Heavenly Desire Page 8

  He hadn’t been prepared for the attack, and when the time came to tell her the truth, he hadn’t prepared what he’d say or how he’d say it. Worse, he never considered how she’d react. And how she reacted, he never expected.

  He’d wanted to comfort her, but she wouldn’t allow it inching farther and farther away from him, her eyes bleak and accusing as if she didn’t know who he was, as if she didn’t trust him. He should’ve expected it. He couldn’t blame her. What he couldn’t understand was why it hurt so much to witness it, why it felt like his soul had been wrenched out of him.

  When she cried, his heart cried, too, louder than she had. Each tear she shed, he’d shed double. Instinct took over, the need to console her debilitating. He couldn’t have stopped himself from reaching for her if he’d tried. Choosing to forget she didn’t want him near, he wrapped his arms around her, and she hadn’t fought. Instead she’d buried her face in his chest. For long moments, he consoled her as best as he could, ignoring the tears he shed inside. Then she’d apologized for reacting as if she wasn’t entitled to. Her life would never be the same.

  No one is like Ashley.

  Nothing she ever said or did followed any reasonable path or action he envisioned. It baffled him as deeply as it fascinated him.

  Now, looking at her, watching her sleep blissfully, soundlessly affected him, deepening a spark of something that burned deep inside him. Something that had been ignited the moment he set eyes on her.

  He knew he shouldn’t be affected from just watching and holding her while she slept, but he was. He knew he shouldn’t feel like nothing else mattered when he gazed at her, but at the moment he didn’t care.

  Clyde sighed heavily telling himself it was wrong to enjoy her warmth any longer. She was asleep after all and wouldn’t know the difference whether he left or stayed, yet he didn’t want to leave despite the fact he knew he shouldn’t have his arms wrapped around her.

  She has a mate. She belongs to someone else.

  But nothing he chanted in his head made him leave her side. He stayed for hours, enjoying the way she felt in his arms. His gaze glued to her face, her head resting on his chest. He marveled at how her breaths grew rapid, then slowed, and how her expression changed signaling the passing of a dream.

  It was wrong, he knew. She wasn’t his. She should be lying with her mate; only he deserved the comfort.

  Finally, he summoned the courage and slightly shifted her away. Her arm lay on his chest. As he continued to shift, she grasped the skin on his stomach and pulled him toward her.

  She wants me near. She does, he thought, smiling. She’s probably dreaming of her mate, his conscience warned, and again he reluctantly attempted to drift away.

  “Clyde…” she whispered, still deep in slumber.

  His name on her lips sealed his fate. He could never leave her now. She wanted him. Perhaps, she needed to know he watched over her, keeping her safe.

  He wouldn’t sleep tonight. She depended on him, which meant she trusted him to keep her safe.

  His heart soaring, he smiled then finally summoned the courage and feathered a light kiss on her forehead.

  ****

  Her eyelids, heavy with sleep, slid open then closed again. Without thought, Ashley rubbed her cheek along the warmth then slid her hand along the object creating the warmth permeating through her.

  The sleepy haze slowly lifted, and her mind recalled the events from the night before. You’ve met your fated mate, and I’m him, Asher’s words echoed.

  It hadn’t been a dream.

  It had been real.

  She jolted up in bed. Her eyes focused on the person who’d saved her, consoled her and held her all night—Clyde.

  She rubbed her face. Still, it was him she saw, and his features became clearer.

  “I’ve met my mate?” she said, questioningly.

  The blood drained from his face. His brows drew together, his expression saddened. He cleared his throat then said, “Yes. You have your powers.”

  She stared at him waiting for him to elaborate, her heart racing.

  From what he had told her the night before, a mate was the person she was destined to spend eternity with. If Asher was her mate, she was destined for a man who wouldn’t think twice about hurting her. History would repeat itself.

  Her eyes welled with tears. She swallowed past the lump in her throat then admitted her worst fear, “Asher…he…um…he said I had met him, my fated mate, and he told me he was mine.”

  Clyde clenched his jaw. His eyes spitting fire narrowed then he leaned into her until he was an inch from her face with his hands planted on her shoulders, holding her still. “He isn’t yours. He’s fallen. You are good and kind and beautiful. You are not destined for a fallen angel. You are destined for a man who’s as kind and as good as you,” he said harshly and adamantly.

  Unable to hold his intense stare any longer, she looked away and closed her eyes. Tears spilled, trailing down her cheeks.

  He released one of her shoulders. The anger she’d sensed in him vanished as he tenderly rubbed away her tears.

  “Look at me, Ash,” he said. His harsh tone softened, but remained firm. When she didn’t, he used his finger to lift her chin, forcing her to meet his eyes. “Jade Ashley, he’s a Malum. He isn’t yours.”

  More tears slid down her cheeks. “B-but…he said—”

  “He hurt you. He choked you. He gave you bruises.”

  Why was he reminding her fate cruelly paired her with a man who wouldn’t hesitate to repeatedly hurt her? She couldn’t help it, she sobbed terrified for what the future had in store.

  Clyde grasped her hips, lifted her easily, set her in between his legs then wrapped an arm around her. “Look at me, Ash,” he said softly.

  She did.

  “A fated mate is a gift from destiny. It pairs you with a person who suits you best, the half to your whole. Immortals can live long lives. Destiny grants them a companion to make their lives worth living. Males cannot hurt their fated mates or vice versa. The need to protect, care and love their mates is ingrained in them. They do not hurt one another—ever.”

  “But—”

  He shook his head. “No, Ash. There are no buts. I’m telling you how it is.”

  “A-are you sure?”

  He nodded, rubbing away her tears then said, “I’m absolutely sure.”

  Is it Clyde? She shook her head trying to rid herself of the thought. He couldn’t be. He would know if he was and would have said something or done something to make it known. Though he’d taken her out, he’d never acted as anything but a friend.

  “But…” She never finished her thought.

  “That first night we met. Do you remember the man who tried to rob you?”

  She nodded.

  “You used your power over the wind then.”

  “No,” she said, shaking her head. “That was you.”

  “It was you. Before I could react, you did.”

  If it wasn’t him, it had to be her, and she remembered the moments before Asher accosted her, he’d been launched backwards. It was her then, too. She didn’t understand how she had done it, but it seemed she had.

  “I don’t know—”

  Before she mustered the courage to ask, he said, “I don’t know who it is either, Ash, but I’ll help you find him.”

  It wasn’t him. He’d said it. She’d needed to hear it but hated the ache it caused in her chest, and knew it was because she wanted it to be him. It would’ve so easily explained her attraction and how she found comfort with him near.

  “I’m sure Jenna and Jocelyn will know more,” he said.

  “Because they’ve found their mates?”

  He nodded. “They’ll be able to explain it to you better than I can anyway,” he said with finality.

  She got the feeling he didn’t want to discuss it further and couldn’t understand why. Did he not understand mating or how it worked? From what he told her, it seemed he did know, but may
be he knew her sisters could provide details he couldn’t. Why though? Because he’d never mated and didn’t understand how it felt?

  “Thank you, Clyde.”

  His brows drew together. “What for?”

  “For letting me cry like a baby again.”

  He smiled warmly. His eyes darkened then he said softly, “Don’t thank me for that.”

  He released his hold on her and removed himself from the bed quickly. “We should get some food and a change of clothes. I need to book us a flight to New York. It’s not safe here. Asher is probably looking for you as we speak. I thought we could video conference with your sisters, so you have proof—”

  “That’s fine.”

  ****

  Clyde and Ashley ate breakfast at a small bakery near their hotel, then shopped at several stores for a change of clothes.

  His thoughts whirled, recalling everything he had told Ashley about immortals, her sisters and their mates.

  All immortals are people, Ash. They look just like me and you and any other mortal. There are good and bad mortals and there are good and bad immortals. Less than a year ago he’d disagreed.

  He had made Jenna’s life nearly impossible when he discovered the demon king, Lucas, was her mate. Demons were the most reviled of all immortal breeds and uncontrollable once they gave in to their demon side. Clyde had been unreasonable. Still he didn’t regret what he had done. His job was to protect Jenna, and while he knew mates could never intentionally hurt one another, he feared Jenna would be caught in the crossfire. He had been proven wrong. As it turned out, demons weren’t as volatile as they’d once been. Lucas had control over his demon and above all loved Jenna, treated her like a queen.

  I’ve found my mate? Ashley’s question replayed in his mind.

  His chest had constricted, his soul crying out helplessly. It nearly broke him to answer, to tell her it wasn’t him. Then he realized he didn’t want her to belong to anyone else. He wanted her to belong to him. His feelings for her he could no longer deny.

  He knew he shouldn’t care about the identity of her mate. He shouldn’t care he wasn’t hers. He shouldn’t feel anything for Ashley, but he couldn’t help himself. Without realizing it, she had wedged herself in the deepest parts of him as if she belonged there, and he feared he would never recover if he lost her, which was only a matter of time. Once they discovered her mate’s identity, he would lose her. None of it boded well for him. He was an angel after all.

  As her guardian angel, his sole priority was her safety. Ashley and her sisters were coveted because of the prophecy stating the Elementals would determine the outcome of the war. To get them on their side, the Malums would do anything including completing the mating, exchanging blood, whether they were true mates or not.

  There was no doubt in his mind had Asher taken her, he would’ve forced her to mate him. The fallen had admitted as much by telling Ashley she was his. Once the mating was done, it could never be undone. No one could have saved Ashley from that fate. The most sacred immortal law prevented it.

  It didn’t surprise him Asher had told Ashley she was his. After all, the Malum king, David, had kidnapped Jocelyn with the intention of mating her as well.

  But it wouldn’t happen to Ashley, Clyde vowed.

  When they returned to the hotel room, Clyde paid the clerk for another night realizing they wouldn’t make check out in an hour. He had yet to book their flight. Once inside their room, Ashley excused herself to shower. He quickly grabbed the phone, hoping to keep his thoughts away from Ashley and concentrate on booking a flight.

  He called a private airline immortals often used called Eternal Air. The owner was a bear shifter named Owen Thompson, who originally started the airline for shifters, who couldn’t teleport like angels, vampires and demons could. As more and more immortals discovered the airline, its popularity increased primarily because it was easier for immortals. At Eternal Air, they didn’t need to provide passports and other documentation that expired every decade or so. Any ID was simply enough.

  They had one private jet available to fly to New York, but because the jet was booked for another flight the next night, they had to leave no later than six. It was nearing four o’clock already. They would have to hurry, and there would be no time for Ashley to video chat with Jenna or Jocelyn. He reserved the jet, then sighed knowing Ashley might be upset and refuse to leave. The door to the bathroom opened.

  “The flight’s at six?” Her voice resonated behind him.

  Slowly, he turned to face her. Her cheeks were rosy from the steam and her hair dripping wet. She wore the clothes he had just purchased for her, a long-sleeved black shirt and jeans.

  “Yeah,” he admitted. “I’m sorry, there was nothing else, and I don’t think it’s safe to stay here any longer. I don’t think there’ll be time to arrange a video conference like you wanted, but I can call Jenna—”

  “It’s fine,” she said simply.

  “Really?” he asked skeptically, the tension in him dissipating.

  “Yeah, it’s fine. I’ll see them in New York.”

  He just stared at her shocked by her reaction or lack of, having been so sure she’d be upset.

  “It’s probably better this way,” she said. “We should get going, right?”

  He cleared his throat. “Yeah.”

  ****

  Clyde headed to the bathroom, leaving Ashley alone in the small room with her thoughts. She knew he’d been surprised when she’d agreed they leave at six o’clock. But why? Had he expected her to throw a tantrum because things couldn’t go her way? What choice did she have? A fallen angel was after her. Her instincts told her Clyde was being honest with her. If he was lying about her sisters, she’d find out sooner rather than later.

  Clyde opened the bathroom door and steam filled the room rousing her from her thoughts. She strode toward the bathroom hoping to dry her hair. When she entered, she froze at the sight.

  Shirtless, he wore only a pair of boxers, his back facing her. She should look away but couldn’t. Her gaze glued to the muscles on his back that rippled like waves in the ocean, flexing and stretching as he dried himself. He drew the towel lower revealing the intricate lifelike tattooed wings then pulled the towel toward his chest drying himself.

  “Oh,” she mumbled. Wow!

  Quickly, he turned to her, surprise marring his expression.

  Helplessly, her eyes wandered down his chiseled chest then lower to his abs. He didn’t have a shred of body fat, all muscle. She’d seen him before without a shirt, but wow, she thought barely preventing herself from uttering the word aloud. She stole a glance at his face.

  “I—” he began, but she cut him off.

  “Sorry,” she blurted. “I wanted to dry my hair. I thought you were done, but...” Her face flushing, she turned away.

  “Ash,” he said then waited for her eyes to drift to his. “You can come in. I’m done.”

  Hesitantly, she walked inside. He pulled on a pair of jeans as she reached for the blow dryer attached to the wall near the sink. Staring into the mirror, she began drying her hair. Unwillingly, her eyes flickered toward his reflection. His broad back facing her, once again she admired the rippling muscles and his wings. She had never been a fan of tattoos and wondered why she was so enthralled with his.

  Because you like everything about him.

  He pulled on his shirt. She couldn’t help the sigh that escaped her.

  He turned. His eyes settled on her, and he smiled, knowingly. “We should go.”

  She nodded.

  ****

  The private landing strip in Northern France was hidden, covered by trees and shrubbery. They arrived by cab at a quarter to six. Clyde paid the driver then took Ashley’s hand. It melded perfectly, as if created for his. He shrugged the thought away then led her toward the rustic two-story building covered in ivy with the inscription Eternal Air. They were greeted by a tall dark-haired man with dark eyes. Clyde immediately reached into his mind a
nd read him. The man was the owner, Owen Thompson.

  “Clyde,” he greeted. “I’m Owen Thompson. It is a pleasure to meet you.” He smiled then whispered, “I’m five hundred years old, and I’ve never met an angel.”

  Clyde shook his hand. “Pleasure to meet you. This is Ashley.”

  Owen nodded in her direction.

  “I trust no one has been advised of our arrival,” he asked, though he knew.

  Owen nodded. “Per your request. Do you have any luggage?”

  “No,” Clyde said. “How many will be on board with us?” This, again, he knew but asked anyway.

  “As you requested, just the pilot and co-pilot. I’ve taken great measures to assure there is no record of this flight either. The pilots weren’t notified until an hour ago, and they are under the assumption I’m on board and no one else.”

  “Perfect.”

  “Follow me.” Owen led the way outside to the jet. “There are food and drinks on board. I hope you will enjoy and consider flying with us in the future.”

  They boarded the jet hand in hand. Large and luxurious, it was easily capable of seating twenty. A large sofa lined the right side of the jet. Several recliners lined the other side, some facing one another with tables in between. Toward the back stood a bar, dark wood cabinets and a refrigerator. Near the cockpit against the wall was a large flat screen TV. Automatically, Clyde reached out with his senses, searching for auras and confirmed there were only two others on board. Their auras weren’t black as were evil beings, Malums.

  Clyde advised Ashley to sit. Reluctantly, he released her hand as she did and headed to the cockpit where he greeted the pilots, two shifters. He introduced himself and partook in small talk as he read them. Then he rejoined Ashley, slumping in the seat beside her.

  As the plane took off, he glanced at her and noticed she nervously held her breath.

  “Ash?” Her eyes met his, then he asked, “You okay?”

  She nodded. “I just get nervous on planes…just for takeoff and landing. Once we’re in the air, I’m fine. I’ve always wished I could just teleport, you know,” she said in jest then laughed.