“Cathy and Marisol are working together on Edward’s situation, and the sheriff is healed.”
Relief washed over her at the news. Cathy and Edward were still alive. “Sheriff Jenson is healed?” she asked, surprised. “Completely?”
“Marisol is good.”
She blinked. “Yes. I can’t quite get my mind wrapped around such a talent. I don’t know if I will believe it until I see it.” Her gaze went to his stomach where the injury had disappeared. “Okay, I believe it, but I’ll still feel better when I see the sheriff up and about myself.”
“So far no one has anything on the Shadow Masters. I worked the Net myself while you were sleeping and found nothing. Cathy sent word to remind you to call her mother. But she said not to bring up the Shadow Masters on the phone. It’s too dangerous. We need to go see her.”
“I hope she can help,” Sarah said, worry etching her features. “I’ll call as soon as I get dressed.”
“Your shirt has blood all over it,” Max told her and inclined his head at the closet. “I brought your bag in while you were sleeping.”
She hadn’t been taken care of in, well, forever. It was a small gesture, but it meant something to her. “Thank you,” she said, her eyes locking with his. She started to turn and hesitated. “There can’t be double standards in this relationship.”
A frowned touched his eyes. “What?”
“If I’m going to have faith, you can’t go losing yours. It doesn’t work that way.” She didn’t wait for a response, pushing to her toes and brushing her lips quickly over his. Then she headed to the closet to grab her bag before disappearing into the bathroom.
She shut the door and stared into the mirror. Her hair was a mess, and aside from the smudged mascara under her right eye, her face bore no makeup. She was a mess on the outside and confused on the inside. But she also felt a sense of belonging she hadn’t felt for a long time. A sense of needing and being needed.
They’d figure out this test he faced, just as they’d figure out how to save Allen, and the town of Nowhere. They had to. Failure wasn’t an option.
Suddenly, she realized Kate had been silent since she woke, despite previously desperate attempts to communicate with Sarah. Her mind stretched to that communication. Kate had told her something—something important. A place maybe. A location. Somewhere Allen was going. Sarah dropped her sheet and stepped into the shower. By the time the hot water poured over her, she was lost in her thoughts, desperate to find the clue lurking in the depths of her mind. She had to remember…before it was too late.
Chapter 15
Once Sarah entered the bathroom, Max spent the next few minutes pacing the room. Jag had disappeared, no doubt orbing to some distant place, his return certain at any moment. Frustration welled in Max’s gut over his situation. Damn this test. Why give him some secret test that could doom him to hell and deliver him to his mate at the same time? Why? And the thought of dooming his mate to hell, as well, was unbearable. He began pacing again, scrubbing the now overgrown stubble on his jaw.
A knock sounded on the door and Max reached for it, his frustrations funneled into the action as he yanked it open, biting back angry words of confrontation. A good thing because Jag was no longer alone. Karen, his mate, stood beside him.
“We thought you might be hungry,” Karen said, smiling as if she didn’t notice the scowl on Max’s face, her blue eyes twinkling. Blond and beautiful, she was strikingly light in appearance and personality—a direct contrast to the dark edge that clung to Jag’s presence—yet somehow the perfect match for him. She held up the bag to make sure he saw the name on the side, and added, “I know how you love Big Macs.”
Max cast Jag a disgruntled look. He didn’t make a habit of confronting Jag—he respected him too damn much—but right now this test and Jag’s Big Mac party were pushing the wrong buttons. Very personal buttons. “I know what you’re doing and it’s not okay.” Max ground out the words between his teeth. “I don’t want to pull Sarah into my world when I don’t even know if I’m going to be here for her.”
“You will be,” Jag said, “because I refuse to let you fail this test.”
“That makes two of us,” Karen said, shooing him with her dainty little hand. “Now, step aside. I’m hungry and I want to eat.” She grinned. “And meet Sarah.”
Max slid his teeth together and obediently did as he was instructed, easing back into the room, allowing Jag and Karen to enter. But then his restraint snapped; the agitation that had pushed him to pace only moments before bubbled over into actions. Max shut the door in a near slam and whirled around to find Karen on the bed pulling food from the bag, and Jag leaning on the dresser.
“How am I going to pass this damn test when I don’t even know what it is?”
“By believing you can.”
The softly spoken answer came not from Jag, but from Sarah, who had entered the room as he spoke. She paused just outside the bathroom wearing slim-cut black jeans and a red T-shirt. Freshly showered, her hair damp, her face fresh, she looked lovely—like an angel. His angel. Max felt his frustration melt away as he looked at her. Felt the calmness take hold. She did that to him. She brought him a peace he hadn’t felt in centuries.
He watched her closely, expecting her to focus on Jag in awe as most people did when they first met him. Jag had a way of drawing both male and female attention. It was an aura of power he oozed, a bit of magic even. But Sarah wasn’t looking at Jag. She was staring at Max, as lost in him as he was in her. God, this connection he shared with her made him whole. He felt it as surely as he knew this was what had been missing all his life. He wanted to believe he could pass this test. He did. Wanted to believe there was enough human left in him to deserve to stand beside his fellow Knights, as well. To deserve Sarah and mate without harming her. But he’d killed a human; his beast had dictated that action. Four hundred years of fighting the beast had taken its toll and beaten down the man.
Out of his peripheral vision, Max saw Jag cross one booted foot over the other, and he knew Jag’s action was meant to gain his attention. “Smart woman,” his leader murmured softly.
Sarah glanced at Jag. “Actually,” she corrected him, “my mother was the smart one.” Her attention went back to Max. “She said that doubt breeds weakness and bad choices.”
Without warning, Sarah’s stomach rumbled rather loudly, shifting the mood in the room. Sarah’s cheeks flushed red as her hand pressed to her middle. She laughed, the sound laced with embarrassment. “Sorry about that. I guess the smell of food is getting to me.”
Karen started laughing, too. “I heard that. Sounds urgent.” She patted the bed. “I’m Karen, Sarah. Jag’s mate and wife.”
Jag offered a tiny bow. “Nice to meet you, Sarah.”
“Nice to meet you,” Sarah said, studying him a moment with interest.
“Come sit with me,” Karen ordered playfully, bringing Sarah’s attention back to her. “I won’t have you starving on my clock.”
A smile touched Sarah’s lips. “I love McDonald’s,” she confessed, claiming the spot next to Karen and reaching in a bag for a fry. “Hmm. I don’t know if they are really good or I’m just really hungry.”
“I brought choices,” Karen offered. “Nuggets, double cheeseburgers or Big Macs.”
“Big Mac,” Sarah said, accepting a burger and inhaling the smell. “Love these things.”
Karen smiled and eyed Max, a Big Mac in his hand. “You know you want it.” She turned to Sarah. “He loves them, too.”
“I’ll grab some drinks,” Jag said. “I know what everyone else likes. Any preferences, Sarah?”
“Coke,” Sarah, “but I’ll settle for Pepsi.”
Jag looked at Max. “Why don’t you help me?”
Max glanced at Jag and silently told him again, he knew what his leader was up to. Jag wanted to give the women some alone time. At this point, Max didn’t see the point in arguing. Jag had expertly orchestrated Operation Bring Sarah Into The
Inner Circle, and it was working like magic. Sarah and Karen were getting along as if they were longtime friends.
Max took a minute to fully dress, and for any Knight, that included arming himself with blades. Once outside, he expected Jag to corner him about Sarah. He quickly learned that assessment was wrong.
Jag pulled out his phone. “I need to check in with Des one last time before he’s in Nowhere and I can’t reach him. Right before I left, I sensed Adrian’s presence.”
Two things instantly crossed Max’s mind. (1) He was damn impressed that Jag could sense Adrian’s presence. Jag couldn’t have done that before now. Their leader was growing stronger each day, and that meant the Knights were, as well. (2) He’d been around four centuries, and he knew the rules that guided those not of this world.
Max gave Jag a puzzled expression. “He’s not allowed to interfere with activity in this realm any more than Salvador is,” Max pointed out. “So what’s he up to?”
“His usual no good, but at least I have Salvador alerted. If Adrian crosses any lines, Salvador will be watching. Salvador can’t intervene unless certain lines are crossed. He has to work through us.”
“Did he offer any insight into Vars’s history?” Max asked, ready for any bit of information he could sink his teeth into.
“He uses humans for personal entertainment, subjugates them to stroke his ego,” Jag offered. “He’s concerned about us being lured to Nowhere by Adrian.”
Max filled in the blanks. “I guess we all are. It’s pretty obvious Adrian had chosen it as his battlefield.”
“Exactly,” Jag said. “Which means we need to turn the tables on the enemy and turn their trap into our trap.”
Max grinned. “I like the way you think, Great White leader.”
Jag punched the buttons on the phone, and Max moved toward the soda machine, allowing Jag the privacy to talk to his second-in-charge. He gave himself a moment to think about what had to be done. A great battle faced them all. He had to make some tough choices and ensure that Sarah was safe if he didn’t make it to the other side of this war. And he damn sure wouldn’t take her to hell with him if that was where he ended up. Nor would he let her live here on earth blaming herself for not saving him. He wasn’t a fool. He could see she lived her life with the guilt of her parents’ death.
No. Max had to get this under control and focus on the battle ahead. He’d push Sarah firmly away, but not so far that he couldn’t protect her. There wasn’t another option. He had to do this. But damn, he wasn’t going to like it. This was going to be a little taste of living hell.
Sarah watched the door shut as the men exited the room and immediately turned to Karen. “What can you tell me about this test Max has to face?”
“Regretfully,” Karen said, “not much. The test comes from above Jag, and neither of us were told the details.” She held up a finger. “But I can tell you Max will be asked to do nothing he is not capable of achieving. His success, not his failure, is the goal. And frankly, I believe that you, as his mate, came to him now as a guide, to support him and help him conquer this test. If that’s not proof he’s intended to succeed, I don’t know what is.”
“So you believe I’m Max’s mate, too?”
Karen gave her a curious look. “Don’t you?”
Sarah hesitated only an instant, deciding there wasn’t time for anything but directness, her heart telling her all she had to know. “I do,” she admitted. “It’s a little overwhelming to believe something like this is real, but I know it is. I felt the connection the minute I met him.” She considered the situation a minute, and then asked, “If you can’t tell me what this test is—can you tell me why Max is being tested? He said he broke a rule, but didn’t seem inclined to explain the details.”
A conflicted look flashed across Karen’s features. “I’m afraid I’d be out of line to comment. I think this needs to be something Max tells you.”
“But you know.”
Karen nodded. “Yes. I know what he did. I just shouldn’t say.”
Sarah’s shoulders slumped in defeat. “I suspected you would say that.” Still, she wasn’t willing to give up without some form of information. “Can you confirm he goes to hell if he fails the test?”
“That’s true,” Karen replied softly, the words touched with regret.
Sarah felt that confirmation like someone ripping her heart out. “I just barely met the man and the idea of losing him feels like torture.”
“Time is irrelevant,” Karen explained. “Your soul is connected to his. Max is your other half. In this lifetime or another, you would never have felt complete satisfaction without him. Don’t run from the connection. He needs you too much. Accept your bond and you’ll save him.”
Karen tugged her shirt to the side to expose her shoulder. “This is the mating mark you will receive after he bites you.” She quickly added, “If you make the choice to mate.”
Sarah blinked, shocked at the star which not only looked like a tattoo but seemed familiar in a very personal way. “That star—it’s related to King Solomon, right?”
Karen let her shirt slide back into place as surprise registered on her face. “It is. We call it Solomon’s Star, though in his time it was named after his father, David.”
“The Star of David,” Sarah said.
“Right,” Karen confirmed. “Unfortunately, Solomon’s service ended with betrayal and he turned to dark powers. We call it The Star of Solomon as a reminder that Jag must protect humanity without corruption.”
Sarah could barely believe what she was hearing. “I…this is crazy.” Karen gave her an inquisitive look and Sarah continued, “My parents were killed by a demon. When I finally destroyed it, I used Solomon’s magical writings to do it.” Her chest tightened. “Just not soon enough to save my family.” She shook her head. “This is so strange. The connection to Solomon seems too big to be a coincidence.”
Karen’s expression held certainty. “Everything happens for a reason, though you may not know that reason until much later. You were guided to Solomon’s writings for a reason. I have no doubt you deserved justice and you received it. I’ve found the higher powers can’t always stop the evil forces, but they can guide us to do it. I don’t pretend to understand all of this but I know this. Your destiny is with us. We are your family now, Sarah. In time I hope you feel that, too.” She touched Sarah’s arm. “One day I’ll share with you how the Knights became my family.”
Family. She forgot what that felt like. All these years of doubting, of losing that faith Max had spoken of, and there seemed to be a higher force guiding her all along. Her mother had always said there was. Deep inside, Sarah knew that all along.
Male voices rumbled outside, signaling the men could be returning. Quickly, Sarah blurted out a rather embarrassing question weighing on her mind. “One more thing. Max said he was worried about the mating process. He said he could kill me. That there isn’t enough human left in him to bite me and not turn into a Beast.”
Karen rolled her eyes. “They all think that and it’s simply not the case. And, yes, I know Max is an old, old man.” She crinkled her nose. “He acts like it sometimes, too. He hovers over everyone in protective mode all the time. Especially the younger Knights.” Her expression turned thoughtful and she continued before Sarah could ask more about Max’s “old man” tendencies. “I’ve given some consideration to why mating requires they bite their intended mate, considering biting a human and taking blood could turn them into a Beast for good.”
Sarah absorbed the last bit of information with some apprehension. Once the Knight bit a human, he converted to demon. She suppressed a shiver. “And what did you come up with?”
“I think it’s because they must believe they are worthy of their duty to continue this journey they are on. If they can’t believe in themselves, why should anyone else? He’s been through a lot and so have you. But you have each other now. It will work out. He can’t hurt you. He’d die to save your life.”
>
She believed that. All of it. Max had already saved her too many times to count. “This all makes sense,” Sarah said, thinking of just how much Max didn’t believe in his worthiness, relieved he wasn’t possessed. That he couldn’t turn on her. She smiled. “Thank you. I feel better already.” She blushed a bit and then asked one last thing, “Those teeth of Max’s are pretty long. Does it hurt? Were you worried at all when he bit you?”
“Not at all,” Karen said, and grinned. “It’s actually quite sexy. It’s a sensual bonding of body and soul you only get to live once. Enjoy it.”
Sarah smiled. “I guess that explains why I got all warm all over when he described the process.”
“Oh, yeah,” Karen agreed. “That’s why, all right. The natural attraction between mates is quite yummy, isn’t it?”
The door opened, and Karen and Sarah quickly ended their private conversation, sharing a female look of understanding, two kindred spirits. They’d become fast friends, and Sarah couldn’t be more pleased about that fact. Suddenly, in the middle of a firestorm of danger, Sarah felt a bit of hope. The kind she hadn’t felt in a very long time. Max wasn’t a demon. He was connected to an archangel, in fact. And he needed her. If there had been anything she’d gotten out of this talk with Karen, it was that.
Max’s ears filled with the women’s laughter as he pushed open the door to the room. His eyes caught on Sarah’s, his heart squeezing because he’d just made a hard decision. One that forced him to pull away from her.
He cut his gaze away, afraid she would read the distress in his eyes. Intentionally Max settled on the floor, against the wall, putting distance between them. Jag passed out drinks and then joined him.
The two men sat there, eating in silence, listening to the women bond as Karen shared details about Jaguar Ranch. Changing subjects, Karen shifted the conversation to Sarah’s personal life. “How long have you been able to talk to spirits?”