Elemental (7 page)

“I
know what you mean. I felt the same way when I realized Anna was destined to be
mine. Now I’m afraid the part of me that has longed for her for so long may
very well die if she leaves me.”

Nicolas’
determined voice came through next, “Then we had better do everything we can to
ensure that these ladies know that the Mondragon brothers will do anything in
their power to keep them.”

Both
women stood, stunned and speechless, next to the intercom box. Both brothers
wanted them…forever.

Slowly,
Mandy felt a smile turn up her lips. She watched as Anna’s did the same.

“He
still wants me!” Anna cheered. “Even after everything in our pasts, he still
wants to be with me.”

Mandy
was equally stunned by the fact that Nicolas wanted her. “Nicolas wants to be
with me, even though I have this weird gift.” She looked up at Anna, both of
them smiling widely now. “They really do want us.”

The
sound of pounding footsteps over the intercom had the girls looking at each
other in confusion, until they heard the footfalls transfer to the stairs and
then the hall. The door flew open and they both squeaked and flushed with guilt
at being caught eavesdropping.

The
brothers just stood in the doorway, grinning, eyes twinkling. “The intercom was
accidentally set up for two-way,” Nicolas announced.

Two-way?
So they could hear what she and Anna were saying?

Feeling
her face heat even more, Mandy nervously bit her lower lip, as Anna shifted on
her feet.

“Entirely
my fault,” Jonathan added, “I meant to set it so we would hear the two of you
when you woke up. I guess you awoke while we were outside checking the grounds
and bringing in the bags. Though I have to admit, I liked what I heard.”

“I
did as well,” Anna replied boldly. “So, you don’t find my relation to the man
who killed your family as a problem?”

“Not
in the least. You proved to me that you’re nothing like him the minute you
risked your own health to save Mandy.” Jonathan moved to Anna’s side and took
her hand gently in his own. “What do you say? Can we give this a shot? Stay
here with me and let’s get to know one another.”

“I
would like that,” Anna beamed.

Nicolas
was still watching her when Mandy chanced a glance his way. Their eyes met and
he smiled. “Did you honestly think I wouldn’t want to be with you?” Nicolas
asked.

Old
insecurities were hard to ignore and her eyes welled up with tears. No one had
ever wanted her. Her parents obviously had no feelings for her. Even her foster
parents hadn’t really wanted her. This man though, claimed to want her after
having just met her. Did she dare to believe this could all be true?

Perhaps
this wasn’t happening at all. That was
it,
she was
still unconscious, merely dreaming. Yeah, that explained things.

It
sure was a nice dream though…

“Mandy?”
Nicolas was standing before her now, looking concerned. “Are you alright?”

“I
don’t want to wake up,” she whispered.

“What?”

“This
is a dream, it has to be, but I don’t want to wake up. Is it so wrong to hope
that I’ve lapsed into a coma?” Nicolas and Jonathan burst into peals of
laughter. “I don’t see what’s so funny.”

A
hard pinch on her arm had her scowling at Jonathan. “That hurt! Why on earth
did you pinch me?”

“To
prove to you that you are not dreaming, nor are you in a coma.
This is all real, sweetie,” Jonathan gave a sweep of his arm to encompass the
entire room. “I told you my brother would love you.”

“Let’s
not get ahead of ourselves, we just met after all.” She didn’t want to scare
him away that was for sure. Not that she had to worry much about that. He
seemed perfectly content to stay very close to her, if his arm around her
shoulders were any indication. She flashed back to the way he had kept her on
his lap earlier as well.

Hmmm
…I
could get used to this.

Starved
for affection most of her life, Mandy relished the feel of his arm around her
and snuggled into his side.

“Well,
we have the rest of your vacation to get to know one another, so let’s start
over dinner, shall we? Garrett should have dinner ready by now, so let’s head
down.” Nicolas offered her his arm, in a truly old-fashioned, but totally
gentlemanly way, and escorted her down to the dining room, with Jonathan with Anna
following. He must have noticed she was cold, since he ushered her into the
study where her bags had been placed and then waited outside while she slid
into a pair of jeans.

The
dining room was magnificent. A dark stone floor, high ceilings with great wood
beams, and enormous windows that were frosted from the cold all added to the
enchantment of the castle. Two candelabras were lit and placed on the long
table, giving their dinner a romantic glow.

Roast
beef, potatoes, peas, and fresh baked bread were awaiting them along with four
glasses of wine. The aroma of the food was enough to have Mandy closing her
eyes on a deep inhalation. She hadn’t had a big home-cooked meal in ages.

“This
looks wonderful,” Anna gushed as she took the seat which Jonathan held for her.

“Yes,
it does,” Mandy agreed. “I can’t remember the last time I enjoyed a big
home-cooked dinner and actually ate at the table.”

“Where
else would you eat?” Nicolas inquired with a charming grin as he helped her to
her chair.

“Growing
up, I usually ate alone in my room. My foster parents weren’t really big on
family time. They claimed it was so they didn’t get attached to the kids they
fostered, but I know it was because they were a little afraid of me. When I was
younger, I had a hard time controlling things if I got overly emotional,” she
explained. “It worked out for the best though. It made me stronger in the long
run. Nobody to rely on but myself, you know?”

“You
can rely on me,” Nicolas offered and Mandy smiled.

“Thank
you,” she wouldn’t deny the fact that his offer only endeared him to her even
more, but she was still the new kid on the block, so-to-speak, so she’d just
play things by ear for now.

Dinner
went well. Everyone exchanged childhood stories though Mandy kept hers short so
as not to depress the mood. Listening to the others tell tales of pranks played
on siblings—though Mandy could tell that Anna was careful not to bring up any
past memories pertaining to her evil brother—and holiday antics with family
only made her realize how much she’d missed out on in life.

Nicolas
must have picked up on her mood and asked, “Mandy, would you be opposed to
having a big Christmas here at the castle? I have a large tree in the library
and we can have a big dinner, carols, and the whole nine yards.”

“That
sounds nice.” The only problem was she had no gifts for any of them. “Would it
be possible to go into the village to shop before then? I’d like to pick up a
few things and look around a bit.”

“That’s
a wonderful idea!” Anna said, clapping her hands in excitement. “We can go
shopping for the guys together. I’ll need to pick up a few things to wear as
well,” she added.

Indeed,
her pale blue gown was beautiful, but hardly what one would wear at this time
of year. “Can I ask why you were out in the woods dressed like that?
 
And won’t you need to let someone know where
you are?
 
I’m sure your father is worried
about you.”

“Sure,”
Anna shrugged. “I’ll summon one of the messengers to me while we are in town
and let my father know that I am staying with my new friend Mandy for a little
while. Time passes differently for us, since we’re immortal, so my being gone
for several weeks would hardly worry them. I’ve been known to wander in the
mountains for months, just enjoying the seasons. The Fey are creatures of
nature. We thrive in the forests and woodlands because it’s less populated and
therefore less polluted. The cold and heat don’t really affect us as it does
humans. We can regulate our body temperatures to accommodate any climate, so
you
see,
I can dress however I like, though it is
easier to blend with the humans if I am properly attired for the season.”

“So
the fact that it’s freezing outside doesn’t faze you at all?” Mandy couldn’t
believe it. The temperature was barely in the teens out there!

“Not
at all, in fact, if I had been more attuned to the weather and my surroundings
then I may never have ventured this far. We don’t like to risk being seen by
humans when we are in our natural state. It’s safer to dress as humans do to
avoid drawing attention to ourselves.”

Jonathan
rested his elbows on the table and regarded Anna for a moment. “What were you
doing this far from the fairy mounds?”

“I
was actually about five miles away from home when I came across a hunter. He
must have thought me to be a ghost or spirit or some such nonsense, because he
merely stared at me before hurrying on his way,” she explained. “Not long after
that I came upon the wolf. I knew he was there, but I was so caught up in my
thoughts I didn’t realize he was stalking me.”

“What
did you do?” Mandy asked.

“I
ran.”

“Well,
that’s obvious,” Jonathan grinned down at her as he teased.

“I
ran all over. It was almost like he was herding me in the direction he wanted.
I couldn’t double back to the fairy mounds no matter how hard I tried. I saw
the top of Mondragon Castle through the trees and raced here, figuring that he
would retreat rather than come to the castle, but he proved me wrong.” Anna
turned to Mandy. “I really am sorry I led him to you. I honestly didn’t know
anyone would be outside, let alone a human.”

“Technically
I wasn’t supposed to be outside,” Mandy replied sheepishly. “Jonathan warned me
about going out after dark, but I guess now I can understand why.”

Nicolas
cleared his throat and shared a look with Jonathan before he spoke. “You ladies
should know there have been several werewolf attacks recently. All of these
attacks involve women, and one of those ladies barely survived her ordeal,
while the others are traumatized mentally over the whole thing.”

“That’s
what Nicolas and I were discussing in the study just after Mandy and I
arrived,” Jonathan interjected. “He was filling me in on the latest
developments. It seems the villagers are setting out numerous traps and organizing
a night watch.”

“So,
why is this werewolf attacking women?” Mandy asked, clearly puzzled by
everything.

“When
a werewolf matures, it searches out its mate. That person is their other half,
who
 
completes
them
and keeps them balanced,” Nicolas took her hand in his and threaded their
fingers together. “You see,” he continued, gesturing to their joined hands, “
when
they are together, everything fits into place. Their
beasts are under control and content within the mate’s presence. But if one of
them is taken away,” he pulled their hands apart, “then they can go mad trying
to find that completion again. If a mate dies, then the wolf either dies with
them, or goes insane. We fear the latter is the case here.”

“So
this guy is attacking these women because he wants to find another mate?” She
could hardly contain her shocked expression. “Then why is he hurting them?”

Nicolas
raked his hand through his midnight hair and Mandy found herself distracted.
Would his hair feel as soft as it looked if she ran it through her own fingers?
Ashamed of herself and her wayward thoughts, she quickly gave her head a little
shake, feeling herself sway a bit as the wine went to her head.

“Are
you all right?” Nicolas asked, his gaze searching her face. “Is the
conversation upsetting you?”

“No,
it’s not that, I just never drink, so I think it’s going to my head a bit.”
Mandy felt her cheeks flush as Nicolas grinned. “So, why is he hurting them?”
she prompted, desperate to get things back on track, lest she embarrass
herself.

“I
believe that, when they show no interest in him, he simply loses control. It
ends up being just another failed attempt to find inner peace and he lashes
out.” Nicolas was watching her now, like he was gauging her reaction. “Do you
believe in soul mates, Mandy?”

“I
do, actually. It was the only dream I had growing up. The dream that there was
one man out there who could accept me for who and what I am with no fear to
hang over our heads, a man who would embrace our children, should they inherit
any abilities of their own and not shun them as different.”

“And
if I said that man was me?” he placed his hand over hers where it rested on the
table. “Would you be willing to give us a chance?”

“I
think I can do that. After all, you’ve seen me in action and you didn’t boot me
out the front door, so that’s a good sign,” she teased. Another thought,
though, made her hesitate. “Jonathan, will this be awkward for you?”

Nicolas
bristled, “Why the hell would it be awkward for him?”