailau's arm. It didn't seem to faze him.

As I looked up to see if I had done any damage at all, I saw Phlann running at the Bailau's back. His daggers dug down to the hilt on either side of the beast's neck. It bellowed and dropped me.

A flash of orange flew over me and collided with the beast, knocking it backwards. Two pairs of strong arms picked up Jasper and threw him to the ground. Prense came galloping over, sword in the air. She took one fluid swing and the bull's head rolled away.

I looked past the bloody scene before me. The Scannoves were doing a good job of driving the enemy back. Some of them were starting to retreat.

Jasper was in human form as he picked me up off the ground and crushed me to his chest. "Are you alright?

I nodded weakly. I felt as though I was moving through a thick fog. He leaned down and gave me a soft kiss. The fog vanished and my temper flared. "You promised!"

He pulled back, his eyes wide as he set me on my feet.

"You promised you wouldn't come after me!"

"Hayden! If you had seen the look on your face! And I could feel it! You were so scared! I couldn't let him take you!"

"I wasn't scared for me! I was scared you were going to break your promise and get yourself killed!" I couldn't help myself. I was yelling.

He took a deep breath. "Well, I didn't get killed. And you didn't get taken," he mumbled.

A panther walked up to us, interrupting any other outburst from me. Zane tilted his head, wondering what he'd missed.

"I have to go see how everything is going down below. I'm pretty sure this is done. Are you sure you're alright? None of that blood is yours?"

"I'm fine," I snapped, though my wounded leg was starting to throb.

Jasper frowned and watched my face. It didn't surprise me when his eyes widened and he bent down, pulling up my bloody and torn pant leg. He looked up at me, his face white.

My anger was starting to dwindle. "I'm fine."

He stood awkwardly in front of me.

Much too relieved that he was alive to stay angry, I walked back to him and hugged him, hiding my face in his chest as the tears started to fall. He put his chin on my head, rubbing my back. "It's alright now."

I looked up at him and he used his thumb to wipe the tears from my cheeks. I sensed he was torn between duty and protecting me as he watched Zane heading back toward the clearing.

"Go. I'm ok." I pulled his head down and kissed him softly. "I'll be right here when you get back."

He hesitated again and looked at my leg. "Will you go see Fillian?"

I nodded and watched him leave. I looked around and tried to find everybody I cared about. I sighed with relief as I spotted Dodge limping toward Fillian. She put her hands on his shoulder and used a green wave to heal it. I limped to where my swords had dropped and wiped them against my good pant leg before putting them back in the scabbards on my back. I then walked over to the dead Bailau and had to fight down a wave of nausea while I pulled my dagger out of its arm.

Out of the corner of my eye I saw a large shape moving down in the clearing. I recognized Ream from my first dream. He was making his way casually toward the ridge.

Somewhere close by, a cat growled and another answered. A flash of orange and black streaked down the ridge.

"No, no, no, no, no, no ,NO!" It started as a whisper and turned into a shout. I started running after them. I was so focused on Jasper and Zane that I didn't notice Dodge trotting beside me until he snorted to get my attention. Still running, I reached for the saddlehorn and swung on. Dodge charged down the hill after them. Somewhere in the back of my mind, I could feel my leg wanting to give out. I ignored it.

We got to the bottom just in time to see Jasper and Zane launch themselves at Ream.

Zane clung to his back, his claws dug deep. Jasper went for the throat but fell to the ground like he had hit a wall.

Ream ignored Zane and walked over to Jasper. He put a paw on his chest and stepped down. Jasper jerked as bones snapped. Without stepping off, Ream reached down and bit Jasper's throat.

I screamed and the reds took over. Zane looked up, his black cat eyes widening just before he bolted for the trees.

I couldn't see anything, but I knew where Ream was. I closed my eyes and focused all of my anger and pain then picked all of the red waves and threw them.

A wall of fire tore through the clearing ahead of us. A fraction of a second later I realized that it wasn't just Ream that it was going to burn. I picked a light grey wave and threw it at Jasper, pushing it ahead of the fire. The gust of wind picked him up just before the fire scorched the ground where he had been laying.

If Ream knew a displacement spell, it either didn't work or he didn't have time to use it. There was a quick yelp as the fire flew over him. One second he was there, and the next there was only ashes and the smell of BBQ.

I set Jasper down as gently as I could and jumped off of Dodge before he came to a complete stop. Zane was there a few seconds later.

"Go get Fillian!" I choked out at him. I held Jasper's head in my lap, applying pressure to his neck. Tears streamed down my face and mixed with the blood on his fur. His throat was bleeding freely from the puncture marks. His chest was barely rising as he tried to breathe. When he exhaled, blood dripped from his mouth.

"Hang on, Jasper," I whispered into his cheek. "Please!"

Shanus came galloping up carrying Fillian.

"Fillian! Please! You have to fix him!"

She hopped down and came to kneel beside us. She put her hands on Jasper's chest and closed her eyes. I watched her take a green wave and spread it over him.

Fillian frowned.

"What's wrong?" Zane was back in human form.

She took her hands off. "There is too much damage on the inside and he's lost too much blood. He's not strong enough to help himself heal." She put her hand on mine. "I'm sorry, dear. I can't help him."

I broke down. "You promised!" I sobbed into his fur. "You promised you wouldn't do anything stupid."

He groaned, the sound weak, like he was using his last effort to do something.

"Jasper!" Zane knelt beside us. "Don't! You have to keep your energy. Don't waste it on that!" He looked at me. "He's trying to shift."

I kissed him between his beautiful blue eyes. "Don't," I whispered. "Just rest."

Dodge snorted.

Zane translated. "He wants to know if what you did with the stump would work."

"What exactly did you do with the stump, dear," asked Fillian.

"I took a green and made new shoots grow out of a dead stump." I let the greens move in front of my face and found the one I had used.

"Hayden, stop!" Fillian put her hand on my shoulder. "How did you feel after the shoots started to grow?"

"I was tired. Why?"

"That one takes energy out of you and puts it into whatever you are healing. Even the majority of the best healers out there can't use that one!"

"I can't let him die!"

"It will kill you!"

I shook my head. "I have to try."

I touched the wave to his chest. He twitched. Everyone backed up a few steps.

I felt the energy slowly leave me and enter him. I concentrated harder and pushed more into him. Beneath my hands, bones shifted, muscles healed.

Jasper's breathing became more regular and the blood stopped coming out of his mouth.

He tried to move but couldn't.

I felt dizzy, but I pushed for more.

Jasper growled weakly and I found myself falling backwards as Zane tackled me.

Everything went black.

Chapter Fifteen

I knew I was awake, but I didn't want to open my eyes. I felt horrible. I reached over to the other side of the bed, hoping beyond hope that Jasper would be lying beside me. The movement hurt so much I thought I was going to throw up. But none of this physical pain was even close to the pain that remembering was causing as it played like a horror movie on repeat in my brain.

I remembered Ream crushing Jasper. So much blood. The helpless feeling of not being able to do anything for him.

No. Wait. I was helping him.

But he had ordered Zane to make me stop. He hadn't been strong enough. I hadn't been strong enough.

"You're awake!"

I jumped at the sound of a chair scraping the floor beside the bed. My eyes flew open and closed again immediately. The light was blinding. My head was about to explode. Another wave of nausea hit me and I swallowed hard.

I started to cry. I had been strong enough.

I squinted to see him. He ran a thumb over my cheek to wipe away the tears. "I'm so sorry. I was trying to stay awake because I thought you might wake soon. You were mumbling a lot."

I tried to sit up and groaned, my head spinning. I laid back down. "How long have I been out?" It even hurt to talk. My throat felt dry and my voice cracked.

"Six days."

I heard him walk to the other side of the bed and lay beside me. I rolled over slowly and wrapped my arms around him as tightly as I could without passing out.

He inhaled sharply. "Easy, Shlova."

"You're still hurt!" My scratchy whisper made my head pound.

Jasper pulled the blanket over our heads so that I could open my eyes. He brushed the hair back from my face and kissed me softly. "I had to get Zane to stop you before you were done. I wasn't going to have you kill yourself trying to save me."

"But you would have had plenty of energy after that. Why didn't Fillian finish the job?"

"She tried. It seems she can only use a person's original energy to heal. But don't worry. She said it looks like all that's left to heal are some cracked ribs. I'll be good as new in a few weeks."

I was crying again.

"Shush, now. What's wrong?" I rolled back so I could look at him. Dark bruises covered his chest and sides. Even in the dim light under the blankets they looked horrible.

"I'm fine, really." He pulled me to him, trying not to wince while I looked at him.

"I thought you were dead. I saw him crush you. You promised! Nothing stupid!" A new wave of tears streamed down my face.

"Well, it didn't seem stupid at the time," he laughed softly, then caught his breath. "It was a two-on-one fight."

"He's a sorcerer."

"Not a very good one. Besides, Namaels and Majs can't do magic while in their animal forms. Who knew he'd have someone hiding out in the woods waiting to shock anyone who got too close to him. It was the strangest feeling. I couldn't move. And what about you? Coming down the ridge after us. What's not stupid about that?"

"I couldn't just let you get yourself killed!" I winced as my voice raised an octave.

He lifted my chin up and gazed into my eyes. He leaned down, gave me the softest kiss and I tried to remember to breathe. "Thank you," he whispered.

I smiled at him. "Any time." I snuggled back into his chest, careful not to hurt him. "Just don't make a habit of it."

He chuckled. "I wasn't planning on it."

"What about everybody else?"

"Dodge dislocated a shoulder, but Fillian fixed that right away. Ben got an arrow in the side, but he's fine."

"How many did we lose?"

"Hayden, you should concentrate on going back to sleep. You need to rebuild your strength."

"How many."

He sighed. "Fifteen Wedelves. Three Scannoves. Nine cats."

I started crying again. Jasper wrapped his arms around me tightly, ignoring his pain to try to ease mine.

*****

For the next two days, we laid in bed and slept. Tara would come to the room every few hours to see if we needed anything or to bring us our meals. Jasper would leave the room for brief periods of time to go visit downstairs, then return to bed.

By day three, I finally felt strong enough to get out of bed and attempted to navigate the stairs to see everyone. That plan was cut short when just moving about the room made me to feel faint. Jasper helped me back to bed.

"I'll go get our breakfast," he offered. He caught me looking at the bruises on his body and frowned. "I'll put a shirt on."

"No. It's ok." I watched him try to get his shirt on and cringed when he sucked in a breath. "You've been walking around with no shirt on for over a week, Jasper. I'm sure no one will mind if you do it for a few more days."

He grumbled and gave up.

I laughed at him. "You must be the only person I know who would be grouchy after nearly dying."

He smiled at me. "I'm not grumpy about the fact that I didn't die, just that I can't get my shirt on."

"Well, I don't mind at all." It wasn't a lie. Even with the bruises he was beautiful to look at.

"Really?" He looked a combination of smug and embarrassed. "I thought the bruises would bother you."

"They do, but only because they remind me that I wasn't strong enough to take away all of your pain. Although a few bruises and some cracked ribs are infinitely better than the alternative."

I sat up. "I came so close to losing you. It seems impossible that you're here."

He came to sit beside me. "It's because of you that I am," he whispered, his voice thick. "The ribs will heal. I just have to remember not to shift. I rebroke a couple when I shifted back into a human. Honestly, I'm having the time of my life just lying in bed and holding you."

I laughed at him. "You're bored stiff!"

He grinned down at me. "Yes, I am. Not with the holding you part, though. I could do that forever. Not being able to move comfortably is starting to get to me."

"Well, maybe tonight I could try to finish healing you."

He shook his head. "You have just as much healing to do as I do." He laughed, and his smile took my breath away. "We'll just have to be happy with lying in bed for a few more days."

"I can definitely handle that." I smiled up at him as he leaned down to kiss me. My stomach growled and he laughed.

"I'll be right back with breakfast."

"Ok, but don't take too long. I don't want to starve to death."

He stuck his tongue out at me like a five-year-old. "It might be a good idea to keep some bread and cheese up here," he speculated. "That way, if you are hungry, you can just go ahead and eat."

The way he said it made me think there was something he wasn't telling me. "What?" I asked.

"Nothing. I just think staying on this level instead of trying to navigate the stairs each time will be less tiring and will help you get your strength back."

His ears are red, I thought. He's keeping something from me.

I realized then that I hadn't looked at myself in the mirror since I'd woken up. That's when I noticed that it had been turned to face the wall. What little bit of color I had drained from my face. "What do I look like?"

He scowled and the rest of his face matched his ears. "It's nothing. You look fine. I know that you don't think you are beautiful, even though you are." He paused, weighing his words. "I don't think seeing yourself right now will help with your delusions."

I could tell he was mad at himself for giving me reason to be curious.

"I want to see."

He sighed. He walked over to the mirror, all the while muttering something about his big mouth. That made me smile. When he turned the mirror so that it was facing the bed again, I stared, my mouth hanging open in shock.

That can't be me, I thought. I looked like I had lost at least twenty pounds; I was gaunt. There were black circles around my sunken eyes and my skin was a sickly yellow.

Tears slid down protruding cheekbones. "Why didn't you tell me I looked this bad?"

"I'm sorry. It's just like I said before. You judge yourself too harshly and I knew that this would upset you." He wiped the tears from my cheeks. "You look fine! Think of what you've been through! Hayden, you almost died!"

I snorted at him.

He took my face in his hands and turned my gaze from the mirror. "Hayden, you could lose another ten pounds and turn green and I would still find you the most beautiful creature on this earth." He stood me up and put his arm around me. "Look." We turned again to face the mirror together. "We go together perfectly."

I had to laugh. My small, gaunt, yellow self complemented his muscled purple and blue torso.

"Now, let's get you something to eat."

I nodded.

I concentrated on sleeping and eating for the next three days. By the morning of the fourth day, I was ready to get some fresh air. I was growing stir-crazy, and if I had to stay indoors with Jasper one more day I was going to kill him myself. He was well enough to move around, but he was hovering like a nervous parent. Tigers aren't meant to be indoor cats.

Jasper was asking me what I wanted for breakfast when I declared my intentions for outside exploration.

"Actually, I thought that I would come down today. I was also thinking that if it's nice out we could relax by the pond. I don't imagine it matters if I sleep on a bed or on a blanket."

His smile lit up the room. Even Tiny seemed to think this was a good idea. She jumped out of her nest and ran up my leg as I crossed the bedroom's threshold for the first time in almost two weeks.

Downstairs, Zane, Brice, Tara, and Ben were already eating. Zane and Brice looked at us as we entered the room, their eyes widening before they decided to stare at their food.

Ben noticed their reaction and glared while Tara jumped up from her chair and ran to give me a hug.

"You're looking much better!"

I smirked at her.

"No, really. Goodness, the first day we got you back here I think Tiny could have dragged you all the way. I can barely see any bones now." She smiled. "And your coloring is almost back to normal." She turned me in a full circle to look me over.

"Thanks, Tara." I hugged her back.

"Well, that's hardly fair," mumbled Jasper.

I looked over at him. "What?"

"I spent the last week telling you every day that you are starting to look better and all I got was, 'You're just saying that.' Tara says it once and you accept it and give her a hug."

I laughed at him. Getting him outside was definitely a good idea. "Do you want a hug?"

He blushed. "That's not what I meant."

I walked back to him and carefully wrapped my arms around him. He winced as he returned the gesture. I looked up into his beautiful eyes and couldn't help but put my hand on his face. He closed his eyes at the touch and I pulled him down to my lips. The kiss started softly, and he brought his hands up to hold my face as well. Everyone else in the room disappeared. He ran his tongue over my bottom lip, sending shivers down my spine. I moaned.

Someone cleared his throat.

We broke apart, both of us blushing deeply.

"Sorry," I muttered. Zane was making gagging noises.

I laughed. "One of these days, Zane, I'll be telling you, 'I told you so!'"

He surprised me by frowning. "I highly doubt it."

Jasper took my hand. "Shall we have a picnic?"

"Let's."

He went to the hall closet and grabbed a blanket while I packed us a brunch. We were barely out the door when Dodge trotted up to greet us.

"Hey, buddy." I wrapped my arms around his neck and held him for a minute.

Dodge exhaled loudly.

"We're going to the pond," Jasper explained, while I waited for an interpretation of their conversation.

"He wants to know if you'd like a ride there."

I gave Dodge a quick kiss on the nose. "No, that's ok. I need to stretch."

"He is wondering if you would mind if he left for a short time. There is a herd not too far from here. He was waiting to make sure you were well before he went."

"Of course," I smiled. "Go be a horse."

Dodge nuzzled my face and trotted off.

"Hayden!"

I turned in time to get crushed in a hug as Phlann lifted me off my feet and gathered me to his chest.

"Thank goodness you're alright!" He put me down and held me by my shoulders as he examined me. "You are alright, right? You don't look alright." The excitement left his voice.

I laughed at him. "I'm fine. Give me another week and I'll be back to normal." I reached up and gave him another hug. "Thank you."

He grinned at me. "Well, I had to make up for almost letting you die the first time."

"I'm glad you were around."

Phlann glanced at the blanket in Jasper's arms. "Where are you going?"

"To the pond. I'm tired of lying in bed. That, and if Jasper doesn't stop complaining that he can't move properly, I might finish the job for Ream. I'm hoping this will cheer him up." I grinned at Jasper, who was suddenly sheepish.

Phlann chuckled. "Have fun!" He trotted off in the direction Dodge had gone.

The pond was a quick five-minute walk from the house. We took our time.

Once we had the blanket positioned, we laid on our backs and looked at the white clouds drifting slowly across the sky.

Jasper reached down and took my hand. "Have I been that hard to live with?"

I laughed at him. "Yes. I have a theory that tigers would never make good house pets."

He laughed with me. "I'm sorry. I just can't bear the thought of leaving you for any length of time. I'll try to be less of a pest. After all, you did save my life."

"Well, I guess we're even. Let's leave it at that then, shall we?"

He nodded.

"Why did Zane seem sad when I bugged him about finding the one he is fated to?"

"He doesn't think he will ever find her. Zane started dreaming of her when he was fifteen. He has been actively searching for her since then. It's been ten years now and he can't even find someone who might have seen a girl who matches her description."

"That's sad."

"It is. Especially now that I know how it feels to find the one you are meant to be with." He brought my hand up to his lips.

We laid quietly for a while, enjoying the peacefulness of the pond.

"So what do you think you might feel like doing once we are back to normal?" he asked.

"Well, I told Dodge that we would go on his stone quest when things settled down." I glanced at him and caught him shaking his head, trying not to laugh. "What?"

"So the Majs weren't challenge enough for you? Now you want to take on dragons!" He looked at me, grinning.

"He refuses to go because he's my guardian. I won't have him miss his destiny because of me." I grinned back at him. "You did say you would go live with the dragons as long as I was there with you."

He started laughing and caught his breath. "So I did."

We lay in the sun and enjoyed the warmth of the day. I closed my eyes and breathed the fresh air.

"This is great. I'm glad we came."

"Are you hungry? Do you want to me to get lunch ready?" Jasper asked.

"No. Not yet. Unless you are. You can go ahead if you want."

I heard him shake his head. "I'm fine for now." He gave my hand another squeeze.

There was a rustle in the bush behind us.

Jasper turned awkwardly to see who was coming to join us.

I heard him grunt.

"Hayden, run!"

I didn't look back. The look on his face as he tried to get up was enough to send me sprinting toward Tara's house as fast as I could manage. The sound of someone gaining on me competed with Tiny's excited chattering. She unwrapped her tail from my neck and jumped from my shoulder.

Whoever was behind me cried out and swore, but kept advancing. I heard Tiny's squeak and Jasper's grunt of pain somewhere behind me. Something connected with the back of my head and intense pain dropped me to my knees before everything went black.

Chapter Sixteen

I lost count of how many days we traveled. We rarely stopped. I was blindfolded with my hands tied behind my back. I was made to change horses every so often so that my captors could put as much distance as possible between us and those pursuing them. They must have had horses waiting along the way. When I would fall asleep from exhaustion, someone would hop on behind me and hold me up. That same person would sit behind me and feed me bread and cheese.

I assumed it was the same person. Whoever it was always smelled and felt the same. But there had to be at least two of them. There was no way one person could have hit both Jasper and me on the head at the same time.

Sometime into the trip, it may have been the fourth day, the person who was behind me touched my head and grunted.

"We better stop and clean her up. She won't be of any use to them if she dies from infection."

Someone else muttered an answer. It was the first time I had heard either of them talk. The man sitting behind me swung down then pulled me off my mount. He directed me toward the sound of running water and made me sit on a rock.

"This is going to hurt," he warned. Whatever I had imagined my captor's voice would sound like, this wasn't it. I had expected it to be gruff, annoyed, and even mean. This man's voice was soft, almost kind.

My body recoiled in pain as he wiped the gash on my head with the cold water from the stream. I sucked in my breath and clenched my teeth, but refused to cry out.

"Sorry," he whispered.

"Are you ready?" grumbled the second one. This man's tone was everything I'd imagined.

"Yeah, almost done. You might want to wash those scratches on your face. That tairat did a good number on you."

"Geez, Luke. It's a couple of scratches. And I don't know why you're bothering with her. After what she did to Ream, Rainen is probably just going to kill her anyway."

Luke grunted. "That may be what Rainen wants, but Damian's calling the shots. Do you want to be the one to explain to him why she died on the way?"

All he got in reply was a grunt.

"If I tie your hands in front of you, are you going to be good?"

I nodded. My shoulders voiced their displeasure as they were freed to rotate. Before I had time to think about trying to escape, my hands were bound again, this time a little more comfortably, I noticed.

"Can you eat and ride?"

Again, I nodded, liking the idea better than being fed.

Luke led me back to the horse and lifted me into the saddle.

The other one started talking as we were moving again. "Did you see the look on Jasper's face when we rushed out of the bush?"

It was Luke's turn to grunt.

His friend continued to recount the scene. "It's kind of nice knowing he won't be around anymore. He was quite the pain in the ass when it came to missions. In all my years I have never seen a cat, or dog for that matter, who was as good at his job. I wish I could have been the one to finish him off."

Tears welled in my eyes and soaked my blindfold.

Luke was quiet behind me. I tried to keep the sobs in.

He put a hand on my shoulder and I jumped.

The pain in my chest grew heavier and heavier as I tried to control my crying. I couldn't breathe. I couldn't think. Everything went dark.

*****

"I don't know what happened. I think she passed out." Luke must have been bent over me. I pretended not to hear him.

"Well, wake her up! We have to get moving."

"Ryland, relax. We've got to be a good three days ahead of them. And that's if they found Jasper right away."

"Fine. But if she's not awake in a half hour, we move anyway."

"Fine."

Ryland marched away. "I'm going hunting. I'm sick of eating bread."

Luke simply sat beside me. Every once in a while he would fidget and peek under my blindfold.

"I guess I could go fill up the water so that's done." I heard him get up and walk away.

I lay on the grass, unable to even contemplate the thought of escaping. What was the point? I have no idea where I am, and even if I made it back to Tara's, Jasper isn't going to be there. My plan became to submit to going to the Majs and hope that Rainen got to me before Damian did.

Someone came and sat beside me. "Just one lousy rabbit," Ryland grumbled. "Where'd Luke wandered off to?" He shifted his position. I tried not to panic as he ran a finger along my jaw line.

"I bet I can find a way to wake you up." He straddled me, pulling my tunic out of my pants. He leaned forward and licked my ear.

Ryland screamed as I turned and bit his cheek.

"You stupid—" Whatever he called me was lost to the sound of his fist connecting with my face.

Darkness threatened to close in. I fought it off, struggling to get to my feet. My blindfold was slipping and I could see. The light hurt my eyes after so many days of darkness.

Ryland grabbed my hair while I tried to crawl away.

I screamed.

He pushed me to my stomach and dug his knee into my back as he worked remove my pants.

I felt a rock digging painfully into my wrists as both arms were pinned beneath me. I tried without success to roll him off me.

"Ryland!"

I looked up at Luke, who stood frozen, watching.

"Hey, come hold her for me. She's a fighter!" He laughed.

"Ryland, get off of her."

Ryland stopped, but didn't move. "Why? Our orders were to get her there alive. No one said we couldn't have fun with her along the way."

My one eye was swelling shut and the other was pressed into the ground so I couldn't see what Luke was doing. I heard him walk over and my heart sank as he knelt in front of me.

"Ryland, let her go."

"Last time I checked, you didn't outrank me, Luke. All you fated ones are the same. If you don't want your turn, that's fine. Just get lost for a few minutes."

Luke stood up and took a few steps backwards. I turned my head so I could see him. He ran a hand through his dark brown hair, indecision brewing in his brown eyes. He started to walk back.

"See, I knew you would come to your--" Ryland's comment cut off as Luke's fist found his jaw.

"I said get off of her."

"What's your problem?"

"I just think we should get going." He didn't sound so sure.

I lay on my stomach, frozen. One of them took a step and I heard them collide. Luke landed on his back beside me, a coyote going for his throat. Luke put out his arm and jammed it sideways into the coyote's mouth as hard as he could.

Ryland bit down but only managed to inflict minimum damage with Luke's arm keeping his jaw open. Luke managed to push him off and jumped to his feet, shifting into a large grey wolf.

The two of them circled each other, looking for an opening. Ryland jumped in and out of the circle while Luke bided his time. The coyote lunged at the wolf. Luke anticipated his move and dodged it, grabbing Ryland by the throat.

After what seemed like a moment of indecision, he finished the job, clamping down as hard as he could. The coyote twitched and lay still.

I stared at the wolf, unable to move, wondering if I was next.

Luke shifted back and sat down, his chin on his knees, looking at me.

"Are you alright?"

I assessed my condition and nodded slowly, twisting until I was in a sitting position.

"Can you still ride?"

"Yes."

He got up and grabbed the horse.

"Wait," he said, as I tried awkwardly to mount the animal. I looked at him, unsure of what was coming.

"It will be easier without these." He undid the blindfold, which was now around my neck, and untied my hands.

I went to swing on but stopped. "You're bleeding."

Luke looked at his arm and shrugged.

"Let me see." I reached over and held his arm up so I could see it better. There were puncture wounds on the top and bottom on his forearm.

"It's nothing. Really."

I remembered a conversation very similar to this one with Jasper when he had been cut with a dagger one of my first days here. A lump started to form in my throat and I swallowed hard to get rid of it. Luke pulled his arm away.

"Wait. I can fix it. I'm a healer."

He simply stared at me.

"Give me your arm." I held out my hand and waited.

"I just kidnapped you. Why in the world would you help me?"

"Because you're hurt."

He frowned.

"I don't see why you're confused." I was getting a little impatient.

He shrugged. "Alright, then." He placed his arm in my hand and I pulled a safe green wave, the one that didn't require me to use my own energy to heal, over it. It was restored in seconds.

"Thank you." Luke let me hold his arm in my hand until I released it.

It was my turn to shrug. Luke looked down at the coyote for a minute, quiet. I took that time to swing up onto the horse and waited to see what he would do.

"Come on." He turned and started back in the direction we'd just come from.

*****

It was almost dark when we stopped.

I swung off the horse and started to lead him around so he could cool down.

Luke glanced at me. "Are you hungry?"

"A bit."

I watched him warily while he moved to his horse's saddlebags.

He pulled some bread from his bag and handed it to me, staring intently while I chewed.

"What?" I asked.

"I'm just trying to decide who will be the nicest when they kill me. Your friends because I took you, or Rainen because I disobeyed orders?"

"Oh."

He continued to stare. "Sorry about Ryland," he muttered.

"I wish you hadn't done that." I couldn't help myself. I started crying. "I hate it here! Everyone keeps killing everyone else over me!"

His gawked.

"It's absolutely useless! What does either side gain? It's not worth it! Were you on the ridge? So many died! Cats, dogs. Why? Over me?"

"You actually care that some of ours died?"

"Of course! It's so unnecessary. I refuse to fight for either side. I don't care who decides to lock me away as their secret weapon. I would rather die than be a pawn in this futile feud!" I wiped my eyes with my arm and tried to regain my composure. I swung back onto my horse and took a deep breath. "Decide where we're going and let's get there."

He laughed. "I can see why Jasper might have been getting attached to you. You're quite the character."

My composure threatened to crumble at the mention of his name.

Luke nodded. "Alright. Let's go. Your friends will probably just shoot me and get it over with, while Rainen will make me suffer."

We traveled at a walk all night and most of the next day. When we stopped for lunch, exhaustion took over and I slept. It was getting dark when I was wakened by a chirp. I glanced around and saw Luke still sleeping.

The chirp came again.

I started crying with relief as Jasper's little bluebird landed on my leg.

"Tell them I'm okay. Tell them I'm on my way back," I whispered to her.

She chirped and flew away.

"You can talk to birds?" Luke's eyes were half open, his voice still full of sleep.

"She can understand me. I can't understand her."

He grunted.

"Why did you stop him?" I asked when we were on our way again.

"I'm not sure. I mean, I'm fated so it never occurs to me to do that with anyone other than her, but I've never interfered when someone else was doing it." He shrugged. "It just felt wrong."

"Are wolves and other dogs born to obey Damian just like the cats are born to serve Melana?"

He nodded. "That's another thing that doesn't make sense. There is no way I should be moving in this direction."

"You broke your bond to the Majs," I whispered, amazed.

"What do you mean?"

"The cats that fought on the ridge were ordered by the queen to return to the keep. Some of them left. Those who stayed broke their bonds to her and fought with Jasper."

"That's impossible!"

"And yet it keeps happening."

We continued in silence, neither of us able to explain the mystery.

After three more days of traveling, it seemed like we would never return to Sageden. My poor horse was so exhausted that I led him most of the way now.

Luke was helping me down a steep hill when he fell back, an arrow pinning his shoulder to the ground.

I jumped on top of him, shielding him with my body the best I could.

"Hayden, get off of him so I can finish off that dog!" Tara called from her position in a tree, her second arrow ready.

"No!"

Zane walked over, a growl escaping his panther throat.

Luke tried to get up, but I all my body weight to hold him down.

"Stay down! He'll kill you!"

Zane glanced at me, then back at Luke as my kidnapper/savior let out a hard laugh.

"That was the plan, remember? No suffering! But you're not helping!" He tried to push me off.

"You aren't going to die." I looked at Zane and pointed my index finger at him. "Don't touch a hair on his head!"

The panther blinked in surprise and shifted back. "And why not? After what he did to Jasper and then kidnapping you? Look at you!" He turned to Luke. "Was it necessary to beat her?" He bared his teeth.

"That wasn't him. It was the other one. He was trying to...to take advantage of the fact that we were alone..." I took a deep breath as the memory came back. "I bit his face and he punched me. Luke stopped him." The rest of the group emerged from the woods as I finished my story. "Luke killed him." I let it sink in. "He brought me back."

Shanus asked the obvious question. "Why?"

Luke shook his head. "I don't know."

Brice laughed quietly. "We all know that feeling well." Of all the Namaels that had stayed to fight on the ridge, he'd been the only one who had broken his bond completely and stayed.

Ben seemed the most shocked. "But a dog? What does that mean?"

They all looked at me. "I don't know. I just moved here, remember?"

I pushed myself off of Luke and knelt beside him to examine his wound. "Let's see your shoulder."

Tara came to stand beside us. "Sorry about that."

Luke grunted. He paled with pain and hissed through his teeth while Ben and Zane worked the arrow out.

"Ok, be still."

"Hayden, you can't. You're still too weak." Tara put a hand on my shoulder to stop me.

"I don't care." I pulled a safe green wave and placed it on his shoulder. I was amazed how quickly it healed.

I stumbled and Zane caught me. "Which one did you use?" he asked.

"The one Fillian uses," I mumbled. "I'm just tired, that's all."

A soft nose touched my face and made me smile. "Hey, buddy."

Dodge snorted.

"He wants to know if you're strong enough to ride or if you want to have a rest," Zane translated.

"I want to get home." My voice caught in my throat. "Maybe if you rode behind me, Zane?"

He nodded and helped me up. He turned to Luke before getting on behind me. "You may as well come along. It seems you're meant to be with her as well."

I was sleeping when we made it back to the house. I felt myself being lifted, then carried and set on my bed. As the covers were pulled over my weary body, I sank into a dreamless sleep.

Chapter Seventeen

When I woke, the sun was shining through the window. I felt something furry move against my arm.

"Tiny." I smiled. "You're ok." I reached over and pulled her onto my chest so I could pet her. "Such a brave girl," I mumbled to her. She squeaked at me and licked the end of my nose.

I sat up and looked at myself in the mirror. My reflection cringed as I gingerly touched the swollen, blue side of my face.

Well, Hayden, you look just like you feel, I thought.

I made my way to the bathroom and settled into a hot tub. I thought about my options while I soaked in the water. It occurred to me that going back to my parents was an option I hadn't considered. Nothing is stopping me from going back. Right? If anything, I reasoned that was probably the best option for everyone involved. If I'm not here then there is no reason for my friends to fight. And without Jasper, is there even a reason to stay?

I thought about how I would make up the final exams. Mom and Dad must have given my teachers some sort of explanation for my absence.

Then again, was I even allowed to leave now that I was here?

After the hot water had cooled and some of the soreness had eased, I wrapped myself in a towel and headed back to my room to do some more thinking.

If I go back to my old life, would it be possible to get back to normal? Would I be able to live where I couldn't play with color waves or lay in the sun with big cats? And what about everyone here? Tara, Ben? Phlann and Zane? They're all like family now. We fought together, bled together. Other than my parents, I don't have anyone like that over there.

Tiny sat on my back as I lay facedown on my bed, my head resting on my crossed arms. I let the tears come. Every memory I had of Jasper flashed through my head. "This is my fault," I whispered to myself. "I should have finished healing him."

I didn't realize anyone had come into the room until I felt a hand on my shoulder.

I kept my head in my arms, a bit embarrassed. "I'm ok. Just give me a minute and I'll come down."

Tiny jumped off my back onto whoever was beside the bed. I waited to hear a cry of pain from her next target. It didn't come.

"I was hoping we could just stay up here. I brought you some food."

"What?" I didn't think I had heard right. I looked up, my heart in my throat. I shook my head. "So much for being awake."

"What part of this seems like a dream?" Jasper whispered as he rubbed my back. Tiny sat on his shoulder, enjoying a piece of fruit.

I smiled. This was replaying like the scene in the clearing when we had just met. "All of it. Especially the part where Tiny likes you."

He placed Tiny in her nest on the chair and laid down in the bed beside me.

My smile disappeared. "You're dead," I whispered into my arms.

"Though it felt like it when you were gone and I couldn't come after you, I can assure you, Shlova, I am very much alive." He reached around and pulled me to him, careful of my face.

"But Ryland said..." A sob stopped me.

"That good-for-nothing coyote thought that I was. Luke merely reinjured my ribs when he attacked me and knocked me out."

"Merely," I repeated. I thought back to the conversation between Luke and Ryland. Luke had never admitted to killing Jasper.

"So you're alive?" I looked up at him, wanting this to be real, pleading with him to say it was.

"I am, now that you are safe in my arms again." He leaned down and carefully kissed my lips.

I had a million questions but forgot all of them as I pulled him down to me, ignoring the pain in my face. I wrapped my arms around him as tightly as I could. He sucked in a breath but didn't stop kissing me.

Jasper removed my towel and softly kissed every bruise and scrape on my body. "I'm sorry, Hayden." He winced as he held himself over me. I gently put my hands on his chest and pushed him onto his back.

"Why in the world are you sorry?" I whispered.

He looked at me, his anger at himself evident. "I couldn't stop them."

"You have nothing to be sorry about."

Then it was my turn to try to kiss him better than he had kissed me.

Actually, I can kiss him better, I thought. I pulled myself up, careful not to put any weight on his chest so I could nibble on his jaw. He closed his eyes and groaned.

I quickly picked a light green wave and gently ran my fingers over his chest and sides, kissing as I went.

He gasped in pain as his ribs moved back into place and finally healed properly.

"Sorry," I whispered into his chest and I kissed my way back up to his mouth.

He put his hands on my waist and rolled me so I was underneath him again. "Don't be." And with that said, he spent the next few hours making sure that I wasn't.

Chapter Eighteen

He laid on his arm and watched her sleep. By the moons she's beautiful!, he thought. Her long dark hair spilled around her, some of it tangled from their activity. The corner of her mouth curled up and she whispered something too softly for him to hear.

She rolled toward him. Jasper reached over and brushed some of the hair away from her face. Her poor face. He felt his chest tighten and his fists and jaw clenched in anger. Ryland was lucky Luke had gotten to him first.

Hayden's brows knitted together and he felt fear. His anger escalated.

"Jasper."

In that moment, the love he felt when she said his name overpowered all his negativity. Her frown relaxed and his body followed suit. She moved closer to him, still asleep, her swollen face resting against his chest.

Never again, he promised her silently as he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close. As long as I'm alive, as long as I breathe, anyone who thinks of harming you will have to come through me.

He placed his lips on her forehead and closed his eyes. "I give my life to you," he whispered.

Her fingers touched his cheek and his heart sped. "What did you say?" she mumbled sleepily.

Jasper looked into her eyes. "I promise to keep you safe." His voice caught in his throat and he cleared it. "I promise to fight for you, to die for you, if I must. My life is yours now."

"Hmmm." She gazed back at him, contemplating his declaration. "Well, we can't have you dying for me. I like you much better alive." She gave him a half grin. "If your life is mine now, can I order you to stay alive?"

"I suppose you can." He smiled at her.

"Then promise me one thing."

"Anything."

"Promise me you'll never leave me."

He felt her sadness and fear at the prospect of not having him around. He kissed her softly. "I promise." That isn't going to be a hard one to keep. He nearly choked at the thought of being away from her for even an instant.

She felt him tense and ran her thumb across his lips. He caught it gently between his teeth.

He felt her need rise and he groaned, rolling himself on top of her. Jasper pulled her arms over her head and used his teeth along her jaw.

She was shaking under him. Her hips were moving against him, urging him to take her. "By the moons, Shlova." He groaned. All he could feel was her need, her surrender. He didn't think he'd be able to be gentle.

She panted, "God, Jasper. I need you to fill me. Now. Hard." She squirmed under him and they both gasped as he gave her what she wanted.

He pulled out and thrust in again. She moaned. "More," she whispered. He pulled out again and pushed back in hard and deep. Again. And again.

He felt her start to tighten around him and he stopped, completely sheathed in her. Her whole body was shaking with the need for release. He put his weight into his hips, keeping her pinned against the mattress.

Hayden whimpered. "Please. Oh, god, Jasper, please."

Please, indeed, he thought. I'm shaking just as hard as you are! He pulled back just a fraction of an inch before thrusting into her as deeply as he could. It was all she needed. She closed her eyes and sucked in a breath before crying out his name.

He felt her love, her pleasure, her happiness, and any thought he might have had about composing himself so he could pleasure her again vanished.

She's happy! Even after everything she's just gone through, she is happy. I made her happy. He groaned as he spilled himself inside of her, amazed at how that one emotion had been enough to set him off.

He rolled off of her and pulled her close. "A shlova yan," he whispered to her.

She smiled up at him. "A shlova yan jer."

Chapter Nineteen

We joined the others for breakfast the following morning.

Brice grinned. "Hey, Jasper! You got your shirt on!" he teased.

"It's nice to be able to move again." He smiled and leaned down to kiss me tenderly. To everyone's amusement, I blushed.

Luke came up to us, the look of amazement clear on his face.

"You're fated to her?"

Jasper nodded and pulled me closer.

"No wonder you put up such a fight. And here I thought it was your great sense of duty. I think it's a good thing you were already hurt. I may not have walked away from that one!"

Jasper gazed lovingly at me, then looked at Luke. "And as much as I love you, Luke, I think you're right. Thank you for bringing her back to me, even if you did take her away in the first place."

Luke grinned at him. "What are brothers for?"

I was my turn to be amazed. "Brothers?"

Jasper looked at me. "To make a long story short, my parents found a wolf pup in the woods while hunting one day. Luke's pack had been killed. They took him in, hoping that being raised by them might change who he was bound to obey. We grew up together. The older we got, though, the more obvious it became that you can't override genetics. So Luke went his own way when he became of age."

I looked at Luke. "Did they order you to kill Jasper?"

He nodded. "They always order me to kill Jasper. He is one of their first targets in any fight."

"So you were disobeying orders even before you killed Ryland. So much for genetics."

"It would seem that way."

I turned to Jasper. "And you. Before we left for the ridge, Brice said that you changed plans so that more of the cats would make it home from battle. Did you do that often?"

He thought for a minute. "Only if I could think of a better way to go about it."

"But, just the same, you disobeyed orders.."

Everyone was trying to unravel the mystery.

Tara laughed. "I guess one of these days we'll stop being amazed by all of this."

Everyone sat down to eat.

We were just finishing when Fillian and Brinnan came running into the house. My uncle ran to me and gathered me in his arms. "Thank goodness you're okay!"

I blushed. "Hey, Uncle."

He held me at arms' length and touched my face lightly. "Fillian, dear, is there any way to fix that?"

She put her hands on my face and closed her eyes. "The cheekbone is broken," she muttered to herself. I closed my eyes, waiting for the pain. I sucked in a breath and hissed through my teeth. Jasper caught me when my knees gave out.

Fillian's hands left my face and Brinnan smiled. "Much better. How do you feel?"

I touched my face, pleasantly surprised that all the swelling was gone. "Great!"

"What about you, Jasper?" asked Fillian. "Want to try your ribs again?"

"I'm good, thank you. Hayden fixed me up last night."

She shook her head. "Of course she did." She laughed. "You know, it is interesting how her energy stayed in you for so long and kept me from being able to heal you."

Sitting in Tara's kitchen, I looked around at the people I now considered my family. I smiled at each one.

"Glad to be back, Shlova?" Jasper observed.

I nodded.

"You remember?" Luke's eyes were big.

Jasper nodded. "Tun. Yan?"

Luke nodded. "Tun."

Jasper put his hand on my knee and I leaned my head against his shoulder.

I hadn't realized how tired I still was until I felt him lay me on the bed. He wrapped his arms around me, his breath warming the back of my neck. I moved as close to him as I could and sighed.

"So, when were you thinking of going dragon hunting?" He chuckled.

I rolled over and faced him. "Well, I need to talk to Dodge first, but if he doesn't mind waiting a little longer, I think I'd like to stay here and enjoy us for a while."

I shivered as he ran his fingers down my back.

"Now that," he murmured as he kissed along my neck, "sounds like a great plan to me."

Chapter Twenty

The next month was perfectly uneventful. I spent a couple of hours each day training with my swords and honing my skills playing with the colors. Luke and Brice had a great time sparring with me as wolf and jaguar. Jasper and Zane watched from on the sidelines, laughing every time I would outsmart one of them and give them a playful jab.

Other than that, though, the days were defined by relaxing with Jasper, spending time by the pond and exploring the countryside.

One particularly lazy afternoon, we were walking hand in hand through the woods when we came to a beautiful meadow. The creek we had been following ran along the edge of the trees. Tall green grass blended with the light blue grass that grew around any water source here.

We sat in the sun, my back against his chest, his arms wrapped around me. I sighed as he kissed my hair.

"This place is perfect."

Jasper mumbled in agreement. "When do you feel you'll be ready to leave Tara and Ben's?" He asked me quietly.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, I was thinking that we could get our own home."

I looked at back at him, butterflies in my stomach. He was blushing.

"Our own home," I repeated, liking the sound of it. "That sounds wonderful." I twisted in his hug so I could kiss him. "And where would we have our home?"

"Well," he grinned at me. "How about here?"

"We didn't just happen to find this place today, did we?" I laughed.

"No. I've had the birds scouting for me the past week." He blushed again.

I chuckled and turned back to gaze across the clearing. "It's perfect. How do you say perfect?"

"Sertant."

"Sant est sertant." I chuckled and he smiled.

"I was thinking we could build the house over there." He pointed to the far end of the clearing. "It would be well sheltered from the winter winds and far enough from the creek that if it floods in the spring we won't have to worry about it."

I started laughing.

"What's so funny?"

"I'm sorry. I'm laughing at myself. I didn't realize there was so much to think about when it came to building a house."

I felt him smile in my hair.

"So when can we start?" I was suddenly eager to start this new life with him.

"As soon as you want."

"Tomorrow?"

He laughed. "Not this afternoon?" he teased.

I turned myself around and wrapped my legs around his waist. "I have plans this afternoon," I muttered as I nuzzled his neck.

He pulled back and looked at me, his blue eyes smiling. "Have I told you lately how much I love you?" he asked.

I smiled at him. "Once or twice."

He leaned down and kissed me hungrily. I started laughing as something landed on my shoulder.

"If it's not the horse, it's the bird," I whispered in his ear. He groaned and pulled back to look at her.

Jasper grinned. "Well, thank you for the warning. That would have been embarrassing!"

The bluebird flew off and sat in a tree.

"It seems the others didn't know about your afternoon plans and have decided it is time to start building our house. They should be here in about five minutes."

My jaw dropped. "Everyone knew about this? What if I'd said no?"

His eyes widened into sky blue saucers. "I guess it never occurred to me that you might not want to."

I laughed at him. "Don't worry. It never crossed my mind. How could it? Our own home, just me and you, in our perfect little clearing. I mean, really, how could life get any better than this?"

He lay on his back, arms behind his head, looking intently at me. He seemed about to say something, then stopped. He flashed a smile that made my heart jump and before I could react I was pinned on my back, my arms stretched over my head, his weight holding me down. He nibbled gently on my neck and moved along my jaw to my lips. I moaned, unable to move and not really planning to.

"Hey! Where are you guys?" called Phlann.

I turned red and giggled. "Hold that thought," I whispered to Jasper. He smiled and gave me a quick kiss before sticking his head up over the grass.

"Over here!"

I sat up, trying to brush as much grass from my clothes as possible. Jasper picked a few stray pieces out of my hair as our friends made their way over to us.

Luke grinned at us and laughed. "Shouldn't you finish building your house before you start trying to fill it with cubs?"

Jasper turned redder than I had ever seen him. My heart flipped in my chest. Now there was something I hadn't thought about!

"Is that even possible?" I asked. "I mean, he's a cat. I'm part human, part Wedelve..." There was also the fact that I hadn't had a period since crossing over.

"Who knows what's possible anymore these days," said Shanus. He handed Jasper an axe and smiled.

Jasper seemed glad to have an excuse to get off the topic and proceeded to show them where the house was going to go.

Everyone had a job and by the time the sun was starting to set we had felled enough logs to build our little house.

We all headed back to Tara's for a late supper and a good night's sleep.

Upstairs in our room, Jasper rubbed the knots out of my back. He chuckled as I jumped when he pushed on one to get it to loosen.

"Not funny," I mumbled into my pillow. "Where I come from, you call a contractor, and-- voila!-- you have a house."

He laughed. "Well, where's the fun in that? If that's all we had to do, I would never have witnessed you swearing at a log!

"Stupid log," I grumbled. My job had been stripping the logs as they came out of the bush. One of those logs had been very opposed to being naked. I laughed. "It's just lucky Tara came to save it. I was about to burn it."

He laughed even harder and I knew he was remembering how the log had won. I had taken the strip of bark I was working on with both hands and pulled as hard as I could. Instead of peeling off like it was supposed to, the bark had broken off, sending me reeling backwards and landing unceremoniously on my rear end.

I rolled onto my back and looked up at him. "You on the other hand, looked amazing chopping down those trees!" I remembered how he looked, shirtless, his skin glistening with sweat. She had tried not to stare at his bulging muscles as the men pulled the logs out of the bush. His eyes were so bright when he would glance at me while I stripped the logs with Tara and Prense. Love swelled within me when I realized that he was doing all this for us.

I reached up and touched his face. "You are the most amazing thing that's ever happened to me. I can't even begin to describe how I am feeling right now," I whispered. "There are so many words, yet none of them seem quite right."

He gazed at me, covering my hand with his. "Try."

I blushed. Expressing my feelings had never been my strong suit. "I feel lucky."

"Shanceigh." He bent down and kissed me softly.

"Amazed."

"Surpynt." Another kiss.

"Awed. Loved. Excited."

"Appornt, shlovant, essonant." Each word was accented by a soft kiss.

"But most of all. Most of all, I am happy."

He leaned down, still holding my hands. "I love you," he whispered into my neck as he started to nibble on me. He glanced at me sideways and grinned. "Now," he said as he brought my arms over my head. "Where were we before being so rudely interrupted this afternoon?"

I laughed as I readjusted my body so I felt his weight fully on top of me. "I think we were right about here..."

*****

The next morning, every muscle in my body complained as we made our way back to the clearing. Today's projects were log notching and collecting moss to insulate between the logs.

I volunteered for moss collection.

Jasper grinned at me. "Don't go too far and get yourself lost."

I stuck my tongue out at him and walked away. I could hear Tara putting moss in her sacs a little farther to the left. The day was beautiful. I picked moss and let my mind wander. Luke's comment about the cubs started to nag at me. Was it possible? Could it even really happen? And if it could, was it something I wanted? I wasn't sure. Was it something Jasper wanted? I was pretty positive the answer was yes.

"You'd better start thinking about the future a bit more, Hayden," I told myself.

I stooped to pick up another handful of moss, then straightened and stretched. Suddenly, I realized that I couldn't hear anyone else. I couldn't even hear the sound of hatchets against wood.

"Great," I muttered to myself. "I'll never hear the end of this one."

I heard a chirp overhead. "Hey, you! Good timing. Would you mind showing me which way the clearing is?"

The bluebird hopped down to a lower branch then flew to another tree to my right.

"That way?"

She flew in the same direction a little farther down.

"Thanks."

She chirped.

"Did Jasper send you to babysit me so I wouldn't get lost?"

She bobbed her head and I laughed.

"Well, I'm glad he did."

I heard some movement to my left and blushed. "Hey, Tara. How full are your bags?" It wasn't Tara. I dropped mine, reached behind me and froze, remembering I didn't have my swords. I grabbed my dagger instead.

"Go tell Jasper!" I whispered to the bluebird without taking my eyes off of the wolf.

This wolf was black and a little smaller than Luke. It sat down, looking at me.

I shifted positions as a second and third wolf came to sit beside the first. These were grey and smaller than the black one. I heard some more rustling and almost laughed when a red fox came trotting out of the woods and sat beside the wolves.

My dream flashed in my head. This was it. I was surrounded by the wolves. They formed a half circle around me, not moving.

"You really have to start writing this stuff down, Hayden," I mumbled.

The black wolf cocked its head. Time seemed to stand still. Nobody moved until three cats and a wolf came up behind me. Luke continued forward to the black wolf and nuzzled it, a little whine escaping his throat. The black wolf's tongue came out and licked the end of his nose.

Zane, Jasper, and Brice shifted back.

"It's alright, Shlova." Jasper put a hand on my shoulder and I looked up at him, eyes wide. When I focused back at the wolves, Luke was in human form kissing a beautiful woman with long, straight black hair and deep brown eyes.

He pulled away and looked at her for a moment, then hugged her to his chest. "I wasn't sure if you would come," he whispered, his voice thick.

"I couldn't let you have all the fun, playing nicely with cats and all that." She grinned at him. "Not to mention that the den is pretty lonely without you there." She stood on her tiptoes and kissed him.

She turned to me and smiled. "So, you're the reason the order of things around here is changing."

I smiled back. "I guess so."

"This is my mate, Mel. Mel, this is Hayden," Luke introduced us.

Mel turned to Jasper and nodded. "Jasper. Nice to meet you again under better circumstances."

He smiled. "Likewise. Sorry about on the ridge, there. I really did try to knock you out. I wasn't aiming to break your leg."

She shrugged. "I know. It worked out alright. Our healer survived the fight this time."

"You guys know each other?" I asked.

Jasper nodded. "When Luke found he was fated, he brought Mel home to meet our parents."

They all laughed. "It was awkward," Luke snorted.

"So, even though you have to fight each other, you try to not kill each other?"

It was Mel's turn to nod. "Of course." She smiled. "We're family."

The two smaller wolves shifted and I stared. They were identical. Both boys were young, maybe nine years of age. They had the same dark brown hair and brown eyes as Luke. They ran to Jasper, almost knocking him over with their hug.

"Hi, Uncle Jasper!" Jasper hugged them both back warmly.

"Hey, boys! I can't believe how big you've gotten! And it's only been two months since I saw you last!"

They beamed at him.

I hadn't realized I was openly gawking until Luke looked at me and laughed. "These are our pups, Tyler and Trent."

Jasper introduced me. "Boys, this is your Aunt Hayden."

It was Mel's turn to stare. She looked at Jasper. "But you're a cat! And she's a human!"

Zane laughed. "Actually, she's half Wedelve."

I blushed. "Long story."

Zane's laughter stopped abruptly and everyone looked at him. He was staring at the fox.

Brice's eyes widened as he looked where Zane was looking.

The fox had shifted into one of the most beautiful women I had ever seen. She was tiny, a good three inches shorter than my five-foot-four. If she weighed ninety pounds, she was lucky. And yet, she wasn't skinny. She was lean and muscled. Her eyes made the green in mine look dull, and her long red hair looked like flames as the breeze picked it up and swirled it around her face.

Luke laughed at the two of them. "Dawn, this is Zane and Brice. I believe you've met Jasper before, and this is his mate, Hayden."

Zane closed his mouth and nodded.

"So what brought you here, Dawn?" asked Brice.

"I heard Mel talking to the bluebird about how to get here. For some reason, it made sense to come along." She was looking at the ground.

Brice laughed. "Hayden has a way of doing that to people."

Zane grunted. "I have something I need to do," he muttered. "I'll meet you guys back at Tara's later." He shifted back into a panther and bolted.

Luke turned to his pups. "Well, boys, you here just in time to help build your aunt and uncle a house."

"Cool!" Tyler exclaimed. Or maybe it was Trent.

"Yes," said Jasper. "We better head back to the clearing before Shanus and Prense think this meeting has gone wrong and come barreling over here, swords drawn."

We started walking back. Luke had his arm around Mel, filling her in on what had happened since the last time she had seen him.

I laughed as the twins tackled Jasper to the ground. He managed to their hold, grabbed one under each arm, and took off running toward the clearing.

Brice burst out laughing. "Now there's a side of the captain no one's seen before!"

Luke laughed. "That, my dear Brice, is the real Jasper. When he's leading his men, he is the most serious and calculating man I know. But the Jasper you don't see is this one. He loves his family more than anything, even if the only family he has left now are wolves." His voice took on a sad tone and Mel rubbed his back.

She burst out laughing when Luke was ambushed by the threesome. He shifted and ran. The twins followed suit, chasing their dad.

Jasper remained behind and found me doubled over with laughter. I grinned at him and he jogged over, grabbing me in a bear hug. He kissed me on the nose.

"I'll be back!" He shifted into his tiger and took off after the three wolves.

I laughed at the look on Brice's face. "Go be a cat, Brice!"

He looked at me and laughed, then a jaguar streaked through the woods.

Dawn, Mel, and I talked as we walked back toward the clearing. Mel and Dawn wanted to know more about Zane.

"I wonder what he had to do all of a sudden that was so important." His behavior was very out of character for the laid back panther.

"Is he always that strange?" Dawn asked.

"No. That's not like him at all. He's always joking around. The only time I've ever seen him serious is when he's fighting. Even then, sometimes I can't tell if he takes that seriously."

Mel laughed. "I think you're right about that."

When we got to the clearing, Luke and Jasper already had the twins put to work.

Dawn stopped short. "Oh, no."

We looked at her, then followed her gaze to the clearing.

Zane sat on one of the logs, his black eyes glaring at her.

"Do you know each other?" Mel asked, cautiously.

Dawn's voice was just a whisper. "Only through dreams."

Mel and I stared at her.

"I thought this was supposed to be a happy moment. What is it with cats and finding their fated one? Can't they just be happy about it? Jasper didn't look that angry!" my voice dropped to a whisper. "Zane looks like he is going to kill you!"

"I don't think he knew she was a fox," Mel guessed.

"No. He didn't. Just as I didn't know he was a panther," Dawn explained.

"Well, you seem to be handling this a bit better than he is." Mel glanced over at Zane. "Here he comes!"

He was striding over, his face still a scowl. As he marched past, everyone stopped working to see what was about to happen. He looked so mad that Mel and I stepped in front of Dawn, shielding her from his advance. He stopped short, surprised.

The clearing was deathly quiet as everyone watched the standoff.

He opened his mouth to say something, stopped, closed it, closed his eyes and shook his head. After taking a few deep breaths, he looked at Mel and me. "I'm not going to hurt her," he muttered, his eyes filled with confusion. "I just need to talk to her."

Mel glanced over at me, but didn't move.

"Look," he explained. "It's just a bit of a shock. I always imagined she was a panther. And if not a panther, then at least a leopard!"

Dawn nudged us aside and stood facing him.

He smiled a little at her, looking shy and embarrassed. "Hi," he spoke softly.

"Hello." She smiled back at him.

"Maybe we could start over. I'm Zane. I'm not good with surprises."

She laughed. "I'm Dawn, and I kind of noticed that." She took a few steps toward him and took his hands. "Is it the fact that I'm a dog, or just the fact that I'm not a cat? Maybe if I was a Wedelve..." Her voice trailed off as she looked into his eyes, trying to see why he was so upset.

When he didn't answer, she looked down at their hands, hers barely visible in his. "But if it's too much to handle..."

The look in his eyes turned to panic. "No! It's just... You know, I can't remember. Maybe it's that you are a hundred times more beautiful than any of my dreams showed me," his voice was a whisper. It was as if the rest of us had disappeared.

I was scared to move and ruin the moment.

She laughed shyly. "You're a bit taller than I imagined."

He smiled down at her. "I'm sorry about before."

She shook her head. "I was just as shocked."

Zane's voice was thick, so quiet I could barely hear it. "I have been searching for you for almost ten years." He gave a bit of a laugh. "No wonder I couldn't find you!" He brought his lips down to hers, his hands softly holding her face.

Dawn threw her arms behind his neck and pulled herself up a bit. He wrapped his arms around her waist, lifting her off the ground.

Everyone's jaws dropped.

She moaned as he moved his mouth to her neck and then to her collarbone.

My eyes widened. I remembered what Jasper had said about things usually progressing right after the first kiss and I cleared my throat.

Dawn giggled and Zane stopped, keeping his face hidden in her neck. He peeked at me over her shoulder, his black eyes twinkling.

I laughed.

He was still red as he set her down. He took her hand and laughed. "I will never make fun of you and Jasper ever again." He grinned as he looked down at her. "That was amazing."

"See! I told you so!" I smiled at him.

Jasper was the first to recover and make his way over to us. He put his arm around me, smiling at his friend.

"Why don't we leave you two alone?" He kissed my hair. "Come, Shlova. You don't get to escape all the work." He led me back to where a house was starting to take shape. I took a quick glance back and smiled as I saw the two of them sitting on a rock, leaning in toward each other as they talked.

"Do you remember our first kiss?" I smiled at Jasper.

"How could I forget? It was one of the best nights of my life, even if it was against my will," he teased.

I laughed at him. "If we had done things your way, we would still just be holding hands. You and your sense of duty!"

He grinned at me. "Yes, well, I suppose it is a good thing you are stubborn and just take what you want." He stopped and kissed me gently. "Now, let's finish this house."

Brice started laughing as Zane and Dawn went for a walk. "A cat and a dog. Now I've seen everything." He shook his head in amazement, his eyes wide. "I wonder what the cubs will look like!" He burst out laughing.

I slap him playfully on the shoulder.

Luke laughed. "How do you know they'll be cubs? Maybe they'll be pups!"

We all let that sink in for a minute.

"Uncle Jasper?" asked one of the twins. "When you and Aunt Hayden have cubs, what will they be?"

"I'm not sure, Tyler." He was frowning.

I squeezed his hand. "Let's finish our house."

We all returned to the task at hand.

Chapter Twenty-One

A week later, the group had supper in our finished house.

When everyone left, I sat in front of the fireplace and patted the floor beside me. Jasper sat behind me and pulled me onto his lap so I could lean back against him while he wrapped his arms around me.

I put my hands on his and sighed.

He kissed the top of my head. "You're happy?"

I nodded and snuggled closer. "Unbelievably. You?"

"Extremely."

As we sat there contentedly, it occurred to me that we had never talked about our families. "I need to know about your family. You never mentioned Luke, and I feel like there's something else you're not telling me." I tried to keep my voice steady, but I wasn't taking no for an answer. "Luke said that family is the most important thing to you. He said that all you have left are wolves."

He nodded. "My parents, as well as my twin sister and our younger brother, were killed when a pack found our home during their patrols. I was out hunting."

I felt him tighten his embrace, but I gently pressed for more information. "I'm so sorry. What were their names?"

"My father's name was Jesse. He looked a lot like me, but with green eyes. My mom, Carmelle, was beautiful. I got my eyes from her. So did my sister, Jane, but she got mom's light brown hair." His voice was quiet and thick with emotion as he thought back. "And Jared, well, I think he was going to have dark hair like me. And his eyes were green like dad's." He took a deep breath. "He was just a baby. Hadn't reached his second year yet."

"How old were you?"

"Fourteen. Luke had been gone for about six months then."

"He wasn't... I mean... He didn't..." What I was imagining was too upsetting to put into words.

Jasper shook his head. "No. He wasn't with them. He helped me find them later. Every one of them. I swore that day that, as long as I lived, I would work to make sure no one else would have to go through that."

"That's why you patrolled so much?"

He nodded.

It explained his dedication and why he was so good at what he did. They had pissed off the wrong tiger.

He rested his chin on my shoulder and I kissed his cheek.

Jasper stayed silent for a while. I was about to ask him what he was thinking when I realized what was bothering him. "You're scared we can't have a family." He squeezed me a little tighter and kissed the back of my neck. "So long as you are with me," he whispered, "I will be the world's happiest man."

"But..."

"Hayden," he quietly cut me off. "There's no point in worrying about it. If it happens, it happens. But if it doesn't, I'll still be the luckiest man alive."

I leaned my cheek against his and thought about a future that, until recently, had never crossed my mind. Having kids had never occurred to me, mostly because I had never found someone I would want them with. But watching Jasper with Luke and Mel's twins, seeing how happy he was with them, made me see how much it meant to him. Now he's stuck with me and the chances that we're even remotely genetically compatible aren't very good.

Then again, if there was one thing I had learned while living here so far, it was that things that seemed impossible happened.

I took a deep breath. "You're right, as usual." I felt him smile. "We'll figure it out together when the time comes." Not for the first time since we had met, it amazed me how calm and objective he was.

"So, are you excited for next week?" he asked, changing the subject.

I nodded. "I can't wait to see it. You make it sound amazing." Time had flown by since I had arrived, and the week of Wellfore was almost here. At Tara's urging, I had spent hours upon hours making braided rope halters.

"Do you really think people will like my halters?"

"Of course. People comment all the time on the ones you made for Peena and Goop. Did you find enough of the gin berries to dye the last of them?"

"Not quite. But I found a patch of those blue colored berries that you can't eat and I mixed those in with the others. What are they called again?"

"Derk berries."

"Right. Well, anyway, with the pink from the gin berries and the blue from these ones, the dye turned a great purple color. Almost like dark lavender."

"Did you write out the portions so that you can recreate it?"

I nodded. "You think purple will be a hit?"

He shrugged. "Purple isn't my favorite, but I'm sure someone out there likes it." He grinned. "Yan ist surpen, by the way." He squeezed me tightly.

I laughed. "And why am I amazing?"

"Well, from what you, Tara, and Ben tell me, things here are completely different than where you come from. Still you take it all in stride, like nothing is unusual, and act like you have been here forever."

"Oh. It is. Completely different, that is. I'm not going to lie. There are some things I miss. Hot showers would be at the top of the list. But now that I can heat water instantly without setting everything else around the tub on fire, I don't mind so much."

He chuckled and I elbowed him, knowing he was remembering my first attempts to heat water. At least I'd had the sense to try it outside.

Jasper was thinking the same thing. "I'm just glad you were outside. I don't think Tara and Ben would have wanted to rebuild their house after just acquiring it."

"I think the reason I have been able to adapt to the newness of everything here is because I didn't really have much of a life at home. I was never the kind of person to want much or do much. I had a few good friends, I went to school, and I rode. Now that I'm here, I still ride and it is a hundred times better because my horse can talk and my best friend from there is here as well.

"As for school, well, how more perfect could this be? I wanted to be a vet so that I could heal sick and hurting things. And here, I'm a healer. And here, I have the one thing that I couldn't find there."

"Oh?"

I smiled. "The most sought after bachelor on the queen's guard."

He laughed.

Thinking about home made me think of my parents. A small lump formed in my throat.

Jasper's arms tightened around me. "What's wrong?"

I shrugged. "Nothing, really. I just...it sounds so childish. Especially after hearing your story."

"What?"

"I miss my mom and dad." The tears I had been holding back ran down my face. "I miss them so much."

Jasper turned me so that I was cradled in his arms and held me against his chest. He waited until I finished crying before he spoke.

"Would you like to go see them?" he asked softly.

I looked up at him. "Do you think I'm allowed?"

He laughed. "Who's going to stop you?"

I sat quietly, not sure what to think. "I never even thought that was an option. I just assumed that now that I was here, I had to stay."

He shook his head. "It's not like they can take your cross stone away to keep you here. You don't need one to go back and forth."

I started to get excited. "That would be great!"

He smiled at me. "When do you want to go?"

"Oh, well, after Wellfore. I would hate to miss it. I don't want the shed full of halters all winter long. Plus, I want to see Tara and Ben race, and Fillian is going to take me to the healers' booths so I can get some of the rarer herbs and roots that don't grow around here. Oh, and then I have a surprise for you that I hope you'll like for the night of the ball..." I was so excited about the fact that I could go see my parents again that I was talking a mile a minute.

Jasper laughed.

"Speaking of the ball, you have to get me your jacket so I can put the new buttons on it." Recently, I had begun working with Fillian and would ride with her several days a week to help her with her patients. I was learning a great deal from her and, in return for my help, she had started to pay me for my time.

I had used some of that money to buy Jasper new pants and a jacket. The pants were a beautiful dark brown color and the jacket a dark blue. On my way home with my purchase, I had come across a vendor who sold a variety of buttons. My eyes had been drawn to a set of silver buttons with dark blue and brown veining. I wanted to replace the existing buttons on the jacket with these new ones.

"I still don't see why you spent your hard earned money on me," he complained.

"Tara told me that everyone dresses to the nines for the ball, and all you had to wear were your buckskin pants and one of your tunics. You are one of the queen's captains. Don't tell me you didn't have the proper clothes before giving everything up because of me."

He shrugged. "I've already told you that if there was a ball, I usually made sure I was on patrols. And I didn't give it all up because of you. I love our life here. I could have tried to get you to move to Pinsaber, you know."

I smiled at him. "I know. Do you think she knows, the Queen? You know, that you aren't bound to her anymore?"

"I imagine it's crossed her mind since I haven't gone back. I'm sure some of the guards that were here the day we fought on the ridge have probably told her how I managed to completely disobey orders." He chuckled. "Honestly, it's not something I've really thought about. Like I said, I love our life here."

I sighed. "I love our life here, too. I also love how you look in your new jacket."

"And what about you? If I'm to be all dressed up, shouldn't you be as well?"

I shrugged. "Tara said she has something that might fit me."

He frowned but left it at that.

I gave him a kiss and stood.

"You are looking very pleased with yourself." Jasper was trying not to smile.

I tried to look shocked. "Now, why would you say that?"

He laughed. "You are just as bad a liar as I am. Tell me what you did."

I shook my head. "Nope. It's a secret."

He got up off the floor in one fluid motion.

I looked around, trying to find the quickest escape and started to laugh as he walked slowly in my direction. I tried to sound arrogant. "You can't make me tell."

He grinned and shrugged. "We'll see about that."

I ran toward the door as fast as I could. I made it outside, but my success was short lived. I felt his arms encircle me and lift me off the ground.

Jasper put me over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes.

"Put me down!" I was laughing so hard it was hard to breathe.

He quickly did as he was told but smothered my thoughts of victory by laying me on my back and straddling me.

"Don't make me do it, Shlova."

"I won't tell!"

He shrugged and laughed. "I think you will."

I squealed then sucked in a breath as his fingers found my sides. If I had one weakness, Jasper knew it. I was extremely ticklish. I tried to wiggle out from underneath him.

"Just tell me and I'll stop." He was laughing almost as hard as I was.

Tears were running down my face and I thought my sides were going to split. "Ok! Ok! I'll tell!"

He stopped tickling but stayed on me.

"I bought something else. But it's a surprise. I want to show you later."

He looked at me, trying to sense if I was blocking the fact that I was lying. Determining I wasn't, he smiled. "Ok, then. I won't tickle it out of you."

I laughed. "Thank god! I almost peed my pants!"

He got off of me and helped me up, laughter shaking his whole frame. "Well, we can't have that now, can we?" He took my hand and we made our way back to the house.

Jasper stopped when we reached the door. He turned me and took hold of my other hand and smiled.

"Venurn mairen, Shlova." He bent down and gave me a long, soft kiss.

I melted into him. He released my hands and engulfed me in an embrace and held me close.

I looked up and lost myself in his eyes. My smile grew and I stood on my tiptoes to kiss him again. "Welcome home," I whispered back. I took his hand, and together we walked into our own little house.

Chapter Twenty-Two

Before we could blink, Wellfore was upon us.

Dodge had offered to transport the halters I had made back into town. He stood patiently while we harnessed him and hooked him to the wagon Jasper and Ben had made.

"I'm so glad Ben remembered he had this harness. This will save us about three trips!"

Jasper threw another bag of halters into the wagon. "Definitely. It will be great to bring everything back, too, once the week is done. That is, if you don't mind doing this again, Dodge."

Dodge snorted and shook out his mane.

I gave him a hug. "Thanks, buddy."

"Aunt Hayden, can we ride in the wagon?" Tyler came running out of the woods, his brother trotting after him in wolf form.

"Do you mind?" I whispered to Dodge before I answered.

He shook his head.

"Of course you can," I answered. Trent shifted back and both of them gave me a hug.

"Thanks, Auntie!"

"Don't thank me, boys. Thank Dodge. He's the one pulling." I laughed.

Luke grabbed a bag of halters and threw it into the wagon. "How many did you finish, Hayden?"

"I made twenty of each color. I have blue, red, pink, purple, orange, brown, and green. But I don't really like the green ones, so I'm not sure if I'll put those out. I swear I followed the measurement you gave me, Mel, but the color I got was all wrong."

She grinned. "Using gin berry leaves to dye is tricky. You'll get the hang of it."

Tyler and Trent jumped into the wagon.

"Are Zane and Dawn still meeting us at Tara's?" Jasper asked.

Mel nodded. "Yes. They should be there already. Dawn wanted to go get supplies to make more pies. She's sure we're going to run out." Mel and Dawn had made pies to sell at the street fair.

Luke looked a bit green.

"Are you ok?" I asked.

Mel laughed. "Serves you right for trying to eat a whole gin berry pie."

He smiled. "But they're so good."

Jasper came back from the house with our bag of clothes for the week.

"You packed your things for the ball, right?" I asked him.

He rolled his eyes. "Yes, Shlova, though I still haven't figured out why I have to be dressed up if you're not going to be."

"I told you. Tara said she has something I can wear. She's great at stuff like that, so I'm not worried."

Jasper laughed then looked at Mel. "Where's your dress for the ball?"

"At Tara's."

Luke looked into the wagon at the twins. "Alright, then, boys. Do you remember the rules while we are in town?"

"Stay close to you or mom," Trent started.

"Or Uncle Jasper, or Aunt Hayden," Tyler grinned.

"And?" pressed Mel.

"Never mention to anybody that Aunt Hayden is Aunt Hayden," Tyler continued.

Jasper chuckled at the wording. The truth was, though, that the fewer people who knew I was back, the less likely it was that someone would decide to turn me in for some sort of reward.

"And?" I asked. "This one is the most important thing to remember. Even more important than not telling anyone about me."

Tyler elbowed his brother. "It's your turn."

"Oh. And most of all, we can never ever shift while we are there."

Jasper looked at both of them. "Ever," he stressed.

"Ever," both of the twins repeated together.

Jasper seemed satisfied with their answer and nodded. He smiled, signaling the end of the conversation. "Let's get going, then."

We managed to make it to Tara and Ben's by the middle of the afternoon. The day was beautiful and the sun was shining. I was amazed at how many people were already in the village.

We went around to the back of the house and Dodge backed the wagon into the pen that held Peena and Goop.

Once free of the harness, he nuzzled my face and went off to find where the Winged Ones were congregating.

We could hear Zane laugh as we entered the house. "That's what you said three pies ago!"

Dawn laughed. "Ok. But I mean it this time. This is the last one for today. We have to get ready for the ball."

A wonderful aroma filled the house.

"It smells great in here, Dawn," I said, and dropped my bag of halters on the floor.

She peeked her head around the corner. "Thanks. How many more bags are there?"

"Four."

"Zane, give them a hand." She gave him a playful pat on the bottom as he walked by. She winked at me and I laughed. Mel came into the house and we left the bags for the men.

"Did you find a jacket that would fit him?" I whispered to Dawn as we made our way back into the kitchen.

She snorted. "No. The man is huge and we are living in a town full of tiny people! He sat there and sulked and whined and complained. And when I couldn't find one that fit, he smiled, shrugged, and said, 'I guess I don't have to go, then.'" She laughed. "I had Tara measure him, and pretended she was going to make him a tunic. I bought material and she made the jacket." She stopped talking when she saw the men coming into the house.

"We're going to go see if Shanus, Prense, and Phlann have made it." Jasper leaned down to give me a quick kiss.

"Alright. Don't take too long; you have to get ready."

He wrinkled his nose at me.

Mel gave Luke kiss. "Take the twins so we can finish up here."

Zane turned to Mel. "You know, I don't mind watching the boys tonight. You could find Fillian's niece and let her know she doesn't have to watch them."

Mel grinned. "I might just do that, Zane. Thank you."

"Oh, Jasper? Would you mind doing me a favor if you're going through town?" Tara gave him a slip of paper. "Ben is out and about and I forgot to tell him."

He looked at it and nodded. "That's the third shop a few streets down, right?"

"Yes. He said it would be ready today."

"I can do that for you. Most definitely."

She grinned at him. "Thanks."

The men finally left and the four of us quickly cleaned up the mess in the kitchen.

Tara smiled at me. "Hayden, can you go heat up the tub? You girls look like you've been on the road for a week!"

I looked at myself in the hall mirror and laughed. "Geez. You're not kidding."

I made my way upstairs and found that Tara had already filled the tub. I picked one of the lighter red waves and pushed it gently toward the water. I kept it aimed there until I could see the steam starting to rise. I pulled the wave back and put my hand in the water to test it. Perfect.

Tara came into the room carrying four dresses. Mel followed behind her with a wooden box that held the combs we had bought last time we had come to town.

Dawn clapped her hands. "I love a good party!"

I grinned at her. "Honestly, I hate them. I probably hate them even more than Jasper."

Tara laughed. "She's not lying."

"You're not going to back out on us, are you?" Mel was stripping out of her clothes.

I shook my head and pulled my shirt over my head. "No way. I'm not missing this. I just hope I remember all the dances that Ben has showed me."

Dawn tipped her hair forward and dipped it into the water. I passed her the soap.

"Thanks." She grinned at me, upside down.

We quickly washed then sat down in our towels and took turns rolling each other's hair around corks. Once that was done, they all looked at me.

Dawn closed her eyes. "Ok, Hayden."

I moved so that we were all back to back, took a grey wave and aimed it at the ceiling. The wind blew up, bounced off of the ceiling, and blew back down onto us.

Tara smiled. "Almost as good as a blow dryer."

Mel reached over and felt everybody's curls. "That should do it."

I stopped the wind and Tara reached for the dresses.

"Do you remember how to put it on?" she asked me.

I chuckled. "Tara, there's just two pieces to it."

She grinned at me.

I pulled the first part of the dress over my head and looked in the mirror. It was a warm beige color and by itself looked like a simple floor length cotton summer dress with short sleeves and a low-cut, square neckline. Lacing ran from my belly button all the way up to the top. Tara tied these snugly then handed me the top layer, which I pulled over my head.

"Oops. That's backwards."

Mel laughed at me, then sucked in a breath as Dawn tied the laces from her first layer for her.

I turned the dress around and put my arms through it. This layer was dark green silk, almost the color of a pine tree. It had three-quarter length sleeves that slit open at the elbow. The bodice had a deep v-neck opening that stopped just above my waist. The skirt was attached to the bodice and fit snugly at the waist. Two deep, v-shaped cutaways at each hip revealed the base layer, creating beautiful contrasting panels. I felt like a Renaissance princess.

I stood in front of the mirror and smiled at the delicate gold leaves that were embroidered along the edges of the green overlay.

I looked over at Mel. "Wow! That color is great on you!"

She smiled. "Thanks." Her dress was similar in style to mine, though hers was white with the top layer of deep burgundy with silver embroidering.

I sat down and pulled my boots on. "Ugh. I should have done this first!" I stood up and handed Tara her dress.

She pulled on her bottom layer, which was the long-sleeved, cream-colored version of mine, then added the overlay, which was a beautiful caramel color that matched her eyes.

I gave her a hug. "You look great."

We looked over at Dawn as a small grunt escape her throat. "Settle down back there, Mel!" she laughed. "I know I said to tie it tight, but I still want to be able to breathe!"

Mel chuckled. "Sorry." She finished tying the laces and stepped back. Dawn turned to look at us.

She blushed. "What?"

"You look amazing!" It was undeniable.

The bottom layer of her dress was a beautiful pale blue, and her blue overlay was so dark it could have been black. She had picked a thin gold rope belt to tie around her waist.

"Zane is going to want to come just to make sure no one tries to take you home!" Mel laughed.

Dawn grinned mischievously. "That's the plan! That's why I didn't bother fighting with him about the jacket. He'll change his mind."

I started to pull out all the corks that were still on my head. My hair fell in perfect ringlets around my face. "Ok, girls. Work your magic. If it's not a ponytail, I don't know what to do with it."

Dawn laughed. "Alright. I think we should pin it all up loosely and leave some stray curls around her face." She piled my hair up on my head like she thought it should go and held it there for the other two to see.

Mel bit her lip. "Move the pile a little farther back."

Dawn did as she was told.

Tara squinted her eyes as she scrutinized the look. "Can you give her a side part and sweep the bangs sideways before pulling them up? We might need to pin it just behind her ear."

Dawn grabbed a pin and tried to do what Tara was describing. "Mel, grab me those combs. The gold ones with the green stones."

I sat quietly and waited until they were done. The three of them stood back and admired their work.

I turned around and looked at myself in the mirror. The reflection in it stared at me with wide eyes. "Wow. You guys are good."

Mel started to pull out her corks and sat on the chair. When Tara and Dawn were done, her hair cascaded from the top of her head where they had pinned each curl individually. She wore a delicate silver tiara that shone against her black hair.

Tara's hair was pinned up on each side with some gold combs of her own. They had clear stones that looked like diamonds.

I helped Dawn as she pulled the corks from her hair.

"What in the world are we going to do with all this hair?" Mel laughed.

There was a knock at the door. "Just so you know, we're home." It was Jasper.

My eyes widened. "Ok. Did you get that thing for Tara?"

"Yes. Are you decent?"

"No!" The four of us dissolved into laughter.

"We're going to go to Lantoc's to get ready." Ben shared the men's plans. "He invited us over to have a mug of sloan while we were at his shop."

Lantoc was Tara's next-door neighbor. He also owned one of the most respected jewelry shops in Sageden.

"Alright. We'll go there when we're done." Tara smiled.

Mel frowned. "How are we going to show Dawn to Zane so he can get ready too?"

"Tell him you want to talk to him about the babysitting," I whispered.

She smiled. "Zane? Would you mind hanging around here for a couple of minutes? I just want to go over a few things if you're going to watch the twins tonight."

You could almost hear his sigh of relief through the door. "Sure. I'll just wait downstairs."

Dawn smiled. "Zane, love. Do you think you could bring us up each a mug of sloan?"

"Alright."

We heard the men head back downstairs.

Mel looked at Dawn and nodded. "I think we should leave it down." She made a side part and swept the bangs around behind the ear.

She stopped and looked again. "And a comb." She looked through the wooden box until she found a gold comb with dark blue stones. She pinned up the one side. "There."

"Wow." I grinned. Dawn's waist long hair came to the middle of her back with the curls in it. "Ok, get your boots on."

There was another knock at the door.

"It's me." Zane turned the handle, and then stopped. "I'll just leave them at the door."

Mel opened the door. "Why don't you bring them in and set them on the little end table for us?"

Zane walked into the room, glanced around, and stopped. "Wow."

Dawn blushed. "Do you like it?"

"You look..." He looked around the room. "Well, you all look...but you look..."

I laughed and took the drinks from him and passed them around. I took a drink of my sloan. It reminded me of a type of honey brown ale I had tried once back home.

"Don't worry, Zane. We'll make sure she doesn't get into too much trouble." I patted him on the arm.

He looked down at me, his black eyes wide. His gaze moved back to her. "You can't..."

Dawn raised an eyebrow at him.

"But I can't..." He frowned.

Dawn smiled at him. "If there was one thing you could ask for right now, what would it be?"

Tara, Mel and I busied ourselves cleaning things up, and pretended not to eavesdrop.

Zane looked down at her. "For you to help me babysit the twins and stay all dressed up, just for me."

Mel burst out laughing. "Sorry, but that's a pretty good answer."

Dawn shook her head. "Something else."

"Well, if you're not going to stay home, then I wish I had found a stupid jacket."

She grinned. "How much do you love me?"

He smiled back at her and leaned down to kiss her. "More than life itself."

She wrapped her arms around his neck then drew back to look at him. "And now you'll love me even more. Actually, you'll love Tara."

She went to the closet and pulled out a beautiful black jacket with dark red and gold embroidering. She was grinning from ear to ear. "Try it on."

"Where did you find it?"

"Tara made it."

Zane glanced at Tara as he slipped into the coat. It fit perfectly. "Thank you."

The jacket was long, to the middle of his thigh. The collar could either be turned up or down. Dawn tried both and decided it looked best down. She smiled.

"Your good shirt and pants are in the bag downstairs. Hurry up and meet us at Lantoc's."

Zane bent over for a kiss, slightly shaking his head. "You had this planned all along."

She kissed him back and grinned. "Yes, I did. Now get out of here."

We finished cleaning up the bathroom and made our way over to Lantoc's.

Tara gave a quick knock to announce our arrival. The entrance revealed an open floor plan. The sitting room was directly to our left, and was separated by a countertop from the dining room/kitchen.

The men were sitting around the table. Luke and Jasper had their backs to us.

Brice's eyes widened and he stood to acknowledge us. Ben's face lit up with a smile at the sight of Tara.

Jasper and Luke stood and turned toward us.

"I must say that is an unbelievable color on you, my dear." Luke bent to give her a kiss.

Jasper's eyes locked on mine, and my pulse started to race. He looked amazing. His dark blue doublet was trimmed with simple silver embroidering. It was mid-thigh in length like Zane's.

He blinked and came over to give me a long soft kiss. "You look incredible."

I blushed. "So do you."

He ginned at me. "Tara had a little something lying around, did she?"

I shrugged. "Well, it was just lying around at Tara's. But I picked up the material for it when I bought your jacket."

"Would you lovely ladies like a drink?" Lantoc offered. He was already setting the mugs down on the table for us. Lantoc was an old widower. His wife had been bit by a venomous lizard of some sort while out picking berries and hadn't had time to find help before succumbing to the effects of the poison.

Though his hair was completely silver, his dark brown eyes had lost none of their life. Every time I looked at him I was amazed that his charcoal-colored skin was starting to have silver tinges.

"So, explain to me again how this week works," I asked Jasper as I sat on his lap.

He took another drink before answering. "Well, tonight is the big ball. Everyone will meet at the edge of town. You remember where the tall silver tree is?"

I nodded. It was in a large meadow just on the outskirts of the small city. The majestic tree with silver leaves and silver bark was one of a kind.

"That's where the dance is. Tomorrow, everyone who has brought something to sell will set up booths throughout town. The booths stay set up for four days. Every night there will be bonfires, dances, that sort of thing. Everyone wanders from one bonfire to the next. At the end of the fourth day, everyone packs up. There is one last bonfire in the meadow with the silver tree.

"The next day everyone travels to the games grounds, where you saw Tara and Ben race. Anyone can enter the three-day competition. At the end of the games, everyone heads home."

I smiled. "It sounds like a blast."

Tara laughed. "Remember the regional fair last summer?"

I nodded. We had gone to show the horses.

"This is even better than that!" she exclaimed.

I held my mug up to her, grinning, and she returned the gesture. My face turned red as I thought of that week and I hid it behind my drink.

Ben caught the look that passed between us and asked, "What happened at the fair?"

I chuckled. "Well, we did really well in the classes. Tara and Foxy actually took first in the open freestyle reining. We hit all the dances and met up with a group that was visiting from Scotland. It was just a very fun week."

Jasper turned me a bit so he could look at me. "That hardly seems like a good enough reason to blush like you're blushing."

I looked at Tara and mock glared at her.

She shrugged. "I think Hayden is thinking of the night we played poker. It's a card game," she explained.

"Oh?" Jasper still seemed confused.

"Actually, it was a game of strip poker." Tara was turning pink under her green skin.

Ben stared at her. "You can't play poker to save your life!"

I took a long drink from my mug.

"Neither can Hayden." Tara burst out laughing and I almost choked on my sloan.

Ben was laughing so hard he could hardly talk. "I...I suppose you two were a team?"

I nodded and grinned. "I blame it on the case of beer. And we didn't come in dead last. There were six teams. We came in fifth."

Ben was still laughing. "Who came in last?"

Tara looked at me and we grinned. "Donnan and Nevin. Two of the Scottish guys."

"I still think they were just being nice," I said to her.

She shrugged. "Does it matter?"

I laughed. "No. And if that is the case, then I am forever grateful to them. I can't believe Dave showed up there."

Ben's grin disappeared. "He didn't try anything, did he?"

I shook my head.

"He is such a jackass," Tara muttered.

"Nevin not so kindly showed him what he thought of a comment Dave made about me."

"And then after that, we had a couple of bodyguards wherever we went."

Jasper was frowning. "Who is Dave?"

I kissed him and he relaxed a bit. "Some idiot I never have to worry about again."

He was still frowning.

Outside, we could see people making their way to the silver tree.

"So is strip poker what it sounds like?" Dawn asked.

Ben laughed. "Poker is a betting game. Usually, you bet money. With strip poker, you bet a piece of clothing."

Zane had been about to take a drink. He set the mug back on the table. "And so..."

"And so, the losers end up with nothing to wear but the air around them."

Zane looked at Tara and me.

Dawn gave him a slap.

"Ow! I wasn't thinking of that! Really! I was actually wondering what this Dave fellow said to upset that Nevin character."

"Well, I don't remember the exact wording." Tara was frowning at the memory. "It was something along the lines of why did she think she was too good for him when as far as he was concerned she was nothing but a whore, and she was proving his point by being half naked with a bunch of inbreds he couldn't understand to save his life."

"Actually, I think that's exactly what he said." I was shaking my head.

"Yeah, well, I might I have been drunk, but it was a memorable moment. At this point, Nevin, who was buck naked, by the way, looked at Hayden and said, 'If yee'll excuse me, lass,' and, to the amazement of everyone there, stood up, strode over to where Dave was standing, put a hand on the idiot's shoulder and said, 'I may be hard to understand, but at least me mam had the sense to teach me some manners. I suggest yee go apologize to the lady.'"

I couldn't help but smile at the memory.

Tara continued telling the story. "Dave told him he wasn't wasting his breath on a cheap slut.

"So Nevin grabbed Dave by the front of his shirt gave him one solid punch to the face, set him back on his feet, and said, 'I strongly suggest yee reconsider.'"

I pursed my lips. "Dave stumbled back a few steps and shook his head. He looked at Nevin and said, 'Go fuck yourself!'" I took a sip of my drink. "Nevin looked at him, shrugged, and slugged him in the gut."

Now Tara was smiling. "The instant Dave was on the ground, Nevin gave him two kicks to the ribs, then stood back and waited for him to stand up again."

I remembered how Dave had stood up, doubled over and bleeding. He'd glared at Nevin, then at me, straightened himself up and made his way over to where I was still sitting. Nevin had walked beside him like they were the best of friends. I picked up the story.

"So Dave glared at me and said, 'Hayden,' I'm sorry you're a cheap...', but he didn't get to finish because Nevin must have figured this was going to happen and punched the side of his head as hard as he could.

"Dave crumpled to the ground and Nevin poked him with his foot a few times, shrugged, and sat back down. He picked up the cards, looked at me, and said, 'I believe it's your deal.'"

Tara laughed. "Dave sat up, looked around, and asked, 'What happened?' Nevin looked at him and said, 'Yee were about to apologize to the lady for being an ass.'"

Dawn started laughing, too.

"So Dave looked at me and said, 'Sorry?'" I was grinning, too. "I told him not to do it again, Nevin tossed him a beer, and said to him, 'Care to join us?'"

Dave declined the offer, and went off in search of somewhere to sleep off his headache.

Jasper was frowning.

"Hun, it was over a year ago." I ran a hand through his hair. "Smile. It's a funny story."

He looked up at me. There was no hint of a smile on his lips. "Will he be there? When you go back?"

"Yeah. If I go to the arena to visit, he'll probably be there."

Dawn stood up. "Let's go! I can't wait to do some dancing!"

Everyone filed out of the house. I was about to step outside when Jasper grabbed my arm and pulled me back in.

"When you go, you'll bring your swords?"

I started to laugh, but stopped. He's serious. "I can't. People don't walk around armed. It's not allowed."

His eyebrows creased together. "Not even daggers?"

I shook my head. "Will you feel better if I promise to keep these boots on at all times?" The boots I wore here had a pocket that hid a small knife.

He closed his eyes, considering the option.

"Jasper." I put my hand against his cheek. "I lived there for twenty-three years. I'll be fine."

He looked at me. His gaze softened. He looked deeply into my eyes and leaned down to kiss me.

"I love you," he whispered.

I pulled him down to me and kissed him again. "I love you more."

He chuckled and took my hand. "Let's go."

We caught up to our group and walked leisurely along, hand in hand.

"So, what's the first thing you think you'll do when you go back?" Jasper inquired.

"I will go straight to my mom and dad's and give them the biggest hugs ever. And then I will try to explain this place to them and let them know that they don't have to worry about me. I wish you could come, that you could meet them."

I felt him shudder beside me and knew he was remembering the last time he spent a considerable amount of time in my world. I gave his hand a squeeze. "It doesn't matter. They'll love you even without meeting you."

He looked down at me. "How do you know?"

I smiled. "Because my dad will love you for protecting his baby girl. My mom will love you for taking care of me. And both of them will love you because I love you."

He laughed. "Well, that's good."

I stumbled as someone bumped into my side and was glad Jasper was holding my hand.

"Sorry!" someone called back in a very high voice, as the sound of feet echoed on the cobblestones.

"Who and what was that?" I asked Jasper.

He laughed at the look on my face. "Well, I'm not sure who it was, but as for what, it was a Burrie." He pulled me aside as two more of them ran by us.

"They're tiny!" I looked on in amazement as the two were joined by four more little blue people passing by.

They couldn't have been taller than my waist. They were a beautiful teal color, each with long black hair tied in ponytails high on their heads.

"Why are they in such a hurry?"

"They're late." Jasper looked up at the sky, which was now almost completely lit by the full moons. I was always amazed by the sight.

"Burries are in charge of lighting. They have a dust that they collect on their wings. They harvest it to make light."

I looked as one last straggler sped after its friends.

"Oh! I hadn't noticed the wings." In fact, the wings were quite large and shaped like a butterfly's. They were just as tall as the Burrie itself. They were so transparent, they were almost invisible.

The last Burrie suddenly stopped and stood still. It slowly turned until it was facing us.

I managed to keep my mouth closed but sucked in a breath as its red eyes locked with mine. Jasper's hand tightened on mine and I felt him tense, ready.

The little blue being spread its wings and bowed slowly. It straightened, gave me a mischievous grin filled with pointy teeth, and ran off to find its friends.

Jasper relaxed. I hadn't realized we'd stopped walking.

"I wonder why he did that." I voiced my thoughts out loud as we started off again.

"He? Oh, the Burrie." Jasper shrugged. "I imagine there are just some creatures out there who know who you are whether they are told or not. Why did you say 'he?'"

"I don't know. I just assumed. He only had a loincloth on."

He laughed. "They all just wear loincloths. And only when they come into civilization. If you ever run into them in the woods, you'll notice they don't need to wear anything."

"So was it a girl or a boy?"

"Both, I guess. Or I suppose the best answer would be neither. Burries don't have a sex. They don't reproduce."

"How do they populate, then?"

"They come from Burrie trees."

I looked up at him, wondering when he was going to let me in on the joke.

"For real?"

Jasper nodded. "In the spring, Burrie trees flower just like other trees do. After they are pollinated, the flowers give way to Burrie sacs. They look like a clear sac filled with water. The Burries grow in there. When they reach to size of, let's say, two of my fists, they break out of the sacs, dry off, and leave the tree."

I raised an eyebrow at him.

He laughed. "Tara!" he called out.

Tara and Ben looked back and slowed so we could catch up to them.

"Tara, I need your help."

She smiled at him. "Sure. What is it?"

"Hayden thinks I'm lying to her. Could you tell her, please, where Burries come from."

She grinned at me. "Burrie trees."

"Really? I mean, really?" Maybe they had made this up together.

She nodded.

"Wow. I think that's going to the top of my list of weird stuff around here." I laughed. "That's crazy." I thought of the Burrie's red eyes and shivered.

Jasper put his arm around me and pointed. "Look."

We could see the whole meadow from the top of the small hill where we stood. The grass had been cut short. In the middle was the silver tree. Jasper had told me that it was a sacred tree to the Wedelves. They believed that this tree held all of the energy and magic that was left after a being passed away. When a new being was born, the tree would give it its share of the energy and magic to live.

Someone had strung strings from the trees on the outside of the clearing to the silver tree. The Burries were flying around, grabbing dust from a bag at their side, and coating the strings with it. When all of the strings were covered, the Burries, about twenty of them, stood around the silver tree and held out their arms.

I could hear them chanting. "What are they saying?"

Jasper shrugged. "No one knows, really. It's a blessing, or a prayer of some sort. There is no one who can understand the Burries' language, and they refuse to translate for anyone."

The little blue people flew into the air, their chant growing louder and louder.

They stopped abruptly and flew straight up, so high that I could barely see them. They all grabbed a handful of dust and blew it down toward the ground. As these grains touched the others on the strings, there was a spark, and the strings started to glow.

The whole meadow glowed.

"Wow!" I breathed.

That seemed like the cue the band had been waiting for and the music started,

All around the meadow, people had set up booths with food and drinks.

"Should we get something to eat?" Zane asked the group.

"Definitely. I'm starving." I took Jasper's hand again and we all headed to one of the food booths.

The vendor looked at us, his grin widening. "Jasper! It has been years!"

Jasper smiled. "Taylor. How goes it?"

"Good, man. Very good, indeed. Where have you been hiding?"

Jasper shrugged. "Keeping busy with scouting and the sort. Always work to be done."

Taylor looked at me. "And you must be the reason I've heard some of the ladies grumbling today." He grinned.

I blushed.

Jasper laughed. "Taylor, this is my mate, Hayden. Hayden, Taylor. He is Zane's great uncle."

The resemblance was obvious. Taylor was as tall as Zane, maybe even taller. He had the black hair as Zane, but his was streaked with silver.

"Nice to meet you," I said, grinning back at him.

"Zane, my boy, how are you?" He turned his attention to his nephew.

"Just fine, Uncle. More than fine, actually." He gazed lovingly at Dawn, who was looking up at him with the same adoration.

Taylor's eyes followed Zane's look. "By the moons, you found her!"

Dawn blushed.

"Dawn, my uncle Taylor."

Taylor came from behind the booth and scooped Dawn up in a hug. He set her down and laughed. "You can't even begin to understand how happy I am for you two. It had gotten to the point where the whole family was out looking for you just so poor Zane would get on with his life. Ten years is a long time to be waiting for your mate."

Zane was a very bright shade of red.

"Where exactly were you hiding all these years, my dear?"

Dawn's eyes nearly bugged out of her head. "Umm..."

"Actually, I found her up in the Northern Regions." Zane took her hand. "I thought it was probably the only place we hadn't looked because, well, who wants to live there, right?" He laughed.

Dawn looked up at him and giggled. "Well, I did."

Taylor laughed. "And you must be a throwback." He scratched his chin. "You are much too bright to be black."

She gave a quick glance at Zane, who nodded.

Taylor made his way back behind his counter and started dishing out bowls of stew. He handed them out to us. "On the house, kids. You have a good time tonight."

"Thanks, Uncle."

We all waved and turned to where everyone was sitting.

I gave Jasper my bowl of stew and spread my cloak on the ground.

"Here," he said as he handed me both bowls. "I'll go get us a drink."

I glanced over at Dawn. "Holy crap, was that unnerving, or what?"

"It was horrible. I had no idea we would need to come up with a story! And what in the name of the moons is a throwback?" She looked insulted.

Brice was standing by us, looking around. "Back in the day when the panthers were still a part of the guard, there weren't very many of them. They were born to leopards. As their numbers grew, they started to be fated solely to other black leopards. It made sense. Tigers mate with tigers, and so on.

"Their line is so strong that now they only produce black panthers. Well, almost always. Every once in a while, there is a throwback in the genes, and a pair of blacks will have regular looking leopard cub. That's what Taylor thought you were." He'd explained all of this and never made eye contact.

"Brice, relax. You look like you're standing guard." I threw a pebble at him.

He glanced down at us and grinned. "Sorry." He scanned the crowd and relaxed as Zane and Jasper made their way back to us.

The meadow was filling with beings, some of them dancing, some of them eating, all of them having a good time.

We finished our stew and I leaned back against Jasper, watching the dancers. I smiled at Tara and Ben as they headed out to join them. I recognized this dance from those Ben had taught me. I tapped my foot to the lively beat.

Three songs and another drink later, the music slowed. I recognized the tune. I looked back at Jasper. "Want to dance?"

He smiled. "Sure."

I stood and pulled him up. His hand spread over the small of my back and the other held mine.

He took up the steps and led me skillfully through the crowd. "When did you learn this?" he asked.

I smiled. "Ben has been teaching me."

We spent the rest of the night at the dance, switching partners among our group and with friends we happened to run into.

Luke led me back to our spot after a fast dance that was a lot like a two-step.

Zane was lying propped up on his elbows, watching Dawn dance with Jasper.

"Brice, for the hundredth time, sit down and relax." I tapped his leg with my foot.

Brice glanced down at me and gazed back out into the crowd. He sat.

Jasper and Dawn returned, both breathing hard from their dance. Dawn settled herself on Zane's lap and Jasper took his usual spot behind me. I leaned against him and yawned.

"What time do the booths have to be set up by tomorrow?"

"Most of the booths will be set up by lunch."

I looked to the horizon and saw the faint light of the sunrise. "Maybe we should head back. I'm beat. My feet can't handle another dance."

Jasper chuckled. "I agree. And so do my feet."

We stood and everyone followed suit.

Chapter Twenty-Three

Jasper pulled on his boots and watched as Hayden tugged the red dress over her head.

"Tara owes me big time," she grumbled. "I don't even think red is my color."

"You look beautiful." He smiled at her blush. He gazed at her and took in all of the details. She had layered a long, light grey tunic under the dress. Her hair was pulled back into a loose ponytail that was tied with a red silk ribbon at the nape of her neck.

"Yeah, well, don't get used to it." She looked up at him and smiled.

"I wouldn't dream of it. But it was extremely generous of you to agree to model Tara's dresses this week so that people could see them." All of the girls were wearing some of Tara's designs.

Hayden looked at herself in the mirror. "She sure is good, though."

Jasper felt her give herself a mental shake, one he was coming to recognize as a "doesn't matter how hard I try I'll always look homely" feeling. He gave his own head a slight shake and walked up behind her.

She leaned her head back against his chest and sighed.

"Red is definitely your color. And if it weren't for the fact that we have to get your booth set up, I would show you just what I think of how you look right now" He turned her and hugged her to him. He loved how she fit so perfectly against his chest.

"We'd better get going. You have customers waiting."

She laughed. "I'll be lucky if I sell one halter."

He took her hand and led her down the stairs and outside.

"I'll go get the bags and you can display the halters up how you want them." He gave her a quick kiss before leaving to grab the first of the bags.

Luke was in the kitchen getting some breakfast ready for the Tyler and Trent. He looked up and smiled at his brother. "I have a feeling it will be a busy day for the women. There were people knocking on the door at sunup, asking to see Tara's dresses."

"She is fairly amazing."

"Are you getting the halters?"

Jasper nodded.

"I'll give you a hand." He gave the twins each a pat on the head and followed Jasper outside. "Then you can give me a hand hauling all those pies over from Lantoc's."

Jasper laughed. "There's always a catch."

They made the trips in silence. Back at the shed, Jasper stopped. It wasn't a coincidence. Couldn't be.

Luke saw him tense. "What's wrong?"

"Last night, at the dance, I wasn't sure, but I could have sworn there was a man there who was just a little too interested in Hayden."

Luke chuckled. "I don't think you have to worry about it, Jasper. That woman only has eyes for you."

Jasper shook his head. "Not like that. He's watching her."

"But for who?"

"I don't know. It could be for anyone, yeah? I didn't bring her to Pinsaber like I was ordered to. Maybe the queen has decided to send someone else to finish to job. It could be for Damian." He gestured to his brother. "We know how easy it is for dogs to mingle with cats. No one is watching for it, and as long as nobody gets a look at your mark and you don't shift, no one is aware of what you are."

Luke put a hand on his brother's shoulder.

"And then there are the humans. They must know of her. She could be their most precious asset if they get their hands on her."

Luke shivered at the thought.

"I tend to forget how important she is." Jasper looked into his brother's brown eyes and remembered when they'd sat and talked when they were young. "I mean, I know how important she is to me. If something were to happen to her, I may as well let the same happen to me. But it's easy to forget why she's here, that she didn't just come back to make me happy."

The last time Luke had seen that strange look in his younger brother's eyes had been the day he'd tackled the tiger in the woods. They had been on the Maj side of the boundary line. Jasper, having found his family slaughtered, had run to the only other family he had and almost been killed in the process. That was the look that came right before Jasper started his hunt. "Jasper. Don't."

The look left his eyes and he refocused on Luke.

Luke shook his head. "We don't know who he is. We don't know if he knows who Hayden is. Get that look off your face before Hayden sees it and you scare her. We'll stay by the booths all day. The next time you see him, point him out to me." He gave his brother a pat on the back. "Now, let's get the rest of these bags and move on to pies."

Jasper smiled. Never in his wildest dreams had it ever occurred to him that he would be able to live side by side with Luke and his family instead of having secret meetings in the woods just to keep in touch.

They hoisted the remaining bags onto their shoulders and walked back through the house.

"There you are, Shlova. Ben is bringing Peena so she can model for you."

Hayden's smile took his breath away. "Thanks." Will I ever get used to that feeling? I hope not.

"I'm stealing your heart's desire to haul pies, sweet sister." Luke flashed her a grin and kissed her forehead.

She laughed. "Not a problem. You should put a few in the icebox here and we can have them for lunch."

"It shall be done."

Jasper could hear Hayden giggling to herself as they walked to Lantoc's.

Chapter Twenty-Four

I spent the day chatting with everyone who came to my booth. Though I had told Jasper to go browsing through town, he insisted on staying by my side.

"Would you like a drink, Shlova?"

I stretched my arms up and rolled my shoulders to try to get rid of a knot that was forming between them. "That would be great. Thanks." I smiled and turned my attention on a couple of Wedelven women heading my way.

"Hey there, Shondai. How are you?"

Shondai ran a hand through her shoulder-length black hair. She was sixty-five, but didn't look a day over fifty. "Hot," she complained. "You would never guess summer is ending." She wore a pretty white and blue ankle-length dress. The white stood out against her redwood-colored skin.

The other woman was a younger version of Shondai. She picked through the halters and pulled out a purple one. "What do you think, Ma? It's almost the same color as the cooling blanket Tantara made for Thirna."

"That would look good on her," Shondai agreed. She turned to me. "Do you have a smaller one in that color? Thirna had a fawn this spring and it's time to start halter leading her."

I sorted through the bag of purple halters and was glad I'd thought to make different sizes.

The women paid for their halters and went off with a wave. Jasper handed me my drink, then headed back into the house when Luke called for him.

"How many did you sell, Hayden?" Tara smiled at me from her booth.

"Twenty-seven!"

"I knew they were going to be a hit." She turned to her merchandise and started to pack everything up. "It will be suppertime soon. We'd better get this stuff put away so we can get to Prense's camp."

I began to stuff the remainder of the halters back into their bags.

"I think we best bring the rest of these pies to the bonfire tonight. There are about ten that are fully thawed. I don't think they'll keep until tomorrow in this heat." Mel was putting the rest of the pies in crates.

"Would I be able to buy one before they are all put away?"

I glanced over to their booth and saw a dark-haired man leaning casually against its frame. He had ranger's clothing, like he had just come in from patrolling. He looked to be in his fifties.

Dawn looked up and smiled. "I'll give you two for the price of one," she stated. "Just for being our last customer."

He laughed and handed her his money. "If that's the case, then I'll be back here at this time tomorrow. There's no better way to start off an evening than with a couple of good pies and some beautiful women." He gave her a wink then made his way over to my booth.

"Do you have a deer?" I inquired. The majority of beings who imprinted on deer were Wedelves. This man wasn't one.

He shook his head and smiled at me. I noticed his eyes. They were grey. The outsides of the irises were a dark grey, almost black, and they grew lighter so that they were almost white by the pupils. "No, I don't. But I know good craftsmanship when I see it. These are very well made. Do you make them yourself?"

I tried very hard not to blush. It didn't work. "Yes, I do."

"Would you mind if I asked where you learned such a skill?"

"Um, no. I had a great teacher..." I caught myself. I couldn't very well tell the man I had learned the art of halter braiding in 4-H. "My dad. I learned from my dad."

"And do you miss him? Your father?" The man's eyes were still smiling, but they were more inquisitive.

"I...yes. I do. What..." My heart skipped. Who was this man?

"Yes, well, I suppose it would be hard to leave everything you know to come to a place so strange to you."

My breath caught in my throat. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Of course you do, dear. But don't you worry. You're secret is safe with me."

By this time, Mel, Dawn, and Tara were observing our exchange. All had their hands on their daggers.

The man looked down to my waist and smiled. I realized my hand was over my scabbard as well, ready. "There's no need for that, dear."

"Who are you?"

He waved his hand in dismissal. "That's not important."

Tara took a step toward the house and the strange grey eyes moved over her. Tara froze. "Tantara, I believe it is," he stated. "You don't have to worry. The men should be out momentarily." He turned his attention back to me. "Now, Hayden. There is something I need to tell you. Listen carefully."

He held my gaze with his and I was unable to look away. "The only thing you must remember, no matter what your situation, is this. Nothing is as it seems."

I frowned. "What do you mean?"

He looked at me and smiled. "It is exactly what it sounds like." His eyes focused behind me as the door to the house swung open.

The tense moment of silence was broken by a soft growl. "Hayden, marck issi."

Step away, I translated. Easier said than done. I couldn't look away from the stranger's eyes, couldn't get my legs to move.

"Hayden!"

I heard the worry and anger in Jasper's voice. "Jasper, I..." I tried to look around but was frozen where I stood. From what I could see in my peripheral vision, this applied to everybody.

"Now, dear. Do you remember what I told you?"

I nodded.

The man chuckled. "Be sure to pay attention. The next time we meet, I'll want all the details."

"But..." I let a small growl of frustration slip up my throat. "That doesn't make sense!"

"No worries, dear. It will be soon enough." He flashed Jasper a smile and leaned in toward me, his hand up to protect the secret he was about to share. "He doesn't care for me," he whispered loudly enough for everyone to hear.

I couldn't help but laugh at his wink.

He straightened up again and gave a formal nod to everyone. "I apologize to have detained you for as long as I have. Jasper, you'll have your hands full with this one. Keep her safe." He turned back to me. "And you, young lady, keep him safe. For in the future that is to come, his role will be almost as important as yours. But, above all, remember." He leaned down and kissed me softly on the lips.

I felt a current flow through my body and the man vanished. The force that had been holding me in place disappeared. I fell to the ground with a surprised cry. Jasper's arms were around me in a flash.

"Are you alright?"

I leaned back against him and nodded. "Who was that?"

"It doesn't make...I don't..." Jasper seemed at a loss for words. "That was Damian."

*****

I scooped another spoonful of pie into my mouth and tapped my foot to the music. There were quite a few Scannoves dancing by the fire. Their moves were amazing. It was like watching dressage with some reining thrown in.

"No one has seen Damian leave his rooms for a good five years, now."

I turned my attention to Luke.

"I saw him once, and that was years ago. Mel has never seen him, and neither has Dawn."

"How did you get to see him?" I asked Jasper.

"It was my first battle as a captain. I was, oh, nineteen, I think. He was there. We lost almost everyone that day. When we went in, I knew it was suicide. There was no way we should have gone down that ravine. That was the day I decided that saving lives was a good enough reason to change orders a bit."

I leaned my head on his shoulder. "I don't see why he would come all the way here, and leave without trying to take me."

"I don't think he wasn't really here," Jasper speculated. "He was just projecting himself somehow. He was probably still in his rooms. He couldn't take you."

"But he was able to keep us all from moving..."

Jasper sounded frustrated. "Honestly, Shlova, I don't know. All I know for certain right now is that I have never been this confused in my entire life." He turned his attention to the dancers.

This dance was a couple's dance. The Scannoves faced each other and bowed.

Phlann trotted up to me. "Would you like to dance, Hayden?"

I glanced at the dancers again, wondering how I was going to pull this off without being trampled.

Dodge snorted.

"Dodge says you can ride him," Phlann translated.

I smiled. "Sure, why not."

I hiked up my dress and Jasper gave me a leg up onto my horse. The dance was one of the greatest things I had ever done on horseback. I held on to Dodge's mane and moved with him as he side passed, spun, and moved along with Phlann. I smiled at Jasper who had been dragged out to dance by Dawn.

When the song ended, we bowed to Phlann, who was grinning from ear to ear.

I gave my horse a pat on the neck. "Would you mind giving me a ride over to the drink booth?"

Dodge made his way over to where all the booths were set up. When I had my drinks, he gave me a ride back to our cloaks, then wandered off to do some more visiting.

I sat beside Zane and laughed as Dawn convinced Jasper to stay for one more dance. I took a drink and looked around, smiling. I loved bonfires.

"I can see four from here." Zane was still leaning casually on his elbows.

"Five. I spotted the last one when she went for the drinks." Brice took a swallow of his.

Jasper was breathing hard from the dance as he led Dawn back to us. "Six. One came out from behind the drinks booth when they left." He was frowning.

"I didn't see that one. Did you all notice the one by Taylor's booth?" Luke waved and smiled at Mel who was dancing with Lantoc.

Brice shook his head. "I didn't. Does that make seven?"

I looked at Dawn questioningly. She shrugged.

Ben came to join us and I handed him another drink. "I got seven."

I looked at Jasper, who was still standing. "Seven what?"

He sat behind me and grabbed a drink. "It seems you have a few admirers."

I started. "What? Who?"

"I'm not sure. I don't really care who they are. What I want to know is why they are following you." He took a drink.

I leaned back against him. "Where are they?"

"See Taylor's booth?" He made a point of looking somewhere else.

"Yes."

"He has a green tunic. Blond hair. His nose is crooked. I noticed him yesterday. It seems he brought a few friends with him tonight."

I took a quick look as if I was scanning the crowd. "I see him." I took a drink. "Why don't we just go ask them?"

"I don't think that is a good idea. If it was a legitimate reason, they would have introduced themselves by now."

It made sense.

"Maybe we should head back to Tara and Ben's," Dawn suggested.

Lantoc and Tara came to sit with us.

"I saw seven," Lantoc confirmed.

"Did everyone notice but me?" I asked.

"Notice what?" Mel replied.

"Hayden is being followed," Dawn explained. "I didn't notice."

Mel shook her head.

"I did, but I've been guarding her for seven years. It's second nature," Tara said before taking a drink.

"If we leave now, we lose the security of the crowd." Brice was trying to sit like everything was normal.

"There are nine of us and seven of them. I don't think they'll try anything," Ben reasoned.

"Ten," Lantoc corrected Ben's count. "I may be old, but I still have some fight left in me." He grinned at me.

I heard a snort behind us.

"Are you sure?" I heard Jasper ask Dodge. He listened to what my horse had to say.

"What?"

"He counted eight. He passed himself off as one of the drink vendor's horses and listened to two of them. They are with the guard. There is an order out to find you and bring you to the queen, since I didn't."

"But how do they know I'm me?"

"Dodge said that someone in the village told a friend, who told someone else, and so on."

Shanus, Prense, and Phlann trotted up to the group. "Do we have a plan?" Shanus asked.

"You have to go back," Jasper mumbled.

"But..."

"You have to." He sounded miserable. "At least until things quiet down here."

"Take her to the lake crossing," Tara told Jasper. "She'll know where she is when she gets over there and it's only four days away."

He nodded.

Lantoc's brow was furrowed as he devised a plan. "Jasper, you and Brice take a walk. Head into town, pretend you're going home. Detour back so that you're waiting by the cliffs. Dodge, you'll have to meet them there. Mel, you'll need to switch dresses and cloaks with Hayden. Cover your heads when you leave the rooms. When you get back here, we'll all start heading home. Luke, you'll take Hayden, who they'll think is Mel, for a walk. Get her to Jasper." He took a long swallow of his drink, his eyes sparkling with excitement. "We'll take care of the rest."

My stomach was in knots.

Jasper kissed my neck and I shivered. "I love you."

I turned back and kissed him softly. "I love you more."

He took a deep breath and stood, pulling me up with him. "I'll see you in a few minutes."

I tried to smile. "Okay."

He handed me my cloak, gave me a long kiss, and started to walk away with Brice.

"Hey, Hayden! I have to pee. Come with me to the rooms." Mel hooked an arm around my shoulders and we walked away, giggling at some unheard joke.

Once there, we quickly changed and switched cloaks. Hers was black and mine was army green. Here's hoping they noticed that, I thought as I donned the black one. We both let our hair down. In the dark, all they would notice was similar dark hair.

We made our way back to the group. Luke hooked an arm around my waist and leaned down to talk to me. "If one of them gets too close, pretend you're enjoying yourself," he whispered.

Mel fell back to walk with Prense.

I wrapped my arm around Luke's waist and we all started walking. At the edge of town, Luke looked at me. "Feel up to a walk, Love?"

I nodded and we broke away from the group.

Luke let go of my waist and took my hand as we made our way at a leisurely pace toward the pond.

I heard a twig break behind us and Luke tensed. He pulled me toward him and turned so that he was facing whoever was coming.

He glanced behind me and back down to me.

"My love, I have wanted to get you alone since you walked down the stairs this evening. Let's take advantage of the fact the kids aren't around."

He cupped my face in his hands and brought his lips down to mine.

My eyes widened, but I remembered what he had told me. I brought my hands up to lace in his hair and let my body melt into his. I noticed he was holding the hood on my cloak up so it wouldn't fall.

This is so wrong. I started to tense.

He moved me bit so that my back was up against a tree and he was facing in the direction of the road. His lips moved along my jawline and his hands moved down my sides, under my cloak to grasp my bottom.

"God, Mel, I love you."

I caught my breath with the realization of how he was managing. I closed my eyes and thought of Jasper.

I moved my hands under his shirt and he moaned.

Luke lifted me up against the tree so that he had to look up to kiss me. My hood hid our faces. I glanced at him. His eyes were wide and I could tell he was focused solely on whoever was near us. It was like his body was on autopilot.

He frowned, then picked me up and laid me down. "Is your knife in your boot?" he whispered as he nibbled on my earlobe. "He's making sure you're really Mel, that we're not just faking."

I gave a quick nod.

"Reach down to my belt. Loosen my dagger."

I did as he told me and jumped when his hand went up my skirts. He rubbed up my leg then back down. He grabbed my ankle and brought my foot up so that my knee was bent and my boot was hidden by my dress. I felt him undo the snap that closed the pocket with my knife in it.

He looked at me and gave me a bit of a goofy grin mixed in with a frown then bent back down to nibble on my neck. "Look, I would rather not have to take this farther than we have to, but he's not going to leave until we do something drastic, so would you mind pretending I'm doing something amazing under those skirts with my hand."

I almost laughed. "This has to be a first in the world of men," I whispered to him. "It's not too often one of them actually wants a woman to fake it."

I felt him smile against my neck.

He moved his hand back up my leg and let it rest on the inside of my thigh. I moaned and arched myself against him, pulling his lips back down to mine. Luke ground his hips against mine and groaned.

I let go of his hair and clutched handfuls of grass and bucked under him. "Oh, Luke!" I panted then lay relaxed under him.

He kissed me tenderly.

I heard soft footsteps make their way away from us and I let out a sigh of relief.

Luke glanced sideways then put his forehead against mine. "I'm sorry. I was really hoping he would leave after the first few kisses."

I shook my head. "It worked. That's what's important."

He gave me a kiss on the forehead. "Let's go. Jasper will be worrying." He took my hand again and we started to jog to our meeting point.

He looked down at me and laughed. "You've done that before."

I grinned at him. "I had a quick fling with a guy that wasn't quite as attentive as Jasper. Or you, for that matter."

He blushed. "Sorry. I wanted to make sure they believed you were her."

"I almost started to believe I was her!" I burst out laughing.

He shook his head. "Yes, well, in my defense, I wasn't the only one being attentive." He laughed at my blush.

I smiled. "Well, we must have been convincing."

We ran up a hill and saw the clearing under the cliffs where we were supposed to meet Jasper.

"There! I can see them." I pointed to the three dark figures standing by the woods.

"Let's go."

One of the shadows shifted and leaped across the clearing. Jasper shifted back a few feet in front of us and gathered me to him.

"Thank the moons," he whispered. He looked up at Luke. "Was he really that close?"

"How did you..." Luke's eyes were wide.

"I can feel what she's feeling. She was scared, and then... Well, then she was definitely not scared."

I turned red.

"Of course he was that close! If you think I would do anything like that with anyone other than Mel!" Luke was furious. "And to your mate? You're my brother!" He turned and punched a tree then stalked off into the woods.

"Jasper..."

He glared at me.

"He was trying to get me to you. I almost gave us away. I almost couldn't do it. So I thought of you. That's why I felt how I felt."

His eyes softened.

"Luke kept apologizing. He really didn't want to. And we managed to fool him without doing anything drastic." I took his hands. "Go get him. Talk to him. He loves you, Jasper."

"I'm sorry," he mumbled.

I kissed him softly. "Go."

He shifted and ran off in the direction Luke had taken.

Dodge trotted up to me and nuzzled my face.

"Hey, buddy. Are you coming back with me?"

He shook his head.

"He wouldn't have anywhere to stay and he can't be found wandering around over there," Brice explained.

"Yeah. I'd feel weird putting you in a stall now, anyway." I gave him a pat.

"He will travel with you a few days so you can reach the crossing faster."

I turned at the sound of footsteps coming behind us. Jasper and Luke were coming back. I smiled.

Luke pulled me into a hug. "You be careful, little sister. I would hate for all of that to have been for nothing." He smiled and kissed my forehead.

I laughed. "You guys are hilarious. It is way safer over there than over here. I'll be fine."

I swung on to Dodge and rearranged my skirts. "Brice, I want you to do something for me while I'm gone, if you can."

"What's that?" He kept looking into the woods.

I laughed. "Learn to relax."

He turned and grinned at me. "I'll try." He gave a wave as Dodge spun and galloped off into the woods. Jasper shifted and followed after us.

Chapter Twenty-Five

We kept a fast pace until the sun rose. By midmorning we had reached a small stream, so we stopped briefly. I slid off of Dodge and tried to brush the horse hair off of my dress.

"Man, I wish I had my pants." I bent over the stream and washed my face before taking a drink from my cupped hands.

"Are you hungry or can you wait until we're a little farther away?" Jasper was frowning.

"I can wait."

He nodded. "Let's go, then."

I glanced at him.

"What?"

"Nothing. I just haven't seen you like this in a while."

He was glancing around the woods. "Like what?"

"All business."

He stopped looking around and came to give me a hug. "I need to make sure you're safe. Then I can relax."

"I'll be fine." My voice caught in my throat and I cleared it.

"What are you worried about?"

"It's just that..." I felt a tear slip down my face. "I don't want to leave you."

I heard him swallow hard and he put his chin on my head. "I don't want you to go," he whispered. He kissed my forehead. "I just don't see what else to do right now."

He took my hand and led me to Dodge. "Let's go. We want to keep the lead we have on them."

I swung on and grabbed handfuls of mane. We loped off, getting closer to a moment I was dreading.

It was close to suppertime before we stopped again. Jasper went off to find something to eat while I started a fire.

I laid my cloak on the ground and sat down. "They'll come after him, won't they?" I asked Dodge.

He nodded his head.

"Is he going back to our clearing?"

He shook his head.

I put my head on my knees and took a few deep breaths. "Do you think it's best if I go?" I looked up to see his answer.

"He says, of course."

I jumped and Jasper reappeared. I glared at him.

"Sorry." He had caught something that looked like a badger and busied himself getting it over the fire.

"Where will you go?" I asked him.

He frowned at Dodge. "Not too far from here, actually. I plan on being as close to you as I possibly can, even if I am stuck over here. Brice will be staying at our house to keep an eye on it. If anyone stops to ask questions, he'll tell them we left and he has no idea where we went."

"How will I know when I can come back?"

Jasper came to sit behind me and I leaned against him. "I'll send a bird."

"How long, do you think?"

He wrapped his arms tightly around me. "I don't know, Shlova. Just think of this as an early visit to see your parents. You were planning on going after Wellfore."

"But I didn't plan on them trying to take me away, or on having to leave when I know that they are going to be hunting for you."

"Don't even think of worrying about me. I hunt, I follow, I disappear. It's what I do."

"I know."

He got up to check the meat and pulled it off of the fire.

We ate in silence and settled down for the night. Jasper held me tightly against him. "Sleep, Shlova."

*****

It was still dark when Jasper woke me. "We have to go."

I stood and stretched. "What's wrong?"

"There are three of them about a half a day behind us. I want to get farther ahead."

"How do you know?"

A little chirp from the trees answered my question.

"Do they know we're here?" I looked into the woods.

"Not yet, but I'm not taking the chance that they'll find out."

I hopped onto Dodge and we sped off again. We stopped briefly for a lunch of cannies, a fruit that resembled an apple wrapped in an orange peel, before we were on the move again. By nightfall, I simply let myself fall off of Dodge and into Jasper's arms.

We bedded down where we were without bothering with my cloak or a fire.

I was wakened by Jasper whispering to Dodge.

"I'll let you come until noon. Then you'll need to disappear. They'll be looking for you, too."

Dodge snorted.

"I don't like it any more than you. I can't even ask Tara to go along because they'll be watching her, expecting her to show them where she is."

Dodge stomped a foot.

"Is she telling the truth? Is it safe for her there?" Jasper's arms tightened around me. He took a deep breath. "Well, if you say so."

He kissed my hair. "I don't know if I can let her go."

I swallowed hard and turned so that I could bury my face in his chest. "I'm staying."

Jasper let out a bitter chuckle. "No, you're not. And don't bother being stubborn. I'm going to win this one."

"I'll only go if you don't wait around here." I looked up at him.

"Did you see something?"

"No. But this is too close to our clearing. Go to where we met. The crossing by the waterfall."

"I'll go there." He kissed me softly and stood us up. "Let's go."

We loped at a steady pace until the sun was high in the sky. Jasper seemed to recognize a landmark and stopped.

I slid off of Dodge and gave him a long hug and a kiss between the eyes. "Thanks, buddy. You stay safe, now."

He nodded and nuzzled my face then trotted off.

"Come, Shlova. We're almost there."

"I thought Tara said it was four days."

Jasper looked down at me. "It is, if you're on foot and don't run the whole way there without any breaks like we just did. We have about an hour of walking to do."

The butterflies in my stomach were warring with each other.

"I can't do it, Jasper." I felt myself start to shake with nerves.

"Yes, you can. And you will."

"But..."

Jasper stopped walking and held me by my arms. "No buts, Hayden." He gave me a little shake when I looked at the ground. "Hayden, look at me."

I looked up at him, fighting tears.

"You will go, and you will be safe. You will not worry about me. Once you go through the crossing, I will disappear because disappearing is what I do best." He relaxed his grip on my arms. "And when things calm down and they realize you aren't here anymore, I will send for you."

"And then what?"

He shook his head. "I'm not sure." He leaned down and kissed me softly. "We'll figure something out."

The little bluebird flew down and landed on my shoulder.

"Can you see where they are?" Jasper asked her.

She chirped and flew away.

"Let's go, Hayden." He took my hand and started to walk, leaving me no option but to follow him.

We walked without talking, each of us lost in thought. I glance sideways at him and felt a lump form in my throat. He looked miserable. A frown hadn't left his face for almost three days. I gave his hand a squeeze.

His frown deepened as walked around a large boulder and came to a lake.

The butterflies in my stomach fluttered with a vengeance. "Where is it?" I asked.

He pointed a little farther down the edge of the bank. "See the deer path that leads to the edge?"

I nodded.

"Just walk down it a little way and you should see it fork; the right fork leads you out." He looked about to say something, but stopped.

"What?"

"It's nothing. I just... I thought... I want..." He turned red and he looked across the lake.

"Good lord, Jasper, spit it out." I smiled at him.

"When Tara sent me to run that errand, I was actually picking up something she had put on hold for me."

"I don't understand."

"I was curious about the customs of where you're from, about what mates do for each other there. She told me about wives and husbands."

My eyes widened.

"I was going to wait until we were home again." He reached into his pocket. "But since I'm not sure when we'll get to go there, if we'll get to go back, I want to give this to you now." He took my hand and placed a beautiful gold band into it.

"It's..." my voice caught and I swallowed. "It's beautiful."

He took it back and slipped onto my ring finger. "Is that the right one?"

I nodded.

He took my hand and ran his thumb over the ring. "I was hoping to make things a little more romantic when I gave it to you."

I leaned my head on his shoulder. "It doesn't matter." I stood on my tiptoes and kissed him softly. "I'm yours and you're mine, and that's everything."

The bluebird landed on a branch above us and chirped.

Jasper's eyes were wide. "They found the trail. They're coming fast."

I glanced back the way we had come and he looked at me, panic in his eyes.

"An hour. They'll be here in about an hour." He grabbed my hand and started to run. "Let's go!" He looked at the bird. "Go! Let me know if anything changes."

We ran along the bank of the lake, found the deer trail, and kept going until we reached the fork. I bent over, trying to catch my breath. Jasper's eyes were focused on the trail leading to the right. I put a hand on his arm and he jumped.

He pulled me against him, his arms like vices around me. "Promise me you'll be careful." His voice caught in his throat. "I need you to come back to me." He swallowed hard. "You have to come back to me."

"I promise." I inhaled deeply. "Jasper, you have to promise too. If I walk down that path, you have to disappear. Find somewhere to hide until this blows over."

"No ifs, Hayden. You're going down that path."

"Then promise. I can't go if I can't be sure you'll be safe."

He chuckled. "I promise."

I looked up at him, shocked. "Why are you laughing?"

"Just because." He took a deep breath. "It's better than the alternative."

My throat tightened with grief at what was about to happen. "I don't think I can do it," I whispered.

Jasper tilted my face with his fingers and kissed me softly. "Yes, you can."

I jumped at the chirp that sounded from a branch by my head.

"They're coming." He pulled me against him and kissed me deeply.

I wrapped my arms around his neck and kissed him back, losing myself in the feel of him against me. I inhaled deeply, determined to stamp this moment in my memory. My heart was pounding out of my chest. A barrage of emotions threatened to overwhelm me.

Jasper put his forehead against mine, his breathing fast and hard.

"You have to go now."

"I'll be waiting." I kissed him again. "Oh, god, Jasper." A sob shook me and I clung to him. "I... I love you."

"I love you more." He touched his lips to mine then looked up. "Go, Hayden. Go now!" A growl made its way up his throat. "Don't stop running until you know where you are!"

I turned and ran down the trail as fast as I could go. I glanced back once and saw Jasper looking after me before shifting and running off in a different direction.

I ran until I thought my lungs were going to burst. I was starting to think that I had taken the wrong path when the ground under my feet started to change. The hard packed deer trail widened and became a paved path. I stopped short, shocked.

"It's the park!" I turned in circles and gazed around to make sure I was right. My heart soared. I spotted the fountain shaped like a frog riding a salamander that told me I was just a few blocks from my house.

I started running again with renewed energy. My feet abandoned the path and carried me over the grass, taking the shortest route home. I took a quick look for traffic and bounded across the street, repeating the process twice more before coming to a stop in my driveway. I was grateful it was getting dark and that no one was out walking at the moment.

My truck had been covered and parked closest to the house. Behind it were my dad's SUV and my mom's car.

I stood frozen, staring at the front door. Should I just walk in? Maybe it would be best to ring the doorbell. A beam of light hit me as someone opened the door and started to walk toward the cars.

My dad dropped his keys and stared. "Hayden?"

Sobs shook my body and tears flooded my eyes. "Dad!"

"Oh my god! Hayden!" He ran to me and hugged me close to him. "Are you alright? What's going on? Why are you back?" He held me out at arm's length to examine me. "Are you wearing a dress?"

I snorted through my tears and laughed out loud.

"Let's go inside. Your mother is going to have a heart attack when she sees you."

I nodded and let him lead me into the house. I glanced back once to make sure no one was watching, then stepped through the door.

My mother's reaction wasn't quite what my father had predicted, but it was close. She turned when she heard footsteps coming into the kitchen.

"Hey, Mom." I smiled through my tears.

Her hands flew up to cover her mouth. She looked me over, trying to make her mind believe what her eyes were seeing.

"Is it you? Are you really here?" she whispered.

"It's me, Mom."

"What happened? Are you hurt? Are you okay?"

"Mom, I'm fine."

She slowly reached out and touched my cheek with her hand. "Oh, baby, you are here!" She pulled me into a hug.

My dad came up behind us and hugged us both. We stayed that way, not talking, just happy to be together again. My mom pulled away first and wiped the tears from her face with the back of her hand. "Are you sure you're okay?

"I'm fine, really. Exhausted, but fine."

She kept staring at me.

"What?"

"Are you wearing a dress?"

I burst out laughing. "That's the most amazing thing? Oh, my god, out of everything, it's the dress! It's like Tara and her ears!"

They both stared at me, confused.

"Tara is from there," I explained, once I got my laughter under control. "She's a Wedelve, like my mom." I glanced at my mother. "I mean, my other mom."

She smiled at me. "It's alright, hun."

I looked at my dad. "You met her? Brayanne?"

He nodded. "Tom, I mean your dad, lived with her here for a while before they decided to return there."

"Oh. But the illusion... You wouldn't have seen what she really looked like. Wedelves are pretty short. They look like us except that their skin can be any earthy color out there. Uncle Brinnan said that my mom's was a tan color. Tara's is green! She looks great. Oh! And Ben! He's from there, too. He's fated to Tara. But he's brown. And all of them have pointy ears."

Both of them were looking at me with wide eyes.

I stopped. "You didn't know how different it was, did you?"

My dad shook his head.

I smiled. "It's amazing. Where I live, which is on the Wedelven lands, the trees are silver green and sliver pink. The pine trees have red flowers. And in our meadow, the grass by the stream is blue." My smile faltered at the thought of our little house.

"'Our' meadow?" my mom asked.

I ran my thumb over my ring and my throat tightened. "Jasper's and mine. He's one of Queen Melana's top captains, or was, I guess. He's a Namael. They shift from humans into big cats. Jasper's a tiger. Anyway, he was supposed to find me and bring me to Queen Melana in Pinsaber, but then we found out we were fated, like mom and dad, and so we stayed in Sageden, where Tara and Ben live, for a while. But after Luke kidnapped me, he's one of the Majs and Jasper's brother, we built our own house in the most perfect meadow..."

I could see by the look in their eyes that they were having trouble absorbing all I was telling them. "I'd better start at the beginning."

"Are you hungry?" Mom asked.

"Starving."

"Why don't you go take a shower and I'll make some sandwiches."

I hugged them both before heading up the stairs. My room was exactly how I'd left it. I pulled some shorts and a tank top out of my dresser and stopped when I caught a sight of myself in the mirror.

"No wonder she kept asking if I was ok!"

Mel's black cloak was grey with dust. The dress was streaked with dirt and my face was so dirty I could have passed as a Wedelve. I brought my hand up to brush some hair out of my face and paused. Jasper's ring flashed as it caught the light. I stared at it in the mirror and fought back a sob.

"You better have disappeared," I whispered.

I walked to the bathroom and stepped into the shower. The hot water hit me and I sighed. Once I was clean and a bit more composed, I toweled off, got dressed, and made my way downstairs.

My dad had pulled out a couple of beers and handed one to me.

I smiled. "Thanks." I took a long swallow. "Next time I come back, I'll make sure to bring you some sloan. You'll like it. It's like an amber ale."

My mom's face fell. "You have to go back?"

"I... I guess I don't have to." I looked at her. "No. I do. I have to."

"Why?"

"It's hard to explain. I feel...I'm not all me here. Part of me is gone. I understand what Jasper was talking about, though I don't think it's as bad for me as it was for him. He said when he crossed, the tiger part of him was gone. I just feel like part of me is fuzzy... Otherwise, he would have come." I stopped, not sure how to explain it. "The magic is missing."

My dad nodded. "That's exactly what Brayanne said."

I reached over and took a sandwich. I took a bite and started the story from the beginning.

"Dodge can talk?" Mom exclaimed.

I laughed. "Well, not really. Jasper can hear his thoughts. But we can have a conversation if I keep it to questions that require a yes or no answer." I explained about Dodge's stone quest. "When that happens I'll be able to hear him, too."

I moved on to the part where Jasper and I found we were fated, the dreams about the future, and accidently setting trees on fire.

My mom's eyes were saucers in her head. I laughed. "Actually, I was lucky. I almost set Jasper on fire the first time."

I took another drink of my beer.

They laughed when I told them how Tiny had decided she should claim me as her own.

I started to tell them about Sageden, healing, being captured by Luke, and everything else that had happened since I had crossed over.

I finished my story with an explanation of Wellfore, how I had been selling my halters, and the festivities we had enjoyed.

I laughed. "That's why I was in a dress. We were modeling some of Tara's dresses to help her sell them. Jasper noticed I was being followed, and with Dodge's help we found out the queen had put out an order for me to be found and brought to Pinsaber.

"He made me come back so I'd be safe. They're going to be hunting him, and it's all because of me." I felt a tear slip down my cheek.

My mom took my hands in hers. "He seems to care about you very much."

I nodded. "I feel like my heart's been ripped out of my chest. I just want to go back and make sure he's safe, but I promised I'd stay here until he sent for me."

There was a knock on the door. I jumped up and reached back for my swords but grabbed air. My mom and dad stared at me.

I took a deep breath and willed myself to relax. "Sorry."

"It's just the poker crew. It's our turn to host it tonight," my dad explained.

"If you guys don't mind, I'm going to go up to my room." I gave them both a hug. I hesitated a bit before heading up the stairs. "Umm... Would you mind if no one knew I was here for a bit?"

Both of them nodded and gave me another hug. "Get some rest, honey." My mom brushed my hair out of my face. "You look exhausted."

I climbed the stairs to my room and laid down, and fell into a dreamless sleep.

I spent the next two weeks catching up with my mom and dad, and pacing in my room when I had free time.

I would wave to the neighbors and make small talk to a few people I knew that I ran into at the grocery store. My parents had told everybody that my birth mom had contacted me and I'd gone to visit her because she was ill.

Chapter Twenty-Six

The three of us were sitting in the backyard watching the steaks cook on the grill when a little bluebird landed on the bird feeder.

My heart jumped in my chest. "It's you!" I stood and strode over to the feeder. The bird chirped and bobbed her head. "Is he okay? Did he make it to the other crossing?"

My parents were staring at me. "How do you know it's from there?" my mom asked.

"Oh. I... well, I just know. She's kind of mine, see? Jasper said he sent the birds to tell you I was there. How did you know?"

"There were five of them and they sat on the porch in a row. That was the signal we established a long time ago. I'd almost forgotten."

I turned back to the bird. "Did he send anything?"

My little friend bobbed again and lifted her wing and hopped onto my hand. I went back to my seat and set her on the table in front of me. My hands were shaking too hard to undo the knot that held the note to her leg.

"Here, honey, let me do it." The bird hopped over to my mom. I took the note from her and read it out loud.

My love,

I wanted to let you know I made it to the hill crossing so you wouldn't worry. Brice has sent word from Sageden via the bluebirds. Four groups of guards have come to the house to see if we've returned. After some convincing, they all seem to believe he's not lying.

Being away from you has been a hundred times harder than I'd even imagined.

I cleared my throat to quell my emotion.

I spend my days thinking of our times together, wondering what you are doing now, and hoping that we will be together again soon.

I send my regards to your parents. I hope you are enjoying your stay there and are not worrying too much about things here.

We will be together again, Shlova; this I promise you. Until then, know that I love you more than words can express.

Jasper

I lay my head in my arms and sobbed.

My mother rubbed my back. "Shush, honey. It will be okay."

I took a few deep breaths and wiped my face on my arm. "I know, Mom. I don't want you to think that I don't love being here with you and Dad. It's just...I miss him so much!"

She pulled me into a hug. "I know, Hayden. Remember when your dad left for two weeks for a business trip when you were about twelve?"

I nodded.

"Granted, he wasn't being hunted by armies of cats and dogs, but it felt like part of me was missing for that time."

I nodded again. "That's exactly how it feels." I turned to the bird. "Would you be able to bring him back a note from me?"

She bobbed her head. I ran up to my room and sat at my desk. I had so much to tell him that I could have filled a book, but kept things as simple as possible.

Jasper,

I was extremely relieved to hear that you are safe at the hill crossing. Rest assured that I am having a great visit with my parents and, just as I promised, after hearing all the stories I had to tell about you, they love you as much as I do. Well, almost as much.

I can't even begin to tell you how much I miss you or how badly I wish to feel your arms around me again. Every night, before I fall asleep, I think about how much I love you, and hope that you can feel it.

I bought you something a few days ago that I was going to give you when I got back, but I am sending it with the bird. It's only a small token of my love for you.

Until the day when I can tell you again in person, remember one thing...

I love you more.

Hayden

I went to my dresser, pulled out a small box containing the gold band I had bought for him, and made my way back outside. The bluebird was where I had left her on the table. I tied the note and the ring to her leg.

"Is that okay? It's not too heavy?"

She chirped, then hopped up onto my shoulder.

I gave her a small pat on the head. "If you see anyone else, tell them I miss them."

She bobbed her head, gave me a peck on the cheek, and flew away.

I watched her until she disappeared before taking a deep breath and sitting down at the table.

Chapter Twenty-Seven

It had been the longest three weeks of his life. Jasper stood at the top of the hill and looked down the path he knew would lead him to Hayden. He shook his head. What will happen if I cross over? I have no idea where she was. How would I even know where to start looking for her? Birds weren't very good when it came to giving directions. He could get her to lead the way, but he hadn't seen her since she had delivered Hayden's note.

His hand tightened around the note and the loneliness threatened to choke him.

"Please be safe," he whispered.

He turned away from the path and a lump formed in his throat. He swallowed hard.

He wished Luke, Mel, and the twins were still here. They'd come for a few days to check on him and to see if there was any news of Hayden. The twins had been a great distraction, even if he had been a little more impatient than usual with them.

Back at the waterfall, he sat on the ground and looked at his makeshift firepit. He had only made fires for the first week he had been here. The only reason I did that, he thought to himself, was because it made me feel closer to her. He twirled the gold band around his finger and smiled. She was always so cold.

He remembered how she had behaved that first week after she had crossed over. She'd been so scared. And that first night when he'd noticed her shivering, it had struck a nerve in him for some reason. To think I thought she was fragile and even a bit weak.

He chuckled. Fragile and weak. Two things that Hayden definitely is not. Stubborn. Now that's another story. By the moons, she could be stubborn to a fault. Courageous. That was something else she was. Adaptable. Caring. Loving.

He closed his eyes and pictured her laying on a blanket in their meadow, braiding her halters. She'd looked up when he'd walked by her carrying water to the cabin. Her eyes, so green, with those peculiar specks of gold and green, had met his. She'd smiled, pulled her hair out of its ponytail, and beckoned him with a wink.

He groaned. It was time to stop that memory before it went any farther. There was no point in torturing himself more than he already was.

He looked up at the sky. It's almost time. Just like every night since she had gone, Jasper lay on his back, looked at the stars, and cleared his mind of all thoughts. The first night, it had taken him by surprise. He'd been lying down, trying to not feel as terrible as he did, when he'd felt the greatest feeling in the world. He'd realized she was sending her love. He had sobbed until no more tears would come.

Every night since then, he would lay and wait. And every night, she would send her love to him. The first touches of it seeped into him and he relaxed. The feeling got stronger and the tightness in his chest that he lived with every day left. He closed his eyes and wished that he could do the same for her.

A noise to his right broke his concentration and he sprang to his feet in time to be tackled by a wolf. He landed on his back, rolled away, and shifted. The black wolf bared its teeth and a coyote joined it.

Jasper growled. He crouched low, his tail twitching, teeth bared. He could still feel Hayden in the back of his mind and he hated to push her out, but he needed to concentrate on what was happening. He blocked the feeling and hissed at the dogs.

Another form walked out of the woods and Jasper blinked. The wolf and coyote stayed tense, ready to fight, but made no move toward him.

"Jasper. I must say, I almost gave up looking for you."

Jasper shifted back so he could talk, but kept his eyes on the two dogs. "What do you want, Damian?"

The old man smiled and put a hand out to the dogs. They sat where they were. "I think it would surprise you to know that I want much the same thing as you."

"And what would that be?"

"To make sure Hayden is safe."

Jasper looked quickly to Damian, then back to the dogs. "And why, exactly, should I believe you? You've done nothing but send pack after pack after her."

Damian shook his head. "Rainen. Rainen and I are having, shall we say, a disagreement on the matter of Hayden. You see, she thinks she can use Hayden in this little war between the cats and dogs. I believe that Hayden won't allow herself to be used by either side."

Jasper was listening intently, not sure what to think.

"I can see things to come, Jasper. The further into the future it is, the foggier it is, but I will stake my life on this: Hayden's purpose here isn't to fight for the Majs or the Namaels. Her purpose is to save us all."

"You are the ruler of the Majs. How is Rainen getting away with sending out the packs if you don't agree with it?"

Damian looked into his eyes and Jasper was shocked by the pain he saw. "I will tell you something that very few know. I am dying. I have been for years. Whatever it is that is affecting me has to do with magic. I haven't found one healer or sorcerer who can heal me. As far as any of them can decipher, the magic is slowly leaving me. I can no longer walk, and even talking is a chore that fatigues me. Projecting myself like this?" He paused. "Well, I'll be surprised if I have enough energy to ask for a glass of water when I get back."

The coyote whined and Damian smiled at him. "Things always end as they should, Patrick." Both dogs bowed low.

Damian looked back at Jasper. "Is she safe?"

He nodded. "She's where no one will find her."

"Good. I'll give you the same bit of advice that I gave Hayden. If you remember one thing in your travels, let it be this. Nothing is as it seems."

"What does that mean? What have you seen?"

Damian shook his head. "I have learned through experience that I can't try to change how things are supposed to be. That doesn't mean that I can't give advice along the way and hope for a different outcome." He turned his attention to the wolf and coyote. "Thank you for finding him. You may return to your patrols."

Both of them seemed hesitant to leave.

"I'll be fine," he reassured them.

Jasper watched them trot back into the woods.

"I believe I will have the pleasure of seeing you one more time before I die. Until then, be careful, and keep her safe."

Before Jasper could reply, Damian was gone.

Jasper looked around and listened intently to make sure there was no surprise attack coming. After a few minutes, he tried to sense Hayden's emotions and found that he could no longer feel her.

"Bloody hell," he muttered. "They couldn't have waited five minutes."

What was Damian up to? Jasper growled. He didn't trust the man. Granted, Hayden had a strange effect on a lot of people. But Damian? He would just have to be on his guard when she returned. Whether or not the leader of the Majs was being forthcoming about his intentions, his advice was good.

He shifted and stretched out on his side. Breathing came a little easier when he was a tiger. It was probably because his animal instincts muted his human emotions. They were still there, but not as intense. His tail twitched. A little better, but not much.

Chapter Twenty-Eight

"You should phone Shaynna and go riding. You know that makes you feel better," my dad suggested at dinner.

It had been a month since I left Quelondain.

"I don't know, Dad. If I go to the arena I'll be a hop, skip, and a jump away from the hill crossing. I don't know if I can stop myself from crossing over, knowing he's so close by."

"Honey, you have to do something." My mom passed me the potatoes. "You're getting wound up tighter and tighter every day. We don't know how long this will take. What if it's months or years?"

I stopped chewing. The blood drained from my face and my mom realized what she'd said. Her eyes widened.

"Hayden, honey! I didn't mean that it will! I'm sure it will be soon. From the sound of that letter, I don't think Jasper is handling it any better than you are!"

I took a few deep breaths, tried to slow my heartbeat, and made sure I wasn't projecting what I was feeling. Jasper doesn't need to know how miserable I am. I was getting pretty good at shielding. The only time he could sense what I was feeling was when the emotion was extreme. Or if I felt like teasing him. "I know, Mom. It's okay." I tried to smile. "It's probably a good idea. I'll give Shay a call after supper."

I spent the next twenty minutes poking at my fish.

"Why don't you go call her right now?" Dad gave me a sympathetic look.

"I'm sorry."

"It's fine, dear." Mom gave my arm a squeeze as I walked past her.

I grabbed the portable phone and headed to my room.

The phone rang twice in my ear and a familiar voice answered. "Hello?"

"Shay! It's me!"

There was a short pause.

"Oh my god! Hayden! Are you home?"

I laughed. "Yeah, I am. I was hoping we could get together, if you're not too busy."

"Of course not! God! When?"

"I have absolutely no plans. When is best for you?"

"How about right now? I was just heading to the arena. They're having a roping jackpot and Shawn is in it."

I smiled. "Sure. That sounds great."

"Do you still have your truck? Do you want me to pick you up?"

"No, no. I'm good to go. I'll meet you out there."

I kicked off my sandals, peeled off my shorts, and put on my Wranglers and a t-shirt before I headed downstairs.

Mom and Dad were in the kitchen.

"So?" Dad asked.

"There's a roping jackpot this weekend and the first round is tonight. I'm going to meet Shay there. Does my truck still run?"

"Yes." He went to the key holder and tossed me my keys. "I'll go move the SUV out of the way."

"Thanks, Dad." I gave my mom a hug and went to put on my boots.

"You're not putting on your riding boots?" she commented.

I shook my head. "I promised Jasper I'd keep these on."

She smiled. "That's sweet. Did he give them to you?"

I glanced at her. "No. I have my knife in them."

Her eyes widened.

"See?" I pulled my pant leg up and showed her the pocket that held the knife.

"But why?"

"It's different over there. Over there, I walk around with my knife in my boot, my dagger on my belt, and two short swords strapped to my back. When I go to bed, the dagger goes under my pillow and the swords go under the bed. When I told Jasper I couldn't be walking around with weapons here, he asked if I would keep the boots on at all times, just in case." I laughed. "It blew his mind that people walk around unarmed here."

She nodded her understanding and passed me her phone. "If anything should happen..." She smiled. "We understand if you decide to go back. If it happens, just call and let us know, okay?"

I took the phone from her. "I will, Mom. I promise."

Dad came back into the house. I gave them both a hug and told them I loved them. "I'll see you guys later."

Shaynna was waiting for me outside when I pulled up to the arena. She ran up to me and gave me a hug.

"Man! It seems like ages! How have you been?"

I smiled. "Great. It's been quite the six months, that's for sure. You?"

"Beyond great! I got into the equine massage therapy program!

I gave her a hug. "That's awesome! You'll love it."

We headed to the lounge where spectators could sit and have a drink while they watched the competition through the floor-to-ceiling windows. I ordered two beers from a bartender I didn't recognize, and we headed to our usual spot along the fence at the back of the arena.

Shawn trotted up on his horse. "Hey! Hayden! Long time no see!"

"Hey, Shawn. How have you been?"

"Same old, same old." He smiled.

"Hey, Shawn! Pay attention! You're up!" One of the other ropers hollered at him.

"Oops! Gotta go!"

We watched and I felt myself relaxing into my old rhythm again--grabbing drinks for the guys on the horses, answering the phone, or jumping into the alley to help push one of the steers that wasn't cooperating.

I was standing at the fence with my chin in my hands when I felt Shay staring at me. I turned to look at her. "What?"

She cocked an eyebrow at me. "Is there something you want to tell me?"

I blinked. "Um. I don't think so. Is there?"

She snatched my left hand and held it in front of my face.

I burst out laughing. "Oh! That! I was going to tell you."

"You're married?" She was smiling.

"Well...yes. Yes, I am." It was the easiest answer to a very complicated situation.

"Details!" She sat on the fence and I joined her.

"I met him where my real mom is from. His name is Jasper. He is about six feet tall, dark brown curly hair, sky blue eyes...umm, what else? He's twenty-eight."

"What does he do?"

"He's in the army."

"Oohh. When do I get to meet him?"

"You can't right now. He's not in the country."

"They sent him overseas? That's horrible! You must be worried sick!"

"I am." I smiled sadly. "I miss him so much, Shay. He's...he's my world. He makes me laugh, and he can tell when I'm upset without me telling him. He can make everything better with a kiss." I realized how corny that sounded and stopped, my face turning red. I looked over at her.

She was grinning from ear to ear. "Can I say it?"

I started to laugh. "I suppose you can."

She reached over and gave me a hug. "I told you so."

I felt another pair of eyes staring at me and looked up to the front of the arena. "Ugh. I don't feel like dealing with him right now."

Shaynna looked where I was staring and grunted. "If it isn't the king of the jackasses."

Dave started toward us through the arena.

"I was hoping he wouldn't be here," she said. "Twerp bowed a tendon last week, so he doesn't have a horse at the moment."

He had made his way over to us. "Hey, Hayden."

"Hey, Dave."

"I didn't know you were back in town."

"She was hoping it was going to stay that way!" Shay chimed in.

He glared at her then turned back to me. "Feel up to going for a drink after this is done?"

"I can't Dave."

"For shit's sake, Hayden, when are you going to realize I actually care about you?"

A small spark of fear fired in my belly. He had been drinking.

"Well, when you stop trying to physically force me to leave places with you, or when you stop calling me a slut or a whore because I turn you down. That would be a start."

He glared at me.

"And even if you did succeed in convincing me you don't just want to add me to your trophy wall, I couldn't go out with you anyway."

"And why the hell not?"

"Because I'm married." I showed him my band and his eyes widened.

"Gotta feel sorry for that poor bastard," he grumbled as a parting shot before walking away.

I let out a deep breath and tried to calm myself.

"Are you alright?" Shay asked.

I nodded. I watched Dave make his way to the bar and order another beer. "I need some air. I'll be right back."

"Do you want me to come?"

"No. I'm fine."

I took the back exit, headed toward the single pens, and sat on the railing of the one Dodge used to stay in.

Jasper's voice floated into my head. More than anything in this world or the one you came from, that's how much I love you.

I put my head in my hands. "I love you more," I whispered to the voice. All I could think about was how much I missed him and wanted him here with me. I need to feel his arms around me, his lips on mine. If I could just look into his eyes, I could forget about everything else.

What if Mom is right? What if it's years? I felt the panic start to take hold and I tried to push it back down. "I don't think I can handle another week of this, much less years!"

I tried to regulate my breathing, but the fear refused to go away.

"Hayden? Are you ok?"

I wiped the tears from my cheeks and tried to smile at Shay. "I'm fine."

"Do you want to talk about it?"

I shook my head even though there was nothing I wanted more.

"Well, looky who I found!"

We jumped at the sound of Dave's voice. He was walking toward us with two other guys I didn't recognize.

"Who are those guys?" I whispered to Shay.

She shrugged. "He brought them tonight. I've never met them. They don't ride here."

Dave passed a bottle to one of the others and the man took a drink. All three of them were under the influence.

"So this is her?" the shorter one asked.

They stopped a few feet from us.

"That's her and her mouthy little friend."

"Why don't you guys go back to the barns, Dave? I'm sure there's more beer for you to drink." I tried to sound a lot calmer than I was feeling. I glanced at Shay and saw her staring at them, her eyes wide.

"I don't think I want another beer. I think you know what I want." He grabbed my arm and pulled me off the fence. "Who's going to protect you now, Hayden?"

Shaynna tried to make a run for the barns but was tackled by Dave's taller friend. "I don't think so, sweetheart." He clamped a hand over her mouth.

"Let her go!"

"I don't think so. From what Dave's been telling me, she needs to learn some manners."

"Look, do what you want with me. Just don't hurt her!"

Shay's eyes bulged out of her head and she tried to free herself.

Dave looked at his friends. "What do you say, boys? Do we take her up on the offer?"

The shorter one shrugged. "How about we see if she makes it worth our while before we promise anything."

Dave smiled. "Good plan." He turned back to me. "It's up to you, Hayden. You be a good girl, and we'll keep our hands off of Shay."

I nodded. My heart was beating a mile a minute and I had to swallow to keep from throwing up.

"Let's take a walk." Dave dug his fingers into my arm and turned me toward the trails. The other two pushed Shay along behind us, making sure not to let her scream.

Good job, Hayden, I thought to myself. That's twice in about six months someone is going to try to rape you. That has to be some sort of record.

Had it been just me, I would have fought and screamed and kicked. But the thought of Shay getting hurt because she happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time kept me from trying to cause a scene.

We walked deeper into the woods until we were well out of range of the arena. No one will be able to hear us out here.

Fear and panic started to take over. I tried to remain calm and think rationally. Could I let them do it? Should I let them do it? Even if I managed to fight Dave off, the other two would hurt Shay. I couldn't fight three of them. I could feel the weight of my knife against my leg. Maybe I can reach it without them noticing.

Dave pushed me to the ground and straddled me. I tried to wiggle out from under him. He put all of his weight on me and ran his hands up my shirt.

"In a hurry, honey?" He grinned at me. "Don't be. I'm going to take my time and enjoy this."

"Dave," I tried to reason with him. "You're drunk. Do you really want to wake up tomorrow morning and realize that you forced me to do this?"

He laughed. "I didn't force you to do anything. I seem to recall you just volunteered your services." He pinched my nipple hard and I jumped at the pain. "I bet you like it rough," he mumbled.

"Dave, please..."

He pinched me again. "Please what?"

I realized he wasn't about to stop. I ran my hands along the ground until one of them found rock. It wasn't a big rock, but it would have to do.

"Dave! What the fuck are you doing?"

Dave didn't look up from what he was doing to my breast. Both of his friends jumped and turned.

Shawn's eyes reflected the anger he was feeling at the sight of his girlfriend being held hostage. He looked down at me and back to Shay, trying to determine which situation he should deal with first.

I swung my arm around and hit Dave's head with the rock as hard as I could. He grunted and fell to the side.

Shawn strode to where Shay was being held.

Her captors pushed her to the side and got ready for a fight.

Shay ran to my side. "Are you okay?" She helped me sit up.

"I'm fine." I pulled up my pant leg and pulled out my knife.

Her eyes widened.

"Go hide behind those bushes over there." I gave her a push and she did as I asked.

The calm I felt when I was sparring engulfed me. I could see everything that was happening. Shawn was holding his own with Dave's friends. Dave had found his feet and was marching toward me.

"You're going to regret doing that."

"Stop right there, Dave. I don't want to hurt you."

He laughed at me, then charged.

I stepped to the side and flicked my knife over his arm.

He cried out in pain when he realized I'd cut him. "You stupid bitch!"

He came at me again, this time more cautiously.

Behind me, I heard a growl. I looked back quickly, my heart in my throat. All I could see was Shawn and the other men. Shawn had one in a headlock while the other one was swinging a large branch at his head.

The minor distraction was all Dave needed to tackle me. He grabbed my wrist and slammed my arm to the ground. I lost my grip on my knife.

"Any last words before I knock you out?" he asked.

I couldn't help but grin at him. "Actually, yeah. I should have listened to Jasper and brought my swords."

I heard another growl. "Yes, you should have. But you're always too bloody stubborn to listen. I thought you said it was safe here."

Dave's head snapped up and looked behind me.

Relief washed over me and I relaxed. "It usually is, Hun. I wasn't lying."

Dave looked down at me, then back at Jasper.

"Would you mind getting off my mate, please?" Jasper spoke softly, but the threatening tone in his voice was unmistakable.

"Your mate?"

Jasper growled again. "My wife."

Dave stood up and kicked me. "I'll deal with you later." He looked down at me and added, "What is it with you big Scottish guys, anyway?"

I laughed.

"Shlova?"

I looked at Jasper and noticed the strange look in his eyes.

"If you're all done making small talk, I'd like to be done with this." He closed his eyes then opened them again before taking a deep breath.

Dave smiled, taking this as a sign of nervous weakness. "Scared, are you?" he sneered at Jasper.

Jasper raised an eyebrow at him. "No. You see, I haven't seen my wife for over a month, and the sooner I get rid of you, the sooner I can hold her in my arms again." He bared his teeth and Dave's smile faltered. "No worries, Shlova. I can't see this taking too long."

"No, I don't imagine it will." Dave didn't stand a chance.

Jasper stood still. He looked so relaxed, but I knew his pre-battle calm. By the set of his jaw, I was sure he could have taken out five Majs by himself. He was breathing faster than normal, probably because he had run here. His curls had grown out a bit and were in his face. It looked like he hadn't shaved since I had left. Standing there in his buckskin pants, his shirt slightly damp with sweat, his dagger at his side, and his teeth bared, he looked wild. But, Jasper being Jasper, he pulled it off with a certain degree of sexy.

I shook my head and took a deep breath. I was almost raped, Shawn is fighting twenty feet away, and all I can think about is pulling him into the woods and having my way with him.

His eyes flashed with amusement like they always did when he would sense my emotions in public. He turned toward me. His eyes met mine and widened.

After not seeing him for a month, I wasn't ready for the pull of his gaze. It was like being newly fated all over again. I caught my breath. God, I've missed that perfect blue.

I saw him inhale deeply and he swallowed hard. Obviously he was feeling it too. I frowned. He was shaking.

"Would you mind toning that down a bit, Shlova?" His voice was husky.

"Oh!" I realized I hadn't been shielding at all and he was feeling his need and my need full force. "Sorry." I pulled back on my feelings and his shaking stopped.

He gave me a half grin then turned back to Dave.

"Shawn!"

All of us jumped at Shaynna's scream. I turned in time to see Shawn drop to the ground. One man was already lying by a tree, unconscious. The other one jumped on Shawn, intent on finishing the job.

I ran and threw myself on the man's back and wrapped my arms around his neck.

He grunted and slammed me against a tree with all his might. I held on for dear life, and looked up to see Jasper and Dave squaring off.

"Shay! Find my knife!" I yelled at her.

She nodded and dropped to her hands and knees, searching through the bushes.

My breath left my body as I was slammed into the tree again.

I heard Shay give a squeal of victory before running toward us. I let go of the man's neck and grabbed the knife from her.

He crouched and looked at me with a grin. "Let's go, little girl."

I took two steps toward him and he rushed at me. His arms snaked out to grab me, but only found air as I pivoted and swung my arm back around in his direction.

He grunted as the handle of my knife connected with the base of his skull. He fell in a heap on the ground.

I saw Shay trying to wake Shawn and went to help her.

"He got hit in the back of the head."

I turned his head and looked. "He's bleeding." I brushed his hair back so I could see how badly he was hurt. My eyes widened.

I heard Dave grunt and looked up.

"We're going to have to work on you knife work, Shlova," Jasper commented calmly as he stepped toward Dave and gave him a solid punch to the stomach.

After fighting Majs, taking on one drunk human isn't exactly a challenge.

"Why? I thought I was doing just fine."

"You were holding it backwards," he looked back at me quickly and smiled before turning back to Dave who was straightening.

"That was on purpose. You know how I feel about killing."

"Lowlifes like this don't deserve to live."

Dave's eyes widened before Jasper's fist connected with his jaw, the uppercut sending him flying onto his back. Jasper walked up to him and knelt on his chest.

Shay's eyes bugged out of her head at the sight of Jasper's dagger as he pulled it out and placed it against Dave's throat.

"Jasper!" I got up and walked toward him. At that moment I was less concerned about what Jasper was going to do to Dave. It was Shay I was worried about.

He looked up at me, his eyes full of anger, worry, love, and pain.

I put a hand on his shoulder and he relaxed.

"It's not as bad when you touch me."

I put both of my hands on him and looked down at Dave.

Jasper followed my gaze. "What do you want me to do with him?"

Dave's tear-filled eyes locked on mine.

I glared at him. "We could bring him with us and just leave him to fend for himself. I'm sure he'd manage to get killed within a day or two."

Jasper chuckled. "And you think that would be less cruel than just slitting his throat right now?"

"No. It would be much crueler. But then I wouldn't have his death on my hands."

Jasper's eyes narrowed. "It won't be on your hands. It will be on his own."

I knelt behind him and lay my head on his back. "Honestly, I just want to go home."

"Yes, I imagine your parents are expecting you back soon."

"No. Not that home. Our home. I don't care what we end up having to deal with. I'm going back with you."

He reached behind him with one arm and pulled me around so I was facing him. "Alright." He leaned down and kissed me softly. "Now, about this..." He gestured toward Dave who was smart enough not to try and get up.

"Just knock him on the head and let's go."

He handed me his dagger. "I think you earned it more than me."

Dave's eyes widened and he blubbered something that sounded like my name. I glared at him. "Not so funny when it's you lying on the ground, is it?" I asked him. "Any final words before I knock you out?" I asked him.

"Sorry?" He looked at me hopefully.

"If I ever hear of you doing this to anyone else, Dave, I will hunt you down, and next time I won't be so nice." I jammed the hilt of Jasper's dagger into his temple and watched his eyes roll back in his head as he lost consciousness.

Shawn groaned.

"Hayden, he's still bleeding!" Shay's voice was full of panic.

I ran over to them. "Jasper, come look at this."

He knelt beside me and I pushed Shawn's hair away from his ear.

"Hmm. Interesting. Does she know?" He looked at Shaynna.

"Do I know what?"

"I don't think so," I said. I looked at Shawn a little more closely. "He needs help."

"What do you want to do?" Jasper asked.

"I can't tell how bad it is. If we go back to the barns, we'll have to explain this. I'll have to explain you. I don't even know if medicine here will work on him. Check his pockets; see if he has his stone." I looked at Shay. "Do you trust me, Shay?"

She looked at me with confused panic in her eyes.

"I can help him, but we need to move him back to where he's from."

"I... I don't understand."

"I'll explain it to you later."

She looked down at Shawn and nodded.

I heard a snort come from a little way into the woods, and Doc came wandering toward us.

"How's that for good luck!"

He nodded, then pulled his hand out of Shawn's jeans pocket. "It's in that pocket. He'll be able to cross."

"Okay. Let's get him on the horse." The three of us lifted, pushed, and pulled until Shawn was in the saddle. Jasper hopped on behind him and held him in the seat.

"Get started. By the time we catch up, you should be there." I took Shay's hand and started running back to the barns. "We need Macho."

We slowed as we got back to the building, not wanting to draw attention to ourselves. Shay went in and bridled her horse. I gave her a leg up and then used the fence to get on behind her.

Shay gave him a kick and we loped off after Jasper and Shawn.

"What's going on, Hayden?" She sounded confused, but not terrified.

"Do you remember when I saw that trail in the woods, but you didn't see it?"

"Yeah."

"Well, it's there. And at the other end of it is a world completely different than the one here. That's where Jasper is from and, by the looks of it, so is Shawn."

She was quiet. "Let's say for a second that I'm going along with this...how can you tell he's from there?"

"He's a Namael. Like Jasper. They have a mark behind their ear. A straight line. They're born with it."

"He told me it was a tattoo he got in his wild and stupid days."

We cantered over the bridge and headed for the meadow. I pulled my mom's phone out and dialed. I got the answering machine.

"Hey, Mom, Dad, it's me. I'm letting you guys know that I've decided to go back, so please don't worry when I don't come home tonight. Thanks for everything you've ever done for me. I love you."

Up ahead, we could see Doc trotting with his charges.

Macho slowed as we caught up to them.

"How's he doing?" I asked Jasper.

"He's mumbling. He's fated to her. That's all he talks about. But he's scared to tell her the truth."

"Shay?"

Shay legged Macho closer to Doc and put a hand on Shawn's shoulder. "I'm here, Shawn."

He smiled and lay his head back against Jasper.

I heard Shay catch her breath. "I can see it!" She was looking further up the trail, where the crossover trail branched off from the main one.

"How can she see it, Jasper?"

"I'm not sure, but I think it's because you're touching her. You must carry some magic with you. That's why I didn't hurt as badly when you touched me."

"Does that mean she'll be able to cross?"

He shrugged. "I'm assuming that if she can see it, she can cross it." He turned to Shay. "If something happens that you don't cross with us, I'll bring Shawn's cross gem back for you."

She nodded.

We turned the horses onto the cross trail and trotted up the hill. I half expected Shay to disappear when we reached the meadow.

"When do we get there?" she asked.

"We're here. You made it." We made our way over to the waterfall, stopped the horses, and gently placed Shawn on the ground.

I stretched and sighed. "That feels much better."

Jasper grinned. "Doesn't it?"

I knelt by Shawn's head and put my hands on him. Jasper sat on him to hold him still.

"You can hold his hand, if you want, Shay. This won't affect you at all."

She sat beside him and took his hand in hers. "Is he going to be okay?"

Jasper nodded. "Hayden is one of the best healers around. She'll have him fixed up in no time."

"It's just a real bad concussion." I pulled a green wave out of the air and concentrated it on Shawn's head.

He jerked under Jasper and opened his eyes. "What..." He looked around. "Shay! Are you alright?"

Jasper got off of him and came to sit beside me. I snuggled into him.

Shay smiled and shook her head. "I'm fine. Are you ok?"

"Oh, god, I am better than ok." He looked at Jasper and I and his eyes registered alarm and embarassment. He got up quickly and stood at attention.

"Captain!"

Jasper smiled and waved him down. "Sit. It's just Jasper."

Shawn twitched. He looked down at Shay, then back at us. "Does she know?"

"Not really," I told him. "Just that we're not where she's from."

He nodded and twitched again.

"What's wrong, Shawn?" Shay looked like she couldn't handle much more.

"I haven't been back here for two years. I just...there's something I need to do. I don't want you to be scared." He twitched again and his form blurred. He turned and started to run past the waterfall. Shay's hand flew to her mouth as he shifted into a lion, leapt over a bush, and disappeared.

I looked at Jasper. "Go talk to him. Bring him back. Shay's tougher than she looks."

He nodded. "I really don't think he means to stay away. I need to shift and I've only been gone an hour. I can't imagine how it would feel after two years." He shifted before bounding after Shawn. Shay stared after them, trying to absorb what she was seeing.

"I'm going to tell you a story," I motioned for her to sit down.

She nodded, dazed.

I started at the beginning and kept nothing from her. When I was done, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

"Is it worth it?" she asked. "Leaving everything behind?"

"It was for me. Why, are you thinking of staying? Why wouldn't you go back?"

"It's just...his eyes. When he opened them here. They were different. Better. I don't know how to explain it. It hurts them to be over there, doesn't it?"

I nodded. "The cat part of them needs magic to live. When they're there, it's like half of them is dead."

"I love him, Hayden. I can't ask him to live in pain for the rest of his life."

The bluebird landed between us.

"Do you know where Dodge is?" I asked her.

She bobbed her head.

"Is he nearby?"

Her head bobbed again.

"Would you mind guiding him here for me?"

She chirped and flew away.

I smiled at Shay. "I love that bird."

She laughed. "This is unreal."

"This is as real as it gets, actually. It's quite the ride if you decide to come along."

She looked up as Jasper and Shawn made their way back toward us. She stood and walked over to him.

Jasper sat behind me and wrapped me in a bear hug. "Just so you know, I'm never letting go," he whispered.

I leaned back into him and sighed. "You'd better not."

Shawn was standing awkwardly in front of Shay. "I'm sorry, Shay. I wanted to tell you. But after I was in your world for a bit, I knew you'd just think I was crazy. I mean, who in their right mind would have believed me?"

She smiled at him. "Not me, that's for sure." She wrapped her arms around him and gave him a hug. "I love you, Shawn, and even though this blows my mind, I think I can go with it. Hayden was explaining all of this fated stuff. How did you know where I was?"

"I was on patrols and happened to be at the top of the hill we just came up. You rode by and I saw you." He bent down and kissed her softly. "I love you." He took her hand and they walked toward us. "Hayden, thank you."

I smiled at him. "I owed you at least that much after all the times you kept idiots like Dave away from me."

"Yeah, well, it's a pity you didn't let Jasper finish him off."

Jasper shrugged. "I told you. She's stubborn. It's easier just to go along with it most of the time." He laughed and ducked away from my hand as I tried to slap him.

Shawn looked down the path, took a deep breath, and shivered. "We better get back, Shay. They're going to wonder where we are."

Shay glanced at me, then back to him. "We're not going back."

"Don't be stupid. You don't want to stay here! What about massage therapy and horse shows?"

She shook her head. "I can tell the difference now that you're here. I'm not going to ask you to live in pain for the rest of your life, Shawn."

"And I'm not going to pull you away from everything that you know and thrust you into a life where fighting and killing is normal!"

"Hayden seems to be doing just fine! Are you saying I can't handle it?"

"Well, in Hayden's defense, she was born here."

"But she was raised there. We're not arguing about it, Shawn. We're staying."

Shawn stared at her with narrowed eyes.

Jasper burst out laughing.

I elbowed him. "What's so funny?"

"Her. Both of you. Do they raise you to be like that? By the moons, I feel sorry for every man that lives over there!"

"And what do you mean by 'that'?" I pretended to be upset with him.

"Stubborn."

I smiled. "It has nothing to do with being stubborn. We just know what we want."

We were interrupted by the sound of hoofbeats coming toward us.

I got up and wrapped my arms around Dodge's neck when he came to a halt in the meadow. "Hey, buddy. Why aren't you at home?"

Jasper translated for me. "He said he couldn't stay that far away."

Shay's eyes popped out of her head and she looked up at Shawn. "Can you hear him, too?"

He nodded. "I'm impressed, Dodge. I never heard you think one thing while you were over there. I never would have thought you are one of the Winged Ones."

Dodge snorted and looked in the direction he had come from.

Jasper smiled. "Well, that's good. Hayden will be wanting her swords." He looked at me, then grinned. "It seems you managed to call your pack back to you. You've been so miserable, I wasn't the only who could feel it!"

"What do you mean?"

"Hey, Hayden!" Tara came running into the clearing, followed by Ben.

Shay's eyes widened. "Holy crap! You weren't kidding!"

I laughed. "I told you they look different."

Tara went to give Shay a hug. "You guys need to catch us up. Why are Shawn and Shay here?"

"Ok, but first, Jasper mentioned something about my swords?"

Dawn grinned at me and tossed me a bag she had just taken off of Peena. "I thought you might want some decent clothes as well."

I smiled back at her. "I don't suppose you brought any extra? Shay's going to stick out like a sore thumb."

She laughed. "You know me and clothes, Hayden. Of course I brought you extras. I couldn't remember which ones were your favorites."

"Perfect." I turned to Shay just in time to be tackled by two small grey wolves. The two of them shifted and gave me hugs.

"Aunt Hayden!" Tyler gave me a peck on the cheek then turned to glare at his brother. "See! I told you she would come back!"

"I knew too! I just thought it would be longer!" Trent glared at his brother. "We're glad you're back, Auntie!"

I laughed. "And why is that?"

"We came to see Uncle Jasper while you were gone, and he is very cranky when you're not here."

Everyone laughed as Jasper's blush.

"Alright, boys. How about you go get wood for a fire so we can have something to eat." Luke was walking into the clearing.

"What did you get, Dad?" Trent climbed off of me first.

"We managed to get a deer."

Zane and Brice were helping him drag it to the beach.

I took Shay's hand. "Let's go get changed."

We stepped behind some bushes and got into the clothes Dawn had brought. I put my belt on, making sure my dagger was strapped into its scabbard properly.

"You use those?" Shay was looking at my swords.

I nodded. "Don't leave home without them." I took them from her and strapped them to my back. "Ahh. Much better."

We walked back to the group and I wrapped my arms around Jasper.

He kissed me softly. "Better?"

I nodded.

We spent the better part of the night eating and talking, everyone sharing stories about whatever they might have missed.

Long after everyone else had fallen asleep and the fire had died, I laid awake. Jasper pulled me tightly against him and I sighed. We'd made our bed a bit farther away to let the twins get the last of the heat from the fire.

"You're still awake?" he whispered.

"Yeah." My hands found his and I smiled. "You put it on."

"Of course." He chuckled. "I was assuming that was why you got it for me."

I laughed quietly. "Yes. It was." I turned so that I was facing him and kissed him deeply.

He groaned. "You know, when I used to think about our first night together again, it never involved having this many people around."

I smiled. "Me neither. I think that's why I can't sleep." I kissed him again. "I would give anything for the feel of you taking me," I whispered.

"Now that's just cruel, Hayden."

"Why?"

"You can't talk like that when I can't do anything about it!"

I chuckled. "It's not like you're the only one suffering. I feel like I'm going to burst, I need you so badly."

His lips found mine and he pulled me against him. "Well, maybe we could take care of you, at least," he whispered. His hand trailed down my side and over my hip.

"What are you doing?"

"Shush. Just remember to be quiet." He started to undo the laces on my pants.

"Jasper..."

He covered my mouth with his and pushed his hand into my pants. His fingers slipped inside of me and I groaned.

"You have to be quiet, or I'll have to stop." He smiled at me.

He stroked inside of me knowingly and I melted with a few flicks of his fingers. My head spun and I muffled my moan in his chest.

"Better?" he asked.

"Hmm hmm. What about you?"

"I'll manage."

He pulled his hand away and I realized I wasn't totally better yet.

I turned so that my back was to him and scooted my pants down lower.

"What are you doing?"

I reached back, freed him of his pants, and pushed myself back invitingly.

He caught his breath as I slipped him inside of me. His arms wrapped around my waist and pulled me closer to him. He kissed the back of my neck and shoulders.

"Oh, god, Jasper," I breathed.

He was barely moving at all, but I could feel myself getting close to the edge again. I bit a mouthful of blankets and my whole body shook with feeling. My release set his off. Jasper groaned softly and held me tightly against him as he came inside me. We stayed that way for a few minutes, enjoying the feel of our connection.

One of the twins whined in his sleep and we pulled apart to put our pants on.

Jasper turned me toward him and kissed me. "Not having you here was worse than being over there."

"I was miserable. I'm not going ever again. You can't make me."

"No. I can't do it again, either. Do you know how I managed? Each night I would lay by the fire and wait, and then I would feel you."

I smiled. "I hoped it would work. I wasn't sure you'd be able to feel me if I was over there."

He hugged me tightly. "It worked."

"What were you doing over there today?"

"You wanted me there. That's all I could feel. It was so strong I couldn't even separate what my feelings were from yours."

I remembered sitting on the fence, aching to have him with me.

"And then it changed. You still wanted me, but you were scared. And by the time you started feeling ready to fight, I was almost there."

I squeezed his hand. "I'm sorry."

"Why are you sorry?"

"That you had to cross over. I saw it in your eyes."

"It was going to happen, regardless. I'd been seriously considering joining you for about week. I realized that if I was going to be in pain, I would rather be in pain with you in my arms than be in pain because I couldn't hold you. Feeling how much you needed me just sped up the process." He kissed me tenderly.

"So if I had said I was going to my parents' after the incident with Dave, you would have come along?"

"That was the plan. Do you want to go back?"

He gazed down at me and I looked into his eyes. I shook my head. "No."

He searched my face for a few moments. "Alright."

"So, what's the plan for tomorrow?"

I felt him shrug. "I'm not sure. All I know is everything will be fine, now that we're together again."

I kissed him. "That's all that matters."

He sighed. "Good night, Shlova."

"Night, Hun."

Sleep quickly set in.

*****

"Shay? Shay!"

I woke to the sound of Shawn's panicked voice.

"Hayden! Something's wrong with her!"

I bolted upright and ran to them.

"What happened?"

"I don't know. She won't wake up. Her breathing's not right either."

I knelt beside my friend and put my hands on her chest. I frowned. "That's not right." I moved my hands and put them on her shoulders.

"What's wrong?" Jasper was kneeling beside me.

I shook my head. "It doesn't make sense. Her energy...it's not there. Not all of it anyway."

Jasper looked at Shawn. "Did she say anything? This morning or last night?"

"No. She just said she was tired and then we went to bed."

"Where's Fillian when you need her!" I looked at Shay and tried to decide what to do. "Could it be this place? Could it be taking her energy?" I was thinking out loud, trying to make sense of it. "My dad moved here and this didn't happen."

I glanced up at Shawn. "I don't know. But whatever it is, she can't stay."

He nodded, understanding what I meant. "Let's go." He saddled Doc and hopped on behind the saddle. Jasper passed Shay up to him.

I swung onto Dodge and grabbed Macho's reins.

"I need your stone," I looked down at Jasper. "I don't know if she can cross if I'm not touching her."

He nodded and handed it to me. "You're coming back?"

I smiled at him. "Do you really need to ask?"

He shook his head. "Get her out of here before it's too late."

Shawn gave Doc a kick and I followed him on Dodge. We stopped when we reached the top of the hill.

"Here, put this in her pocket." I handed him Jasper's stone.

We made our way down the hill. Shawn stopped Doc on the main trail and laid Shaynna on the ground. I dismounted and examined her again. He looked at me.

"Is she getting better?"

"I don't know. I can't see like that over here." I put my hand on her neck and felt her pulse. "Her heartbeat is better and she's definitely breathing easier."

"Shay, baby, wake up." Shawn pulled her to his chest. "Please. I can't lose you." His voice caught in his throat.

Shay's voice was almost impossible to hear. "Shawn?"

Shawn looked down at her and wiped the tears from his face. "Thank the moons," he whispered as he bent down to kiss her.

"What happened?"

"We're not sure, Love. But you can't stay over there."

"But you..." She groaned and tried to sit up.

"Nothing could hurt worse than not having you," he whispered. He handed me Jasper's stone along with his. "Can you give us a minute?"

I walked toward the hill and stopped.

He nodded and I went back to them. Shawn put his stone back in his pocket.

"How are you feeling, Shay?"

She looked at me and smiled. "Better."

I gave her a hug. "Good." I glanced back up the hill and saw Jasper standing there like a sentry.

Shay saw what I was looking at and gave me a squeeze. "You'd better get back to him."

I smiled at her. "You take care of yourself." I swung up onto Dodge and we started to walk away.

"Hey, Hayden!"

I turned at Shawn's call.

"Catch!" Shawn threw his cross stone toward me. I caught it.

"But..."

"If I don't have it, I won't be tempted." He looked down at Shay. "And she won't be able to convince me to come back."

"Take care!"

We trotted up the hill and Jasper smiled when we reappeared. I handed him both stones.

"That was a strange feeling, knowing you were there, but not being able to see the path." He put the stones in his pocket. He hopped on behind me and wrapped his arms around me.

"So, what do we do now?" I asked.

"Let's go home."

"What about the queen's guards?" I leaned back against him.

"We'll deal with them if and when they decide to show up again." He kissed the top of my head. "How does that sound?"

"That sounds perfect."

By the time we got back to the waterfall, everyone was packed up and ready to go.

"Do we have a plan, Brother?" Luke asked.

Jasper hopped off and handed me my swords. "Let's go home."

He shifted and led the way.

Chapter Twenty-Nine

The first snowfall came during the night.

I woke to discover I was alone in bed. I stretched and put on my clothes and boots. I found Jasper outside, staring across the clearing. I quickly bent down and gathered snow into a ball and threw it at him. It connected with his shoulder. He spun around and saw me trying to get another snowball made before he could react.

A playful growl escaped his throat. I screamed and ran. He laughed as he easily caught up to me and I spun around, throwing my snowball in his direction. It missed. I squealed again as he tackled me and fell on top of me in the snow.

Jasper looked down at me, laughing, his cheeks red. His blue eyes were bright against the light grey clouds behind him.

"Thought you would have the upper hand, did you?" He reached out on either side of me as far as he could and grinned.

"You wouldn't dare!" I tried to wiggle out from under him.

"All is fair in war, Shlova." He swooped his arms in and buried me.

I managed to push him off and stood up laughing, shaking my tunic to get the snow out of it. He sat in the snow, watching me dance around, still laughing.

I walked up to him and held out my hand. "Peace?"

He chuckled as he took it. "For now."

I pulled him up. "Let's go inside. I'm freezing!"

Jasper put a few more logs on the fire to warm the house while he teased me about my frail human condition. We stripped out of our wet clothes and sat in front of the fireplace wrapped in a blanket.

I leaned back against him, enjoying his warmth on my bare skin.

"Do you miss being in the queen's guard?" I asked.

"No," he answered. "Not at all, actually."

I looked back at him to make sure he wasn't lying.

He continued to explain. "When I wake up each day, I feel relieved. I don't have to kill anyone, I don't have to fight Luke and Mel, and I won't ever have to come face to face with Tyler or Trent in battle." He wrapped his arms around me a little tighter.

"And then there's the fact that I wake up beside you every morning. It's great to know that if I walk out the door in the morning, you don't have to worry whether or not I'll be coming home at night."

I shuddered at the thought.

He moved the hair away from my neck and kissed me lightly.

"What were you thinking about so hard before I hit you with the snowball?"

He shifted his body so that I was cradled in his arms and he could look at me.

"I was thinking how beautiful it looked with the fresh snow. About how perfect this clearing is for our cabin." He traced my lips with his fingers, moving them along my jaw and down my neck. I shivered a completely different kind of shiver.

His voice was husky as he continued. "I was thinking about our little house. How you were inside and that you are mine. Do you know that I have to remember to breathe when you look in my eyes, or that I have to fight the urge to tear your clothes off every time you touch me, no matter how innocently?"

His fingers moved to my collarbone then down my side to my hip, and back up again.

"I love our life together."

He shifted again so that he could lay me down. His voice was just a whisper as his lips traced the same path his fingers had. "I wouldn't trade my life for anything."

I shivered again, a moan escaping my lips. I ran my fingers through his hair.

He pulled himself up onto his elbows so he could look into my eyes without crushing me with his weight.

"I was thinking about how I much I love you and about how I plan on spending every day reminding you of that fact."

My whole body was burning, his fingers and lips sending shocks along my skin.

He repositioned himself again. He took his time, leaving no inch of my body untouched, unexplored.

I gasped for breath when he finally took me, his heat stretching me, filling me.

Jasper gazed down at me, his eyes aglow with the feelings he had just shared.

I pulled him down to me, my lips screaming for his.

He groaned. "God, Hayden, I love you."

I moaned as he settled deeper inside of me. My body arched itself against his, wanting more.

He had one hand over my shoulder bearing most of his weight, the other down on my hip so I couldn't budge. He moved slowly, making my body ache for him. I thought I'd explode as the intensity escalated. Just when I thought I couldn't take it any more, he stopped.

My body rebelled and tried to move, to make him move again. I felt him smile against my neck. His lips moved down to my collarbone, and his tongue moved just as slowly as the rest of him. He traced a line between my breasts and kissed under each one tenderly.

He rested his cheek on my chest as his hips started their sweet torture anew. The heat started to build again, the slow burn causing my body to ache. Jasper stopped again, his breathing heavy, and though we were barely moving, both of us were drenched in sweat.

"Jasper," I gasped. "Please!"

His tongue played with the contour of my breast and moved up to find my nipple. He sucked on it gently then moved to the other one, taking his time. He kissed his way back to my lips and gently parted them with his tongue. My arms wrapped around his back and I grabbed him by the shoulders with my hands, my tongue found his, and our kiss became harder, hungrier.

He started to move again, never taking his hand off of my hip. I tried uselessly to shift under him, to take him deeper inside me.

His rhythm quickened, the fires in me raging. He caught his breath and let go of my hip. My body bucked under him and I wrapped my legs around his waist, the explosion raking through my whole body. I bit his shoulder, trying to maintain some sort of self-control.

He groaned as we came, his hips jerking against mine. I brought my lips back to his and kissed him tenderly.

He laid beside me and pulled me to him, his arms wrapped around me, the blanket covering us once again. I yawned and he laughed.

"By the way," I said just before I drifted off to sleep. I rolled over so I could bury my face in his chest. "I still love you more."

Chapter Thirty

"It's been two months since we've been back and there have been no signs of any guards. Do you feel like going to town?" Jasper had just brought in an armful of firewood.

I looked up from the rip I was mending in his pants. "Ow!"

He smiled, but tried not to laugh. "Poked yourself again?"

"There has to be a spell for this. Out of everything I've had to learn to do since I moved here, this is the worst."

He dropped the wood by the fireplace and came to kneel in front of me. He took my finger and brought it to his lips. "I told you I didn't mind doing it."

I smiled and moved my hand up to brush the hair out of his eyes. "You do enough around here. And yes, we'd better go to town. You need a haircut." I ran my hand down the side of his face, feeling the stubble along his jaw.

"I wonder when stubble stops being referred to as stubble and becomes a beard." I was pretty sure his had reached beard status.

"Do you want me to shave?"

I shook my head. "I like you scruffy."

The corners of his mouth twitched. "So why do I need a haircut, then?"

"Because when your hair starts to get this long I get jealous," I laughed. "I know girls back home who would kill for hair like yours." I ran my hands through his curls and he closed his eyes. One thick strand fell back into his face, the end of it tickling the bridge of his nose. I smiled and pulled it straight.

"You know, if you had straight hair, your bangs would almost be down to your chin." I let go and watched it recoil.

He opened his eyes. "What if I don't want to cut it? What if I like when you play with it when it's this long?" He leaned forward and kissed me softly.

"Hmm." I placed my fingers by his temples and ran them straight back before grabbing fistfuls of curls. "I'll admit it's kind of handy."

He gave me a lopsided grin. "Is that so?"

I turned on my chair and pulled him toward me so that he was kneeling between my legs. "Well, maybe I can let you keep it a while longer," I murmured.

Jasper chuckled. "How nice of you." He leaned forward and kissed me playfully. "Even though we agree I don't need a haircut, do we still want to go to town?"

I smiled. "How do you do that?"

He pretended to frown. "What?"

"I could tell you I was positive I was a woman, and you could just look into my eyes, give me a kiss, and convince me that I wasn't."

"Well, let's see." He wrapped his arms around my waist. His mouth found mine.

His hands moved under my shirt and up my back before lifting it up enough for him to put his head under it. He kissed along my stomach and made his way up to my breast, paid ample attention to both of them, then came back out and grinned.

"Nope. I'm not going to argue." He kissed me softly. "Definitely a woman."

I laughed. "Alright, then."

He stood and pulled me up. "But you're right. I need a haircut. If we're going, we better head out now. With the snow we had yesterday, I don't know what condition the trail is going to be in."

I put my mending away and went to the bedroom to get some warmer clothes on. I packed a bag for a few days.

I pulled on an extra tunic and took my dagger from Jasper when he handed it to me before putting his on his belt.

"Can you help me get my swords on?" I asked after I buttoned my coat. "I keep getting them hooked on my hood."

He grinned and straightened everything out on my back. "Do you have your knife?"

I nodded.

I was almost out the door before I remembered I was missing something. "Tiny! Come on, girl."

She looked up blearily from her nest by the fireplace and lay her head back down.

"I know how you feel. But at least you have fur." I picked her up. "Here, you can ride in my hood."

She grumbled but settled herself behind my head.

I looked at Jasper who was waiting by the door and shook my head.

"What?"

"I just don't understand. I understand why you can stay warm when you're shifted. You have tons of fur. But how do you keep warmer than me when you're a human?"

He shrugged. The only extra clothing he had added was an extra thick tunic.

The walk took us an hour longer than usual because of the snow. High drifts had made one section of the path unpassable. Jasper had shifted and run back and forth a few times to clear the path for me.

We got to Tara's and found Ben outside grabbing more wood. Jasper took an armful and carried it in.

"Tara! Hayden and Jasper are here!" Ben called as he placed a few more logs on the fire. "I think Hayden could use some tea!"

Jasper laughed and handed him the poker.

"Hey!" Jasper jumped and it was my turn to laugh. I pushed my hands farther up his back under his shirt.

"Not totally immune to the cold, are you!"

He turned and hugged me to his chest to warm me up. "I never said I was!"

Tara walked in carrying four cups of tea and started to laugh. "Jasper! You look like a bush man! Did you lose your razor?"

He grinned at her. "I'm told I look good scruffy. Hayden won't let me shave."

Tara handed me my tea. "How was the trail?"

I smirked. "Well, if you're a cat, I guess it's just fine. When you're the human, it's deep as hell. Not to mention it is bloody cold out there."

There was a quick knock on the door and Brice walked in. I noticed the frown on his face as he shut the door. His eyes widened at the sight of Jasper.

Jasper grinned. "Bush man?"

"No. Well, now that you mention it, yes. But no. You can't stay here!" Brice looked at the door as if to make sure he had closed it properly.

Jasper frowned. "What happened?"

"I ran into Scott and Brian this morning. I was on my way here from Fillian's."

Scott and Brian were the other two Namaels with him the day they had reported to Jasper before we fought at the ridge.

"The order is still out. They're looking for Hayden. They wanted to know if I had seen or heard anything that would indicate that she had been back to your cabin."

I glanced at Jasper.

Brice continued. "I told them I was coming to town and would ask around. They were going to stop at Fillian's and then I told them to check at Cholta's before heading to the cabin. You know him. He'll keep them talking for the next half a day, and he knows Hayden doesn't want to be found. I thought that would give me enough time to get Ben and Tara before heading back to your cabin to serve as reinforcements if you needed them. I didn't expect to find you here."

My knees felt weak and I sat on the floor.

"You have to leave again, Hayden." Brice looked just as worried as Jasper.

I shook my head. "I can't. I can't do that again. Nothing feels right over there now."

"I would rather not do that again, either." Jasper was twisting his ring around his finger, his eyes narrowed into blue slits. He was staring at me, but not seeing me.

I looked at him helplessly.

"Dodge." He straightened slightly, his eyes refocusing.

"What about Dodge?"

He took another minute to rethink his decision and grinned. "I think it is time to go dragon hunting, Shlova."

"You're going to take her to the Northern Regions!" Brice exclaimed.

I smiled. "I did promise Dodge we would go on his stone quest."

Ben laughed. "They won't be looking for her there, that's for sure."

"Do you want us to come?" Tara had joined me on the floor.

Jasper shook his head. "If everyone we know suddenly disappears, they'll wonder what is going on."

"When should we leave?" The thought of going back out in the snow when I wasn't entirely warm yet wasn't a pleasant one.

"Still cold?" He smiled at me and I stuck my tongue out at him.

"Stop that."

"I'm not doing anything," he laughed. "You project it, I feel it. That's how it works." He held his hand out to me and I went to sit on his lap.

I took a deep breath and laid my head on his shoulder.

"We'll make sure you're toasty warm before we leave."

"I better head to the cabin," Brice concluded. "I told them I would meet them there. You guys have a safe trip." He gave me a hug, his eyes communicating an unsaid warning.

Jasper gave him a pat on the back, and he left.

By the time we had purchased supplies for the trip and had something to eat, I was warm again.

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" I raised an eyebrow at Jasper while he shaved. "Wouldn't it help keep you warm?"

He finished the strip he was working on and looked at me. "It takes two weeks to get there if we don't run into any storms, and I won't be able to do it on the road. I don't mind being covered in fur when I'm a cat," he laughed, "but when I'm human, I like to look it. This is about as long as it's ever been. If I let it go another two weeks, even you won't recognize me!"

I grinned at him. "You better let me cut your hair then. You look like a girl without the beard." I waited until he was done shaving then sat him on a chair and gave him a haircut.

"Not as nice as when Shondai does it, but it will have to do." I laughed. "Sorry. It's pretty short."

He ran a hand over his head and smiled. "It's fine." He stood and kissed me softly. "Ready?"

"As I'll ever be."

We said our goodbyes to Tara, Ben, and Tiny, and started on our daylong trip to where the Winged Ones roamed.

Chapter Thirty-One

Ten days into our journey, we were only halfway to the North Region's border. Jasper told me that the farther north we went, the warmer it would get. Unfortunately, there was a lot more snow to traverse before we could shed our winter clothing.

When we came across a cabin in the middle of nowhere, my first instinct had been to turn around and bypass it.

Jasper put a hand on my thigh. "It's alright, Sholva. Do you remember Kantong? The Wedelve who was burned while trying to free his deer when his barn caught fire?"

I nodded. By the looks of the scars, it was a miracle he had survived without help from a healer. "This is his?"

"It used to be. He stays in Sageden now. Stay here while I make sure it's still empty."

I remained on Dodge, ready to run if I needed to.

Jasper poked his head out of the front door. "All clear, Hayden."

I let out a breath and Dodge made his way to the house. "Has he been gone long?"

Dodge shook his head.

"Let's go check by the barn. Maybe some of the hay is still here."

My spirits lifted at the sight of the hay shed still standing behind the barn's charred frame. I swung open the doors and smiled at Dodge. "Breakfast is served." I broke open a bale, patted his neck, and trudged through the snow to the house.

Jasper had a fire going. "Here. I found some soap and cloths. I filled the big pot with snow. I'm going to go hunt."

I looked at him. He looked exhausted. "Why don't you have a rest and then go hunt?"

He shook his head. "The sooner we eat, the sooner we can get going again." He gave me a quick kiss and headed back outside.

I heated the snow in the big pot and washed up, then turned my attention to getting most of our clothes cleaned. I hung them up around the house. When that was done I stood at the window that faced the hay shed and smiled.

Dodge had spent the last week and a half living off what little bit of grass he managed to dig up and a type of energy bar I had made for him. The grain, nuts, and fruit were held together with honey and molasses. Though they helped him maintain his energy level, they didn't do much to fill his stomach.

I caught some movement on top of the hill behind the barn and watched until I was sure it was Jasper. He pulled something to the plateau, knelt, and stripped off both his tunics. He glanced down at his pants, shrugged, and pulled his dagger out to butcher whatever he had caught.

I turned back to the kitchen and looked through the cupboards. From the looks of things, Kantong hadn't come back to get any of his things once he'd recovered.

I turned at the sound of the door opening and burst out laughing.

"What?"

"Did your nose itch?"

I was used to seeing him after he butchered, and the blood that coated his forearms and pants wasn't a big shock. It was the streak of red that ran from his nose to his left ear that had me laughing. "You look like you're going to war!"

He grinned. "Well, I hope not. Though if that's what it takes to keep you safe, that's what I'll do." He kissed my forehead, careful not to get any blood on me. "Did you happen to come across any cloth or strips of material?"

"How about a shirt? Kantong left everything here."

"That will work. Could you grab a couple of them for me?"

I found him a couple of shirts and he trudged back up the hill.

I threw a few more logs on the fire and refilled the pot with fresh snow so it would be ready when he returned.

"We should have enough meat now to last until we get there." Jasper had cut the meat into strips, wrapped it in the shirts so they wouldn't freeze together, and put those in one of our bags outside.

"Here, come stand by the fire. And don't tell me you're not cold. You might be able to tolerate winter better than me, but after taking a snow bath, you're all pink." His skin looked raw where he had attempted to clean off as much of the blood as he could.

He grinned and did as he was told. "I'll admit it does get a bit chilly when the wind picks up and you don't have a shirt on."

I brought him the pot of hot water and the soap. He winced when the hot water touched the skin he had just scrubbed with snow. I handed him some clean pants and took the blood-soaked ones from him. I gave them a long glance and sighed. "I guess these aren't your good pants anymore."

"Sorry."

I shrugged. "We didn't exactly plan on taking a road trip when we packed at the cabin." I washed them as best I could and hung them up with the rest of the clothes. I set off a small breeze to help dry them then went to check on the meat I had put on the stove. "What's wrong?"

He was sitting right by the fire, his arms wrapped around his knees. "Nothing. I just can't seem to get warm."

I pulled the meat off of the heat and went to kneel behind him. He leaned back into me.

"You're shivering."

He grinned back at me. "I believe that's what people do when they are cold, Shlova."

"Jasper, I don't think I have ever seen you shiver. Not because of the cold, anyway." I put my hand on his forehead. "You're hot."

He chuckled.

"That's not what I meant."

"I'm always warmer than you."

"It's probably because you're tired. I'll get you a blanket."

I got the blanket, put a couple more logs on the fire, and brought him something to eat. I sat beside him with my meal. "We'll stay until tomorrow."

"We will, will we?" His blue eyes didn't hide his amusement at being told what to do.

"You're exhausted, Jasper. You need to rest. You don't sleep because you insist on keeping watch, and you don't eat because this is taking longer than we thought and you don't want to run out of food. Even when we're moving, you insist on scouting ahead and do twice as much travelling as Dodge and I."

"I'm fine."

"No, you're not. You're as white as a ghost and you have dark circles under your eyes."

The amusement was leaving his eyes and the seriousness returned. "We have to keep moving. Scott is a better than average tracker. It won't take him long to find our trail and catch up to us. They can run much faster shifted than we can move."

I put the plates on the counter and went to sit behind him. "We haven't stopped. We can afford to rest for a night."

He leaned back against me and I wrapped my arms around him. I used another approach. "If you're too bullheaded to take care of yourself, then at least do it for Dodge. He hasn't eaten anything, either."

He nodded. "Alright. I'll go see if he wants to stay."

I caught his shoulder with my hand before he could get up. "Hun, lay back."

He glanced back, knowing I had figured out his plan.

I gave him my best authoritative stare. "Cauch dernaugh, Jasper," I repeated.

He sighed in resignation and laid his head in my lap. "You're getting pretty good at that." I massaged his temples and he closed his eyes. "The talking, I mean. Not the bossing me around." The corners of his mouth curled up.

"Well, thank you. I have a good teacher." I leaned forward and kissed his forehead.

His grin widened and he tilted his head back so he could look at me. "You don't know that for sure. He might decide he wants to sleep, too." He closed his eyes and settled back down again. A small frown creased his brow. "We really should get moving again, Hayden."

I ran my thumb over his forehead and smoothed the lines away. It only took a few minutes for his breathing to slow and deepen. His head grew heavier in my lap as he relaxed for the first time since we had left Sageden.

After carefully placing a blanket under his head, I put another log on the fire, grabbed another blanket, and curled up beside him.

*****

It wasn't very often that Jasper would sleep later than me, but he'd had about three hours of sleep every night since we'd left Sageden.

It was still dark outside when I woke up. I lifted Jasper's arm off my body and rolled away from him as slowly as possible and headed outside to check on Dodge. I shut the door quietly and barely had time to let out a small scream before a hand clamped over my mouth and an arm wrapped itself around my throat.

"If you have an inkling of feeling for that horse of yours, you'll be quiet," a deep voice growled in my ear.

I nodded and the hand over my mouth let go.

"It would be a shame to kill a Winged One. Tell him to stop struggling. As long as you behave, you'll be fine." The voice sounded familiar.

The moons were full and lit up the yard. I looked toward the barn. "Dodge, stop."

They'd managed to get three ropes around his neck and had tied him to a tree. With each attempt to free himself, the ropes tightened. His eyes rolled toward the sound of my voice and he did as he was told.

"Now. Where's bodyguard number two?" The owner of this second voice walked in front of me. I didn't know him.

"Who?" I decided to play dumb. "It's just me and my horse. I'm not sure who you're looking for, but I live here."

The arm around my throat tightened. "We know who you are. Where's Jasper?"

My heart jumped in my chest. "Scott?"

The arm loosened a bit. "Look, Hayden, we're doing what we're ordered. We don't want to hurt any of you. We just need to get you to Pinsaber like Jasper should have done months ago."

"I don't want to go to Pinsaber."

"It's not your choice." Brian emerged from behind the barn. "Now, where's Jasper?"

"He went out hunting. That's why I came out here. I thought I heard him come back."

He shook his head. "There's a fresh kill on the hill."

"He's stocking up. We were thinking of staying here for a while."

Scott moved sideways to accommodate the door opening. Brian tensed, ready to take on Jasper, then smiled and stepped back.

My stomach dropped then lurched and I had to fight the urge to throw up.

Jasper's eyes filled with anger at the sight of Scott's chokehold around my neck. He seemed totally oblivious to the dagger being held to his throat.

Brice's face was unreadable. He jerked Jasper out of the house.

"Verton, theer tue." The words were spoken so softly I wasn't sure I had heard them properly. I mouthed what I thought I had heard.

Jasper's eyelashes lowered in affirmation.

'Faint, then kill.' But if I do that, surely Brice will have time to kill him. All he has to do is move the blade against his throat.

I took a deep breath and let myself go limp, hoping Jasper had thought through this plan.

Scott struggled to keep me from falling to the ground. He let go of my neck and grabbed me under the arms to lay me in the snow. Brian started toward us. I pulled my dagger out of my belt and thrust up, aiming under Scott's sternum. The blade entered his body and his eyes widened. I felt the blood run warm over my hands. His body collapsed on me. At the same time, I heard a thump as something big fell in the snow behind me.

I pushed and squirmed to get back on my feet.

Strong hands grabbed me from behind and a quick glance at the left one confirmed that they weren't Jasper's. I grabbed Scott's dagger out of his belt as the hands pulled me up. I turned quickly, slashing up in an arc at my captor.

Brice cried out, the edge of Scott's blade cutting a line along his chest through his shirts. He stumbled backwards in shock, tripped, and fell.

I screamed and launched myself at him. The anger I felt at his betrayal was calling the red waves to me. I pushed them aside and tightened my grip on the dagger. This was personal.

Brice had recovered from the surprise of my attack and was ready for me. He grabbed my wrist, barely stopping my momentum before I could stab him. The only thing I could hear was the sound of the blood roaring in my ears.

Brice's grip on my wrist tightened and my hand went numb. I watched the dagger fall into the snow. Weaponless, I dropped my knee on his chest as hard as I could. Another pair of arms wrapped around my chest and pinned my arms to my sides.

I threw my head back as hard as I could and was rewarded with the sickening crunch of my captor's nose breaking with the impact.

Brice's eyes widened. He sat up, a dazed look on his face, his shoulders hunched while he tried to catch his breath.

I pushed back as hard as I could, hoping to knock my assailant off balance. He grunted, the sound wet with the blood running down his throat, but kept his hold on me. I heard Dodge whinny and glanced in his direction. He was still tied to the tree, but didn't seem nervous or agitated.

Brice was standing up, his shirts soaked with the blood from the cut I had inflicted.

Confusion made me pause.

"Take a deep breath, Shlova," I heard a voice beside my ear.

I tensed, my body not understanding what my head was hearing.

"Prand rua crux resand, Shlova," the voice repeated softly.

I did as I was told and felt all of the energy leave me.

Jasper felt me relax and loosened his grip on me, but didn't let go.

I looked around in a daze. Scott lay face down in the snow, his friend a small distance away from him with their throats slit. Brice was cleaning his dagger in the snow. He glanced up at me, gave me a half grin, and then walked over to free Dodge.

I reached a shaky hand back over my shoulder and ran my fingers through short curly hair. My voice shook. "Are you okay?" I whispered.

Jasper chuckled. "Other than the fact that I'm fairly sure you broke my nose, I'm fine." He slipped his arms under mine and hugged me close. "Are you alright?"

I took another deep breath and nodded. "What the hell happened?"

Brice and Dodge looked at each other and Brice burst out laughing. "We should be asking you! By the moons, Jasper and I should have just stayed in the cabin and let you deal with them by yourself!"

I felt Jasper shake with silent laughter behind me and I glanced back at him. His nose was crooked and swollen, his eyes were starting to swell shut, and he was covered in blood.

"You said, 'Faint, then kill.'" I was getting defensive.

"Tun, I did, Shlova, but I didn't mean kill all of us!"

"I...I couldn't tell...Everyone was grabbing me from behind! I heard a thump...I thought Brice had killed you!" I turned my fury on Brice. "And you!"

His eyes widened and he took a step behind Dodge. "What? I came to help and you almost stabbed me in the heart!"

"Well, you could have said something! I thought you'd decided to join them!"

"Had I said anything, they would have known, no?"

I opened my mouth to continue my rant and stopped. Of course, he was right. I inhaled deeply and closed my eyes, rubbing the wrist Brice had squeezed.

"Hayden." I heard Brice take a few steps toward us. "Scott is a great tracker. They got to your cabin sooner than I thought. They picked up the trail from there. I knew it wouldn't take long for him to catch you, and I knew I could never find you in time to warn you, so I pretended to join them. I snuck into the cabin hoping to warn you both, but you'd already gone outside by then."

I could hear Brice shift awkwardly from one foot to another. I rubbed one of the bruises forming on my wrist and winced.

Brice sounded worried. "Did I break it? I tried not to."

I stopped rubbing my wrist and moved it in circles. "You didn't."

"I'm sorry, Hayden."

I opened my eyes and looked at him. He looked miserable. It occurred to me that he'd just killed his two best friends to protect me. Tears started to run down my face and I wiped my arm over my eyes to stop the flow.

"Oh, Brice." Jasper let me go and I wrapped my arms around our friend. "Don't be sorry. I'm the one who's sorry. I'm sorry it even occurred to me you would do something like that. Oh, god. I'm sorry I tried to stab you!"

He chuckled. "No worries, Hayden." He looked down at me. "If you had been a dog, I wouldn't even have the gash on my chest. You completely took me by surprise."

I turned red. "Is it deep? Let's have a look at it."

Brice pulled both his tunics over his head to show me.

Jasper smiled at the gash. "Good job, Shlova." He laughed at the look on my face. "I think you're lucky you were wearing both those shirts, Brice."

Brice laughed. "I'll take whatever luck I can get. It's nice to see that all our sparring is paying off, though. Next time, try to judge the distance a bit better. And about your grip. I noticed when you sliced up, you were holding it like you were going to stab forward. If you're going to slice up, hold it like you're going to stab down." He picked up my dagger and showed me.

I shook my head in disbelief. "I can't believe you're turning this into a sparring lesson."

"We can only teach you so much by faking attacks. Come to think of it, that might be why you didn't cut me as deeply as you could have. You're used to holding back." He handed me the dagger and got me to go through the motions.

It took a few tries before he was satisfied and let me heal him.

I turned to Jasper and tried not to start crying at the sight of him. He looked horrible and I was the one responsible. "I am so sorry."

He smiled at me. "No worries, Shlova. I would rather you hit first and ask questions later."

"Any tips on how to improve that move?"

He laughed. "No. I think that was quite effective just the way you did it."

I made him kneel in the snow before I knelt in front of him to heal him. He cringed.

"Sorry."

Jasper hugged me close and kissed my forehead. "Stop saying you're sorry."

Dodge snorted.

I turned my attention to my horse. "How about you, buddy?"

"He said he's fine," Jasper translated.

There were a few burns where the ropes had chafed him, but nothing else.

Brice was looking at Scott and Brian and I saw him swallow hard. I put a hand on his back. "What do you want to do with them?"

"Well, we can't bury them. The ground is frozen solid."

I offered to burn them to keep them from becoming food for the scavengers.

"May your energy find its way into good hands," Jasper whispered.

I gave his hand a squeeze. "I'm sorry, Jasper. Brice."

They both looked at me in surprise.

"What are you apologizing for now, Shlova?"

"For this. All of it. I didn't think too much about it at first. All the bond breaking seemed innocent enough." I blew a frustrated breath out of my nose. "But it isn't at all. Because of me, you have killed friends, good people who were just obeying orders. It was bad enough when we had to kill dogs because of this. Now, we have to kill cats, too." I closed my eyes. "Do you think it will get better? Will they eventually leave us alone, or will we be banished to remote parts of the land for the rest of our lives?"

"I don't know, Hayden." Brice put a hand on my shoulder. "I can't say why this is happening. All I know is that for us to be able to break our bonds and for dogs to break theirs, there must be a reason. And even though I don't know what that reason is, I do know that I will fight for you--die for you--if that is what is needed of me." He glanced over my head at Jasper.

I caught Jasper's slight nod before he put his hand on my other shoulder. I felt very small between the two of them. I'm safe. I wrapped an arm around each of their waists.

Jasper gave my shoulder a squeeze. "Whatever it is that you are supposed to do here, Shlova, we'll figure it out. And don't ever be sorry. You didn't ask for this. Whatever 'this' is, I have a feeling it is much bigger than you or us. Whatever it is that's coming, it will affect every being that lives in this world."

Dodge snorted and put his head over my shoulder. I leaned my cheek against his.

Jasper and Brice started to laugh.

I let out an exasperated sigh. "What now?"

Jasper grinned at me. "He said that whatever it is you are meant to do here, he has no doubt whatsoever that you will succeed."

I gave him a sideways glance. "That's not what he said."

He gave my shoulder another squeeze. "He said that if there is anyone stubborn enough to change the entire order of how things are done in a world, it's you."

I started to laugh. "How many times do I have to tell you guys? I'm not stubborn. I just know what I want."

The fires were burning themselves out and I shivered. "And what I want now is just one night of sleeping in a cabin before living like a bush woman for god knows how long." Reluctantly, I let go of my two pillars of protection. We went inside to have something to eat, wondering what, exactly, the future held in store.

Continue Hayden's adventure in

Journey

The Chosen One Trilogy:

Book Two

The wind was blowing hard and I shivered.

"Come here, Shlova." Jasper pulled me closer to him and wrapped the blankets around us tightly.

Brice put a few more pieces of wood on the fire and came to sit next to us.

"Do you think Dodge will be ok?" I looked out the mouth of the cave even though I knew I wouldn't be able to see him. He was farther down the trail in a shelter Brice and Jasper had thrown together at the first signs of the storm. The only thing I could see was the snow blowing horizontally.

"He'll be fine. He's a horse, Hayden." I could hear the smile in Jasper's voice.

Brice gazed out into the snow. "On the plus side, we know no one will be following us, and when they start the search again, our trail will have been erased."

It had been two days since we'd left Kantong's abandoned cabin. At the rate we were going, it would take us another week and a half to reach the Northern Regions, our final destination.

"Blasted Namaels," I grumbled.

Jasper grunted.

I glanced back at him apologetically. "Sorry. Not you two. Just cats in general right now. Why couldn't they just leave us alone?" I hated being cold and, at the moment, I was freezing. It made me grumpy.

Brice got defensive. "Why are you grumbling about cats? I recall a couple of instances where the dogs were a pain in the rear."

"Yeah, well, blast the Majs, too."

I felt Jasper look over at him and Brice went quiet.

"And you stay out of this," I mumbled to Jasper. "If he has something to say, let him say it." Another blast of wind made its way into the cave. I stared into the fire.

Brice glanced at me. "No. I'm fine. I just don't like being stuck in a cave when there are scouts from two different armies looking for us."

Jasper grunted in agreement.

"You're grunting a lot," I commented.

All I got in return was another grunt.

I took a few deep breaths and began to relax. I felt Jasper's body began to unwind. . "Man, I wish we could just go home." I hugged Jasper's arms and ran my fingers under his sleeves to warm my hands.

"Do you regret coming back?" he asked quietly.

"What? No! Why in the world would you ask that?"

I felt him shrug behind me. "It's just...living on the run, having to kill. I know you don't like killing. You could be with your parents, going to school, and not have to worry about all this."

To go back to the world where I had been raised, where cars, showers, and cell phones existed meant leaving Quelondain, where I had been born, where legend foretold I was going to be a major part of great future. Returning might have been tempting, were it not for Jasper and all my friends. He was right. I didn't like killing or fighting. That was one of the reasons we were forced to hide like this. Some said all I needed to do was pick a side. But I couldn't. I wouldn't choose one over the other, and I couldn't leave. So we hid.

"You think I didn't worry about all of this when I went back? I barely functioned. All I could think about was where you were and if were you safe. I wondered about Dodge, and Taraand Ben, and Luke, Mel, and the twins. I even worried about Brice!" I grinned over at our friend. He was really more like an overprotective little brother.

Brice accepted the peace offering and smiled back at me.

"There's a crossing about a half day from here." Jasper let the statement hang in the air.

I shook my head. "I thought about it once, after Luke took me and I thought you were dead. I was sure it was best for everyone if I left. But even then, deep down, I knew I couldn't go. My life changed from the moment I saw the hill crossing, and even though I'm glad it was you who found me first, I know I would still be here if it had been another Namael or one of the Majs that had met me. I know life would have been different at first, but I'm positive I would have come to this point, eventually. I would have made up my mind not to fight, and I would still be hiding."

I kissed his cheek. "And what would you have done had I been found by the Majs first and we'd met on the battlefield?"

He smiled. "Well, that's simple enough. I would have walked past everyone, killed anyone who had gotten in my way, grabbed you by the arms, and kissed you."

I laughed. "Could you imagine? Everyone would have walked away in shock."

"To stop a battle with a kiss. If it were only so simple." He wrapped the blankets around us snugly.

I looked up at him. He looked so tired. His eyes were closed, but I knew he wouldn't let himself fall asleep any time soon. "You're not trying to get rid of me, are you?"

His eyes flew open and he looked down at me, shocked.

I smiled and reached a hand back to touch his cheek. "You don't have to answer. Your reaction was the answer I needed."

He grunted, annoyed, and closed his eyes. He opened them again. "You didn't truly believe that, did you?"

"That you don't want me here? No. I know you just want me safe."

He grunted again. "It doesn't matter where you go, Hayden, you're not safe. Or do you forget the situation I found you in the last time you were there?"

I shrugged. "Maybe I like to watch you swoop down and save me."

His sky blue eyes squinted with his smile. "Your own personal knight in shining armor, am I?"

I was laughing at the memory of Jasper walking up behind me while Dave had been trying to force himself on me. "The look on his face when he saw you! 'What is it with you and big Scottish guys?' I'm sure he thought I was lying to him when I told him I had a husband." A warm feeling washed over me and I found his left hand so I could feel the gold band on his finger.

He kissed the back of my neck and I knew he sensed how much I loved him. Having your mate be able to feel what you were feeling was a handy thing is some situations. I was getting pretty good at shielding him from knowing my feelings all the time, but sometimes I forgot. There were also times when I used it to make sure he could understood, like now.

"Why don't you two get some sleep? I'll keep watch." Brice didn't wait for an answer. His form blurred as he shifted into a jaguar and went to sit at the entrance of the cave.

I looked at Brice and smiled.

"What?" Jasper looked over at his friend.

"I was just thinking of the first time I saw you shift into a tiger."

He laughed. "You were positive that you were dreaming."

"And when you were trying to explain the difference between the Namaels and the Majs. I couldn't grasp that the dogs you were talking about were actually people shifted into dogs."

"The look on your face when I told you the dog had sliced me with his dagger after jumping out of the tree!"

I laughed. "All I could picture was a big German Shepherd in a tree holding a dagger in his mouth!"

Jasper reached over and grabbed the blanket Brice had been using. He spread it out on the ground and lay us on it. "A shlova yan," he whispered.

"I love you more," I whispered back.

"I'll shift so you can stay warmer." He kissed me softly. "Try to have a good sleep."

I snuggled into the tiger lying beside me and wondered again why it was that Jasper always managed to be warmer than I was. I ran my fingers in the fur on his side and smiled when he started to purr.

Sometime during the night, I felt him leave my side. A few moments later, Brice was laying with his back to me. He looked back at me, his greenish blue cat eyes blinking once, then settled back down.

"Get some rest, Brice." I covered both of us up with the blanket and rested my arm along his side. It didn't take long for me to fall back asleep.

When I awoke the next morning I realized that for the first time in two days I was actually hot. I kept my eyes closed, enjoying the feeling. My hand ran through the fur under it and the purr was almost instantaneous. I cracked open one eye just long enough to make sure I really did recognize the purr and that the fur was striped and not spotted.

There was a big sigh from the furry form behind me and I realized I was sandwiched between the two of them.

Jasper shifted and turned so he was facing me. He kissed me tenderly and chuckled.

"What?"

"What would you have done if I'd been Brice?"

I blushed. "You caught that, did you?"

He grinned.

"I guess I would have said, 'Sorry,' and turned around to pet you instead." I laughed and looked past him to the mouth of the cave. "When did it stop?"

"About an hour ago."

Brice stretched out to his full length, the toes on his paws spreading and showing his claws. His jaws snapped shut after his yawn. He shifted and sat up. "Morning."

He reached up and brushed some stray blond strands of hair out of his eyes.

I smiled. With his hair sticking out everywhere first thing in the morning, he looked quite a bit younger than his twenty years.

He took in our surroundings, looked toward the mouth of the cave, and the quick glimpse of the young Brice I had seen disappeared.

"Do you think we should head out?" He looked at Jasper, who nodded.

"The sky is clear. It's over."

There was a snort from outside of the cave.

Jasper translated for Dodge. "He thinks we should head out."

It was my turn to grunt. "Of course he does."

We packed everything up and I gave my horse a hug before swinging on. "Hey, buddy. How was your night?"

He nodded his head and I looked to Jasper for the rest of it. "He said it was fine; a bit windy."

I laughed and gave him a pat on the neck. "Funny."

I looked back once toward the cave and we moved off into the white world that stood between us and the Northern Regions.

Books by Mireille Chester

Adult

The Chosen One Trilogy:

Crossover

Journey

Destiny

Angered Season

Young Adult

Tyler's Story

Chael's Luck

About the author:

Mireille Chester is a stay at home mom of three children and wife to an amazingly supportive husband. Her time is spent playing with the kids, reading, writing, and watching movies with her hubby.

Mireille is a fantasy author who loves to spend time in made up worlds filled with magic. She is a firm believer that no hero is perfect and that all villains are burdened with a tiny shred of humanity. While she writes her Adult and YA novels under the name Mireille Chester, she is now writing a middle grade series under the name M.G. Chester.

