Seven
Lex woke to a familiar voice. “Alexis, my darling, open your eyes.”
“Mom?” Lex opened her eyes but had to squint against the brightness surrounding her mother. She was in some kind of hall. It was a big room with vaulted ceilings and white marble top to bottom. It echoed every word. “Mom? How?”
“Shhh, sweetheart. I will explain everything. Right now there are things you need to know.” Her mother stood and another woman came into view. “Alexis this is Elpis. She was the Keeper before you. You must listen to her if you are to protect those you love.”
The woman stepped forward as Alexis’ mom, Sylvia , helped her stand. “Alexis, it is good to finally meet you. I have waited a long time.”
Donovan took the elevator down to Silas’ quarters. He had to hold the top floor button and the bottom floor button until the elevator finally stopped. Silas met him in the entryway fully dressed and looking worried. Donovan held up a hand. “She is okay, but we need to know more about the sleep.”
Silas nodded and led Donovan down a corridor away from his bedchambers. “It has been a long time since I have read about the aftereffects of the mating. I was so consumed with protecting her until she became the Keeper that I neglected to look further into that area.” He didn’t want to admit that he had some trouble reading about the mating between the Keeper and the Protectors, considering the Keeper was his daughter.
Donovan followed Silas into his study where Silas removed a painting from the wall revealing a safe. Upon opening the safe he slid his hand across the top shelf inside the safe and a panel next to the fireplace opened. Inside the panel was another safe containing a key. Silas removed the key and closed the safes and panels in the sequence opposite the one he used opening them.
Donovan was taken aback. Silas was not the paranoid type.
Silas walked toward him and placed the key in Donovan’s hand. “You said yourself, Alexis has training most Navy SEALs don’t. I took extra precautions with the book. The damn thing has pictures in it I didn’t want to have to explain to her.” Silas took a seat behind his desk as Donovan remained standing. Silas smiled. “Lex is the most curious, most stubborn creature I have ever known. I have moved that damn book a hundred times in the last ten years, but I finally found a place she would never look.” At Donovan’s raised eyebrow, Silas continued. “It is in a safe in her cabine t above the stove behind her pots and pans.”
Donovan was still laughing as he made his way back to Lex’s apartment. He let himself in with the key Grady left on the table by the door inside her apartment. Apparently, Grady had locked the door for them after he had replaced it. He would have to thank the kindred later.
Donovan stuck his head into the bedroom to find Jed sitting up in a chair beside the bed looking worried. He knew the feeling. When Lex had passed out, he was terrified. At least the wolf remembered some of what he read. Donovan had never gotten the chance to look at the book.
Donovan held up the key and Jed joined him in the kitchen after quietly closing the bedroom door. “Do you know that Lex never cooks?”
Jed just nodded, wondering why in the hell Donovan was talking about cooking at a time like this.
“Apparently, Silas has moved the book a lot over the last several years in an effort to keep Lex from seeing the pictures it contains. ” Donovan opened the cabinet above the stove and started pulling out pots and pans and setting them on the cabinet. “He hid the book in the one place Lex would never find it.” Donovan looked around and finally pulled a chair over to stand on. Even if she had taken the cookware out there was only a little keyhole in the bottom right corner. Otherwise it looked like the back of the rest of her
Lex woke to a familiar voice. “Alexis, my darling, open your eyes.”
“Mom?” Lex opened her eyes but had to squint against the brightness surrounding her mother. She was in some kind of hall. It was a big room with vaulted ceilings and white marble top to bottom. It echoed every word. “Mom? How?”
“Shhh, sweetheart. I will explain everything. Right now there are things you need to know.” Her mother stood and another woman came into view. “Alexis this is Elpis. She was the Keeper before you. You must listen to her if you are to protect those you love.”
The woman stepped forward as Alexis’ mom, Sylvia , helped her stand. “Alexis, it is good to finally meet you. I have waited a long time.”
Donovan took the elevator down to Silas’ quarters. He had to hold the top floor button and the bottom floor button until the elevator finally stopped. Silas met him in the entryway fully dressed and looking worried. Donovan held up a hand. “She is okay, but we need to know more about the sleep.”
Silas nodded and led Donovan down a corridor away from his bedchambers. “It has been a long time since I have read about the aftereffects of the mating. I was so consumed with protecting her until she became the Keeper that I neglected to look further into that area.” He didn’t want to admit that he had some trouble reading about the mating between the Keeper and the Protectors, considering the Keeper was his daughter.
Donovan followed Silas into his study where Silas removed a painting from the wall revealing a safe. Upon opening the safe he slid his hand across the top shelf inside the safe and a panel next to the fireplace opened. Inside the panel was another safe containing a key. Silas removed the key and closed the safes and panels in the sequence opposite the one he used opening them.
Donovan was taken aback. Silas was not the paranoid type.
Silas walked toward him and placed the key in Donovan’s hand. “You said yourself, Alexis has training most Navy SEALs don’t. I took extra precautions with the book. The damn thing has pictures in it I didn’t want to have to explain to her.” Silas took a seat behind his desk as Donovan remained standing. Silas smiled. “Lex is the most curious, most stubborn creature I have ever known. I have moved that damn book a hundred times in the last ten years, but I finally found a place she would never look.” At Donovan’s raised eyebrow, Silas continued. “It is in a safe in her cabine t above the stove behind her pots and pans.”
Donovan was still laughing as he made his way back to Lex’s apartment. He let himself in with the key Grady left on the table by the door inside her apartment. Apparently, Grady had locked the door for them after he had replaced it. He would have to thank the kindred later.
Donovan stuck his head into the bedroom to find Jed sitting up in a chair beside the bed looking worried. He knew the feeling. When Lex had passed out, he was terrified. At least the wolf remembered some of what he read. Donovan had never gotten the chance to look at the book.
Donovan held up the key and Jed joined him in the kitchen after quietly closing the bedroom door. “Do you know that Lex never cooks?”
Jed just nodded, wondering why in the hell Donovan was talking about cooking at a time like this.
“Apparently, Silas has moved the book a lot over the last several years in an effort to keep Lex from seeing the pictures it contains. ” Donovan opened the cabinet above the stove and started pulling out pots and pans and setting them on the cabinet. “He hid the book in the one place Lex would never find it.” Donovan looked around and finally pulled a chair over to stand on. Even if she had taken the cookware out there was only a little keyhole in the bottom right corner. Otherwise it looked like the back of the rest of her
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