Chapter 25

A MONTH LATER...

Surrounded by the intoxicating fragrance of wildflowers, with a cushion of thick grass beneath her, and the breeze gently rustling the leaves in the branches above her head, there was no place Amy would rather be. That both her mates had broken away from their duties to have lunch with her under her and Remus' tree, what had quickly become their favorite spot, made it extra special.

Reclined against Tarus' sturdy frame with her feet in Remus' lap, his skilled thumbs expertly kneading the arches, Amy sighed in utter contentment. "Mmm, I could forget about work and stay here forever."

"Fine with me," Tarus replied, his deep voice rumbling in his chest beneath her head.

"And me," Remus echoed. "You work too hard."

She didn't want to have this discussion with them again. Her job at the clinic was rewarding, and she liked the people she worked with. Besides, if she didn't have it to fill the hours of the day while they were busy with their warrior duties, what would she do with her time? It wasn't as though she had children to watch over, and likely never would. On that dismal thought, she closed her eyes lest they should see the sadness that washed over her. She was ecstatic being mated to her warriors, save for one small, cuddly, sweet-smelling thing that would make her life, and theirs, complete.

A shrill alert shattered the peacefulness of the moment. Her warriors grabbing their communicators, jostling her from her cozy spot.

"What is it?" she asked with a sense of dread.

"There is an emergency at phase 5," Tarus explained, lifting her off him before swiftly rising. "A piece of excavating equipment malfunctioned. The sparks caught the woods they were clearing on fire. The call is for all able-bodied hands to keep it from spreading to phase 4 and beyond."

Already on his feet, Remus wasted no time gathering the remains of their lunch. "Given the lack of rainfall in the past few weeks, the entire area is at risk of igniting."

He extended his hand down to her and easily pulled her to her feet. Tarus took her other hand as they started back to the clinic at a fast clip.

They left her in the empty clinic lobby, but not before Tarus tipped her face up to his, their lips meeting in a brief but passionate kiss. "It could be morning before we return."

"Please be careful," she urged.

"We have you to come home to, so expect that we will, koria ." With those words, her warrior who had a reputation for being tough and standoffish yet always gentle and loving with her, walked out the door.

Remus pulled her into his arms and captured her lips in a passionate farewell kiss.

"We'll call when we can and let you know when to expect us," he said when they finally broke apart .

Reluctant to let him go, Amy ran her hands through his hair, the strands soft and warm against her fingertips.

His voice ringing with impatience, Tarus opened the door and called out, "Quickly, Brother!"

"I've gotta go, baby," he whispered, his breath brushing against her tingling lips. "Boss man calleth."

"I heard that," Tarus shot back. "Boss man sayeth get your arse in gear."

"He's always had a keen sense of hearing," Remus observed with a wink before touching his lips to hers once more. "We'll be back as soon as we can."

"In one piece is all I care about," she replied, her voice filled with worry, her fingers gripping his tightly, but he pulled away and she had no choice but to release him.

When her warriors were gone, the silence in the room was deafening without their larger-than-life presence to fill it.

EXPECTING INJURIES , they cleared routine appointments and called in extra staff. But, after hours of waiting, the flood of patients didn't arrive. A little before six o'clock, Adria received word from Beck that the blaze was almost fully contained and that, as yet, the injuries were minor. The few scrapes and bruises and burns from floating embers the emergency medical teams treated on site. Her husband also told her it would take several more hours to ensure, with the wind and the dryness of the brush, it didn't reignite.

"What do you say we keep mate vigil together?" Adria suggested .

"Good idea. I wasn't looking forward to facing an empty apartment and eating dinner alone."

"Mates certainly grow on you quickly," her friend said with a wistful smile.

"In my case, doubly so. Remus has been wanting to try Southern fried chicken. I was going to make it tonight."

"You can cook?" Adria asked.

"Heck, no!" Amy quipped. "I can open cans and read directions on pouches. Worse, I'm from the Pacific Northwest and don't know a darn thing about Southern cuisine, so I'm not offering any guarantees."

Adria laughed. "Would Remus or Tarus know?"

"Nope. That's the beauty of it. If it's a disaster, I can blame it on the dish rather than the cook."

"Beck is the handy one in the kitchen. He's from Texas, which he says is in the Southwest of your United States. He's fried chicken a time or two while I watched. Maybe we can make it palatable if we team up."

"I'm game if you are," she said, linking her arm through Adria's. "And if we screw it up, I have a lot of cans and pouches, not to mention a fire blanket."

They chatted as they walked, but Amy's feet would go no farther at the corner where she made a right turn toward home. Straight ahead were the woods, which had been haunting her thoughts for weeks.

"Is something wrong?" Adria asked, glancing from the woods to her face.

"My therapist says by facing my fears they can't control me."

"You fear the forest? "

"I remember the picnic." Amy met her friend's worried gaze. "The twins said a team searched and found nothing."

"Beck was with them. He said they saw nothing out of the ordinary."

"I should have a hand to hold, and daylight, when I face my fears, don't you think?"

Without hesitating, Adria gripped her hand. "I'm here for you, always."

They walked for fifteen minutes until they saw the purple lake at the bottom of a steep hill. It was straight out of her dreams.

"Is this the spot?" Amy asked.

Standing beside her, Adria looked down at the idyllic spot. "Yes. We took the road around from the other side and picnicked down below. After we ate too much, Beck and I spread out a blanket under that blue-and-yellow shade tree and took a nap. Mike and Juna waded in the water, and you went for a walk up here."

They explored, seeing nothing but a few woodland animals that looked much like those on Earth except in oddly vivid colors. They spotted what to Amy looked a lot like a squirrel with bright yellow fur and a blue deer. She actually laughed at the peculiar sight.

"Laughter in the place that has haunted me is progress," Amy told her friend. "Thank you for doing this with me. I don't think I would have had the courage otherwise."

A faint rustling in the dense undergrowth behind them had them both turning. Anticipating a larger, furry creature, their smiles quickly faded. The sound of her heart pounding echoed in Amy's ears as she found herself face-to-face with the horrifying entity from her nightmares. A suffocating fear gripped her, rendering her unable to utter even a small squeak, let alone scream.

Beside her, Adria was stricken, too. "Orleon," she gasped, her voice barely above a whisper. "But you're dead. The Intrepid blasted you into bits."

The waxy, pallid being remained ominously silent, staring back at them with black-as-pitch, emotionless eyes. It inched closer with each passing moment.

"Maker have mercy," Adria uttered, stark fear in her voice as others identical to him emerged from the towering trees. Still others, in varying sizes but smaller than those in front of them, arose from the ground.

No. Amy blinked, unable to believe what she saw even though she'd seen it before—in her dreams. Reminiscent of that fateful day long ago by the tranquil lake, they rose from pods buried beneath the surface.

Panic surged through Amy's veins, and a piercing scream burst from her throat. "Run!"

But as she spun around, more of the eerie creatures blocked her path to escape. They were surrounded.

Desperation filled her voice as she turned to Adria, seeking guidance amidst the chaos. She had her communicator in hand. It was flashing red.

"You sent a distress signal?"

"Yes. But everyone is at phase 5. That's fifteen minutes away by hover car."

"What do we do in the meantime?"

"Pray they get to us in time. "

Adria glanced her way then back at the creatures who kept advancing. In that brief moment, Amy saw an emotion she'd never seen from her friend before. It was the same one she felt after Orleon fed from her over and over in the cave—hopelessness.