Serena had backed into something hard and unyielding, with bad breath. Before she had a chance to scream, a thick hand came around to cover her mouth, while the other wrapped firmly around her waist. He dragged her back into the house and threw her onto the pile of trash she used to call her living room. She had no purchase to scramble away and hardly any breath left, since her hard landing had knocked it clear out of her. Splinters of some unidentified piece of wreckage poked through her shirt and scratched her back. Plumes of fluff from a seat rose in the air. Dazed and in pain, she thought a bear hovered above her, but it morphed into a burly man with a ski mask. He pounced on top of her, squeezing out the last pockets of air in her lungs. He’d drawn his arm back, and a meaty, clenched fist seemed eager to pummel her face. And then, the thug growled as his eyes glowed a fiery red.She closed her eyes and braced for a brutal assault that never came. Instead a voice sh

It’d been a week since Raphael put Serena in the hands of people who could really heal her. Besides having an insatiable curiosity, he also had an onerous task to do. It was long past time to “man up.” He needed to tell her about her brother and be done with it. The hospital staff had been very kind to give him daily updates on her status, something they normally wouldn’t do, but because he used his persuasive Brethren abilities on the staff, they extended the courtesy. After being in critical condition with an assortment of internal injuries, fractured ribs, and a concussion, she was now upgraded to stable. In the beginning, she’d had no shortage of visitors, he’d been told, with friends coming round at all hours, but that had dropped off sharply. He decided to drive back to the hospital before visiting hours were over for the day, with all intentions of telling her the news and saying his farewells. When he saw her, those intentions flew right out the window.

Sprawling ranch? Serena gazed out the car window in wonder. Raphael’s home away from home stood as a red rock fortress that seemed to blend into its companion cliffs. They weren’t that far from the heart of Sedona, oddly enough. She recognized the area as being near the Boynton Canyon vortex. Knowing all she did about vortexes, she was pleasantly surprised. Staying here would definitely help put her body and mind back into balance.She knew her uncharacteristic frailty would diminish as her strength returned. Physically, she grew stronger, slowly but surely. Emotionally, however, bouts of depression and anxiety left her an absolute mess. She had to give herself some latitude, though. When she’d first awakened in the hospital, she’d found out she could never have children due to how badly she’d been beaten in the desert. Just one more dream dashed to bits to add to the haunted hallways of her home, along with the husband and menagerie of animals.“This is perfect, Raphael,” she gushed,

Serena looked like her name implied, calm and serene. By the time Raphael had cleaned up his shattered mess in the kitchen and returned to the living room, she’d dozed off. He sat in the winged chair opposite the couch and watched her as he would a sunset, with awe and wonder. How could one appear so fragile and yet possess such fortitude? She’s a mystery, a puzzle begging to be solved. But should I be the one to attempt it?There were no easy answers, except to take each day one at a time. He would first let her heal and get to know her. Serena, that is. After all, he didn’t have a clue into her life. What he did understand, he was drawn to her like no other. He suspected a part of that had to do with how closely she resembled Sirona. But Serena didn’t know it, and everything she said, every move she made, he supposed, was uniquely hers, uniquely Serena. Or was it? Maybe her very essence was inexorably tied to Sirona’s soul, so that the two coexisted without knowing one from the othe

Serena watched dumbfounded as Callie shoved the gorgeous behemoth out of the way to get to the guest bedroom.“Saucy wench! I think I’m in love, Raf,” Kemuel retorted with a wicked grin.Before she left, Callie winked at her and smiled. Raphael rushed over to help ease her onto a kitchen chair. He took the phone from her grasp. “Hey, how are you feeling? I hope we didn’t disturb you.”At first, she sat there in shock, numb. Raphael is here? Why is he here? And my girlfriend is not only safe, but has literally scolded two mammoth-sized men in my kitchen.“I’m just curious,” Raphael said while waving her phone around. “How exactly did you plan on using this to save Callie, and in your condition?”“Well, I thought I’d….” She tried to justify her actions and raised her hands instead in defeat. “Jesus, Raphael, I don’t know. I don’t know what I&r