The Watchers (Twisted Sisters #1) Read online

  “Well, I think I just got the answer to my question, hey birdie?”

  He jerks his head quickly in agreement, ruffles his feathers and continues to glower at me. I don’t think it would be in my best interest to keep pushing my luck. Bringing my phone up, I take aim and click the screen to take the picture. By the time I tuck my phone back into the front of my bra, I glance up and see the eagle has taken off and has continued to fly in the direction of the car.

  The still air is suddenly filled with the sound of low humming. The vibrations flowing through my body, like the tingle you get from having pins and needles.

  So many questions start flowing through my mind.

  Why can I hear more than one male voice?

  When did anyone else turn up?

  Nobody knew Dad was bringing us out to the lake’s cottage. But there’s one question that keeps running around confusing me the most.

  Since when did Dad have people around that knew his beliefs and ways?

  This is my chance to find out more about my father and maybe meet some of his friends. Curiosity gets the better of me and I take off running toward the car as fast as I can. I need to stop and lean against the trunk of one of the trees as my vision blurs. I kneel down on the dirt, lower my head and close my eyes. I get a quick flash of Lacy in danger with a wolf, I feel the panic in her voice as she tells him off. The shake in her limbs as she tries to make her escape. It feels real as though I’m standing right beside her.

  “Just back away, Sissy. It’s just a dream, remember?” I whisper into the wind.

  My eyes snap open, breaking the connection I had with Lacy. My heart beat picks up a tempo of its own, beating faster and faster with every note I hear. My veins bulge and pulse under my skin.

  What the hell?

  The chanting becomes louder. One voice becomes more dominate over the others. Dad has a deep baritone, but there’s someone else who has a deeper voice. The difference is so apparent. I slow my breathing down and concentrate on nothing but the tune. I know I can hear it, and it isn’t just my imagination. There are at least three other voices along with Dad’s. I’ve never known my father to chant with anyone else. He’s always done it on his own. Something about this moment feels different, it’s like there’s an urgency to it.

  I stand on shaky legs, looking around frantically at my surroundings. I have the strangest compulsion to follow the chanting. I feel off balance, uneven, and not myself. My thoughts are all over the place. My head is light and I can’t think clearly. I have only one thought flowing around in my head, I need to find the man behind that smooth, deep voice. I was heading to the car anyway, so what harm would it be to follow this voice at the same time?

  My body tingles with new sensations I can’t explain. Yearning, desire, I don’t know. I’m not sure what it is, but it’s there all the same.

  Lacy has often called me cold, unfeeling, an empty shell of a person. Because I’ve never reacted or taken an interest in males the way she has. In all honesty, I’ve never wanted to get close to any. I just haven’t met one who gets my attention long enough to want more. Don’t get me wrong, I love to sit and stare. I just can never get over that hump to ask for more.

  I’m a little freaked out, this voice is making me feel things that I have no right to feel. I want more, I want to know what it feels like to be held, kissed and cherished. It feels as though he’s singing just for me. I’m scared and excited all in the same heartbeat. I feel drugged, weak and uncertain like I need more of it.

  Moving as fast as my feet can carry me, I keep looking around frantically, trying to find the source of the sweet melody. My heart has taken on the same tempo beat of the tune, it beckons me closer.

  Why can’t I find him? Why can’t I see him? Am I going out of my mind? Surely this can’t be a figment of my imagination.

  I must look like a mad lady, I’m running from tree to tree looking high and low for my mystery man. My heart is beating so fast that it’s causing my vision to blur. I need to get a hold of myself, or I’m going to pass out.

  “In. Out. Deep breaths. Concentrate Lucy, concentrate. You can find it. You need to find him,” I coach myself.

  I keep my eyes closed and listen. No longer can I hear the whisper of the others, only his. I wonder why my body is reacting this way? My chest is heaving in and out with every deep breath I drag into my lungs. My mind is clearing to the point of almost emptiness. My breathing has slowed down considerably and becomes shallow, remembering all the meditation over the last two years. I pull those techniques out now, to keep the calm and peace flowing into my body.

  Calm and steady, slow down your mind, slow down your breathing. I repeat this mantra over and over in my mind. I take a minute and allow the breathing to relax me into a state of emptiness. It takes a while, but it helps me drown out everything else around me. Now that my mind is empty and calm. I hear him calling to me, telling me to find him, that I belong to him and him alone. Now, I understand the pull this man has on me and why my body is betraying me.

  I actually feel myself tilting slightly to the left like it’s giving me clues as to where he is. My body seems to know which way to go before my mind has the chance to catch up.

  I give myself completely over to the call and allow my body to move toward the voice. I keep my eyes closed, because I know the minute I open them I’ll lose the feeling of being calm. I’m careful as I let myself be guided, solely on the feeling alone. The steps I take are small and measured, giving me the chance to avoid anything in my way. I know I’m getting closer because I can feel it.

  The closer I get, the more I feel alive. There’s the most incredible electric current that runs through my body. My stomach tightens with nervous energy and my nipples have hardened into tight peaks. With every step, my thighs rub together sending a delicious sensation between my legs.

  I burn with a heaviness like I’m on fire, and I’ve never felt anything like it before. It’s a hunger, a need, and want, all at the same time. I’m hot and damp, and for once my body is awake and wanting. I groan out loud at the pressure building in me. Closing my eyes I try to forget everything in my body has me feeling for the first time.

  I know I need to find my relief, but from what? Is this what Lacy was talking about? Is this the feeling that she gets when she wakes from her hot dreams?

  I realize that standing around isn’t going to stop my body’s craving, so I keep walking in the hopes of finding that delicious voice and soon. A cold shower might be needed once I get to the cottage.

  The chanting has grown in volume, sounding closer with every step I take. Thank the lucky stars for that, because I’ve managed to wander pretty far into the woods. At one stage I was headed toward the car, but when I closed my eyes and allowed the feeling to guide me, I think it took me in an entirely different direction.

  I’m no longer able to control my breathing, it comes in shallow and fast pants. The burn between my legs is getting worse, there’s a heaviness in my breasts, and my nipples are hardening to the point of pain.

  “Oh, come on,” I pant, squeezing my left breast in my hand. Oh, good God, what am I doing?

  My eyes snap open, and I find myself leaning against the tree behind me. I need to get a hold of myself. I’m embarrassed about my body’s reaction. My panties are wet and I’m panting like I’ve run a marathon. With a certainty that I’ve never felt before, I lower my body down onto the ground. I lie on my back with my knees bent and legs parted. I close my eyes and gasp as I’m bombarded with visions of a hot mystery guy and me.

  He stands in front of me in a gray mist, but I can’t see him clearly, though. Standing easily six-foot-tall, he has the broad shoulders of a linebacker. Hmm, those shoulders lead down to the most amazing washboard stomach. Damn the man is incredible. But why can’t I see his face clearly?

  “Oh my,” I groan, licking my lips.

  He walks over to me, grabs hold of my shoulders and lifts me up off the ground, smirking so seductively. H
e pins me against the tree with so much force, I exhale sharply on impact. He’s standing so close to me that my breasts are pushed against his hard chest. He doesn’t say anything, not a single word.

  He slowly runs his hands down my arms, pushing his hips against me and keeping me in place. His hand travels down my arms, leaving a trail of goosebumps behind. Without warning, he grabs hold of both of my wrists and pins them above my head with one of his strong hands.

  “Don’t you move,” he growls close to my ear.

  Oh my God, it’s him, it’s the voice I’ve been chasing. I can’t speak, I’m lost to all feeling. I’ve never been touched this way, I didn’t know it could feel so good. So I let him know I understand by nodding my head.

  “Good girl, now keep very still.”

  He lowers his head painfully slow and takes my mouth in a soft sensual kiss. His lips are so smooth, like velvet. I could quickly become addicted to everything he has to offer. He runs his tongue along the seam of my lips, encouraging me to open my mouth. I don’t know what I’m doing. My hesitation must show, because he pulls back from my lips, and starts to kiss and suck at the nape of my neck. With a groan, I tilt my head to the side without any thought.

  “I will try that again beautiful, and you will open to me.”

  He trails his lips from the base of my neck, back to my lips. He sucks my bottom lip into his mouth, nibbling at it softly.

  “You taste so good,” he growls. “I wonder where else you would taste so sweet?”

  I don’t know what he’s talking about, but everything in me wants to find out. He reaches his left hand and clutches the base of my neck, pulling me in close. He captures my lips in a bruising harsh kiss. He pulls back gasping and licks against my lips. I part them giving him access to my mouth, and our tongues tangle. His hardened length pushes against my stomach, and I gasp in surprise.

  Oh my, he’s huge. This isn’t like me. I’m not this kind of girl. But no matter how much I try to stop or pull back, I can’t make myself do it.

  “Don’t worry about that yet.” He chuckles smugly, nudging my legs apart with his knee.

  He takes hold of my hips, encouraging me to move back and forth along his thigh while he continues to kiss me. My dark stranger lets go of my neck and trails his fingers in a light caress over my ribs, slowly moving higher and higher until his hand brushes against my breast. I gasp and try to steady myself.

  I need to touch him. I reach up to his shoulders and run my fingers softly down his arms. His defined muscles twitch under my touch. I grow bolder and tighten my hold on his arms.

  “Don’t tempt me,” he purrs, shivering from my touch.

  He reaches down and takes hold of the hem of my sundress. He winks, dragging it over my head and dropping it to the ground with a moan. He reaches around my back and fiddles with the clip of my bra.

  “Tada,” he calls out triumphantly when the clasp comes undone.

  He takes one of my breasts and balances the perfectly shaped orb in his huge hand. He flicks his thumb over my hard nipple, groaning deep in the back of his throat. I’m panting with need, so I lean forward and kiss the side of his neck.

  “Do that again,” he commands.

  His fingers work their magic over my breasts, pinching, and clasping. I throw my head back and grind harder on his thigh. He leans into me and kisses my neck, licking at the pulse, it jumps under his tongue seeking his attention.

  Before I realize what I’m doing, I find my hand drifting down to undo the button of his jeans. Without much thought, my hand disappears down low in his pants until one of my fingers skims the straining flesh of his erect cock.

  “Shit,” he grits out, shocked.

  He bites down on my neck hard. I gasp at the feeling of pleasure and pain that floods my body.

  “Oh crap,” he gasps, when he looks at my neck and notices the small trail of blood.

  My arms and legs grow heavy, I’m starting to feel limp and weak from all the built up tension. He gently eases me to the ground and backs away. I close my eyes suddenly tired. My body shakes uncontrollably. After a few minutes of deep breathing, I open my eyes to find that my own hand is in my underwear and I’m leaning against the tree.

  Oh great, just a dream. That would be my luck.

  “Holy hell, did she just have an orgasm?”

  What the fuck? Where did that voice come from? I start looking around frantically. It’s the voice that was in my head, but there isn’t anyone around. If someone watched the show just then… oh my Lord, I can’t even comprehend it. I’m so embarrassed.

  “Fuck, I need that,” I curse under my breath.

  I can’t take this anymore. I groan and rub my thighs together closing my eyes trying to bring the hot man back into my mind. If I could picture him the first time, surely I could do it again. Come to think of it, I must have one fantastic imagination to conjure him up in the first place.

  “Which one of you fuckers turned their sexy up? The girl just gave us one amazing show, so whoever did it, please do it again,” the deep voice rumbles.

  As if this day couldn’t possibly get any stranger, I can hear the voice as if it is directly talking to my mind, and that’s just plain rude.

  I raise my eyes from the ground and notice the three eagles perched in the tree right in front of me. If I didn’t know any better, I’d swear they are focusing on me and nothing else. I’m not sure if I should feel worried or flattered.

  “Oh, bugger off birdies, now is not the time,” I hiss.

  They look between each other then back to me. The two on the edge of the trio move closer to the one in the middle, their wings bounce up and down as if laughing. The one in the middle with the green eyes narrows them, and turns to his left.

  “Did that little mortal girl just call us… birdies?”

  “Holy crap, no way,” I scream at the top of my lungs.

  This can’t be happening. I turn around fast, stumbling on my unsteady legs and run back toward the car. That was not normal. I don’t usually hear sexy voices in my head that answer me back.

  I’m going as crazy as my goddamn sister. She’s always talking about things I can’t explain or even think could be true. I break through the bush at a dead run. Mom meets me half way when she notices the distress I’m in.

  “Lu?”

  I can’t catch my breath, I can’t breathe, I can’t think.

  “Lu, slow down. What happened? Are you all right? Why are you in such a state and why are you so flustered?”

  I inhale a sharp breath not able to comprehend what Mom is trying to say. What has just happened to my body? What happened to me? Why can’t I get that voice out of my head? My thoughts are jumbled, I need to get my act together, and I need to answer my mother before she ends up in a panic. She doesn’t need my drama as well as the problem with Lacy.

  “I’m fine, Mom, just saw a snake, that’s all.” It’s a surprise how easy the lie rolls off my tongue. I glance over to the car and ask, “How is, Lace?”

  Mom stares at me dumbfounded. “Lu, are you sure that’s all that happened?”

  She turns her head slowly to the side, looking over at Dad then back at me, taking me in from head to toe.

  Great, just great. Now I get the overbearing mother act. Just what I need, my mother completely focused on me and nothing else. I can’t deal with this right now. Why can’t she see that?

  I turn away from Mom and walk over toward Dad’s red Hummer. Only to stop dead in my tracks at the sight before me. The three eagles from earlier are sitting on the hood of Dad’s car. Dad isn’t concerned about the fact that there are huge eagles here out in the open. Or that the things are sitting on his car. Dad loves his Hummer more than life itself. Under normal circumstances, he would be flipping out over anyone touching his car. He won’t even allow Mom to wash it.

  That’s it, I can’t take it anymore. I throw my hands in the air making the motion of shooing them away.

  “Now get lost birdies, enough is enough
,” I tell them off, flapping my hands around trying to shoo them away.

  “Why the hell, does that little mortal keep calling us birdies? Goddamn, can’t she see what we are? Do we look like small birdies to her? Little is a sparrow, we aren’t tiny.”

  Why does that voice need to be in my head? I don’t know how much more of his mocking I can take. I open the back door of the Hummer and look over at Dad.

  “Dad, I realize you’re busy in here and everything, but are you aware that there are three ugly birdies sitting on your car?” I tell him, making a point of glancing from the eagles to Dad.

  “Someone please explain to that little mortal, that if she calls me a little birdie again I might have to eat her to show her who the little one is.”

  I snap my attention back to the eagles on the hood. The one in the middle with the green eyes menacingly glares at me. While the other two on either side of him are having a hard time staying upright. The eagle on the right, the smallest of the three, almost falls off the car before catching his balance again.

  Seeing that almost broke my bad mood. I say almost, because this whole situation is out of the norm, and well, right now, I need my sister. I feel empty without her. Dad’s body starts to shake, he snorts before he starts laughing like a hyena.

  “Are you serious, Dad? Why on earth are you laughing when there are birds sitting on your car?”

  Oh yeah, this just gets better. Dad must have taken drugs, or hit his head or something when I went walking. He starts laughing even harder while shaking his head. Fat tears roll down his cheeks.

  “Markus, are you seriously going to fucking laugh right now? You stupid wanker.” The voice growls in my head.

  I snap my head around, glance out the window and scowl at the stupid bird. My nails cut into the palms of my hands from clenching them so tightly. The anger that I’ve tried to hold back erupts and I snap.

  “I’m over you spouting your crap. You need to shut up.” I point my finger in the direction of the large eagle in the middle. “I know it is you I hear. You have no right to speak to my father that way, you disrespectful shit. If you aren’t careful, I’ll clip your wings. Then we’ll see just how big and tough you are.”