Emerald Fire by Valerie Twombly

him no matter what he asked. Brock shook his head and let out a sigh.
    Sarah is looking for me.
    He remembered Mina and how she was trapped here because of him. He’d really managed to fuck up so many things in his life. If he’d simply accept what was gifted to him, not only could he finally be happy but also, Mina would be set free. He stared down at the rolling water and finally admitted to himself he’d been hiding behind his dead mate for far too long. It was time to take back his life. Time to explore more of the woman who had been able to sweep up the broken pieces of his heart and begin to place them back together.
    He straightened his shoulders and marched toward the bridge. He would head back to Emerald Isle and claim his mate.
    * * * *
    Sarah ran along the boardwalk to where the Sea Demon was moored and stopped dead in her tracks.
    Gone.
    “I’m sorry we arrived too late.” Elias placed a hand at her back. “I’ll find him. He can’t hide from me. If nothing else, I’ll have my brother summon him.”
    What am I doing? I’m such a fool. What had she hoped to accomplish by chasing after him? She should be glad he was gone. It saved her from embarrassing herself. She turned and walked back toward the car. Tears stung her eyes. “Take me home.”
    Elias climbed back into the driver’s seat and started the engine. “I’ll call Damis later and—”
    “No!” She held up her hand to stop him from speaking. “It’s over. He made his choice, and now, I must move on.”
    He maneuvered the car back out onto the street. “What do you plan to do now?”
    She let her shoulders drop in defeat. Elias would want to know if she was going to choose him. He had every right to demand she make a decision, but she simply couldn’t cope at the moment. “I need some time to figure things out.” She looked at her watch. “I have an appointment in an hour with a potential client, and I plan on keeping it. In the meantime, I think it best we stay away from each other.”
    “I understand.”
    They drove in silence the rest of the way, and when Elias pulled into the parking spot behind her house, she could hardly wait to get out of the car. “Thank you for everything,” she said exiting.
    “Call me if you need anything.”
    She leaned down to peer through the opening. “I will. I have to hurry, or I’ll be late.” She shut the door and trotted toward the house. Looking at her watch again, she saw there was just enough time to change out of the yoga pants she’d thrown on earlier. After slipping through the back door, she hurried upstairs to her room where she stopped dead in her tracks.
    She could almost feel Brock’s presence and could definitely smell his spicy scent. An idea occurred to her. She’d heard of couples being able to summon each other with a thought. Usually they were already mated, but there were occasions when the bond was so strong their magic clung to each other. Like a magnet to metal. Could she summon him? If she could, what would she do when he showed up?
    She shook the idea from her mind, knowing it would only result in her getting hurt. It was best to try to forget he’d ever existed.
    She moved to her closet and grabbed the sundress she’d planned to wear. Keeping her mind off Brock would be easier said than done, but she was happy to have the appointment this morning. At least, it would keep her from throwing herself on the bed in a crying fit. For now anyway.
    Sarah was puzzled at the abrupt change he’d had. Last night, she’d sensed nothing wrong and thought things had gone pretty well. Did he really believe he was doing her a favor by stepping down? How could he possibly know he had no love in his heart when he refused to even try?
    “Damn it!” She slipped the dress over her head. Moving to the mirror, she ran a brush through her hair in quick strokes. She needed to calm herself before the meeting or she’d be a complete mess. Her emotions ran the gamut of wanting to