A Note to Fans...

Okay, this chapter was really hard to write. Not because of what's in it, but because of what's going on in my life right now. In addition to my stupid shoulder injury, sprained fingers, and my daughter going to the hospital this week, I almost lost my husband this past week. Needless to say, this past week has been hell. 

To me, writing is my escape, so here I am, trudging through the molasses of my brain to find my balance once again. Thanks for reading and all your support! This chapter is dedicated to all super fans of this story, who brighten my day with your votes and comments! Happy New Year to you all.

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The wagon's wheels bumped and squeaked to a slow stop. Still not fully awake, someone gripped my shoulder and shook me. I scrunched my eyes tight and moaned in complaint.

"You're tempting death." I shoved Vega's hand off of me.

"If it means I get some sleep, I'll risk it," she answered.

I rubbed my eyes and yawned. When I tried to move, I realized something pinned my waist, preventing me from moving more than a few inches. I peeked an eye open. Kellan's cheek pressed my forehead, and our bodies tangled one another.

"Don't go." He held me tight with his leg wrapping my body. "Ignore her. Maybe she'll go away."

"Wren might be one of my best friends in the universe, but I'm not going anywhere except to sleep in this wagon." Vega tugged my leg. "So get out or move over, because I'm getting in."

Kellan kissed my forehead, and all I could think of was how I wished the warmth of his lips were on mine, devouring my kiss.

He smiled. That can be arranged.

My cheeks flushed. While I would've loved to linger in the warmth of his arms and feel his chest crushed against mine, I also knew Jaxon would torch him like a piece of kindling if he found me in Kellan's arms. I let out a long sigh, wishing things were different.

I can't stay here, I said, opening up the connection between us. It's not fair to you, Jaxon, or me.

It's definitely fair to me. Stay. He reached for my hand.

I slipped his grasp, and his hand dropped to the wagon's bed. I can't, and you know it.

Vega tugged my foot again.

"Relax, I'm getting up." I squinted, letting my eyes adjust to the moonlit sky. "Just don't wake Sage, who knows what kind of retaliation she might inflict."

"We already did that calculation. It was either you or her, and neither of us wanted to risk getting our fingers broken." She leaned in over the edge of the sideboard. "Besides its Rygar's turn to get some sleep, and I didn't have the heart to pick the girl he's pining for when it was his turn to snuggle up next to her."

That meant Robin and I had the last shift of our journey to Vauxhaul. I glanced over at him and watched him crawl out of the cart. He didn't look happy when Rygar came around the back end of the wagon and lingered next to Vega.

"Don't think I haven't noticed," Robin said in a hushed tone.

Rygar raised a brow and crossed his arms. "Noticed what?"

"I've seen the way you look at her when you think I'm not looking."

Sage rolled over and tucked an arm under her cheek. The group went silent, watching her, wondering if she would wake.

But when Sage didn't move after several moments, Vega said, "Someone sounds jealous." A coy smile graced her lips, and she rested her arms on the sideboard while she waited for me to crawl out. "Or maybe you're a little more than worried about having some competition. But then again only I know the answer to that, right Robin?" She tapped her temple with her index finger.

Robin narrowed his gaze, and his usual happy go lucky demeanor vanished. "Get out of my head, Vega."

"Trust me, if she could, she would." I dangled my feet over the edge of the wagon and dropped to the ground. "No one wants to hear every thought going on around them all of the time."

Rygar hopped up on the wagon bed and snuggled into the empty spot next to Sage. "Besides there's nothing to worry about, I'm just keeping your spot warm."

Robin clenched his fists. The trees started to sway behind him even though there wasn't a breeze to speak of. When a loud crack came from the closest tree to us, I jumped between Robin and the wagon.

"Would you two knock it off? Save the fight for the Fire Circle in a couple of hours."

Amaress lumbered over, nudged my hand with her nose and plopped her behind down next to me like a gigantic guard dog on duty. Unless Robin wanted to be barbecued, he wouldn't dare make a move.

"It's bad enough he's trying to steal my girlfriend every time my back is turned, but now he's cozied up next to her?" He pursed his lips and drew in a long breath, then ran a shaky hand through his hair. "I guess now I know how Jaxon and Kellan feel."

"Jaxon wouldn't even have had the opportunity to be Wren's partner if I'd done the right thing in the first place," Kellan replied. "So leave me out of whatever this is." He held out a hand and helped Vega into the wagon, then lay back with his arms folded under his head staring up at the stars.

Robin tossed a hand in our direction, then stomped off to check on the equestars pulling the wagon. Amaress nudged my arm again, and I rubbed my palm against her rough, pebbly hide. I hopped up onto her back and glanced back at Rygar, but he was too busy taking in the sight of Sage lying next to him to notice anything going on around him.

Robin grabbed hold of the reins and plunked down onto the driver's bench. With a flick of the reins the equestars trotted forward, pulling a wagonload of heartache and hope one step closer, I prayed, to some resolve.

After about an hour or so of lumbering behind the group, the road widened, and Amaress and I traveled alongside the cart.

Robin glanced over at me just as we were about to pass and take the lead. "This would be so much easier if you could just tap into your abilities and zap us there."

"If I had to 'zap' all of us there at once, with my luck, you'd end up as half equestar, half human when we arrived."

"Given I'm not human, that's impossible." He smirked.

"You know what I mean."

"Sure. But as much as I like seeing centaurs in movies, I'll take a solid pass on the four hooves thing." The equestar on the right neighed and shook its head. "Sorry, no offense girl!" he said, raising his voice slightly above normal. "Sensitive beast." He rolled his eyes. "Hey... You know Sage better than anyone."

"That's almost hard to believe given I only met her a few weeks ago." I smiled at the thought of her coming out of her house with that oversized pillow, on the first day I met her. "But even then, she's saved my sorry butt more times than I can count in that time. So yeah, I suppose I do. Why?" I said, drawing out the last word in a teasing sort of way.

His brow relaxed and the intense look he had on his face melted. "Just that she, you know, isn't like anyone else I've ever met." The equestars slowed with the inclining terrain and Robin flicked the reins once more, and the beasts picked up the pace. "You know what I mean? She's different—special."

His stumbling over his words was adorable. I couldn't help but smile at his awkwardness. It was obvious he was enamored by her.

"You're just realizing this now? Sage is awesome," I said, emphasizing the word is. "She's fiercely loyal, talented, and most of all my best friend."

"She's mad at me, isn't she?" He looked down at his hands as if he honestly hadn't a clue what he'd done. "She's barely said a word to me since I got back and now Rygar..."

"Ya think? You just took off without a word as to where you were going or if you were coming back? Of course she's mad." I shook my head in disbelief. "I'd like to meet a girl on this planet that wouldn't be mad if their guy did that."

The wheels groaned in protest with the final tug over the hill's edge. A strong breeze at the top whipped my hair against my face, and I hugged my open jacket tight around me.

"I've been on my own or so long. I've always taken off to do errands and work stuff. I guess it never occurred to me to say anything."

"Come on, with all the girls you dated you never figured out how a relationship works?"

"Yeah right, the girls. Don't believe everything you hear." Robin gave me a half smile. "At school, there was always some girl hanging around trying to get our attention. Since Jaxon never paid any mind to them, I talked to them. Everyone just assumed I was dating the latest girl on the scene." He shrugged. "I was trying to be nice, but instead I ended up looking like a player. And since I didn't have a girlfriend, it never really mattered that much to me if they hung around."

"So you're trying to tell me you didn't hook up with any of those girls at school?" I said, not entirely sure I believed him.

"Other than kissing Sage?" He shook his head. "Nope."

I rubbed Amaress' side, and she started purring a low hum beneath me. "Does she know that?"

His brow scrunched. "Jaxon knows, of course. Back on Earth, we were rarely apart until you showed up. But until now, I never cared what anyone thought."

"I'm probably not the best person to give relationship advice but starting with, I'm sorry, I'm an idiot, along with a big fat explanation might go along way."

He laughed and rubbed the back of his neck. "I am an idiot, aren't I?"

I nodded and smiled. "You're not the only one with that title though. If there were a trophy, I'm pretty sure I'd have you beat."

"No contest there—you win." He pulled back the reins and slowed the equestars to a stop.

"Hey, that's not nice," I said wishing I had something to chuck at him.

"Seriously, I wouldn't want your relationship problems for anything, even if they come with crowns, kingdoms, and gold."

"I never wanted any of those things." I slid down Amaress' side and hugged her. "I fell in love with Kellan when we were kids." A brief snapshot of us, hanging upside-down in a tree, laughing our heads off, flashed through my thoughts. "He wasn't destined for any of that." My cheek warmed against Amaress' side, and I stared off into the distance. A picture of Jax dressed up in a burgundy jacket with his hair tousled to the side as if he'd just ran his hand through it, floated in my thoughts before dissipating. "I didn't even know who Jaxon was when I met him at that ball."

"You remember?" Robin stared at me in disbelief.

"Hm?" I pulled away from Amaress and froze. Holy cheese sticks, I did. "Only a couple brief images, but that's something. Maybe we're getting closer to my Dad?"

"More than close..." Robin waved a hand, and the bush in front of us separated enough for us to see through to the valley below. At the base of the mountain a single fire guard paced back and forth. "See the entrance?"

"See what?" Kellan yawned, tossed an arm over my shoulder, and pulled me into to him.

The weight of his arm made my back and shoulder tingle, and an overwhelming urge to wrap my arms around him and crush my lips to his was unbearable.

I swallowed and brushed his arm away, trying not to show the effect he had over me. "In case you've forgotten, I'm engaged to Jaxon."

Kellan chuckled. "You might be contracted to him, but it's me you want." He feathered a finger along the side of my neck. "Besides, as long as you wear this"—he trailed a finger along my collarbone, and his knotted ring swirled beneath his touch—"you're also engaged to me."

My heart raced, and my palms warmed. When he lifted his finger from my skin, the ring's inky waters trashed against me, soaking my shirt in protest. I looked like a contestant in a wet t-shirt contest with my bra clearly showing through the thin material clinging to my body. I grabbed the edges of my open coat in an attempt to cover myself up.

Robin blushed and looked at the ground. "This is probably a good time to scout the best approach down." He glanced over at the wagon, before turning to leave. "If Sage wakes before I'm back, tell her I won't be long."

"So where were we?" Kellan still hadn't lifted his gaze from me.

"Nowhere." I shivered when another cool breeze kicked up over the hilltop. "I only agreed to come on this trip to rescue my dad, not so you and I could hook up." My teeth started to chatter, and I pressed my coat tighter to my body.

"Maybe you didn't, but I made no such promises." He took another step forward.

I held out my hand, pressing it against his muscular chest. My fingers thrummed with the connection between us, and my arm shook, trying to resist him. The longer my palm rested against him, the stronger the link between us became. His thoughts swirled around me like a thousand kisses welcoming me home. The deeper I explored our connection, the more I could sense his heartache, yearning for his other half—yearning for me.

"I..." My voice sounded raspy, and my arm collapsed against him.

"Feel the bond between us?" He folded his arms around me, then rested his chin on my head. "A knotted ring is a connection of our hearts—"

And souls, I answered in my thoughts. For the first time since we met, I understood what he's been trying to tell me all along, but this time he didn't need a single word to say it—I could feel it. "You're my soulmate."

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