As You Wish by Nichelle Gregory Page A

nose.
    “Vander,” she whispered, unable to control the tears filling her eyes.
    “Don’t cry, Karis. You are safe now.”
    “My mother…“ She struggled to get up, surprised at how much effort it took to move and articulate what she wanted to say.
    “She’s fine…just sleep. I’ll be here when you wake up,” he whispered, smoothing down the wild curls around her face.
    “Thank you,” she managed to say as her heavy eyelids closed and she drifted back to sleep.

    Rue’s hands were all over her body. She struggled to move away from his increasingly bold touch, but there was no escape. A wail of terror rose up out of her throat as the stark realisation she was powerless to stop what was happening overwhelmed her.
    “Karis, it’s okay.”
    She saw Rue’s wicked smile in her mind as her eyelids fluttered open. Vander’s concerned face cleared away the nightmare and she relaxed as he moved to her side.
    “You are with me now. Nobody is going to hurt you again.” He rubbed the goose bumps on her arms.
    She welcomed his touch, unable to speak as her heart slowed down from its galloping pace and her breathing returned to normal.
    “Water,” she whispered, wanting nothing more than to wash away the horrible taste in her mouth.
    Vander moved immediately, revealing his nakedness as he pulled on loose linen pants. “Hang on.” He returned minutes later with a glass and offered it to her with a gentle smile as she started to sit up.
    “Where are my clothes?” she asked furiously, realising she was naked as she tucked the sheet around her breasts and reached for the water.
    “You were practically naked when I brought you here and so cold, I wanted you to feel my body heat while you slept.” He watched her drink the entire glass in record time. “More?”
    Karis shook her head and wished she could just as easily sweep the cobwebs from her head as she had the metallic taste on her tongue. She sucked in a breath and looked up at Vander in horror. “My mother! Rue still has her. She helped me reach you and I left her there. How could I do that?” she asked, covering her face with her hands.
    “Karis, slow down.” He sat beside her. “You were in no condition to help her when I got to you.”
    Devastated, she shook her head. “She was there somewhere. I could feel her but I couldn’t tell exactly where she was, Vander. Rue will hurt her now that I’ve escaped. I know he will,” she whispered.
    “Don’t do this, Karis. We will find her. You still need to rest.” He cupped her face with his hands. “She needs you to be strong and so do I.”
    A small, hesitant meow coming from the doorway, led their attention to the cat sauntering into the room.
    “The cat!” Karis sat up. “I almost forgot about Lona.” She reached for her silk robe lying across the bed and put it on.
    “Lona?” Vander got up from the bed. “She was there with you?”
    Karis lifted her finger and pointed to the feline, inches from their feet. “She’s here, now.”

    Nothing could have prepared Vander for hearing Karis utter his ex lover’s name. He frowned as he tried to make sense of what she was saying. “What are you talking about?”
    Karis pointed to the stretching feline on the carpet. “That’s Lona.” They both stared at the cat now sitting on its haunches before them. “Rue changed her somehow when she tried to stop him from…“
    Her voice trailed off and Vander swore. He knew exactly what she was about to say and he hated the frightened look on her face. It was difficult to wrap his mind around the possibility the one woman who had broken his heart, now lay at his feet in the form of a fluffy, brown fur ball.
    “I didn’t want to leave her there.” He heard Karis say as he stared into the sienna hued eyes of the feline.
    Could it be Lona? Over the years when he had allowed himself to think of their relationship, he’d thought about what he would say to her. Imagined the words he wanted to hear from her and