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Authors: Stephanie Rowe
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said quietly.
"Which is what?"
Jordyn shook her head. "Half of what I used to be," she repeated. She looked at Rhiannon. "I am a sheva, " she said quietly. "I killed my soul mate to try to save our daughter. I was too late. They're both dead, and now I try to save women from the bad men they love."
Tears filled Rhiannon's eyes, springing free before she could stop them. "I'm so sorry," she whispered. She knew that pain. She knew that pain so well. "Your soul mate went rogue?" She glanced at Jordyn's forearms, but she was no longer carrying the brands of her mate. Was that because he was dead? Would death really free a woman forever from her soul mate?
Jordyn nodded. "Yes indeedy. It was a grand old time." She didn't bother to hide the pain in her voice.
Rhiannon looked away, fighting against memories that would haunt her forever. "At least he had the excuse of being rogue," she said softly. "At least he was insane when he hurt you and your daughter."
Jordyn managed a grim smile. "He was a good man before he went rogue," she said quietly. "I loved him, before he tried to kill me and murdered all our friends and family. It's hard to remember the good man, sometimes." She looked over at Rhiannon. "I have never been as scared as I was the night he went rogue. No woman should ever have to be afraid of the man she loves. Ever."
Rhiannon understood then. She understood it all. When a Calydon bonded with his mate, he was destined to go rogue and destroy everything that mattered to either of them. Fate commanded that the sheva kill him to stop him, and then kill herself in despair over his death. For Jordyn to have killed a rogue Calydon meant she had powers and inner strength that an ordinary woman didn't have. For her to have been strong enough not to kill herself after she took the life of her soul mate was almost unheard of. "How did you do it? Not kill yourself?" She needed to know, because that was a fear that lurked over her all the time. What if she killed José, and then wanted to die?
In her heart, that possibility had haunted her for the last five years, the knowledge that if she'd really managed to kill José when she'd escaped, then she should have been so devastated that she would have had to kill herself. She'd been fine, which she'd feared indicated that José was still alive, and now, her fears had proven true.
Jordyn managed a small smile. "I did. I killed myself eight times. But I had a friend who worked with me to bring me back from the dead. He had skills, and I'm somewhat immortal in my own right. After eight times, my grief had finally abated enough for me to handle steak knives without trying to shove them into my chest." She shrugged. "I was lucky. Most shevas don't get that chance to live again once they succumb to the sheva destiny."
A cold chill settled in Rhiannon's bones. She knew she wouldn't have the luxury of being revived repeatedly until she finally got over her grief. "So that's why you opened the shelter. To help women who are tied down to the wrong men."
Jordyn nodded. "It's what I do. I'll do it until the day I die." She took a deep breath and smiled at Rhiannon. "Where to, sweetheart? What do you think? I can take you to my place. It's a fortress."
"No. A fortress isn't enough against Calydons like that. You know that." A fortress wouldn't be enough against an ordinary Calydon, the kind that Jordyn had killed, and José was even more of a threat. He was so much more dangerous and powerful than any of the others. More than anyone could stop. And yet, she had to find a way to do it.
Jordyn hesitated, and then nodded a silent assent. "What are you going to do?"
"I need to go to the airport."
"All right. That sounds like a good plan." Jordyn gunned her engine. "Where are you going?"
Rhiannon bit her lip. She wanted to say she was running away. She wanted to say she was going to go deep underground and hide again. But she knew it was impossible. Not with José alive. He would find
"Which is what?"
Jordyn shook her head. "Half of what I used to be," she repeated. She looked at Rhiannon. "I am a sheva, " she said quietly. "I killed my soul mate to try to save our daughter. I was too late. They're both dead, and now I try to save women from the bad men they love."
Tears filled Rhiannon's eyes, springing free before she could stop them. "I'm so sorry," she whispered. She knew that pain. She knew that pain so well. "Your soul mate went rogue?" She glanced at Jordyn's forearms, but she was no longer carrying the brands of her mate. Was that because he was dead? Would death really free a woman forever from her soul mate?
Jordyn nodded. "Yes indeedy. It was a grand old time." She didn't bother to hide the pain in her voice.
Rhiannon looked away, fighting against memories that would haunt her forever. "At least he had the excuse of being rogue," she said softly. "At least he was insane when he hurt you and your daughter."
Jordyn managed a grim smile. "He was a good man before he went rogue," she said quietly. "I loved him, before he tried to kill me and murdered all our friends and family. It's hard to remember the good man, sometimes." She looked over at Rhiannon. "I have never been as scared as I was the night he went rogue. No woman should ever have to be afraid of the man she loves. Ever."
Rhiannon understood then. She understood it all. When a Calydon bonded with his mate, he was destined to go rogue and destroy everything that mattered to either of them. Fate commanded that the sheva kill him to stop him, and then kill herself in despair over his death. For Jordyn to have killed a rogue Calydon meant she had powers and inner strength that an ordinary woman didn't have. For her to have been strong enough not to kill herself after she took the life of her soul mate was almost unheard of. "How did you do it? Not kill yourself?" She needed to know, because that was a fear that lurked over her all the time. What if she killed José, and then wanted to die?
In her heart, that possibility had haunted her for the last five years, the knowledge that if she'd really managed to kill José when she'd escaped, then she should have been so devastated that she would have had to kill herself. She'd been fine, which she'd feared indicated that José was still alive, and now, her fears had proven true.
Jordyn managed a small smile. "I did. I killed myself eight times. But I had a friend who worked with me to bring me back from the dead. He had skills, and I'm somewhat immortal in my own right. After eight times, my grief had finally abated enough for me to handle steak knives without trying to shove them into my chest." She shrugged. "I was lucky. Most shevas don't get that chance to live again once they succumb to the sheva destiny."
A cold chill settled in Rhiannon's bones. She knew she wouldn't have the luxury of being revived repeatedly until she finally got over her grief. "So that's why you opened the shelter. To help women who are tied down to the wrong men."
Jordyn nodded. "It's what I do. I'll do it until the day I die." She took a deep breath and smiled at Rhiannon. "Where to, sweetheart? What do you think? I can take you to my place. It's a fortress."
"No. A fortress isn't enough against Calydons like that. You know that." A fortress wouldn't be enough against an ordinary Calydon, the kind that Jordyn had killed, and José was even more of a threat. He was so much more dangerous and powerful than any of the others. More than anyone could stop. And yet, she had to find a way to do it.
Jordyn hesitated, and then nodded a silent assent. "What are you going to do?"
"I need to go to the airport."
"All right. That sounds like a good plan." Jordyn gunned her engine. "Where are you going?"
Rhiannon bit her lip. She wanted to say she was running away. She wanted to say she was going to go deep underground and hide again. But she knew it was impossible. Not with José alive. He would find
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