Consumed

  Keegan stood up and brushed off the seat of her pants. She turned to Marjorie, who was watching from the doorway. “We would like to take this one. I wish we could take them all.”

  The woman smiled as she leaned to take Athena from Rourk’s hands. “I understand. It’s heartbreaking for me when they leave us, but the people who get them give the puppies the love they need. You picked a good one. This one has a great personality.”

  “She had her 9 weeks shots just last week, so you’ll need to take her for the 12 weeks soon.” Marjorie passed Keegan a computer print-out. “Here’s the vet information, as well as what kind of food she’s been eating.”

  They thanked her and paid for the little dog, then left.

  Keegan held Athena snugly against her chest as they walked for the car. In the cold air, her cheeks were rosy and her eyes were twinkling.

  “I love seeing you so happy,” Rourk murmured, snaking an arm around her shoulders.

  “I am happy. I’m not sure I have ever been this happy in my life.” Keegan glanced up at Rourk’s thoughtful face. “I know it sounds corny, but I’ve always felt something was missing until you.”

  “I feel the same way.” Rourk kissed the top of her head.

  As Rourk made to get in on the passenger side of the car, Keegan stopped him. She grinned sweetly. “I really want to hold Athena. Will you drive?”

  “Of course.” He shook his head, amused, and switched sides.

  They made a quick stop at Petsmart to pick up all the necessities, plus a few extra toys. While they shopped, people kept stopping to stare at Athena, and asking if they could pet her. You would have thought she was a super model with all the attention she received.

  “This puppy is going to be spoiled,” Keegan said wryly as Rourk piled their bags into the back of the Jeep. “We might have gone a little overboard.”

  Rourk scratched Athena’s head, earning a kiss in return—from the puppy and from Keegan. “She’s worth it.”

  They walked into Keegan’s apartment with the new addition to the family, and Keegan put her down on the floor as Rourk locked the door behind them. Athena ran around sniffing and checking out the place. Keegan followed her into the kitchen, where she checked out the stove, then slipped under the table. A second later, she shot from beneath the table and into the living room, her toenails scrabbling for purchase on the hardwood. Athena did three quick circles and went to the bathroom. On the rug. Rourk laughed, and Keegan rushed around trying to clean it up.

  Soon after, the puppy fell asleep in front of the fireplace.

  Keegan wrapped her arms around Rourk’s waist, and they watched the little dog snore away.

  “I’ll make us some hot chocolate. It’s so cold here,” Keegan said with a shiver, and then shuffled off to the kitchen. She smiled when she pulled out the Godiva hot chocolate—it always made her think of her mother. Her mom loved to make the hot chocolate on cold days.

  “Marshmallows?” she asked as Rourk came in the room.

  “Of course.” He grinned. He took a seat at the table.

  Keegan put the saucepan on the stove and poured a generous portion of milk into it. She turned up the heat and left it to boil as she measured out the cocoa powder into two mugs. She could feel Rourk’s eyes on her the entire time.

  What a perfect day. She got to spend it with Rourk, and now they had a pet to make it even more complete.

  “Do you think she’ll like it here? With us?” Keegan asked, leaning her hip on the counter next to the stove. The milk was just beginning to bubble.

  Rourk cocked his head. “Athena?”

  “Yeah. What if she doesn’t like us?”

  “Athena will love you,” he answered, his voice heavy with emotion. “And she already likes it here—she fell asleep.”

  Wrinkling her nose, Keegan said, “So? What does that have to do with it?”

  “When an animal feels comfortable enough to fall asleep somewhere, it means they’re happy.” Rourk smiled. “It’s the same as humans. Don’t you sleep best at your parents’ house?”

  Keegan turned off the heat, thinking about his words. She poured milk into both mugs and stirred. “I suppose you’re right.”

  “It’s true.”

  Keegan dropped in some marshmallows and carried the mugs to the table, sitting down across from him. She wrapped her hands around her hot chocolate and felt the warmth radiate through her body. “Tonight, we’ll take her out to look for the northern lights. Maybe she will bring us good luck.”

  They both smiled at Athena, who was still snoring away in the living room.

  Later that evening, they drove out about an hour into the woods to a spot in the wildlife sanctuary where Keegan volunteered. It was the best spot to see the northern lights, according to all of the people Keegan worked with at the sanctuary. She’d checked online, and chances were good the lights would make an appearance that night.

  When they pulled up to the park ranger’s checkpoint, an older man with dark gray hair popped out of the booth and strolled up to the Jeep. Keegan rolled down her window, and Athena went crazy in Rourk’s lap. “Hey, Roger. How’d the tours go today?”

  The man gave her a crooked smile that deepened the age lines in his face. “Wasn’t the same without you. You have a way with the kids.”

  “Giving tours is my favorite part,” Keegan told Rourk. “I love interacting with the guests.”

  “And she’s the best we’ve got, too,” Roger said brightly, tipping his wide-brimmed hat up and squinting into the dim car.

  “I’ll be in on Tuesday.” Keegan turned in her seat and gestured to Rourk and the puppy. “I want you to meet Rourk, and our newest addition, Athena.”

  “Pleasure to meet you, sir,” Rourk answered politely.

  Roger reached through the window to shake Rourk’s hand. “Nice to meet you. Keegan talks about you all the time. It’s nice to put a face to the name.” He dropped a quick pat to Athena’s head; her stubby tail wagged so fast it moved her whole body. Roger chuckled, then reached up and took off his hat. “You’re a lucky man, Rourk. Keegan’s a great kid. She never complains, no matter what chore we throw at her.”

  Rourk nodded his head in agreement. He was well aware of how lucky he was.

  “We’re hoping to catch a glimpse of the lights,” Keegan told Roger excitedly.

  “It’s a good night for it. Have fun.” The ranger turned and walked towards his four-wheeler, parked next to the checkpoint booth. He gave them a hearty wave, then revved the engine and wheeled away.

  Keegan drove down a winding dirt road for several minutes before she finally pulled into a clearing in the woods. As she put the car in park, Rourk snapped Athena’s tiny leash onto her new purple collar.

  “I really hope the lights decide to show themselves tonight,” Keegan said quietly. It truly was a breathtaking sight, and she wanted to share it with Rourk.

  “Even if they don’t, it’s been a great day with you anyway,” Rourk answered as they climbed from the car. He put Athena down and she promptly did her business in the grass.

  “You’re right,” Keegan said with a sad smile. She stopped to praise Athena, handing the puppy a small treat from her pocket.

  They held hands as they walked towards the picnic tables barely visible at the tree-line.

  “You really enjoy working here, don’t you?” Rourk glanced over at Keegan’s face in the darkness.

  “I love it. Not all of it is fun, but I know it’s all worthwhile to preserve the land and help the animals.”

  “It’s admirable.” He held her hand as Keegan climbed onto the top of the table, then placed Athena in her lap before sitting beside her.

  A burst of green lights lit up the sky, followed by splashes of pink and purple. Keegan gasped—she never got sick of it. Rourk’s strong hand wrapped around her own, and they watched as random ribbons of color danced in the sky.

  “It’s beautiful. I’ve never seen anything like it.” Rourk’s eyes were locked
on the skyline.

  “I know. It’s incredible. What an amazing world we live in,” she said wistfully, as she laid her head on his shoulder and pulled the little wrinkled bulldog closer on her lap.

  The weekend passed in a blur. Keegan wanted to cry when Rourk placed the necklace around her neck. “I’m not ready for you to leave.”

  “I know. I’ll be back in a few days.” Rourk leaned down and kissed the top of her head.

  “How are we going to make it through this? It seems cruel.”

  He gave her a sad smile. “We’ll just take it one day at a time. We have the computers; that helps.”

  “It’s not the same.” She threw her arms around him and laid her head on his chest. His heartbeat was loud and steady.

  “It’s time to go.” His voice sounded hoarse.

  The drive to the airport was long and rough. Keegan tried to not let him see her cry—she didn’t want it to be any harder for him than it already was.

  After they said their good-byes, Keegan sat in a chair at the security checkpoint for over an hour. When the pain started in her chest, she knew he was gone.

  Chapter 12

  Rourk woke up before his alarm went off. His first thought was Keegan—the same thing he thought every morning. There was a four hour time difference, so she was most likely fast asleep.

  He closed his eyes and thought of her, then smiled. She was curled up in her bed with the covers tucked under her chin. Her hair was a mess, tangled and spread across her pillow. She looked so peaceful with Athena curled into a little white ball at her side.

  They were together again; he had to remind himself everyday. It was unbelievable—all those months of pain without her were suddenly history. Rourk gazed longingly at her for just a moment longer, then snapped opened his eyes.

  He could watch her all day, but he knew it was wrong to invade her privacy like that. Gathering some clothes, he went to take a shower.

  When Rourk finally sauntered from his room, Tommy was waiting outside.

  “Hey, man,” Rourk said, clapping his friend on the shoulder. “Good to see you.”

  Tommy raised an eyebrow and leaned away. “What has you so chipper? I’ve never seen you this happy.”

  “I met a girl.” Rourk grinned. That’s the understatement of the day, he thought wryly.

  “Seriously? What’s she like? When can I meet her, and most importantly—does she have a sister?”

  Rourk laughed. “She is perfect. You’ll be able to meet her soon enough. No, she doesn’t have a sister, just two brothers.”

  “Figures.” Tommy sighed. “What about friends?”

  Rourk knew his friend was obsessed with meeting a new girl. He’d never known anyone to have such bad luck as Tommy. It wasn’t that he was a bad-looking guy—average, really. He was tall and lanky with pale blond hair, blue eyes, and freckles across the bridge of his nose. But, what did Rourk know about girls and their tastes?

  “I’m sure she has some friends.”

  “How did you meet her?” Tommy narrowed his eyes. “You’re not exactly smooth with the ladies.”

  “She’s from the town where I grew up. I’ve liked her for a long time, and she finally noticed me.”

  Tommy slapped him on the back. “That’s great man. I’m happy for you.”

  “Thank you. I know you two will get along great. She’ll be going to school in Washington.”

  “Really? So she probably does have some cute college friends.” Tommy stroked his chin as if he were deep in thought.

  It was time to change the subject. If he didn’t, Tommy would go on about his lack of a girlfriend all morning.

  “I’m looking forward to getting out of here and onto a team,” Rourk said, shifting his rucksack on his back. The days of training had started to drag, and he was ready for a new start.

  “Me too. The training is cool and all but…” Tommy shrugged. “I’m ready to move on. Plus, there aren’t that many hot chicks around here. At least, any that aren’t already married.”

  So much for changing the subject.

  “We don’t have much longer. We’ll get a lot of time off for the holidays, so it will pass quickly. I’m hoping we’re there by the New Year. Are we still going to get a place together?” Rourk glanced over at Tommy as they finally headed down the hallway.

  “Of course! I’ve been looking online. We can get a sweet place between both of our housing allowances. I’m talking a pool, Jacuzzi, gym, bike trails, you name it.”

  Rourk shook his head. “I’ll leave that up to you.”

  “I won’t let you down. See you at lunch.” Tommy headed off in the opposite direction.

  Rourk was thinking of Keegan as he strolled towards the compound. He missed her so much. He missed her smell, her smile, her kiss… Thoughts of her consumed his mind—he needed to compartmentalize so he could focus at work.

  He frowned when his phone vibrated in his pocket. He flipped it open and read TOMMY.

  It was from Thaddeus.

  Thaddeus, his future brother-in-law, was a psychic and rarely tried to step in and change fate. It was forbidden for those with the gift of sight. So if Thad was warning him, Tommy must have been in terrible danger.

  Shit. Rourk clicked number three on his speed dial and pressed the phone to his ear. It just rang and rang. His heart thudded in his chest. He couldn’t stand the thought of something happening to Tommy.

  Rourk took off in a sprint towards the engineer department. He tried Tommy’s number again. Still no answer. Soldiers stared at Rourk as he sprinted past, but he barely noticed. He skidded to a stop and glanced around; he was on Tommy’s usual path to work. Where was he? Rourk dialed again and listened to the ringing. Come on, pick up.

  The screech of brakes sounded like a gunshot in the morning, followed by a sickeningly loud thump.

  “No!” Rourk screamed. He raced forward as fast as he could, and ran around the large brick building that separated him from the street.

  Tommy was lying on the ground. A large white truck was stopped in front of him. Not a dent on the truck, but Tommy was crumpled on the asphalt. Two guys were kneeling next to him. Someone yelled “Call 911! Get a medic out here now!”

  Rourk felt like he was walking through water as he made his way forward. Tommy was his only friend—he couldn’t bear it if something happened to him. Something he could have prevented. He hadn’t reacted quickly enough—he had failed. Thaddeus had trusted him and he had failed. Rourk pushed his way through the spectators that had crowded around his best friend.

  “Is he alive?” Rourk asked in a stiff voice. Blood was pooling around Tommy’s head and dripping from his open mouth.

  “He’s still breathing, but he won’t open his eyes or respond in any way. I saw it all. His head bounced pretty high off the ground.” The man winced and looked back down at Tommy.

  The driver paced nearby, his entire body shaking. He looked like he was just a kid. “He came out of nowhere.”

  Rourk glared at him, but didn’t say anything.

  “Where the hell is the ambulance?” Rourk snapped.

  Just then, a dark-haired man in uniform ran forward, a medical bag in hand. “Out of the way, I’m a medic.”

  Rourk felt a spark of hope. Special Forces medics were highly trained. He would know what to do. Tommy was in better hands with him then an ambulance attendant. Rourk watched as he tore off Tommy’s shirt. He cringed when he saw the blood.

  Rourk’s phone buzzed in his pocket. He closed his eyes and pulled it out. He really didn’t want to talk to anyone. It was Thaddeus, so he snapped his phone open and walked away. “I was too late. It’s bad.”

  “My mother is coming.” Thaddeus’s voice was subdued.

  Rourk cleared his throat, pain in his chest. “Will he be ok?”

  “I honestly don’t know. It’s not your fault, Rourk. We don’t have control over certain aspects of life.”

  “I should have been faster. Or talked to him longer this mornin
g. He’s like a brother to me.”

  “If he’s still breathing when my mother gets there, he has a fighting chance.”

  “I have to go. I hear the sirens. Thank you for trying.” Rourk clicked off the phone and shoved it in his pocket.

  The ambulance pulled up and loaded Tommy onto the long flat board to immobilize his spine. What if he was paralyzed? Rourk thought, eyes widening. Focus, Rourk…this is not helping anyone.

  Rourk strode up to the medic after the ambulance had pulled away. “What do you think?”

  The man turned wary eyes to Rourk. He was a lean, fit man; his uniform was stained with Tommy’s blood. He peeled off his blood-stained latex gloves as he said, “A friend of yours?”

  “Yes.”

  The man took a deep breath, closing his eyes momentarily before answering. “I think it will be a miracle if he pulls through. The chance of internal injuries is too high. Who knows what that head injury did, or the state of his spinal cord. I’m sure it will be touch and go for awhile. I guess it depends on if it’s his day to go or not.”

  Rourk grimaced. He knew the man spoke the truth. “Can you drop me off at the hospital?” he asked.

  “Sure. My truck is over there.” He pointed across the street to a large parking lot.

  “Thank you.” Rourk shifted his rucksack to the other shoulder and walked off with the man. He wondered if Tommy could hold out until Emerald arrived.

  They drove in silence. The medic pulled up to the emergency entrance to drop him off. “Sometimes it’s better if they don’t make it. I know that sounds harsh, but the things I’ve seen…”

  Rourk nodded his head in agreement. He had also seen men walk away with injuries that made them wish they had died in battle. A car accident wasn’t quite a battle, but brain injuries usually didn’t end well. “Thanks for the ride.” Rourk slammed the door shut.

  The man waved and pulled out. Rourk took a deep breath and walked to the entrance.

  “Rourk.” The woman’s urgent voice came from his right. He whirled to find Emerald striding towards him. “Do they have him?”