11 Arabel

How? How was I able the hear Nathan's voice in my head? And how did he hear what was happening when he wasn't a guardian? He knew now, the voice that taunted me. The questions swam in my mind but his lips dancing against my own were distracting. I felt that unnerving presence refuse to leave but felt the disgust coming from it and I wondered if Nathan felt it as well. He pressed against my lips, coaxing them to part and I felt my concentration slipping while I struggled to keep hold of it. His hands slid against my body sending electrical shocks throughout it and it was obvious his focus on uncovered skin to give me more of the burning sensation. The back of my mind , the sensible part, warned me that we were still in the greenhouse and although blocked from the view of the soldiers, we could easily be stumbled upon. But the rush of fire against my skin and lips as he showered me with kisses was making the rest of my mind go blank. Then I heard a scream of rage and that harrowing presence was finally gone, but Nathan didn't let up.

I felt his hand slide to my backside as he lifted me up, changing our position. Without opening my eyes I could tell that I was sitting in his lap, straddling him, his hands holding me in place now instead of caressing my body. I felt compelled to open my eyes and when I did I find myself staring down into his burning gray ones which were swimming with hunger and anger as he slowly pulled away, only to lower his lips to my neck and I felt my body shudder against him and then through the thinness of the shirt I was wearing I felt him press a kiss in the center of my chest over my breast bone, where the scar was and I felt a surge of lighting course through my body so powerful it caused my back to arch, but he pressed a hand to my back to hold me in place.

"Arabel," his voice was mixed with raw human emotions and I shuddered at the weight of it. He looked up and held my gaze but refused to ease his grasp from around me. I felt my breath get caught in my throat at the intensity of his. He exhaled heavily and tightened his arms around me and I felt the intense heat emanating from his body and it called to me.

"I promise you," he said softly, "you will never be alone again." I opened my mouth in shock as I realized that he must have felt and heard more than I thought. Then I closed my mouth and shook my head.

"You shouldn't make impossible promises," I choked out but he shook his head and I saw an unfamiliar fire burning in his gaze he held my face with his hands.

"Whatever fight you are fighting, I'll be beside you, wherever you go, I'll come too." He said and I saw the serious intensity of his eyes.

"Nathan." I whispered and he shook his head as he leaned in and pressed a different kind of kiss to my lips. It felt, binding, and a whimper escaped my throat. I didn't want to be left alone again. The walls I had spend so long building had been slowly crumbling since we first met. I wanted to push him away, but at the same time I wanted him to hold me. I wanted to feel his skin against mine our heat intermingling.

'I don't want him to stop.' I thought to myself then feel his whole body trembling underneath me and his lips part in a smile.

"I can keep going," he said gruffly against my lips, "but your brother might kill me."

"Ahem." Sure enough the familiar presence made itself known as he cleared his throat. I felt a rush of annoyance flow through my body.

"Comes back from the dead after hundreds of years and not even a day goes by before hes making me miserable." I sneer as Nathan helps me to my feet with a chuckle.

"You forget sister dear, we shared a womb. It's my job to make you miserable," Ronan grins wolfishly and I raise my lip in a mock snarl in response.

"You're twins?" Nathan asked in surprise and I shrugged.

"Unfortunately," both me and Ronan respond in unison. I roll my eyes in mock annoyance. After hundreds of years thinking he was dead, it was comforting to see how quickly we fell back in synch.

"Why the rude interruption Ronan,?" I ask and he smirks,

"Someone's gotta look out for you sister," he winks and I throw my head back. Together the three of us head back to the clearing where the soldiers were staying. Some where napping, others playing cards, while others were doing exercises like push ups and crunches to pass the time. Captain Dane and Sam were sitting off to the side chatting amiably. They look up when we return and I see a frown on Sam's face as she looks at Ronan. I glance at him and see the crestfallen face as he looks away from her. Even I could feel the coldness emanating from her, towards him and I gave him a reassuring pat on the shoulder.

Nathan comes up to me and wraps an arm around my waist pulling me against him to a stop.

"I never got to ask a question I had," he said while we stood off to the side. I step away and look up at him which Ronan stood and watched.

"I thought you said you had to touch in order to communicate?" he asked. I frowned and glanced at Ronan who's eyes were sharp with concern. I run my fingers through my hair and sigh.

"Ronan and I can talk through our minds, because we are twins." I said softly, "some guardians can communicate without touch with other gaurdians that they have either connected with or have a close bond with. But we still have to be touching to share our memories." Nathan grunted and looked at me with a hard glare, he knew I avoided answering him.

"That wasn't Ronan taunting you in your head," he sounded angry and I sent him a pleading look. But it was too late, Ronan grabbed my arm and I felt him pulling the memory out from mere moments ago. I yanked my arm back and hissed at him involuntarily. He growled back in response.

"How long has he been taunting you like this?" he asked and I looked away, rubbing my arm where he had touched as if it burned. I sighed,

"Only when I have my defenses down." I said softly.

"And how often has that happened since you met him," he jerked his thumb towards Nathan who raised his eyebrows in surprise.

"Why does meeting me have anything to do with it?" he asked and I felt my shoulders slump.

"I know what toll it takes, you're not going to be able to keep your walls up as you have been."

"Who is it that is doing that, and how come he can?" Nathan pressed and I looked at him.

"He is the other Phoenix," Ronan answered before I could and I threw him a glare.

"You mean there's more than one of you?" Nathan looked to me expectantly and I scratched my head softly but nodded.

"He's dying Ronan," I said and Ronan looked at me with shock.

"How?"

"His guardian left him. So he's angry, and dying. He's hoping that connecting with me will have his guardian return."

"But he's too late," Ronan answered and I nodded,

"Somethjng I had hoped to keep secret from him," I looked at Nathan who now had a sheepish grin in place and I chuckled softly.

"Yes, he's been haunting my mind, trying to rile me up enough to get me to confront him. He's not a guardian anymore but he can still change into his gaurdians forms. He's angry and bitter and because we once had the connection of being both of the Phoenix gaurdians as well as friends, he is still able to gain access to my mind at will. I think the only way that will change is if he dies, or the Phoenix guardian chooses another." Ronan looked contemplatively and glanced and Nathan with a thoughtful look in his eye. He seemed to have a lot on his mind that he didn't want to share. But then he turned around as if called and I chuckled,

"Your queen is calling you, you should answer little doggy," I teased. He flashed me a toothy snarl before leaving to go to meet up with Sam and Dane. I looked to Nathan who was watching me carefully.

"So he can get into your mind because we connected and you can't protect yourself against him." He seemed hurt and guilty and I reached up and touched the side of his face gingerly.

"The connection between us is strong," I whispered, "it makes me not want to hold anything back from you and want you to know everything about me. It makes me want to know everything about you. I regret nothing," he smiled half-heartedly before leaning his forehead against mine with a sigh.

"Please don't keep it hidden when he reaches out to you again, you don't have to suffer through this alone." I closed my eyes and relished his words and warmth and felt something stir inside of me. Something I had never felt before and I found myself wondering again at how he had heard in the first place. How had he gotten in my mind? Humans shouldn't be able to communicate that way with guardians.

'Can you hear this?' I tested and waited. But he didn't move, and he didn't respond, whatever it was it wasn't happening anymore. I pulled away and turned towards the rest of the crowd just as Ronan had called my name. I walked over to them, aware of Nathan following me, and even more aware of the wary gazes from the other soldiers. I felt a familiar pang of pain as their distrust emanated from their body and shook my head.

"What can I help with?" I direct my question to Dane, the obvious leader of the group, despite the fact that Sam, Nicholas, and Ronan were all much stronger.

"How long until this storm clears?" He asked and I exhaled listened to the wind buffeting around the greenhouse outside I closed my eyes and within myself felt the swirls of wind. I felt the highs and lows and smiled softly at the winds soft purrs.

"Day after tomorrow should be clear enough to fly your choppers," I say while opening my eyes back up.

"How come she can tell but you cant?" Sam asked Ronan and I chuckled softly to myself.

"She speaks more languages than me." He said and a ripple of recognition shown on the animal queen's face.

"I speak all languages now," I corrected before I turn my attention back to Dane,

"Is there anything you and your men need? There is a restroom attached in the back, there's no showers but help yourself to the hose and any fruits or vegetables, I'll be getting more food from the main building in a bit as well."

"Do you have a phone that works? I can't get ahold of anyone stateside with our sat phone." Dane asked and I nodded,

"There's a phone in the main building, you can come with me in thirty minutes to use it." He nodded his appreciation and turned back to his men.

The greenhouse was eerily quiet with the sound of the wind buffeting the walls while the soldiers idly chattered.

After thirty prompt minutes Captain Dane met me at the entrance, wrapped tightly in his winter gear I chuckled softly.

"Are you sure one of us should go with you?" A soldier spoke up, the concern obvious in his voice.

"I promise I won't eat him" I called over my shoulders and saw Dane shaking his head in response. When the first blast of icy wind hit us as the door shut behind us I saw Dane's body stiffen underneath his thick clothing. I unfurled my wings and wrapped them around to which he startled visibly. I sighed but only the wind heard me. When we walked up the steps of the orphanage I let him in and walked in behind him. I didn't put my wings away but folded them neatly behind me as I walked through the halls. It was a break period and there were children wandering the halls. Some stopped to stare. I saw Olivia and smiled in response to her own smile but she was ushered away by her teacher. Then there was a soft cry and a clatter of books falling and I saw Sarina enter the hallway. She had a look of terror on her face and I passed Dane quickly to stand in front of her.

"Shh." I said wrapping my arms around her, "no one is here to hurt you, nor would I let them, they are taking shelter in the greenhouse from the storm, they'll be gone in two days. He just needs to use our phone." I said softly in her native tongue. I felt her body trembling lightly but she nodded in understanding. With a sigh I pulled away and she rushed out of the hallway into her next classroom. I knew she would be suffering from nightmares tonight. I turned back to Dane who had a look of soft compassion and motioned for him to follow me. I took him into a small room that had a nothing but a small fireplace, sofa, and a table with a phone on it.

"Take your time with the phone, no one will bother you in here. I'm going to go get some things and then will come back and get you." I said with a nod before dipping out of the room.

I returned half an hour later with two bags filled with food and snacks and something I had grabbed from my secret office for Ronan. Dane was sitting on the sofa staring into the fire when I returned seemingly unaware of my entrance. I cleared my throat softly and he glanced at me from the side of his eyes before sitting up straighter and staring at me and I felt a flicker of wariness in my gut.

"Sam and Nathan trust you," he said softly, "Nathan says you aren't a threat to anyone." I set the bags down and sigh.

"Are you this skeptical of Ronan, I mean Bruno, as well?" I ask and he purses his lips in thought.

"Granted I was surprised by his change as well… but he has saved me enough so human or wolf I feel like I still know him. Although not sure how I feel by his obvious affection towards Sam," He said in a very fatherly tone. I chuckled and nodded.

"Then I'm not sure what you want me to say or do here." I said, "I'm not asking you to trust me and I understand your underlying fear, I've seen it enough to know what to expect, and not expect." I said and he narrowed his eyes.

"Humans are scared of things they don't know," he said, almost apologetically. I raised an eyebrow in question, not missing the fact that he wasn't referring to me as a human.

"And?"

"And I think you'd be surprised at the reactions you would get should your 'existence' be known." He said and I stepped back, for the first time I wondered what he had said in his phone conversation. My concern must have been visible on my face.

"I didn't say anything about what you are in my report." He said and I frowned.

"You had every right to." I responded and he shrugged.

"They forced Sam into this life when she was only a kid…" he spoke softly, as if remembering and I was surprised by learning this, "she didn't break but she went through hell that no one should ever need to go through. They don't need to know about you, assuming Sam's instinct is correct about you." He glanced at me again and I felt myself smiling at his trust in his younger comrade.

"Hmm. You hear us whispering about a fight/war that you know nothing about and now you're worried." I said and he smirked with a nod. I wasn't sure what compelled me to do so. Perhaps it was an affect of connecting with Nathan, my head and heart being open to new feelings and emotions that I had never experienced before but I found myself telling him about what was happening.

About the fight I have been fighting alone for hundreds of years.