Chapter One

Tara rested her head on Peter’s chest while they lay in his bed, watching TV. She knew she should be happy. She finally had a family of sorts—a boyfriend who would do anything for her and a best friend who would go to the bowels of Hell to find he. But she wasn’t happy, and she couldn’t tell anyone.

Peter’s bed was somehow more comfortable than hers, and he seemed to want her there. That didn’t stop her from feeling terrible over waking him up—for the third time that in a week. Her plush bed was inviting, but it was home to her horrible nightmares. At least, she wished they were nightmares.

She’d recently spent a short period of time in the hands of the underworld general, Sarian, and although she had hoped her memories would stay in the past, flashes of her time with him were pushing through. The only place she found comfort after she woke was nestled in Peter’s arms.

Things had become so insane since her best friend, Ashley, left. Coming to Moscow was enough of a change from Renato’s house. They went from the orphanage, to the sanctuary of the jungle, to a huge city with bustling streets and people talking in heavy tongued accents.

Before Tara was taken from her mother by child protective services, she had never traveled further than the small town where their trailer was parked on cinder blocks. Now she lived in the lap of luxury—by her standards at least—with Renato heading up the group of ancient Mayan descendants with miraculous abilities far beyond anything she was capable of.

Peter and Renato kept her company while they waited for Ashley and Arwan to return from their mission. Thinking about the fact Ashley just took off upset Tara. Lately, there was so much to feel bad about, and pondering on those things only made her feel worse. But sitting with Peter, wrapped in his arms, she always felt at peace.

Her eyelids grew heavy, and her muscles ached for just a few hours of good sleep. Being close to him somehow made it all better, for the moment. He chased away her demons and made her forget.

Peter pushed a curl aside and placed a soft kiss behind her ear. “How are you feeling?”

She shrugged. He nudged her shoulder with his chin and rested his lips on the curve of her neck. His breath teased her skin.

She giggled and cringed away. “Knock it off. You know I’m ticklish.”

“Mmm.” He continued trailing kisses down to her shoulder.

The tickling sensation subsided, and Tara’s eyes fluttered closed. Her lips parted, fingers tightening around the blankets underneath her.

The smell of fresh rain filled the air. God, she loved his scent. The first time he stepped close to her at Renato’s house, it had washed over her like a wave of relief. After that, she just couldn’t stay away.

“You think you can get some sleep?” he whispered. “You need it.”

Tara composed herself and nodded. After all, it was she who didn’t want to take the next step in their relationship. Even though he didn’t push the issue, a tiny piece of her wished he’d keep kissing her neck to see where it went—see if she felt comfortable, without committing to anything from the beginning. Peter, however, would never put her into a situation she didn’t ask for. He loved her too much. It was the first time she had experienced that kind of commitment from anyone. There was no way she’d risk ruining it with sex.

Tara sat up, rubbing the tight muscles in her neck. Every nightmare threw her body into a more tense and agitated state. Her appetite was all but gone, her sense of humor dimmed, and since the flashbacks had become more vivid, she’d all but lost the ability to laugh.

Peter’s hands replaced hers and worked around her shoulders, massaging the knots into submission. Warmth radiated from his fingertips and spread through her body, soothing the tension. His healing ability had come in handy more than once over the last few weeks.