What the Heart Desires

  Pulling her bottom lip between her teeth, different scenarios formed. Then Adalyn whimpered. She gazed in her arms where her daughter lay. Warmth flooded her body when Adalyn began rooting at her breast.

  “I think she’s hungry, sweetheart.” Her mother chuckled the words and swiped her tear-streaked cheeks. “You should go upstairs, feed her, and then shower. Layne can get us caught up on what happened. By the time you’re finished, Dylan will be close.”

  She nodded at her mother before facing Layne. As much as she didn’t want to leave the responsibility of an explanation on his shoulders, her daughter came first. Besides, if she waited much longer, the top of her dress would be soaked.

  Layne offered her a smile before glancing at Adalyn. “I’ve got this, Heaven. Go take care of your daughter.”

  “Okay, I’m going. But before I do, there is something else I need to know.” She found her mother’s face. “What about Faith? Is she okay?”

  “Faith is fine. She had the baby a little after two. It’s a boy. Jeremiah Cole.”

  As much as the news warmed her heart, Heaven sensed the ache in Layne’s. Part of him wondered about the baby’s paternity, but he didn’t dwell on it for long. He believed in Delia’s abilities enough to trust what she’d told him. The baby wasn’t his.

  After what happened during their captivity, she knew it didn’t matter to him anymore. His devotion lay with her. A child deserved more than a part-time father, and he knew that. In fact, relief replaced his disappointment.

  “Is Hope at the hospital too?”

  “She was, but she left at three to help search for you. She and Scott are together. So are Layla, Dane, and Isaac. Dylan is with Delia and Spencer.”

  There were no words to describe the appreciation swelling in her heart. She hated the thought of their family spending the entire night searching for them. Hopefully they would be home soon, just as safe as she and Layne.

  “Go feed my granddaughter.” Her mother cooed the words as she caressed Adalyn’s head.

  After nodding again, Heaven moved through the room, rounding the banister of the staircase. She ascended the steps toward her old room, but Layne’s energy remained around her, even when she closed the bedroom door. It was as if he were in the room instead of downstairs with her parents.

  She hated leaving him alone to explain what happened. Not only would her mom study his aura as he spoke, her dad would read his thoughts. If Layne continued thinking about what happened between them, she didn’t doubt her parents would sense it.

  Pushing the thoughts from her mind, she lay across the bed, enjoying the way the soft mattress cradled her body. It was a welcome change from the hard concrete floor they’d sat on most of the night. Cool air greeted her skin once she unsnapped the front of her bra and held Adalyn close.

  She stared at her daughter, watching her mouth work as she suckled. The pressure within her breast decreased. It was hard to believe they were together again. Dylan would join them soon. Then their reunion would be complete.

  No matter how sweet reuniting with him would be, it wouldn’t change one fact. All hell would break loose the minute she told Dylan the truth.

  If she told him the truth…

  * * *

  Layne rested his head on the back of the couch and glared at the ceiling. The faint sound of running water had stopped. Heaven was finished showering, though he doubted she’d join him right away. Adalyn’s restlessness increased. It wasn’t the fact that she was still hungry, she wanted to be with her mother. If he could sense her needs, so could his Seeker. She wouldn’t leave the bedroom until her daughter was content. Or until Dylan arrived.

  A dull ache formed at his temples, most likely due to lack of sleep. He wanted to crawl in his bed and forget the last twelve hours. At least most of it. There were certain things he never wanted to forget, nor would he…

  He tucked the thoughts in the back of his mind and concentrated on Nicholas. Heaven’s father remained at the front window, peering into the yard. His arm pressed to the casing as he leaned against it. His hand fisted. He hadn’t said much since Layne explained what happened or Nate’s part in his and Heaven’s abduction.

  Shifting his attention to the end of the couch, Layne met Anna’s eyes. The smile she forced to her lips left his gut in knots. Her physical demeanor matched her inner one—tense. Could she tell by his aura that he’d made love to her daughter? Worse. Had Nicholas read his thoughts? Perhaps that’s why they’d both grown quiet.

  Damn. He’d given in to his thoughts after all. God, he hoped Nicholas wasn’t reading his mind…

  It didn’t seem like her father held any hostile feelings toward him. But the longer Layne stared at his back, the more he questioned if he were sensing him correctly. The fact he was sensing anything left his mind spinning. He had questions—ones he couldn’t ask anyone but Heaven.

  Had the part of her soul that remained with him given him more of her abilities than he thought? He hadn’t expected to sense anyone but her, nor was he sure the vibes he sensed belonged to her parents. Only she would know for sure, because no one else read energy the way she did.

  “I’m going to kill him.”

  Nicholas’s voice penetrated the silence like a wolf baying at the moon. It was just as edgy, just as eerie, and vague enough to make Layne swallow hard. To which him was Heaven’s father referring?

  “Beg your pardon?”

  A slow spin had Nicholas facing him. He pursed his lips to speak, but Anna regained his attention. His jaw flinched. “Don’t look at me like that, Anna. Nate almost killed Layne last night. Had he succeeded, he would have killed our daughter too. How can you be upset with me for wanting to end his life?”

  “Because I remember the man he used to be.”

  Her voice cracked before she faced the adjacent wall. Sadness quivered through her. It spoke of the severed connection between a Seeker and her Keeper. Even though Anna and Nate chose different paths to follow, part of her would always care about him.

  Layne couldn’t help but wonder how deep their connection had grown before their fallout. They’d known each other in high school and didn’t part ways until college. Could it be that she and Nate were physically involved at one point?

  Maybe that’s why he went batshit crazy in the end. He couldn’t stand by and watch her with her soulmate when he wanted to be in his place. The thought resonated with familiarity, far too much familiarity.

  Refocusing on Nicholas, Layne recognized the pain on his face. Dylan got the same expression when arguing with Heaven. It must be a soulmate thing. He wouldn’t know, considering he didn’t have one.

  Nicholas pressed his lips into a thin line. He kept glaring at Anna, nostrils flaring. “The key word is used to be. He’s not that man anymore.”

  “Because of me, Nick. He changed because of me.” Anna kept her face toward the wall. The way her voice shook hinted to her tears. Guilt spun within her, coupling with the sadness already consuming her.

  Nicholas moved closer to her side of the couch, but stopped short of the coffee table. He worked his mouth open and closed, like he couldn’t find the right words to say. “We both played our part in Nate’s downfall, Anna, but he made the ultimate choice. You did what you could.” He looked as though he were waiting for her to face him. When she didn’t, he tossed his hands in the air. “After all these years, it amazes me how he can still— You know what? I can’t do this right now. I’m going to find Mason, make sure he didn’t see anything while he was searching the grounds.”

  It didn’t take him long to reach the door. One twist of his wrist drew it open enough for him to slip outside. It slammed shut behind him.

  Gawking at the door, Layne fought the urge to look at Anna. Now would be a good time to have a disappearing ability. Maybe if he stood and walked away fast enough, she wouldn’t feel the need to apologize.

  The more he thought about it, the better the idea sounded. Besides, he wanted to check on Heaven, or at least wait
outside the door until she finished feeding Adalyn. He’d do anything to be close to her and anything to leave this awkward situation behind him. The second he readied himself to stand, Anna’s voice broke the silence.

  “I’m sorry, Layne. I know you and Heaven went through a horrible ordeal. Please believe me when I say that I’m not condoning Nate’s actions.” She turned her body in his direction, taking a moment to wipe her eyes and tuck a few strands of hair behind her ear. “But I can’t hate him the way my husband does. He was my Keeper, and a Seeker never gets over her first Keeper. Their bond is like no other, and neither death nor damnation can change that.”

  Once she stood from the couch, she moved toward the front door. Her energy spoke of her intent to find her husband and make things right before everyone returned to the house.

  Yet before she opened the door, she turned to face him once more.

  “I wish things could be different for everyone, especially you, Layne. I’ve seen you interact with Adalyn, and I know you would have made a great father.”

  Where in the hell was this coming from? They’d been talking about Nate, about the fact that she would always care about him. Layne had only listened. At no point did they discuss his fate or anything about him being a father. What made her think he’d be a good one anyway?

  “You think too highly of me, Anna. Adalyn is my Seeker’s child. I’m responsible for her life until her Keeper arrives. That makes me a good Keeper, nothing more.”

  She held her position at the door, knob in hand. He didn’t doubt she was reading his aura, and God only knew what she was seeing.

  “We both know that’s not true. I saw the pain in your aura when you found out Faith was still pregnant. That pain intensified when Delia confirmed the baby wasn’t yours.”

  He didn’t doubt she’d seen his pain that night. He remembered it well, how it felt like his heart had been ripped from his chest. But not because of Faith.

  “Why are you bringing this up?”

  “Because you deserve to be happy. You’ve sacrificed so much for my daughter, more than you realize. All you’ve received in return are hard knocks.”

  Shrugging, he tried to hide the way her words affected him. “It’s the story of my life, but I bring it on myself.”

  “No, you don’t. You didn’t ask for this life, Layne, but you’ve taken it in stride. I know what Heaven means to you, and I want you to know that I’m sorry. You’ve been hurt, and wronged, and I’m incredibly sorry for everything.”

  Jesus, she was just like her daughter, always ready to take responsibility for things that weren’t her fault. It was admirable, but unnecessary.

  “Anna, you don’t owe me an apology. The only person who wronged me is Faith. She and I wronged each other, but even that doesn’t matter anymore.”

  “You were never meant to be with Faith, which is why I’m glad her child isn’t yours.”

  Layne didn’t blink or flinch at the comment. He’d wasted enough energy on Faith. “Your daughter and grandson are where they belong, as am I. We can’t change what happened. We can only follow the path fate paves for us. I know my fate, Anna. I know what it entails, and I’ve accepted it. I’m a Keeper, an unmated Keeper, with no other purpose than to protect his Seeker. My legacy and bloodline dies with me.”

  “You’ve only begun to discover your purpose in my daughter’s life. Your fate is intertwined with hers for a reason. Hold on to the fact that you are exactly where you need to be.”

  “What does that mean?”

  The door cracked open before she could answer, revealing Nicholas on the other side. Guess he’d changed his mind about checking on Mason. The minute he gained Anna’s attention, Layne was long forgotten. She joined her husband on the porch as she closed the door.

  Despite the wooden separation between them, the glass panel didn’t hide their embracing bodies. It didn’t stop Layne from sensing the remorse beating through them.

  Damn soulmate bonds…

  He would spend the rest of his life on the outside of one, forever looking in, forever wanting the one thing he couldn’t have—a soulmate of his own, a soulmate he wanted to be Heaven.

  CHAPTER 18

  The bedroom door came into view as Layne passed by it once more. He lost count of how many passes he’d made in the last ten minutes. If he debated with himself much longer, he’d either wear a hole in the carpet or miss his opportunity to be alone with Heaven one last time.

  Dylan would be arriving soon. The hour Nicholas assured them it would take passed five minutes ago. Maybe Nicholas miscalculated the time or Dylan stopped for fuel. There were plenty of reasons for his delay. Contemplating what they were wouldn’t get Layne any closer to what he wanted—to see his Seeker.

  Another pass brought him back to the bedroom, but this time, he stopped. The wood cooled his face when he pressed his ear against the door. The quiet room increased the anxiety pumping through his heart. If it weren’t for the steady hum of her energy, he’d burst through the door and make sure she was okay. It wouldn’t be the first time someone kidnapped her under his watch.

  Idiot.

  He struck the door with his knuckles. It vibrated his face, but he kept his ear to the door, straining to hear her voice or movements. When silence remained, he knocked again.

  The longer he waited for a response, the harder his heart pumped. He knocked a third time, only louder. His knuckles burned each time they met wood. Aside from a dull ache, they gained him little else.

  Fighting the impulse to break down the door, he forced himself to breathe. Birds chirped in the distance. Their faint sounds filtered through the open window at the bottom of the stairs. They distracted him enough to ease the tension in his shoulders, but the need to check on Heaven didn’t subside.

  Fuck it.

  The door swung wide as a breeze greeted his skin. Curtains wavered around the window on the opposite wall. He hated invading her privacy, but he had to make sure she was okay. After the hell they went through, he’d be damned if he let someone sneak in and take her away.

  Once she came into view, the knot in his stomach loosened. She lay on her side, legs curled, one arm tucked under the pillow, the other cradled around Adalyn. Her eyes were closed, breath steady, and her energy pulsed in a serene rhythm.

  He leaned his head against the doorframe and stared. The urge to go to her overcame him, the urge to sit by her side and watch her sleep. But as sure as he stepped foot in the room, Dylan would arrive. Then the opportunity would be lost. His friend would rush upstairs, find them, and ask him to leave.

  Now that he knew she was okay, he debated on heading to the cottage. He needed a shower and clean clothes. After spending hours trapped inside the quarry, he felt like a junkyard dog—full of dust. Yet the pull of Heaven’s energy kept him in place.

  Despite the shortage of time, he needed this moment with her. When Dylan discovered what his father did, he wouldn’t let her out of his sight, not any time soon. If she chose to tell him everything else, Layne counted on two things for sure. He’d never get another minute alone with her, and he’d have one hell of a fight on his hands.

  Closing the door behind him, he took long strides until he reached the foot of the bed. Thankfully, she wasn’t feeding Adalyn. Her dress covered her in all the right places, only exposing the skin it was meant to expose. Seeing that much of her flesh was enough. He wanted to run his fingers over every inch in his view, wanted to lay next to her, holding her close like she held her daughter.

  The thought became too much. He turned from the bed, half tempted to dart out the door. How the hell was he going to do this? How was he going to get through each day and watch her with her soulmate? It was hard enough in the past. Now that they’d made love, it would be torturous.

  “Layne?”

  Her voice invaded his thoughts. He peered over his shoulder, meeting her sleepy eyes. She propped herself up on her arm when he didn’t answer, careful not to jostle Adalyn in the process.


  “Is everything okay?”

  “Everything is fine. When you didn’t come back, I got worried and came searching for you.”

  She finished pushing herself into a sitting position and uncurled her legs. Her body mesmerized him. He couldn’t look away, nor did he try. He watched her every move as she scooted to the side of the bed and stood.

  “I didn’t mean to worry you. After Adalyn finished nursing, I couldn’t stand the thought of leaving her, so I watched her sleep. Guess my lack of sleep finally caught up with me.”

  “I’m sorry I woke you. I know how much you need rest, but I thought you’d want to know that Dylan will be here any minute.”

  Her brows rose higher as she came to a stop beside him. “Wow, I didn’t realize I was up here that long.”

  Moving around him, she approached the vanity across the room and did her best to tame the damp, unruly curls around her face. He didn’t know why she bothered. Messy hair or not, she was beautiful.

  Dylan wouldn’t notice any stubborn hair or the blood that remained on her dress. He would see her—the way her face lit up when she was happy—the warmth she induced whenever she smiled. Nothing else would matter but the fact she was alive and she’d returned to him.

  “Are you sure you’re okay?”

  He met her reflection and nodded, but it didn’t relieve her concern. She left the vanity behind and approached him.

  “Did you speak with my parents?”

  “Yeah, but don’t worry. They know nothing about us. I talked. They listened. What’s strange is, I knew they weren’t digging for information. I could sense their energy, Heaven, just like I can sense yours.”

  Once she reached him, she wrapped her fingers around his arm and squeezed. It didn’t stop him from shifting his attention to the ground. As if battling his desire for her wasn’t stressful enough, learning this new ability made his head pound. He needed to get his shit together. If not, Dylan would notice.