Time Jumper

Connie Hall

All her life, strange things had happened to Hannah Grey—like clocks stopping in her presence and visions of portals to other worlds. Never mind that her skin sparkles like a million Christmas lights. When a disturbing spectre threatens her, she decides it’s finally time to visit the Patomani reservation for a history lesson on just who—or what—she is.

Instead, she finds Aden Running Wolf. The blind demon-hunter thought he could never love again, but Hannah instantly arouses his desire. Yet she could also be the ticket to restoring his former life. Would he succumb to the passion exploding between them—or make her his ultimate sacrificial lamb?

Dear Reader,

Imagine walking into a room and having clocks stop, or getting caught in déjà vu experiences for hours, or being able to see portals into other worlds in your dreams. That’s what Hannah Gray’s life is like. No wonder the poor woman feels different, not solely human, as if she doesn’t belong anywhere. She has always wondered about her parents and why they left her in an orphanage. Then suddenly one day she’s struck by heavenly lightning and her body comes alive with magic. She doesn’t know that using this paranormal gift can destroy her, or that she’s such a rare commodity evil entities will stop at nothing to capture her. So she’s really freaked out when she meets Aden Running Bear on the Patomani Indian reservation in her quest to learn about what or who she is. Aden has an agenda all his own and he, too, wishes to exploit her magic. Will he take her life for his own gain? Sorry, you’ll have to read on to find that one out.

But I should tell you that Hannah’s story introduces the supernatural world of Fala, Takala and Nina Rainwater, Hannah’s cousins. If you’re into sexy and scary male warlocks, vampires and shifters, you’ll enjoy the Rainwater sister’s adversaries in The Guardian, The Nightwalker and The Beholder. Happy reading and watch out for those guys you meet that just don’t seem quite human.

Best wishes,

Connie Hall

Contents

Foreword

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Foreword

Time jumpers have been in Patomani tribal folklore for thousands of years. Legend states that the Creator sent Maiden Bear, bringer of all white magic, to reign over the newly formed earth. When Maiden Bear arrived, she clashed with the evil supernatural beings who ascended from the molten bowels of hell. Maiden Bear knew that she must leave the earth one day and that a powerful shaman was needed to combat this evil. She bestowed this honor on one female brave from the Patomani tribe. Maiden Bear called this shaman, The Guardian, defender of all white magic on earth. A guardian needs special powers in her fight against evil, so Maiden Bear fashioned time jumpers, human vessels who can move forward or backward in space and time and leap into other dimensions. Maiden Bear knew that whoever controls time controls the fate of all magic, good or evil, so she limited a jumper’s magic to only one jump. This act draws so much of a jumper’s life force that when her task is over, she dies and her spiritual powers pass on to the next chosen human vessel. Souls of time jumpers always have a special place in heaven at the throne of the Maiden Bear.

All my possessions for a moment of time.

Elizabeth I (1533-1603)

Chapter 1

Thunderclouds billowed and writhed across the evening sky, obscuring an enormous moon. Frigid wind, thick with impending icy moisture, rocked Hannah Gray’s white Honda Fit as she turned into the Patomani Indian Reservation.

She gazed at the speedometer. Wasn’t working. Figured.

The clock display read: 8:52, 8:51, 8:50. The digital numbers were moving backward? Peachy! She was used to clocks stopping around her. That had been a regular occurrence all her life. But rewinding? Now that was a new twist. Could things get any wackier? Her life had been one episode of X-Files after another, and the series didn’t appear to be ending anytime soon.

She felt her hands trembling. Then she made the mistake of looking at them. They glowed as if she’d been struck by St. Elmo’s fire. In fact, her whole body pulsed neon.

She cringed. She’d never get used to seeing her own skin lighting up like a firefly. She’d been glowing for a week, since that—Oh, God! She didn’t want to think about what had happened to her in the past seven days. It was too creepy and frightening to contemplate or believe. If she hadn’t lived through it, she would have sworn it was a horrific nightmare.

She turned her mind to her driving and controlling her trembling hands. They steadied a little, but her insides still quaked. Were her organs glowing, too? Was her blood still red? Was she turning into some kind of monster? Another tremor shook her. It really didn’t matter, she told herself. The important thing was, she was still alive and lucid and she was about to discover who or what she was.

Memories of the past seven days made her glance over her shoulder, check the back seat.

Empty.

So why did she have this feeling that she wasn’t alone, that a specter watched her, counted her breaths in the silence of the car, waited for the right moment to attack again? Get a grip. It won’t get you. You’re okay. For now, anyway.

She drove along the reservation’s main gravel road. The road snaked between barren farming fields, through dense woods. Most of the homes were as far off the road as possible, covered by woods. All she could see were driveways carved through dense swatches of trees and mailboxes standing guard at the front of them. A lot of the driveways had No Trespassing signs firmly planted at the entrance. From what she’d read on the Internet, the Patomani Indians didn’t welcome outsiders. It seemed the info on the Net was right.

She was so busy looking for mailbox numbers and trying to drive that she didn’t see the two figures dart out in front of her until it was too late.

Hannah gulped and couldn’t believe what she was seeing: a stag’s lower body and a human torso from the waist up. The creature was running upright across the road, its spindly buck legs defying physics.

It paused and gazed directly at her. Glowing red eyes pierced through the gleam of the headlights and drove straight into her face.

The force of those red eyes hit her like an avalanche. Like a high-pitched freight train tearing through her mind, deafening her, ripping at the confines of her skull. The creature’s occult power electrified her whole body, and her back stiffened. Her hands were glued to the wheel and her foot was pressed to the accelerator. If the creature continued to control her mind she knew she would die. She was losing her grip on the wheel, those red eyes steering her toward death. As she veered off the road, she saw the creature’s pursuer plunge a blade into the stag-man’s chest, using her unexpected arrival to his advantage.

Hannah screamed and barreled into a tree. Glass shattered as her seat belt wrenched the breath from her lungs. A massive limb pushed its way through the driver’s-side window, smashing into her head. Pain tore through her cheek and temple. The air bag exploded, but then let out a loud sigh as the tree bough stabbed it to death. She felt it deflating and thought what a fitting end to a horrible week. Then she let the darkness take her away.

Chapter 2

Aden Running Wolf cursed the unfortunate timing of the car’s driver as he jerked the blade from the eportachi’s chest.

The demon snorted in disbelief at its own impending death. Then it threw back its head and howled up at the sky, the bawl echoing through the air like the bay of a hellhound.

Aden couldn’t actually see the demon, but after being sightless for the past two years, he had mastered a sixth sense that he called sightless radar. He could detect and mentally map out the qi meridians of animate and inanimate objects. Living objects gave off more energy and were easier to follow, and this demon’s evil vibrated all over. So he knew exactly where to plunge the blade in again. The stench of rancid demon blood hit him and he leaped back, gasping.

“I curse you, blind hunter,” the eportachi growled in pain and lunged at Aden again.

“You’re a little late.” A sardonic grin twisted up one side of Aden’s mouth. He anticipated the demon’s every move and before the creature’s fists connected with his face, he lunged left and kicked the beast in the gut.

The demon staggered, hooves hitting the road so hard the ground trembled. “You took unfair advantage,” the demon ground out, the loathing in his voice masked by guttural gasps of pain.

“I’m the blind one here.” Aden knew that his physical flaw was the only reason he was still alive. The power to mesmerize and kill was in an eportachi’s eyes. Up until this moment Aden had resented his fate. But now, when hunting sight-infesting demons, he realized there was a positive side to it.

“You can’t kill me. Only the Guardian is powerful enough to destroy me.” The last word was laced with a gasp of incredulity, as if the eportachi couldn’t acknowledge any type of vulnerability. Then the creature summoned the last of its fading energy and charged Aden.

“Rules change in warfare,” Aden said as he easily sidestepped the stumbling demon.

The eportachi staggered, righted itself, then wheeled around. It growled in pain and grabbed at the gaping holes in its chest. “I’ll find you again, blind hunter, and next time you’ll be the one to die.” A death rattle shook the creature’s chest.

“I look forward to it.” Aden grinned as he heard the familiar fizz of dark magic breaking through the confines of earthbound flesh. Another loud pop and the eportachi’s body exploded. Demon spirit whipped past Aden as it whirled upward.

Aden heard what he knew was a portal to hell open with a huge sucking pop, the heat of it singing the very air. He covered his face with both arms and braced himself, feeling his body being pulled into the scalding vortex. He felt the hairs on his head stand straight up, the air around him charged by the evil. The roar of it singed his face like bee stings, then a funnel of wind sucked what was left of the eportachi’s swirling spirit into the gateway. It slammed shut with a sonic-boom blast.

Aden let out a contented grunt. He knew the eportachi’s spirit would regroup in hell and the same demon would reappear on earth. And it would seek him out. But not tonight. Tonight he’d won this battle. He could still feel the adrenaline rush. He needed that rush to make him feel again, if only for a few minutes. Yes, he was an adrenaline junkie. It kept him sane.

The smell of gasoline fumes and crushed metal drew his attention. He followed the scent to the wreck. The car didn’t belong to a fellow tribal member—he’d detected that before he’d stabbed the eportachi. With his highly discerning hearing, he had cataloged the sounds of all his neighbor’s vehicles, and this one didn’t register among them. This driver was a stranger.

He walked to the mangled car, knife still in hand. He cut away the underbrush that hadn’t been crushed by the accident and reached the car’s smashed left side—what was left of it.

It had wrapped around a huge magnolia, the tree’s massive bough spearing the front seat, its thick waxy pointed leaves giving off a distinctive odor. He hacked away enough small branches, foliage and twigs to locate the driver.

The metallic stench of blood, herbal shampoo, vanilla body splash and hairspray, a female’s scent, guided him. His hands moved over her crumpled body, pinned between the limb and the seat. When he reached for her, a nimbus of energy knocked into him and felt like concrete wall.

He drew back, the fine hairs on the back of his hand standing straight up. Definitely not the garden-variety human female. After he’d lost his vision, he’d mentally cataloged the vibrations of good and evil apparitions. Not one of them had felt like this woman’s, as if he’d just walked into an electrical wire. He picked up a hint of white magic. So what was she?

Determined to free her now, he heaved the bough aside, clasped her around her back with his arm and pulled her from the seat. Her limp body landed with a plop into his arms.

For a moment he couldn’t move, because the same supernatural energy that sizzled the very air around her also coursed through him. Deep in his veins, down in the very marrow of his bones. The feeling was so new, so alive to him. He hadn’t felt this sentient since he’d lost his vision. Her web of energy held him prisoner. And he was a welcome captive, for he could forget Linda’s death, forget the tragedies of his past, forget everything while touching this woman.

The need to help her threw him into action. He found her neck and eased down the collar of her coat and shirt so he could check her pulse.

Erratic but still palpable.

He grew aware of many things at once, the charged humming coursing through her body and up his arms, the creamy feel of her skin against his rough fingertips, her long soft hair that curled stubbornly around his wrist and arm, and her feminine curves nestled against him.

He bent and whispered, “You’re okay. I’ll take care of you.”

As he lifted her out of the car, he felt her slight weight in his arms and guilt began to gnaw at him. He shouldn’t have spoken those words. Why had he said he’d take care of her? It had just slipped out, a moment of weakness. He couldn’t keep that kind of promise. In fact, she was in more danger than ever being near him.

Chapter 3

The soreness in Hannah’s body woke her. There didn’t seem to be one inch of her that didn’t hurt. She grew aware of a bandage wrapped tightly around her head, covering her left temple. It smelled strongly of eucalyptus and assorted herbs. Her head throbbed like someone was scooping out her brains…

No, wait, that was a pair of fingers patting her face. Hot breaths, smelling strongly of milk and peppermint, breezed across her cheek and neck, too. All she could think of was being attacked in the past week, and she jerked back. A stabbing pain shot through her temples as she met two pairs of munchkin eyes in cherub faces. Very human eyes, children’s eyes staring back at her.

She let out the breath she’d been holding and felt her heart slow to a normal rhythm. She realized her left side ached while holding herself up on an elbow, so she carefully lowered her head to the pillow, feeling twinges in places she didn’t know existed. She noticed she was in a strange four-poster bed. Yellow paint covered the bedroom walls and matched the bed’s comforter.

Hannah’s gaze shifted back to the children still standing by the bed. The little girl was beautiful, with large exotic dark eyes and hair and burnt-umber skin. She looked to be about two and wore a red smocked dress. A little boy stood next to her with the same dark features. His hair was clipped close to his head and the hair on his widow’s peak poked straight up. He appeared older, maybe four. He chewed nervously on the sleeve of his green polo shirt, while one of his hands stayed in the pocket of his grass-stained jeans.

When he realized Hannah was staring at him, his eyes grew to the size of half-dollars. He turned in a flurry and ran out of the room, yelling, “D-daddy, Daddy, sh-she w-waked u-u…” He paused in his stuttering, gulped, then forced out, “Up!”

Who was daddy? Thoughts of finding out caused Hannah to fidget, a nervous habit she’d never conquered. The more she fidgeted, the more aware she grew of her body aches and the swimming sensation in her head. She balled her hands into fists to still them and stared into the little girl’s eyes.

The girl hadn’t caught the boy’s fear. She continued to stand by the bed, tracing Hannah’s chin with her fingers, gazing into Hannah’s eyes with such spellbound wonder and trust and sheer delight that Hannah’s heart melted. Her normal reaction would have been to flinch and move away—she had always feared the reaction of others. But this innocent child had a sweet magnetism that drew Hannah in. The girl cocked her head and blinked at Hannah from beneath her thick sooty lashes. A fairy twinkle lit her intelligent onyx eyes, a look that no doubt charmed wide smiles from all those she graced with her curiosity.

Hannah felt a smile catching hold of her and she, too, grinned back at the fey child. In fact, Hannah found herself enjoying the feathery light touch as the little imp learned the contours of Hannah’s nose and lips.

“Hello,” Hannah said, touching the child’s hand, feeling the baby-soft skin.

“Ha-woa.” The little charmer continued to stare deeply into Hannah’s eyes, then she grinned, exposing a few white teeth between her plump lips.

Hannah wasn’t certain she understood fairy vernacular, but she took a stab at a translation. “Hello, back at you,” she said.

“You fizzzzzz,” the little girl said. “Fizzzzzzz.” The child stamped her feet with excitement and her eyes widened as she threw her hands up in the air, then grabbed Hannah’s bare forearm. “Ecktrick.” She gazed down at Hannah’s skin again, absorbed in the intrigue of touching it.

“Better than sticking your finger in a light socket, huh?”

The girl pursed her lips as if trying to decipher some cryptic adult code in Hannah’s words.

“Never mind. You’ll learn what to fear soon enough.”

“Mayhala.”

The male voice hardly rose above a whisper, but it held the acute intensity of a reprimand.

Delight melted from the startled child’s face. She pulled away from Hannah and whirled around, looking confused, as if she’d done something wrong but didn’t understand what.

So this was Daddy.

Chapter 4

Hannah wanted to reproach him for startling Mayhala, but the expression in his cold narrowed eyes stopped her. He looked like a black bear who’d just been awakened early from hibernation, irritated, threatening, and ready to end his hunger.

He was tall and lean, she noticed, with the same exotic sun-bronzed skin tone as his children. There was a penetrating gleam in his eyes, as if he could see right into a person’s most private places. His harsh expression tugged at the sharp planes of his ruggedly handsome face, softened only by a pair of wide sensual lips. A thick ponytail of jet-black hair fell past his sinewy shoulders and stopped at the middle of his back. If he’d been wearing buckskins, moccasins and a muzzle loader, he would have looked like a character right out of The Last of the Mohicans.

Something about him looked familiar, too. A memory flashed and she was seeing him in the headlights…the one who’d been stabbing that weird creature. It had all seemed so unreal and so far away. But this guy was definitely real. His authority and predatory air filled the room like a thundercloud, and the walls suddenly closed in around her.

To her dismay she realized she wasn’t wearing anything but an oversize T-shirt that barely covered her thighs. His? He’d undressed her. Oh, God! He had to have seen she glowed like white Christmas lights. The thought made blood rush to her cheeks, but she couldn’t feel the sting of it for the wired sensation chasing beneath her skin.

An overwhelming feeling of embarrassment gripped her and she wanted to throw back the covers and run. But all she could do was lie in this bed, avoiding his gaze, her fingers twisting the covers, her feet and toes twitching as she said, “She’s okay. We were just getting acquainted.”

“You have a concussion. She shouldn’t be in here.” He reached down and scooped up Mayhala.

The girl immediately went into a tantrum. “Noooooo! Daddeee. Stay! Feel ecktrick! Ecktrick!”

“You can visit later. Let’s go to Aunt Betsy’s now. You and Chogan can play with Travis and John.” He didn’t raise his voice and spoke calmly, yet assertively. His tone immediately quieted the kicking and screaming toddler and she seemed to accept her fate.

So Chogan was his son’s name and Betsy was his sister. Hannah wanted to ask him if Mayhala could stay here, but she didn’t dare draw attention to herself again. She couldn’t get that memory of his stabbing the beast out of her head, or the fact that she was lying practically naked in his bed and glowing like St. Elmo’s fire.

What must he think of her? Well, she wasn’t quite as bad as that thing he’d bludgeoned last night. No, as freaks of nature went, she didn’t think she was even close to whatever that was. So maybe he was used to the fantastic.

She watched him glide from the room. He had the proudest, most confident posture she’d ever seen on a man, his back board straight. His sinewy shoulders moved like well-oiled machines beneath his plaid flannel shirt. His thigh muscles rippled beneath tight black jeans. And his boots seemed to hardly touch the floor. Mohican hunter stealth all the way. He probably didn’t have any trouble tracking the creatures like the one she’d seen him stab.

He gave orders to someone named Tansy to take the children to Betsy’s house and let them eat dinner there. He said he’d pick them up in a couple of hours. Was Tansy the babysitter? Where was Mayhala’s and Chogan’s mother? Had she left him because he had a penchant for knives?

Hannah shivered at the thought and she couldn’t stop the fear from twisting her gut into knots. She also realized she had to get out of here. She tried to sit up, but the room wouldn’t stop spinning. She eased back down and squeezed her eyes closed, holding her hands tight to her sides so they’d stop moving.

Hannah heard Tansy’s flustered acknowledgment, then the children’s father admonishing them to be on their best behavior while he apparently put on their coats.

After a few minutes the front door banged shut.

She listened for his footsteps, but a pregnant silence had encompassed the house. Hannah heard her own pulse like Indy cars doing laps in her ears.

Why had he sent the children away? Was he searching for that big knife he’d been carrying last night? She gulped in panic and decided to give escape one more try. She threw back the covers.

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” a male voice said, the words laced with a deadly warning.

Chapter 5

She glanced up and saw him. The man entered a room like a ghost, appearing out of nowhere, bullying her with warnings. He rested a shoulder lazily against the door molding, his ankles crossed. The look in his topaz eyes as he gazed at her was razorlike. All he needed was a robe and vestments and he could have been a Grand Inquisitor right out of Joan of Arc’s torture chamber.

Too late she realized that her bare legs were exposed and the side of the T-shirt had ridden up past her crotch, giving him an x-rated light show. Faster than humanly possible for a wounded and glowing woman, she pulled the covers back up to her neck and wished he’d take his intimidating demeanor somewhere else.

“Don’t worry, I’ve seen it all before.” He sported a physician’s bored tone, though he wore the expression of a guy who’d purposely stepped into the women’s locker room and enjoyed the view.

Hannah felt her whole body blushing down to the roots of her hair as she said, “Then you’ve seen too much.”

“I make you nervous, don’t I?” He seemed to enjoy her discomfort as he straightened and approached her.

“No.” She found herself physically cringing.

He gazed down at her with those piercing eyes, not saying a word. They seemed to look right though her, not at her.

“Okay, you do make me nervous.” She decided to come clean. Maybe he’d stop looking at her like that.

No such luck. “I get the impression you don’t trust people, either, that you’ve probably shied away from them all your life, that you’re so uneasy right now you’re trembling.”

It disconcerted her that he could read her so well. How did he know being near others made her nervous, this handsome Daddy who’d taken it upon himself to undress her? She didn’t mind so much the undressing part as his seeing her abnormal skin, glimmering like one of those phosphorescent glow-in-the-dark necklaces, that mortified her.

Her fingers dug into the covers and she twisted them as she said, “You make a lot of assumptions.”

“You wouldn’t be so defensive if I hadn’t hit a nerve.”

“You expect me to trust somebody who does an excellent Van Helsing impression?”

“If you hadn’t been trespassing on private reservation property, Hannah, you wouldn’t have seen that.”

“How do you know my name?” She didn’t know his. That wasn’t fair.

“I got it from your registration and insurance card in your glove compartment. I also know you’re a web designer.”

Undressing her. Reading her private information. Making her run off the road. What else had he done? She couldn’t keep the annoyance from her voice as she asked, “How do you know that?”

He shrugged. “Took a guess. Seemed like a good profession for someone who’s leery of others, a loner, and—” teasing laughter filled his voice “—I found some computer software books in your trunk.”

Hannah couldn’t help but grin and it made her aware of her aching head. At least he had a sense of humor. She relaxed a little and said, “Since you know so much about me, mind telling me your name?”

“Aden Running Wolf.”

His name suited him, all right. “Well, Mr. Wolf, what was that thing you stabbed last night?”

“Call me Aden.” That sensual mouth twisted up in a hint of grin, which softened his eyes as he said, “One of the Wicked Ones. An eportachi demon. They lure humans to their deaths, then feed off them.”

“Eat them?” Fear caused the hairs at the back of her neck to stand up. She’d actually seen her first demon. All this was fantastical, and if she hadn’t lately been exposed to weird supernatural experiences of her own and hadn’t seen the creature with her own eyes and felt its power, she would have had a hard time swallowing this. But she sensed he was being completely honest with her. “And you kill these things?” Either he had a death wish or he was a thrill seeker.

He nodded. “They particularly like female flesh. You should be glad I destroyed it. It had bewitched you.”

He’d spoken openly about destroying this demon, even sounded smug about it, as if fighting the powers of darkness was an everyday occurrence, like drinking water or taking a shower. What else did he kill? The possibilities sent a cold shudder through her and made her head ache even more as she asked, “You hunt those things often?”

“When I can pick up their trail.” He paused near the bed, towering over her.

“What kept you from being killed?”

“I’m good at demon hunting.” He wasn’t bragging, merely stating a fact.

So she was stuck in the bed of a ruthless demon hunter and utterly at his mercy? She closed her eyes and felt her head circling opposite the earth’s rotation.

He said, “You need to rest. I’ll leave you, but don’t worry, you’ll be safe here.”

If I’m not a demon. What was she turning into? Devil? Angel? Creature from the Black Lagoon? Would he hunt her one day? She had to find her mother to find out who and what she was—if she was even human. She didn’t ponder this thought long, however, for her head pounded and her eyelids suddenly felt weighted and she couldn’t keep them open any longer no matter how hard she struggled. Then her dizziness disappeared into darkness.

Aden stood staring down at Hannah. What manner of creature was she? Since he felt white magic vibes from her, he’d determined she couldn’t be much of a threat. So why was being near her so damn intoxicating?

Thoughts of her had besieged him since he’d found her. Last night he’d had to bandage her wounds, then undress her. As much as he had wanted to ignore her body, he’d found himself as physically drawn to her as his daughter had been. Hannah’s skin “fizzed,” as Mayhala had called it. Fizz hadn’t come close to the magical allure of Hannah’s body. No wonder his daughter wanted to touch her. Lucky Mayhala.

Where had that come from? He shook the thought away. But he couldn’t get the image of Hannah out of his mind, and it kept running, full feature, the long slender legs, thin waist, well-formed breasts, long silken hair.

He reached down to touch that hair, but he pulled back at the last moment and forced himself to leave the room. He shouldn’t want to touch another woman not while he still loved Linda.

The emptiness of the house strummed against his ears as he strode into the living room and flopped onto the couch. He hated the silence when the kids were gone. That was when memories of Linda’s voice and laughter haunted him, and he felt her loss and his loneliness the most. Right now, all he felt was Hannah’s presence in the house, only a hallway separating them.

He remembered last night, taking her car registration and insurance cards to Akando, his brother, to read. What a chore. Akando kept quizzing him about where he’d gotten the cards. Aden had lied and said he’d found them in Food Lion’s parking lot and wanted to mail them back to their owner. He hadn’t felt like explaining to his brother about his houseguest. Once one of his siblings knew, the gossip would spread between the twelve of them like a grass fire. He didn’t want them knocking down his door or voicing their optimistic opinions and suppositions about a woman being in his house. His sisters had tried for a year to fix him up with someone and he’d always refused. Why go there when he was still in love with Linda?

Strange, Linda hadn’t been in his thoughts since he’d brought Hannah home. He felt a stab of shame now. Why hadn’t he thought of his wife? Her memory and the guilt of having caused her death had plagued him for two years. But he’d found a reprieve with Hannah. And if he was honest with himself it had felt good to be free from the burden, even for a few hours, because you can only torment yourself so much.

And no matter how devoted he was to Linda’s memory, he couldn’t have just left Hannah in her mangled car. When he had first found her, he had wanted to take her to the hospital. But he quickly realized that with the mesmerizing white magic emanating from her, such a plan was a mistake. He also knew she would eventually wake up and be disoriented and afraid, and he had wanted to be there for her. Furthermore, he didn’t know how she’d react to seeing the demon or his killing it. Other than showing the expected fear, she seemed oddly accepting and resigned to what had happened. He was satisfied she would keep his secret, and if she didn’t he would have to find a way to get his answer….

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Chapter 6

Hannah awoke with a start. For a moment she couldn’t remember where she was, but then she saw Aden sitting in a chair by her bed. He was stretched out, ankles crossed, fingers clasped over his flat belly. Worn jeans accentuated his corded thighs and a blue flannel shirt covered his lean torso. His broad chest moved up and down in a gentle rhythm. His eyes were closed, she noticed, and a five-o’clock shadow darkened his chin. A light burned on the bedside table and his hair was so black it gleamed blue in the light. A man didn’t have a right to be so handsome, and she found her heart pounding. Had he stayed by her side the whole time? She’d never had anyone be that concerned about her welfare. It felt both odd and gratifying at the same time.

As if he sensed she’d roused, he opened his eyes and said, “You’re awake.”

“Yes,” she said, her voice unsteady. Everything in her felt tremulous around him.

“Feel better?”

“My head feels like it might stay attached to my neck.”

“It’ll take a while for the effects of the concussion to settle down.”

“How long have I been asleep?”

“About eight hours. It’s 2 a.m.”

“And you’ve sat here all this time.

He nodded, yawned and stretched. “Had nothing else to do.”

He sounded casual about it, but he had stayed with her. That meant a lot to her. She felt a little catch in her throat as she said, “What about the kids?”

“They spent the night at my sister’s. Mayhala pitched a fit to see you, but she’ll get over it.”

“She’s a darling child. You’re lucky to have both of them.”

“I know,” he said, fairly glowing with pride. His grin widened and it transformed his face. He appeared more handsome, if that was possible, not fatherly at all. More like Mr. December in a hunk calendar.

She fought a desire to touch his hair. It was incredibly long and thick and ripe for running her fingers through it. “So when you’re not demon hunting and being a father, what do you do?”

“I used to be a holistic veterinarian.”

“Acupuncture and all that?” she said, impressed.

He nodded, his expression remote.

“Does it work?” she asked skeptically.

“Absolutely.”

“You still practicing?”

“No, after my wife died…” He faltered, pain etching tiny lines near the corners of his eyes. He recouped his sangfroid and quickly added, “You could just say I’m retired.”

Hannah wanted to question him about his wife, but she could see the topic caused him pain, so she let it slide.

He leaned back in the chair, steepling his long fingers together, and she noticed he was distracted by something. His brows narrowed in worry as he said, “I have to tell you something about your car. It’s totaled.” He shook his head and sympathy flashed in his eyes.

“What next?” She gazed up at the ceiling and rolled her eyes. The movement made her temple throb. She rubbed her hands together and couldn’t still them.

“I had it towed to a local junk yard.”

The thought of her beautiful new Fit in a junk yard made her moan in agony. For five years she’d saved to pay for that car. She probably should have sounded more appreciative, but technically he had caused her accident. You don’t thank someone for throwing a brick through your window, or trampling your flower bed, or having rotten timing for killing demons on dark country roads.

Hannah watched his gaze trace the length of her body beneath the covers. She suddenly grew self-conscious and horribly aware she was in his bed and he sat inches away from her, a sexy wall of masculinity. And good grief, she couldn’t forget he had undressed her. Probably seen every inch of her creepy transformation. What must he think?

“I’ll make arrangements to leave.” She tried to sit up.

He reached out and pushed her back down. “No, you won’t. You’re not leaving here until I know you’re completely well.” His eyes held firm resolve.

It felt nice that he was so concerned about her. He seemed so distant and hard on the outside, but was obviously caring and sensitive on the inside. She couldn’t stay angry at him for causing her accident.

“So what brought you here to the reservation?” He lapsed into silence, his air of patience one that most men didn’t possess. He seemed content to wait until she was ready to speak.

Hannah paused. Could she trust him? Who else did she have to trust? And he might know her mother. “Cara Harris,” she said, “My mother.”

His eyes narrowed as the name registered in his expression. He looked deep in thought for a moment, then he said, “You’re just searching for her now?” Doubt raised one of his dark brows.

“Yeah, well, I’m desperate.” Hannah heard the resentment in her voice. She had never been able to forgive her mother for giving her up, but she understood why Cara had done it. Hannah wasn’t normal and her mother must have known that. Why deal with a problem child when you can leave them on the state’s doorstep? “Do you know her? It’s imperative I speak to her.”

His handsome face looked torn for a moment, then he leaned forward and clasped her hand. A frown pulled at his brow as he gazed down at her fingers.

His touch sent tingles up her arm. She didn’t know if she was responding to the man or the fear of what he was about to tell her.

“You’ll find this out soon enough. Cara has been dead over three years.”

If he’d hit her, Hannah wouldn’t have been more shocked. She felt a world she’d never known come crashing down on her.

Chapter 7

She stared at him in silence, a knot forming in her throat, her body feeling as if it was being pulled under by a killer wave. Breathe. You can do it.

She forced the air from her lungs. All these years of wondering about her mother. Wondering what she was like, if she looked like her, if she suffered from the same malady, if she even cared that Hannah was alone in the world and dealing with it. But she hadn’t been able to bring herself to search for her mother, even though she’d tracked down her birth certificate long ago and knew her mother’s identity. Not until after her birthday and her body began to glow and she was attached by a poltergeist had she been pushed into finally gathering the courage to face her mother.

Hannah closed her eyes tightly, shutting out the world. Tears streamed down her face. What was she going to do now? How would she learn anything about what she was turning into? What would happen to her? Would the poltergeist find her and attack her again?

“I’m so sorry.” His baritone melted into soft velvet as he stroked her fingers.

Hannah felt oddly soothed by his wide hand gliding over her skin, and she found herself gripping his hand. “You just don’t know what I’ve been through,” she said.

“Tell me. Maybe I can help.” He cradled her fingers tightly with both hands, rubbing the back of her hand with his thumbs.

“You’ve got to see that I’m different.” She glanced at his face for a reaction and saw nothing in his eyes but a steady keen gaze.

“Different is always open to interpretation here on the reservation.”

“No kidding.” She sighed loudly, remembering the demon. “You wouldn’t believe me if I told you what’s been happening to me.”

“You may think you’re alone because the supernatural world is new to you, but you’re not.”

She felt comforted by his words. Here was someone who understood what she was going through. For once she’d met a guy she could be herself with. She inhaled deeply and said, “A week ago I was coming home from a local bar.” She saw the question on his face and explained, “Celebrating my birthday. Chubbies has the best Reubens—a birthday treat for myself.”

He tilted his head to the side and looked askance at her. “Let me guess, you turned twenty-eight?”

“How’d you know?”

“It’s the numerical factor that governs when our women have their ascension.”

“Ascension?” Hannah felt her jaw fall open and clamped it shut. “Sounds ominous.” That was an understatement for being lifted up by lightning.

“Not really. It’s when you get your powers. Four cycles of seven. Your twenty-eighth birthday is the kicker, as it is with all our women.”

“Powers?” Hannah didn’t consider her creepy glow powers at all. It was destroying what little normalcy she had in her life.

“Yes.” He hesitated and seemed to struggle with how to phrase his next words. After a moment he said, “Our tribe’s ancient white magic comes from the Warrior Bear Maiden. She is the constellation Ursa Major.”

“Your magic comes from a star?” Hannah’s head was splitting now.

“That’s where the Great Bear Maiden god took up residence after she left the earth. Since the Dawning, she’s been the totem of our tribe. She’s the gateway to the source of our magic. Her powers are passed down through the elder female warriors in our tribe who form the elder council. They are all powerful shamans, but none is as powerful as the high priestess. We call her the Guardian, defender of all white magic and goodness on earth. Fala Rainwater is supposed to assume the powers of her grandmother very soon.”

“So I’m not alone.” Hannah had felt isolated all her life, but to learn there were others like her, women who shared her fate, made it seem bearable somehow. In a way, she had sisters.

“No, you’re not.”

“And they have powers like me?” Wonder filled her voice.

“I don’t know.” His expression turned introspective and cautious. He seemed to choose his words carefully. “Your grandmother, Lena Rainwater, was an elder before she married Lenton Harris. Your mother was her daughter. Your grandmother was a seer, and I don’t know what powers your mother possessed, but you may not have the same gifts.”

“Is my grandmother alive?”

“No. She died shortly after your mother.”

Hannah felt the tears spill down her cheeks again. She’d just lost a mother and a grandmother within minutes.

He leaned past her, reaching for a box of tissues on the nightstand. His chest brushed her arm and Hannah felt the teeming sensation in her skin calm down, as if he was a grounding device for her swarming nerve endings. She wanted to wrap her arms around him and hold on tight, but he grabbed the tissue and straightened, then handed it to her.

He was frowning and looked disturbed as he said, “I know it’s hard learning all this at once.”

“Yeah, but I need to hear it.” She hiccupped and wiped the tears from her face. “I have to know what I’m becoming.”

“I feel the magic within you, but I’m unsure of your ability. Tell me what happened to you, and maybe I can identify it.” He didn’t reach for her hand again, but rested his elbows on his knees and laced his fingers together so tightly that his wrist tendons bulged beneath his skin.

“Well, I guess I should start from the beginning,” she said, tracing the serious lines of his face with her gaze. “Since I can remember clocks don’t work around me. I get caught in déjà vu experiences. The orphanage I grew up in thought I was catatonic, but I passed all the mental tests, so they had to pigeonhole me. They just chalked it up to my being a creative dreamer. Then there were the horrible nightmares about portals to other worlds. I’ve had them since childhood. But now I actually see these holes. They appear out of nowhere. I’m drawn to them. It’s creepy and scary.”

His eyes narrowed and glinted deep gold. His nostrils flared the slightest bit. Then his face shifted back to its intense expression. He slowly laid her hand on the mattress, pulling back from her. “What happened to bring about this change?”

She sighed, wishing he’d touch her again. Contact with him calmed her vibrating nerve endings. “I don’t know. I was leaving Chubbies and before I reached my car an electrical charge from the sky hit me. It lifted me up. I was suspended in midair. It hurt like hell and lasted only a second. Then the lightning went away and I dropped back to the ground. Luckily it was late and the street was empty. But a spirit had seen what happened to me and grabbed me. I think it was a poltergeist. He demanded I help him. I was frightened and I didn’t know what he was talking about. I managed to break free and ran into a church. A priest gave me a protection blessing—I think his name was Father Patrick. After that I knew I had to find my mother to get some answers.” She sighed loudly. “And it has all been futile.”

“Maybe not. Meikoda may be able to help you. I can speak to her if you like and she’ll come see you.”

“Who is Meikoda?”

“She’s the high priestess, the Guardian until Fala’s twenty-eighth birthday, then Meikoda’s powers will transfer to Fala. Meikoda is wise. She’ll know what powers you possess.”

“Thank you.”

Hannah wasn’t sure he was seeing her. He seemed lost in thought and distracted, gazing down at his clasped hands. Finally he stood, seeming impatient and ready to leave her. Was he taller than she had first surmised? She had to crane her neck to gaze up at him and felt a wave of dizziness.

“I can hear your stomach growling. You must be starved. I’ll find something for you to eat.”

Before she could protest, he left in a quiet whoosh, the only sound his braid thumping softly against his broad back. She watched his handsome profile disappear through the door.

Maybe it was the way he’d taken care of her, stayed by her bedside, listened patiently to her and offered to help, but she didn’t feel so frightened of him now. He had taken care of her car, brought her into his home and tended her wounds. Even given up his own bed for her. And something about his nearness calmed her. She felt almost comfortable here, like nothing could harm her. After all, Aden Running Wolf was a demon hunter, and a competent one. That poltergeist who had assaulted her and demanded she help him might think twice about attacking her here.

She shivered at the thought of the poltergeist. His hollow death-rattle voice bellowing for help as he tried to hold her. His breath had smelled strongly of alcohol, and she’d seen the gaping hole in his skull, the blood oozing over his coat. An accident of some kind had killed him, and she was certain it had been near the bar. His image had been transparent but very visible and present and teeming with an angry energy that seemed to fuel his hauntings. Luckily, she could overcome his strength from beyond the grave and had managed to escape into St. Catherine’s. But what had the poltergeist wanted from her? He must have recognized what she was. He kept demanding she help him. She shuddered, shivered once more, praying she never saw him again, or anything like him.

For the first time since getting hit by that lightning, she felt safe. She wanted to speak to the Guardian and find out what she was, but she also dreaded learning what lay ahead of her, of what she might become. She rolled onto her side and inhaled Aden’s scent on the sheets: spicy aftershave, soap and a heady male scent that made her take another sniff. Oddly, it was a panacea for everything wrong in her life at the moment.

Aden strode into the kitchen and leaned against the counter, pausing in front of the window, his body thrumming, his heart pounding. Was his excitement from the discovery he’d made moments ago or just from being near Hannah? He could still feel the vibration from having touched her. His hands felt so alive, so galvanized. Being near her was intoxicating. He had wanted to keep his distance when he’d spoken to her, but she had started to cry and awakened a possessive primal feeling in him. He had wanted to hold her, to crush her to him and kiss away her pain. Instead, he’d held her hand. Even at that he’d crossed a barrier he hadn’t wanted to cross and he’d had to pull away. It had been sheer torture being so near her. He hadn’t thought he’d ever feel passion for another woman again. But it was passion he’d felt, hungry, yearning, insatiable, the kind a man can’t get out of his head. Just the thought of her caused his body to respond to her.

He knew it was dangerous being near her, but he was glad they had talked. He knew what she was, a time jumper. Time Jumper. He’d only heard of their legend through the elders’ narratives. The myth said time jumpers had the ability to change fate by time-traveling forward or backward. They also had a physical attraction that enthralled magical beings, evil or good. Aden decided ruefully that another caveat should be added to the fable: humans were enticed by time jumper’s powers, as well. He’d never actually met one until now, but he could attest to the magnetic power in her body. Just touching her hand had made him want to kiss her.

Being near her was like being able to see clearly again. He was aware of every magical vibration of her essence. Even without touching her, he could form a mental picture of her sensual curves, the long soft hair that fell around her shoulders, the pouty shape of her lips. She had almond-shaped eyes, a straight petite nose and smooth skin. He longed to trace his fingers over her face and learn the shape. And her voice had a divine silken huskiness that could lure any man to jump off a cliff.

And when he was close to her, he felt like he’d just jumped from a plane without a parachute. He leaned over and touched the glass. The temperature had dropped, and he could feel the tiny ice pellets thumping against the window. Sleet. He imagined the ice crystals hitting his face, the burn of them. But it didn’t help the conflicting emotions rolling through him. Guilt. Greed. Discovery. Uncertainty. And yes…lust.

Leaning back, he squeezed his hands into fists and felt his groin aching now. He had to get a handle on this unbidden hunger for her. A clear head was needed to decide what he was going to do with Hannah.

He remembered why he’d come into the kitchen and went to the cabinet. He pulled out the peanut butter and jelly. Then he grabbed the loaf of bread from the breadbox. While he spread peanut butter on the bread, he thought of the lie he’d just told her. He’d kept the fact that she was a time jumper from her. She had all the classic symptoms, her effects on clocks and the déjà vu experiences and being pulled toward portals in other universes. Her body was a vessel that could take someone back in time or ahead in time. She had the power to reverse fate. No wonder the poltergeist had tried to force her to help him. He’d been drawn to her unique power and wanted his life back. She was a great commodity. When word surfaced that a time jumper was on earth, it wouldn’t only be poltergeists wanting her but every sort of evil.

Was he one of the evil ones for keeping the truth from her? He should have told her what she was. But he hadn’t because an epiphany had come to him: Hannah hadn’t just dropped into his lap for no reason. And every instinct he possessed was telling him that she was a gift from the Great Maiden Bear and he shouldn’t decline it. No, Hannah was a godsend, a blessing, a boon. Through her, he could regain all he’d lost.

But there were major prices to pay for changing the Book of Life. Could he sacrifice one life to get back his vision and Linda and erase his guilt? Why not? Hannah had been driving on that road last night for some preordained reason. If she had been two minutes later or earlier, they would never have crossed paths.

He knew intimately how time orchestrated fate’s reality. One missed moment could change everything. Like forgetting to lock a door. Five minutes tops for you to return and push the key in and lock it. Then thirty minutes later, you cross an intersection and a drunk runs a light. Four tons of steel barrels straight at you and your wife, then you realize how precious those five lost minutes were. If you could just take them back. But you can’t. And your time is up. You lose everything. Wife. Vision. Your life as you know it.

Now he’d been given the power to take back those five minutes. It was a miracle.

And it wasn’t just a case of him being selfish; he had his children to consider. They would have their mother back and a whole father. He’d regain his vision and he’d start his practice up again. They’d all be happy. Everyone would gain. The only loser would be Hannah.

Chapter 8

He walked into the room, bearing a tray of food. Immediately he grew aware of the energy emanating from Hannah, that glorious life-saving energy the Maiden Bear had given her, precious time-altering potential. He heard her deep inhalations as she slept.

He decided not to wake her and set the tray down on the nightstand. He had every intention of leaving, of not being pulled under by her spell, but she reached up and grabbed his hand. “Stay with me for a while,” she moaned. “Please.”

Her husky voice melted over him like butter-cream icing even as her arm slid beneath his forearm and her fingers laced with his. Instantly his skin came alive as if he were holding his arm over a fire. The sensation shot up into his shoulder, through his chest and settled in his groin. Her back was to him and she rolled forward slightly, pulling him toward her.

He knew being this close was dangerous, and that he should extricate his arm. But she seemed to need him. Shouldn’t he offer her comfort? Didn’t he owe her that much? And he couldn’t fight her imploring, purring voice that seemed to roll around in his mind, jumbling his resolve.

He found himself crawling in beside her. He lay on his back, body tensed. She put her head on his shoulder and cuddled up next him. He curved his arm around her shoulders, aware of her warmth, the crackle of her skin, her body heat.

“Thank you,” she murmured, almost asleep.

“Rest,” he said, frowning, guilt crawling into the bed between them.

He tried not to feel her soft hair against his face, the way it stuck to the stubble on his chin, or the sizzle of her skin, or her enticing feminine scent, a clean pure scent that reminded him of the charged air after a lightning storm. And her feminine curves covered only by his T-shirt. Oh, God! He was in for a lot of agony. Nothing he didn’t deserve.

The next few days were the happiest of Hannah’s life. Aden had been attentive, caring for her every need. He spoiled her horribly, bringing her meals in bed. And he’d taken to lying beside her at night, holding her until she fell asleep, making her feel protected from all the craziness in her life. It was the first time she’d truly felt secure in a man’s arms. Yes, she had slept with a few men, but they never stayed. Something about her always freaked them out and they left. But Aden didn’t seem to mind that she was different.

The only thing that disappointed Hannah was he’d never made one move to seduce her. What was he waiting for? Wasn’t he attracted to her in that way? More and more she found herself agonizing over it and wishing he’d make the first move. But he remained the perfect gentleman and caregiver. After being alone for so long and trusting only herself, it felt terrific knowing she could rely on him. She could easily fall for this man.

He had promised her that when her headaches disappeared totally and he was sure she was well, he’d introduce her to Meikoda. Hannah couldn’t wait to meet her aunt, and she told him she felt fine, but he kept pressing her to stay in bed. And it felt good to have someone besides herself to take care of her, though her newly acquired powers still worried her. Aden had assured her that her glowing skin and strange abilities came from white magic and she had nothing to fear. He’d said Meikoda would confirm this when Hannah met her. Still Hannah couldn’t get that poltergeist out of her mind.

Hannah could hear Aden finishing up reading the children a bedtime story and she smiled. It was obvious what a good father he was and that he loved his children. She’d grown to care for them too. Chogan, she learned, was a shy child, but once he warmed to her, he was a sweet and giving boy. Mayhala was precocious and outgoing and undoubtedly would upstage her brother his whole life.

Her smile widened, thinking about them. They had both insisted they kiss her good-night before they had gone to bed. It was a sweet intimate gesture and she felt Aden was a little hesitant about it, but he’d let them all the same. He was probably cautious because he didn’t want the children becoming attached. She would gladly take their relationship to the next level if he showed interest in doing so. Was there room in his heart for her? She hoped so.

She could hear their protests as Aden finished the book and put them down for bed. Then she heard his footsteps coming to the bedroom, just as she had for the past two nights.

This would be her last night with him. Sadness pulled at her and he seemed to notice it when he walked into the room.

“What’s wrong?” he asked, crawling in beside her with all his clothes on.

“Nothing.”

“Something is wrong.” He pulled her next to him in a familiar brotherly way.

Hannah laid her head on his shoulder as she’d done for two nights. His spicy aftershave and outdoorsy scent permeated her senses. She’d grown to love that smell and breathed it in.

“I’m feeling better now. I want to see Meikoda, then I’ll be leaving.” She decided a put a little pressure on him, test the waters.

“Let’s not talk about that right now.” He touched her chin and made her look at him. His eyes darkened and he peered past her exterior in that disconcerting way of his.

Hannah gathered her courage and said, “Why aren’t you attracted to me?”

A chuckle rumbled up from his chest.

She punched him in the ribs and started to get up, but he grabbed her arm and pulled her back on top of him. His arms locked around her. He sobered and said, “My god, woman, you really don’t know how tempting you are? Holding you and not touching you tortures me.”

Hannah could feel evidence of his desire pressing hard against her abdomen. “I’m not sorry you’re in pain.”

“I didn’t think you were.” He grinned, stroking her chin.  Excitement rippled through her.  Were they about to move to the next level?

His breaths turned hot and heavy against her face. His eyes became a smoky brass as if an emotional war waged inside him. “You’re so beautiful,” he said, gazing into her eyes as if he saw past her flesh to the woman inside.

“You’re crazy, I’m glowing,” she said, feeling completely exposed and sinking ever deeper into the raw sensuousness that emanated from him.

“Still beautiful to me. You’ll always be beautiful to me.”

Hannah felt tears sting her eyes.

When her tears touched his fingertips he seemed to lose the battle with his emotions. “I’m sorry, Hannah,” he said in a hoarse whisper filled with regret, then he kissed her.

For a split second she wondered why he had apologized, but his wide warm hands moved down to cup her bottom and she was lost in intoxicating sensations of wanting him.

His mouth was hungry, devouring. His tongue explored the deep recesses of her mouth. She’d never felt so much yearning from a man or for a man.

The power of his lips caused her breasts to tingle and a hot ache to singe her lower belly. She knew in that moment she loved Aden. No turning back.

He deepened the kiss and rolled on top of her, settling his delicious weight between her legs, his erection thrusting against her panties.

His hands found her breasts and a titillating sensation electrified every nerve ending in her body. She was certain it was enough voltage to power a small city.

Shiver after shiver went through her. She felt his passion, too, their bodies pulsing and trembling together. He pushed up her shirt and suckled one of her nipples. She arched against him, digging her hands into his hair, her arousal fierce and unstoppable. He moved to her other breast, teasing and nipping and making her shudder.

Then he was kissing her again. She thrust her tongue into his mouth, exploring, twining, waves of desire making her move her hips against his erection.

With quick deft movements, he ripped off his shirt, tearing off buttons, shredding flannel. Then he worked the belt buckle open and unzipped his jeans.

Hannah kicked of her underwear, then helped him with eager hands as he yanked yanking off his jeans and briefs. He stopped long enough to pull a condom from the nightstand drawer and slip it on, then he was kissing her until she was dizzy again. His long fingers explored every inch of her body, the roughness of his hands soothing her swarming skin, but leaving trails of stinging desire along her flesh.

He parted her tender flesh and stroked her nub of pleasure, arousing her to the boiling point, her whole body sharpened and stimulated and begging for a release.

She knocked his hand away, wrapped her thighs around his hips and guided his hard shaft into her. She cried out as he touched her womb, then he was thrusting in and out of her. He panted louder and louder, his hot breath singeing her face. She felt him filling her, plunging deep each time, taking her higher and higher, to a plane she never wanted to leave.

They rocked together, then he smothered her lips as they came together in a blinding, earth-shattering moment. He hovered above her for a moment, groaned, then lay down on top of her.

Hannah felt his delicious weight pressing her into the mattress. She looked at her arms around his neck and saw her skin glowing red in the darkness like hot embers, but somehow his closeness eased the live wires crawling through her. His skin felt like cooling ice thawing over her. flames. She clasped her arms around his neck and clung to him, twining her fingers in his long silky hair.

He started to pull away, but she held him tighter. “Don’t go.”

“I should. You’re like a drug to me. I can’t get enough of you. You feel too good.”

“You don’t feel so bad yourself.” She felt him pulsing inside of her, becoming aroused again.

He groaned with pleasure and began to move his hips agonizingly slow.

“How many times can we do this in a row?” Hannah asked, her voice sultry, enjoying his insatiable desire for her. It stirred her own hunger for his touch.

“Could be a lot. I’ve wanted you for days. Sheer agony, holding you and not touching you.”

“What took you so long?” she teased.

“Hard decisions.” A seductive grin twisted up one corner of his mouth.

“What?”

“Never mind.” His eyes gleamed like topaz lanterns as he bent and suckled one of her nipples.

Hannah struggled to breathe, digging her fingers into the hard muscle of his back, and she knew she loved this man body and soul.

Chapter 9

The next morning Hannah sat at the kitchen table and finished the last bite of a egg sandwich Aden had made her. Food had never tasted so yummy. Great sex with the right man had a way of making anything taste good.

She sipped her coffee and felt it burn her throat as she recalled the memorable night they had shared. Her body still throbbed from it and the soreness between her legs attested to it. They’d made love three times. She’d felt he was holding back something from her, but he wouldn’t say what was bothering him. She figured he was a little uneasy about seeking an audience with the Guardian. Hannah had wanted to go with him, but he said he should speak to her alone first. He’d taken the children to his sister’s so he could accompany her in case Meikoda would see her today.

So here she sat waiting for his return. Aden had washed her jeans and she was wearing them and her own long-sleeved denim shirt. It felt good to have taken a shower and be wearing her own clothes again.

She noticed the names that had been carved into the kitchen table, each one at a different chair: Aden at the head of the table, Mayhala to the left, Chogan to his right and Linda at the opposite end. Hannah hadn’t thought of Aden’s wife since looking at her picture, but she felt her presence here now. It was in the frilly curtains over the kitchen sink, the cross-stitched Home Sweet Home framed needlework hanging over the back door and signed by Linda Running Bear. Her obviously carefully thought-out collection of hand-thrown earthen dishes were displayed above the cabinets, and now her name in the table. Aden had told Hannah Linda had been dead only two years. Was he already free to love again? Hannah felt sad for the children having lost their mother and Aden losing his wife, and she certainly didn’t want to take Linda’s place. But after last night, the way Aden had made love to her with such raw yearning, spoke to the fact that he was ready to date again.

Hannah picked up the paper plate and tossed it into the trash can, refilled her coffee mug and sat back down. She saw the leather pouch Aden had left her sitting next to a bowl of fruit. He’d called it a philter and said he’d gotten it from one of the elders to protect Mayhala and Chogan. If any of the demons he hunted got away and sought retribution, Aden needed a way to assure his children’s safety inside his home. Thankfully none of the demons he hunted had ever survived, and he’d been quick to tell her that. Still, he’d ordered her to keep it near her until he returned. She could feel the magic in it, stirring the air, creating an intangible barrier around her. Its magic also had a fecund, ancient dark forest odor that made her nose wrinkle.

She glanced at it and grinned like a simpleton. Well, she couldn’t help it. She felt safe being near Aden and his magic. Not once when Aden was near her had she thought of the angry poltergeist who’d attacked her, but now that she was alone the memories were sharp again.

“Hello.”

Hannah jumped at the clear voice behind her. Her mug of coffee overturned as she leaped up and whirled to face an elderly woman. Or an image of her. An undulating white mist defined her features, and her energy floated above the floor. She had the most wrinkled face Hannah had ever seen and long gray hair pulled back in a braid. She wore a long skirt and tunic top. But it was her eyes that frightened Hannah the most. When the woman blinked, they flashed, looking like star rays shooting out from her face, pure energy. Hannah could feel the vibrations of her power, strumming her skin in sharp waves. If angels existed, Hannah imagined they’d look like this apparition. All this woman needed were wings.

“I’m sorry to frighten you. Do not be afraid, child.”

Hannah was cringing by the table and she grabbed the philter. Coffee dripped from it as she held it up in front of her for protection. She realized she’d spilled coffee on her shirtsleeves and it was burning. Why the heck wasn’t the philter working?

As if the woman could read her mind, she said, “That paltry magic does not work on the Guardian.” She snorted in disgust, then repeated, “I am sorry I frightened you. I came to you in this form because I am busy at the moment. I am Meikoda Rainwater.” She folded her floating arms over her chest and inclined her head slightly as a queen might do.

Hannah swallowed hard and began to move her toes nervously inside her socks. “I don’t understand. Aden went to see if you’d speak to me.”

The wrinkles around Meikoda’s eyes stretched and the blinding light pierced Hannah’s eyes. She had to hold her hand up and blink.

“I am sorry, my child,” Meikoda said, annoyance in her gravely voice. “I know this astral projection sometimes is uncomfortable to look upon. Turn while we speak.”

Hannah didn’t move for a moment, apprehensive.

“I am not the one you need to fear, Hannah.”

Hannah didn’t like the ominous tone in Meikoda’s voice. Who should she fear? She couldn’t stare into the elderly woman’s face any longer, so she turned and glanced at the table, watching the coffee dripping onto the pine chair. “What do you mean?” Hannah asked, dreading the answer. She felt her whole body fidgeting now, her hands, her toes, even her eyes, which wouldn’t stop blinking.

“I must start from the beginning. I saw the vision of you, even before you arrived.”

“How?”

“We are connected by our magic. I felt your nearness when you drove onto the reservation.”

“Why didn’t you find me earlier?”

“The Guardian does not come to you. You must come to the Guardian for counsel,” she said, her tone full of reproof.

“I’m sorry,” Hannah said. “I don’t know how all this works.”

“Do not fret. I’ve heard the plea in your heart for answers, and I’m here to give them to you.”

“What am I?” Hannah knew she sounded irritable and overly anxious, but she couldn’t stop the unease that churned in her belly. She couldn’t help but feel Meikoda was about to drop an emotional bomb on her.

“You’re a time jumper.”

“A what?” Hannah’s jaw dropped open.

“A time traveler.” Meikoda hesitated as if to find just the right words, then she explained about Hannah’s power to travel through space and time. She said Hannah was a vessel and could carry another entity through time portals and that’s why the poltergeist had attacked her.

A horrible thought made Takala ask, “Would Aden have known this?”

“Yes.”

Hannah felt the bomb drop. “He told me he had no idea what I was.”

“He hasn’t been entirely honest with you, probably because he has designs on using your power for himself.”

Hannah gripped her stomach, feeling her wet sleeve cause a shiver to go through her. The smell of cold coffee made her nauseous, or was it feeling Aden’s betrayal? How could she have let him take care of her for days, grown to care for his children, let him make love to her, felt so secure in his arms? Loved him? Stupid. Stupid. Stupid.

When Hannah lapsed into silence, Meikoda filled in the gap. “Your powers are limited. For seven days after your ascension you can change fate. You have four days left. Your body is a vessel and you can carry a human or a supernatural being back in time or forward. You are a commodity, I’m afraid to say. And a target for selfishness. You also will die if you use your powers within those allotted days.”

“How nice.” Hannah couldn’t keep the bitterness from her voice and she anxiously rubbed the collar of her shirt, unable to keep her hands still.

“The Maiden Bear’s failsafe against evil using your powers for gain. Can you imagine what one demon could do if your powers were not finite?”

Hannah understood the logic, but this was her life they were discussing. What was the Maiden Bear thinking? “So how does my body become a vessel that can travel through time?”

“The person or being must use magic to open a time portal. Then all they have to do is touch you and think about where they wish to go.”

Hannah absorbed all this, then she frowned and felt a basketball-size lump in her throat. Her voice sounded strangled as she asked, “So Aden knows I’ll die if he uses my powers?” Hannah needed clarification on that, and right now.

“Yes.”

His plan was to make her love him and then sacrifice her. Now that was coldhearted. It explained why he wouldn’t let her get out of bed. He didn’t want her to leave. What did he hope to gain? Did he want history back or the future? Tears blurred Hannah’s vision. Suddenly she felt dizzy and she managed to pull out a dry chair and plop down it. She felt tears spilling down her cheeks. The light in Meikoda’s eyes shimmered through her tears, shooting refracted rays back into Hannah’s pupils. She blinked and shut her eyes. Her voice sounded far away as she said, “Tell me about my mother.”

“Your mother, Tansy, was my niece.” Sadness seeped into Meikoda’s voice. “She was a time jumper like you. I managed to keep her alive when she received her ascension.”

“Why did she give me away?”

“That is the sad part. All the elders searched for you, including me, but your grandmother hid you well, even went against her own religious code and used magic to hide your trail and keep you from us. We would have raised you within our family.”

“Why did she do that?” Hannah heard her voice come from an empty place inside her. She jerked on the hem of her shirt now, unable to stop.

“My sister, Lena, became a devout Catholic when she married your grandfather, and she renounced the use of magic. I think some of her change came about because of jealousy. I was given the Guardian stewardship and she had never come to terms with it. Anyway, she turned away from us and the use of white magic. When Tansy, your mother, came along Lena isolated her from the other children. So Tansy grew up lonely and bitter like her mother. When Tansy’s father, your grandfather, died, Tansy turned to a local young man for comfort, and she had you out of wedlock. My sister went a little crazy. She hid your birth from us, then took you away from Tansy. Your mother was so heartbroken she became a recluse and finally died.”

“So she had wanted me.” Hannah wiped the tears from her eyes with her dry sleeve. At least knowing her mother had wanted her eased the ache. A tiny bit.

“Yes, very much. If it’s any consolation, my sister admitted on her deathbed that she regretted making Tansy give you up. But she never gave up your whereabouts. You have a home with us now. You are one of us. I have three grandchildren your age. They will be overjoyed to meet you. All Rainwater women are one. We will always be your family.”

Hannah thought it would be wonderful to finally have an aunt and cousins. But Aden. How could she face him knowing he’d lied to her? Her pain suddenly turned to anger. Damn him!

“Confront him,” Meikoda said. “He’s not a bad man and you’ll learn what is in his heart.”

Hannah wondered if reading minds was one of Meikoda’s powers. She had to think about this one; did she even care what was in his heart?

At that moment the front door opened and Aden strode inside, his lithe frame filling the doorway. When he noticed Meikoda, his eyes widened in surprise, then in alarm. “Meikoda,” he said, his tone rueful, not in the least hospitable. “I should have known you’d approach her.”

Meikoda’s shimmering form turned to face him. For a moment their eyes warred. He stared directly at her, defiant, as long as he could stand it, but Meikoda’s eyes grew brighter and hotter and burned like a million candles. The rays turned into sharp spikes and pierced his body.

His legs buckled beneath the onslaught. He fell to his knees and bowed his head. “Enough! I know I was wrong.”

“You’ve kept much from her. Tell her the truth. I hope your guilt will be punishment enough.” Meikoda’s form vanished in an explosive blast of light. Pure energy whipped past Hannah and blew her hair out from her shoulders in a final whoosh. Meikoda was clearly displeased—and she didn’t seem like the type you wanted to provoke.

Hannah watched Aden stand. His expression registered sadness and despondency, but not remorse. He held his jaw at a proud angle, his body language screaming defiance. It was obvious he was the type of man who justified his actions and stood by them. He probably had what he felt was a sound reason for his duplicity. And damn it, she deserved to hear it.

Something in her snapped and she yelled at him, “You had every intention of killing me. I’d like to know what I’m giving my life for.”

He walked toward her, but she held up a hand to ward him off. “Stay back. Just tell me the truth for once.”

“All right.” He stopped and crossed his arms over his broad chest. “I wanted to go back in time.”

“What was so important to you? Obviously, my life means nothing to you.”

“It’s complicated.”

“The truth usually is.”

He clenched his teeth and his fists tightened at his sides. She could see the tendons and knuckles bulging beneath his skin. His frown deepened and he seemed to be carefully gathering his words. “There’s no other way to say this. I wanted my vision and my wife back.”

She’d gotten struck first by eyesight and then his wife. Nothing like getting two weapons of mass destruction thrown at you at once. She stared into his striking golden eyes, which looked deceptively perfect, and decided to face the first one. “You’re blind?” She felt her hands seeking out something to touch, and she found the collar of her shirt again.

He nodded, lifting his jaw a notch, looking defiant and confident and proud that he’d hidden this colossal secret from her. “Lost my sight when Linda died.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?” Hannah jammed her fists onto her hips. “I told you everything about my life. I trusted you. I confided in you. But you couldn’t be honest with me, could you?”

“Didn’t think it mattered.”

“Well, then, I guess it didn’t.” She hesitated, chest heaving, heart breaking into tiny bits, staring at his handsome and unrepentant face. It surprised her how much his deceit hurt. And to think she’d felt secure and nurtured for the first time in her life with him.

When she could form words again, she said, “I get the whole eyesight thing—wanting it back, I mean. But I can’t forgive you for not being open with me. I shared everything about my life with you. I trusted you enough to confide in you.” She laced her words with resentment and hurt. She felt a belt tighten around her chest, squeezing her heart, then she pulled up the other account. “And I guess I should have known you still loved your wife, but I hoped…” She paused, unable to form the words.

“What?” The gold in his eyes gleamed bright yellow and he seemed to hang on the words she couldn’t say.

She watched a muscle twitching in his neck as she became flustered and said, “Nothing. I’m just glad I found out what type of person you really are.”

“You have to believe me, Hannah. I wouldn’t have gone through with it. I couldn’t. I left the kids with one of my sisters so we could be alone and I could tell you the truth about your powers.”

“I don’t believe you. And if I never see you again, it will be too soon.” Hannah ran for the door.

“Don’t go. It’s not safe.” He reached out to snag her arm.

“Safer than being with you.” She leaped aside at the last moment, avoiding his fingers, and ran outside. Her powers had somehow made her agile and quicker and she felt almost invincible, except for her heart. That was in shreds.

As soon as Hannah left the house and ran out into the yard, a burst of energy blindsided her. She turned, glimpsing a bloody crushed skull, bits of glass still embedded in it, anger etching a traumatized and savage face. The poltergeist was back. He grabbed her neck.

Chapter 10

The poltergeist’s fingers locked around her throat like a vise, her esophagus feeling as if it would burst if she made one wrong move.

“Hold still or you’ll die right here,” he said, his voice guttural and hollow like it came from some hellish place of his own making. He smelled of dying flesh and blood and anger at the world. “Now, we’re going back in time. Just you and me, sweetheart.” He kicked at the air and chanted a spell.

Suddenly a time portal opened up before them. Beyond this blister in reality, she saw only gaping, yawning darkness. The roar of wind came from the entrance, getting louder, reaching a jet-engine zenith. The edges looked like they were made of clear gelatin, churning, undulating and waving. The supercharged gravity within it tugged at her jeans and shirt, hair. Even her scalp felt like it was being drawn into the blackness.

“Nooooo!” Aden’s voice sounded behind Hannah, then he charged the poltergeist.

The poltergeist lost his grip on Hannah’s throat as the portal sucked Aden and the poltergeist inside.

Hannah gasped for breath, finally able to breathe, pain throbbing in her throat. As soon as the poltergeist had stopped touching her, she no longer felt the pull of the portal. But Aden. She could still hear his “Noooooo” blending with the cyclic wind. He’d saved her life. He could have used her in that same portal to recapture all he’d lost. But he hadn’t. Couldn’t. Had he been telling her the truth? Oh, God. She couldn’t let him die, or worse, be caught in time forever.

Hannah gathered her courage, closed her eyes and dove into the portal. It was like going downhill on a roller-coaster ride, but thousands of times stronger. Her stomach flipped over by the seconds. Darkness surrounded her. Her ears rang. All she could feel was a horrible falling sensation tearing at her body.  How could she find him?

She realized it would be useless to try to cry out his name, even if her throat wasn’t hurt. The wind would drown it out and he was probably way ahead of her in the tunnel. It struck her that if others could use her powers, why couldn’t she use them to help someone of her own choosing? So she’d lose her own life. At least, she’d save Aden. His children wouldn’t be left parentless. She concentrated on him, on finding him.

Suddenly her body turned into white and yellow flames and she was rocketing through the darkness like a shooting star. She saw Aden falling, behind the poltergeist. They had separated.

Hannah reached out and snatched up Aden’s hand. He was light as a feather to her, his body limp. His eyes were open and she could have sworn that he looked at her and was really seeing her. She spun around and headed backward.

“Come back,” the poltergeist screamed, the wind all but drowning out his bellow.

Would his spirit be stuck in the portal for all eternity? Served him right.

Her thoughts shifted back to saving Aden. She could see the opening to the portal, the colors of nightfall beyond it, the night sky gleaming like eyes, beacons showing her the way.

They both, charged with her power, flew through the opening, then the portal crashed shut in a thunderous boom.

The moment Hannah hit present reality, she felt the light go out of her body and instantly Aden’s weight. She could no longer hold him up and his fingers slipped from hers.

“Hannah, no!” he cried.

That was the last image in Hannah’s awareness before she felt the life force drain from her, and what was left of her spent body tumbled to the ground.

Chapter 11

Creak. Creak. Creak. The oak hardwood played a soulful symphony as Aden paced beside the bed, counting every one of Hannah’s breaths. Three thousand, or was that four thousand? He still couldn’t believe she’d saved him. After all that he’d done. Why had she sacrificed her life like that?

Meikoda had said she’d never known a time jumper to use her own powers to help someone else. It was unprecedented. The old priestess had tried to heal Hannah, but since Hannah had spent all her powers, the molecular structure of her body had changed and she repelled any form of white magic at all, so Meikoda’s healing powers were useless.

Please God, let her live! Aden stopped by the bed, sat on it and found her hand. It was cool and small in his and he felt her pulse on her wrist, keeping perfect time. He stroked her silken hair back from her face and traced her lips with a finger.

He recalled the image he’d seen of her for an instant in the portal, something he’d carry with him to his grave. She was beautiful, her skin covered in magical white fire, every feature enhanced and burned into his brain. He’d never seen anything so magnificent in his life, yet once he’d exited the portal he’d lost his momentary sight. It was back to business as usual.

Was this his punishment for lying to her? Would she die? Would the last image he’d ever see again be of a martyred Hannah saving him, giving her life so he could live? The irony wasn’t lost on him, nor was the guilt he’d carry for the rest of his days.

She’d been in a coma for a week. Why didn’t she come out of it? He had asked Betsy to keep the kids. Mayhala kept asking for Hannah on the phone and that tore his heart out. “Ecktrick,” she kept crying. He wanted Hannah back, too, and he’d prayed that the Maiden Bear’s white magic would spare her life. Not for his sake, because he deserved nothing, but for Hannah’s sake, because she was so young and deserved to live.

He heard a soft moan. He could hardly believe his ears. “Hannah?” He reached for her.

Another moan.

He felt her eyes, the soft flutter of her eyelashes against his palm. “Hannah…” With trembling hands, he gently traced the smooth planes of her face, felt the muscles stirring.

She coughed and gurgled.

“Wait.” He grabbed a glass of water from the nightstand and helped her drink.

He felt her push his hands away and gulp the water down. She pushed the glass back at him, then her head plopped back onto the pillow. She let out a little gasp when she noticed him. “You’re alive,” she said, her voice unreadable.

“Hannah—”

She interrupted him. “I see you’ve grown a beard,” she said, her tone curt.

He rubbed the long black stubble on his chin. He’d forgotten to shave while she’d been sick. He shifted back to what he wanted to say. “Please, listen to me for a minute.”

“I don’t think I have a choice, since I’m a captive audience right now,” she said in a raspy and weak voice, yet it was filled with stinging acuteness. She swept a hand toward the bed and herself in it.

He set the glass down, then rested his elbows on his knees and clasped his hands. He felt them shaking uncontrollably. Her cold manner and the uncertainty of their future was slowly killing him. He sucked in a deep breath and said, “I’ve thought about this moment for a week. What I’d say. How I’d say it. I owe you so much—”

“You don’t owe me anything.”

“I do, damn it. I never meant to hurt you. You have to believe me.” He captured one of her hands in his and prayed she wouldn’t pull away from him. When she didn’t, he held on to his hope as he said, “I love you, Hannah. I never thought I could care for anyone but Linda, but I love you body and soul.” The more Aden said the three words, the freer he felt. It was as if his heart had been trapped beneath a dark net and now it was free and taking wing. Without a doubt or with no more reservations, he knew he had let Linda go. Hannah could seal up that empty space in his heart—if she’d have him.

She was so quiet all he could hear was her unsteady breathing. After a moment that seemed to last an eternity, she asked, “So you don’t want her back?”

“No. I realized it when I couldn’t go through with trading you for my old life. I want only you.” He’d heard the quaver in her tone and became more hopeful. He waded forward, unable to force his usual staid calm into his voice. “You make me whole,” he said, his gut twisting with uncertainty. He brought her hand up to his lips and kissed the backs of her fingers. “With you, I see everything. I beg your forgiveness. If you let me, I’ll spend my life making it up to you.”

Aden rubbed her fingers between his hands and blinked back tears. And in that instant he realized he’d masked all the pain in his life by the chores of existing: burying Linda, fathering his children, learning how to live without his eyesight and killing demons—purely a selfish act on his part, but it helped him survive. Hannah was the balm he wanted and needed now.

He felt her fingers come to life in his hands. She squeezed one of his hands back. Something thawed in her voice as she said, “That’s a fine declaration you just made.”

“I mean what I said.”

“Well, then, I forgive you.”

Aden would forever cherish those three words. He felt like the luckiest man alive to have been given a second chance at happiness. He felt he could do anything with Hannah by his side. Maybe he’d even start up his practice again.

“Now hold me and promise you’ll never let me go,” she whispered, her voice cracking with emotion.

“Just try and get away, little time jumper.” He enfolded Hannah in his arms, tenderly, gently, like she was the most precious thing in his life. She clung to him and he felt a possessiveness that frightened him as he showed her with his lips and body how much he needed her.

If you liked this story by Connie Hall, don’t forget to read about Hannah’s cousins in The Guardian, The Beholder and The Nightwalker, coming in 2011 in print and eBook formats from Silhouette Nocturne.

Plus, don’t miss the other spooky and sensual NOCTURNE BITES, available at www.ebooks.eharlequin.com and wherever eBooks are sold. Titles include:

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After the Kiss by Michele Hauf

Darkness of the Wolf by Bonnie Vanak

Wild, Tethered, Bound by Stephanie Draven

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Savage Dragon by Anna Hackett

Looking for more paranormal romance? The sizzling and spine-chilling books of Silhouette Nocturne are available at www.eHarlequin.com or your local bookstore.

Interested in writing for Nocturne Bites? Send your submission to NocturneBites@Harlequin.ca

ISBN: 978-1-4268-4877-3

Time Jumper

Copyright © 2010 by Connie Koslow

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