17

Rescue you.

Henley

I can't sleep.

I also am starting to dislike the imposed eleven o'clock ‘bedtime' throughout the week. What's the point since we're homeschooled now?

I hold up my hand to look at the ring on my finger.

Am I seriously engaged?

I get what Parker was saying, about me acting more human than supernatural. Eighteen is very young to be engaged by human standards. But humans also don't have soulmates. Humans divorce and change their minds. For me, Parker is it. He's the one fate has chosen for me. And I can't imagine anything better than him. There is nobody better suited for me than him.

I love that wolf shifter. He owns my soul. He did long before I even knew he was my soulmate. I've been infatuated since the moment I laid eyes on him in the hallway at school. When I met his blue eyes, my heart stopped. And the moment our skin touched, I knew there could be nobody else for me.

My room lights up brighter than if somebody had turned on the light switch. I shut my eyes to block out the blinding light, but it fades quickly. When I open my eyes, I see the phoenix standing there. My heart accelerates as I look around the room.

"You are one hard girl to get alone," the phoenix says. "I'm here to rescue you."

Rescue me?

What the heck? Is this guy insane?

"I don't need rescuing," I tell him, knowing that Parker will feel my increased heart rate. He will know I'm in trouble and he'll get here. I just need to keep him talking for a few more seconds.

As if the phoenix knows what I'm thinking, he steps forward and grabs my arm. I try to fight him off, but before I can even lift my hand to strike out, there is alone blinding light. One moment, I am in the spare bedroom in Parker's house, the next I am somewhere else.

I have no idea what building I'm in. Maybe an old warehouse? But it's clean. I'm in the loft, standing in the middle of a bedroom. There is a large bed, a dresser, a TV, and a couple of doors. One wall is brick with a window, but the window is covered with bars. Two walls are made from drywall. The rest of the room is open, with bars barring the room off like a balcony, and some stairs lead down to the rest of the building.

I quickly swing my gaze to the phoenix. "Do you really think you can keep me here? I'm a phoenix too. I'll teleport back the second you let me go."

He grins. "You figured out that you're a phoenix? Well done, Serephina."

I flinch at the name of Serephina. I know from what my dad told me that it was my birth name. Dad changed my name because he didn't want my birth parents to come back for me. I'm not sure how this phoenix knows that.

"My name is Henley," I say, through gritted teeth.

"Your name is Serephina." He stands up straighter. "I am Blaze."

His name is Blaze?

"Do phoenixes have a thing for naming their children after fire?" I cross my arms over my chest.

I should be teleporting, not making conversation. But as I try to call forth my powers, nothing happens. I can't teleport.

Blaze ignores my question and grins. "I was raised around phoenixes—a whole community of them. And I know things that history has forgotten about us. Like how to block a phoenix's power." He spreads his arms wide. "This is your new home."

"You mean my prison," I say, through gritted teeth.

"Call it what you like." He grins widely. "But this is where you will be staying until I know I can trust you. Once I can assure myself that you won't teleport away, I will take you home."

"You'll take me back to pack land?" I look at him, feeling hope for the first time since he teleported me here.

His face turns red. "That isn't your home, Serephina. You belong with other phoenixes. Together, you and I can rule the world."

All hope that I had evaporates with his words.

He doesn't intend to ever let me go home. And I don't intend to ever go with him to meet the other phoenixes. I don't know enough about my race to know if it's safe. What if the other phoenixes are like him?

"Blaze, my soulmate is a wolf shifter. Surely you don't intend to keep me away from him." I put a hand to the base of my throat as I study the guy. He's young—probably only eighteen, like me. But his eyes are hard and as he looks at me, I can see the truth.

He will never let me go. No matter what happens.

I'm going to have to find my own way out of this situation.

I raise my hand to slap him, but Blaze moves out of the way. He backs up the staircase. I reach out to shove him backward, but my hand hits an invisible barrier. I pull my hand back as an electric shock goes through my arm. I shake out my hand.

"Ouch."

"I'll give you time to get used to your surroundings, Serephina."

My stomach drops as I realize that there is no way out of this. I'm trapped.

But just as quickly as the panic sets in, I realize that Parker will come for me. He will find me. He's my soulmate. There is no way that Blaze will be able to hide me from Parker, no matter how hard he tries.

But where am I? For all I know, he could've teleported us to the other side of the world.

No matter, Parker will come for me. He will find me. And when he does, Blaze will regret taking me.

I glance down at the ring on my left hand, my heart pounding faster at the sight.

This isn't how I wanted to spend the night of my engagement, but I won't let Blaze take away my happiness.

Parker's coming. I just have to be patient.

Parker

I wake up with my heart pounding faster than I've ever felt before.

Disoriented, I sit up and look around the room to see what's caused my panic.

There is nothing. I'm alone in my bedroom. But a noise at the other end of the house causes me to jump up from my bed.

Henley.

This is her. This is her fear that I'm feeling.

I throw open my door and run through the house, not bothering to muffle my steps. I want my family to hear. I may need their help, especially my father.

As I race down the stairs, I hear my parent's bedroom door open.

"Parker," my father calls.

I don't slow my steps. Instead, I run straight for Henley's room on the first floor. I throw open the door and find her room completely empty.

"No!" I growl out the word.

Where is she?

I run my hands through my hair and force myself to take a deep breath. My father comes into the room, but I ignore him and try to focus.

My mate is gone and she's frightened. Because we haven't completed our mate bond, it takes me a few seconds to track her. My stomach drops when I realize that she's over three hours away.

"The phoenix," I manage to ground out. "He took her. She's somewhere over three hours away. We have to go."

Dad puts his hands on my shoulders. "Breathe, son. You need to calm down."

"Did you not hear me?" My breath is coming frantically now. "The phoenix took Henley."

"We will go get her."

I nod. "Yes. Let's go." I turn to walk to the door, but my father stops me.

"Parker, stop." My father's command washes over me.

I turn to him, unable to continue walking to the door. He hasn't commanded me like this since I was a kid. "Dad, don't make me fight you."

"Just stop and listen for a second." Dad turns to face me. "We will go and rescue your mate, but we aren't going with just the two of us. I will call the pack. We'll go with our elite fighters. You're not alone and we will not leave you to fight this phoenix on your own."

I nod.

He's right, of course.

I take a deep breath and slowly exhale. "Okay. Let's get a group together. I want to be on the road within the hour."

Dad nods. "Of course, son. Go get dressed. Meet me in the living room when you're ready."

I rush to my room and get dressed as quickly as I can. The entire time, I can't stop worrying about Henley. But she's strong. She's going to be okay.

Will and Blaine were right to teach her how to fight. When this is over, I will teach her myself. I will make sure that she's strong enough to protect herself no matter what happens.

And I will find a way to kill that phoenix if it's the last thing I do. He will not be coming after my mate—not ever again.

Henley

Blaze wisely stands on the other side of the barrier where I can't reach him.

Does he know that I've been training? Parker said he hadn't been seen on pack land, but he must have been. How else did he know that I was staying at Parker's house? How did he know which room to teleport into?

I put my hand on the barrier.

"It's no use," Blaze smirks as he watches me.

I've been looking for a weakness in the barrier for hours now. There is no way for me to get through. Blaze has planned this out well.

"You know my soulmate will come looking for me, right?" I cross my arms over my chest as I glare at him.

He leans a shoulder against the wall. "I want him to come. I want the entire pack to come. When they do, I will kill them."

"Parker will kill you," I threaten.

He chuckles. "And I'll come back to life. I wonder what will happen to the wolf shifter when I kill him."

My stomach drops.

He's right, of course. If Parker kills him, he'll simply come back to life. There is no way that we can stop him. But if he manages to kill Parker, that's it. Wolf shifters don't come back to life.

Blaze looks at me with a greedy light in his eye. "Are you now seeing the flaw with your boyfriend? He's mortal. Fragile. Weak."

My eyes snap up to Blaze. "You're mortal too. I might not know a lot about phoenixes, but I know we die of old age like every other supernatural. Nobody is immortal."

He narrows his eyes and I can see the fire in his eyes.

Maybe I shouldn't taunt the phoenix. He has a temper. And, judging by the fact that he kidnapped me, I'd say he's also a psychopath.

I groan, letting my head lull back.

I might be doomed. And if I don't save myself, somebody in the pack may end up getting hurt—or worse.

Parker can't die. I just met him. We just got engaged. We haven't even got to start our life together yet and I want it all with Parker.

"What is that?" Blaze steps through the barrier distracted by something.

I follow his gaze to see that he's looking at my ring.

I hold it up for his inspection. "Oh, did I not tell you? Parker isn't my boyfriend—he's my fiancé."

Blaze's jaw tightens.

He's in the barrier. I have to get to him before…

But he realizes his mistake at the same moment as me. He teleports outside the barrier before I can even blink.

Wow, he's good at using his powers. He has a lot more experience.

"I am going to kill the wolf shifter. I will kill them all," he seethes through gritted teeth.

Without another turn, Blaze turns and stomps down the stairs.

My stomach churns.

No. He can't kill them.

Maybe Parker won't be able to find me. Maybe…

When I focus on Parker and his emotions, I can feel a lot of things. Anger. Frustration. Anguish. But the emotion that stands out the most is determination.

He's already on his way. And when he gets here, Blaze is going to kill him. Even if Parker kills him, he'll only come back to life. Eventually, he will succeed.

I run my fingers through my hair in frustration.

What am I going to do? How can I protect my mate against somebody who can't be killed? We don't even know how to contain him. If only there was a way to contact the other phoenixes. Would they even help me? Or are they too scared to step forward and make themselves known to the rest of the supernatural world?

I have to find a way out of this stupid room before Parker gets here.