Mikal (Second Wave Book 3) (20 page)

Yeah, the fates sent a big ‘screw you’ to me
,” he thought, before he turned on his father angrily.

“Why did the two of you think that mating would be a good idea? I mean hell, she was Valendran and you’re some evil killing, ghost busting, I don’t know what the hell you are! Did either of you think of the mutant I might end up being? I’m a damn freak of mother’s people, doomed to freaking kill them when they turn anomalous and now you’re telling me I have to kill demons and boogie men and I don’t know what!” Mikal said, his voice rising until he was screaming.

Indrid looked around at the curious faces and tried to calm his son.

“Mikal, it’s not what you must be thinking,” he said softly, reaching to touch Mikal’s arm.

Mikal stepped back and threw his hands up in between him and his father.

“Don’t touch me. Just leave me alone for a while. I need to think,” Mikal said before he hopped the railing of the gazebo and strode angrily towards the kitchen where Chance and Charlie had gone.

Indrid stood and watched Mikal walk away and wondered if he would ever be able to reach him through the anger he felt simmering under the surface.

“You might want to slow down a bit on the revelations. He’s got a lot hitting him at once already,” Chris said from behind Indrid.

Indrid turned to Mikal’s brother and wasn’t surprised to see more than one.

“Tell me, what is it that you all are? What is this curse he believes he got from his mother’s people?” Indrid asked, hoping they loved their brother enough to help him reach his son.

Liam chuckled and came into the gazebo along with Declan, Luca and Chris.

“Yeah, maybe if you know about his other curse, you’ll understand why finding out he’s got another one wasn’t the best way to start out,” Liam said.

Chris sighed heavily. The last thing he wanted to do right now was waste time explaining things to Mikal’s biological father. But he had felt Mikal’s anger and pain when he’d walked away and knew he had to do something to help his brother find peace with himself again.

“Let me tell you a story about Dranovians,” Chris began.

*****

Chance felt Mikal’s energy before he came near the door. She’d already sent Charlie with Lauren and stood to meet him when he opened the door. The Shengari’ had been wild with what was happening outside with Mikal and his father, and no one wanted to be in the way of either man at the moment. No one but Chance.

Her eyes sought his when the door opened, and she walked silently to him and closed the door behind them as Mikal took her hand in his own. Chance remained silent as he led them along a heavily forested path along the lake.

“I’m sorry,” Mikal said, finally breaking the silence.

Chance snorted and looked up at him with a wry grin.

“Don’t be. It had to be hard to go from not knowing if you were the only one to finding me, then your father. I think learning anything else was just the final pebble on an already teetering hill,” she sympathized.

“You think I’m unhinged?” Mikal asked, a little offended until Chance started laughing.

“Of course not! I think you just reached a point where you didn’t need to hear anymore before you understood what you learned already. Kind of like overload. I know the feeling,” Chance said as she looked around the magical place pointedly.

Mikal couldn’t help but chuckle at the reminder that Chance and her sisters were also dealing with their worlds being turned upside down.

“Yes, I bet you do understand. And you’re right. It’s like an overload in my head. I want to rage at the past. At decisions I wasn’t around to be a part of making, yet affect me in the present. How do you blame someone when they did the best they could for you?” Mikal asked, feeling overwhelmed by the thoughts and questions in his head.

Chance looked at him incredulously.

“You’re kidding right? You went from one loving family to an even bigger loving family. Yeah it wasn’t your real one, but they’re wonderful. I’d say the only blame to be placed is on people no longer around to punish. Unless you think punishing yourself is the best route to go,” Chance said with a teasing grin as she pulled him into a small patch of soft grass next to the lake.

Mikal laid back in the grass beside Chance and gaze her a dark look.

“You really know how to make me feel like a petty asshole,” Mikal teased back even though he did feel pretty petty when he thought of it from her point of view.

Chance grinned broadly at Mikal and nudged his shoulder with her own.

“I’m still working on my small talk skills,” she said.

Mikal pulled her into his arms and sighed in contentment when she placed her arm over his chest and tucked her head onto his shoulder. They lay in silence for long moments, enjoying the sound of the birds and animals around them and the lapping of the water in the lake.

“I’m glad you’re here,” Mikal said softly, squeezing her for a moment.

“I am too. How long are we going to stay here?” she asked.

“You don’t like it here?” Mikal asked, starting to sit up until he let her hand push him back down.

“Of course I like it here. I’d be a fool not to, it’s an incredible place, and I have to admit that I feel safe here. More than I’ve ever felt anywhere,” she admitted.

“Then why would you talk about leaving already?” Mikal asked curiously.

Chance shook her head at him.

“Because you don’t plan on staying here,” Chance said, surprising Mikal.

“How do you know that?” he asked warily, wondering how she’d guessed.

“Because you and your family are a team. You have a job to do and you won’t stay here forever. The moment you all think it’s safe, we’ll be leaving. So I was curious how long you thought we’d be here before we moved on,” she asked honestly.

Mikal’s breath caught in his throat and it took him a moment to relax and draw a proper breath so he could clarify what he thought she was saying.

“We will leave when it’s safe. As wonderful as it is here, I’d rather not use this as a base for such things. It just doesn’t seem right to taint this place with what we do even if we are welcome to stay. You think you and Charlie would mind leaving here?” he asked tentatively.

Chance could feel the hesitation and concern in his energy and hoped that she was making the right decision for herself-and Charlie.

“We wouldn’t mind at all. She would hate to be away from you. So would I,” she admitted, holding her breath to see what he’d say.

Chance gasped when Mikal quickly rolled on top of her and looked down into her startled face.

“Do you know what you’re saying?” Mikal asked, trying to keep his energy calm.

Chance nodded slowly, her eyes never leaving his.

“I’m saying I want to stay with you. I . . . I want to be true parents to Charlie,” Chance said a little breathlessly.

“You mean you want to be a true mate to me. We already are true parents to her,” Mikal said, watching her closely for her reaction.

Chapter Twenty

Chance felt like she was lost in Mikal’s eyes, and no matter how hard he tried to hide it, she could feel the nervous excitement in his energy. She knew he was giving her an opportunity to back out and it only made her love him more.

When Mikal had been taken, she’d had a lot of time to think about why she felt like a piece of her had been ripped out, why she felt such loneliness and emptiness even though her sisters and Mikal’s family surrounded her. It hadn’t taken long to figure out that she loved him.

He was every fairytale prince she’d ever read about or seen in movies. The hero who had come and saved her when she was at her darkest and loneliest moment. When she needed someone the most. And he’d never left her side. She never wanted to leave his either.

“I would like to be your mate. If you want me,” Chance said softly, hoping she hadn’t misunderstood him.

Mikal closed his eyes and sighed heavily, and Chance’s heart sank. Feeling utterly humiliated that she’d misread Mikal’s intentions, she started to move out from underneath him.

“Where do you think you’re going?” Mikal asked as he leaned down, putting enough weight on her to stop her from moving.

Chance was forced to look into his eyes, suddenly a little squashed beneath his hard body.

“I . . . I figured it would be a good time to head back,” she said, embarrassed and not willing to discuss it further.

Mikal chuckled and she felt his body hum against hers, and it sent shivers up her spine as he leaned down and whispered against her lips.

“I think it would be better to spend some alone time with my mate,” he said before he took her lips in a soul searing kiss.

Chance felt the heat of his lips and gasped, giving his tongue easy access to her mouth. Chance matched the movements of his tongue as her arms twined around his neck, pulling him closer. In the back of her mind she felt the change in their energy, the way it began to beat as one rhythm. Soon their hearts also changed, their beats matching the one throbbing in their energy.

Mikal felt the change as well, and the heat between them increased as their bodies vibrated in tune with one another. It was overwhelming and so right at the same time. More vivid and beautiful than he’d ever imagined.

Mikal pulled away, opening his eyes and saw his amazement reflected in her own eyes.

“Do you see the colors?” he asked, as she nodded her head mutely.

Mikal knew the answer before she acknowledged him. There was no way that she wasn’t seeing the ribbons of energy that shone through her skin. It looked like an internal rainbow reflecting through the shimmering particles in their skin.

Mikal ran a finger along her cheek and the curve of her neck and she shivered at the trail of heat he left behind while he chuckled softly at the shimmering rainbow of color that pulsed with life at his touch.

“So beautiful. Try it,” he whispered in awe.

Chance stared into his eyes as she reached a hand up and caressed his face the way he’d done it to her and she gasped at the sight of the colors pulsing in the wake of her touch along his midnight skin.

“Is it normal,” she asked on a whisper.

Mikal shook his head slowly and touched her shoulder, running his hand gently down her arm. He watched as the colors pulsed more deeply and he finally understood it. The colors reflected their emotions, pulsing more deeply as the desire increased between them.

“I don’t know if it’s normal. I know it feels right,” he said before he took her lips in another toe curling kiss.

Mikal gently wrapped his arms around her and rolled onto his side, taking her with him without breaking their kiss. Chance could feel the heat building between them and she pushed at Mikal’s shirt trying to get the scratchy fabric away from them both.

She knew her senses were overstimulated, she knew that the increase in her sensitivity was causing everything but the feel of his skin to bother her, but she didn’t care. All she wanted in that moment was to feel him, all of him, and she pushed at their clothes until Mikal began to help her remove everything standing in the way of their bare skin.

Mikal knew they were going too fast. That he should take his mate somewhere other than outdoors. But the heat and energy between them was raging out of control and he couldn’t stop it.

Chance thought they would be cooler once their clothes were off, but she was wrong. The heat increased along with the pulsing of their energy and heartbeats. The only thing that seemed to ease the conflagration was Mikal’s touch. Each brush of his skin against her heated body temporarily relieved the fierce fire burning her up.

Chance wrapped her arms tighter around him, drawing him closer to her body so that more of their bare skin touched. She smiled as he groaned at the contact and stroked her hands up and down the strong muscles in his back, marveling at his size and strength.

Mikal leaned closer and gently kissed her cheek before leaving a burning trail of kisses and licks from her cheek and down her neck, each one sending the heat and need in them both spiraling farther out of their control.

Mikal tried to draw back, to give her time, but when Chance moaned and pulled him closer he was done trying to control himself.

Chance couldn’t stand the thought of Mikal stopping, not when he was the only one who could relieve the deep ache increasing in her. She gripped him tightly, arched her body closer to him, and moaned as he caught her nipple in his mouth.

She writhed against him, trying to draw him closer as his tongue and mouth did things to her breasts that she’d only read about. By the time his kisses moved lower, her body felt so liquid hot that she couldn’t move if she tried. Until the first swipe of his tongue had her gripping the back of his head.

Mikal could feel her need building and knew she was close. He didn’t want to disappoint her, but he had to be inside of her the first time she found her release with him. The desire was so primal and deep that he found himself crawling up her body as she moaned in complaint.

“Shh, baby,” Mikal whispered while he situated himself against her tight wetness.

Chance jerked at the feel of him butted up against her and she began writhing and bucking against him until he slipped just inside. She stopped for a moment, trying to adjust to his girth, while Mikal braced himself above her, grinding his teeth to keep from driving inside of her and claiming his mate.

She rolled her hips against him and managed to slip him farther inside, the heat and excitement driving the dull pain aside until she felt something break and she gasped.

“It’s over, baby. It will be better now, I promise,” Mikal whispered hoarsely, trying hard not to hurt her.

Chance nodded her head and tried to shift away from the pain, and after a few seconds the pain was gone and a white hot need took its place.

“Oh!” Chance said as she moved slightly and was hit with a shaft of pleasure that rocked through her energy. She assumed it bounced of Mikal’s as well because he groaned.

She moved again, and there was only pleasure. She couldn’t help but slide up and down until Mikal began moving with her.

“Yes,” Chance whispered as Mikal began driving harder into her, her hips matching his movements as if with a will of their own.

The heat and energy built between them so strongly that Chance swore it could be physically felt in the air around them. She didn’t care; all could feel was Mikal’s body and the intense pleasure building inside of her along with the energy.

Suddenly the building energy reached a crescendo and there was an audible pop. As Chance and Mikal cried out their pleasure, they opened their eyes to see the energy break into a shower of glitter shards. They dissipated in the air around them as Mikal tried to slow his breathing.

Chance grinned up at him, her body blissfully relaxed.

“I guess Ranger did see us glow,” she teased.

Mikal chuckled and collapsed beside her, pulling her close to his side.

“Good thing he wasn’t around to see the rainbow glitter falling,” he said as he kissed her cheek.

Chance laughed and cuddled closer to him, the air suddenly feeling cooler to her.

“Sh, he may actually be stalking around,” she teased.

“Nah, we’d hear him growling every step of the way,” Mikal said with a laugh.

“Why does he do that?” Chance asked.

Mikal shook his head, not really wanting to talk about the cat.

“I don’t know, baby. Are you sure you don’t want to stay here with Charlie? I can stay here with you until we’re ready for a mission,” Mikal began before Chance silenced him with a kiss.

“No. I want to stay with your family. You’ve always stayed with them before and I’m not changing that. Besides, it gives us both a chance to go on missions that way and still have Charlie with one of us,” Chance said.

Mikal sat up and looked down at her.

“Wait, you think I want you on missions?” he asked incredulously.

Chance sat up and pulled her shirt over her chest.

“Wait, you think I’m not going on them? What did you think? That I’d just stay home and take care of Charlie? No way. I have just as must training and ability as you, we can take turns on missions,” Chance said as she crossed her arms over her chest.

That was not an option Mikal wanted to consider, especially not after being a guest at one of the labs himself. He damn sure didn’t want to have to worry about her getting captured again.

“There’s no reason for that! Why risk yourself? Or risk leaving Charlie without a mother?” He argued as he stood and began pulling on his clothes.

Chance stood angrily and began getting dressed.

“So it’s OK if she loses you, but not me? You had no problem with me going along before! What’s changed?” she demanded.

Mikal huffed, trying to think of what had changed, and the obvious came to mind.

“You’re my mate now. I don’t want to take a chance of losing you the way I lost my mother and my father. I don’t want Charlie to go through that either,” Mikal argued.

Chance looked at him incredulously as she finished pulling on her shoes.

“So mate means you get to be a dictator? If that’s the case, you can forget the whole mate thing and we can be like a real human family with parents that don’t live together! And you can watch our daughter when I go on missions!” Chance said, then stomped off back towards the castle.

Mikal ran his hands over his head in frustration and growled.

What the hell is wrong with her?
He wondered.

“I do not growl every time I take a step,” Ranger said from behind Mikal, causing him to jerk around to glare at the cat.

“You were spying on us?” Mikal accused.

“No, I just have exceptional hearing,” Ranger said with a smile.

“It was a joke,” Mikal said defensively.

“So why did you make her want to scratch your eyes out?” Ranger asked, tilting his head and staring at Mikal.

Mikal sat back down on the ground and shook his head.

“I wasn’t trying to piss her off,” he said.

Ranger laughed then snorted.

“The things you people creatures excel at amaze me. And you call us animals. We like our females to fight. Meow chicka meow meow,” Ranger said before he flicked his tail in the air and disappeared around a strand of trees.

Mikal laughed, he couldn’t help it.

“Meow chicka meow, meow? Really? I’m telling dad to stop letting you guys have satellite television!” Mikal called at the cat’s retreating form.

Mikal paced along the water, trying to figure out why he’d acted like an ass to Chance and how to fix it. He couldn’t deny that he didn’t like the idea of her going on missions. But he didn’t like Angel or Dree going either and they still went.

Lara was an exception because of her power and the fact that she’d been in the military for years. Plus, she kind of scared everyone a little bit, even if none of them would admit it. Only the Tezarians seemed unaffected by her, but they took everything in stride.

“No, we’re going to knock this out now. Even if I have to kick your ass to prove my point. But I’m not giving up on us and I’m not going to be caged again either. No matter how beautiful the cage,” Chance said, startling Mikal from his thoughts.

He turned to face her and couldn’t help but smile at how beautiful she looked in her anger, and his heart melted at her words.

Mikal walked towards her and picked her up, holding her close.

“I was an ass. I’m sorry. My only excuse is that I’ve never felt this way or been so happy and I’m just terrified of losing you or Charlie,” Mikal whispered hoarsely.

Chance wrapped her arms and legs around him and held him tight. Leaning back she kissed his lips then looked him in his eyes.

“I’m not going anywhere, but you can’t keep me in a cocoon either. We can’t raise our daughter like that or any future children we may have. And I have to fight them, Mikal. I have to. I swore to myself that I would and I’m not going to stop. Don’t make me go behind your back in order to do what I think I must,” Chance said, hoping they could find some way to compromise.