Divinity Bound: A Fated Guardian Paranormal Romance (Rise of the Lost Gods Book 2) Read online

  He raised a brow. “You moved to a small town where there’s a festival practically every weekend.”

  “That doesn’t mean I enjoy them.” Ana hated that she had to lie and stay hidden. Leaving her old life had given her the chance at freedom, but her current life squandered the opportunity.

  Shane shoved his hands in his pockets and shrugged. “Maybe you haven’t gone with the right people.”

  And was he the right people? She pressed her lips together to keep the words inside. Eight months, she’d been hiding. For what? To live the same lonely, sad existence she’d had before?

  Ana wavered, staring across the room at the bland, grey couch which doubled as her bed. Almost nothing in this apartment was hers. She’d left Magnolia with a suitcase and a backpack to come to Deckard, where she’d lived for months in Moira’s guest room.

  Before the accident, she’d been plagued by restless energy, pushing her body to the limits on the practice floor again and again. Ana’s injury had forced a change, but the twitchy feeling didn’t go away, slowly building again until it clamored in her head, as if she needed to stretch and move. Taking over the apartment had been a big first step in claiming her life, but she wanted that forward motion to be a beginning not an end.

  Shane watched her and waited. Hot air blew across her legs from the open door, reminding Ana of his quick actions when she’d hurt herself by forgetting to be cautious.

  She tried to discourage him one more time. “Aren’t the festivals just an excuse to get people to spend money?”

  “Partly, but they’re also an excuse to socialize and create a sense of community. They can be fun if you let them.”

  “I seriously doubt that,” she muttered.

  “Then give me a chance to prove your terrible opinion wrong. I promise you’ll have fun.”

  Ana wanted to go. Not for the festival, she’d been mostly truthful there, but to spend time with people she enjoyed. Add Shane to the mix with his quiet confidence and undeniable charms? That cop car fantasy wasn’t too far off.

  He must have sensed her caving because he held his hands up in surrender. “You’ll be with your boss and her husband in addition to me, and I promise to leave the handcuffs at home.”

  “Okay, I’ll go, but don’t be disappointed if I cling to the shadows and want to leave early.”

  A broad grin spread across his face. “I promised you fun. If that means lurking and people watching, I’m with you, but you have to at least try the funnel cake.”

  Ana bit her cheek to keep from smiling back like a giddy child. “I can agree to that.”

  “And I’m paying.”

  She narrowed her eyes. “I can pay for myself.”

  “Nope. I refuse to allow you to use cost as an excuse to not have fun. Besides, what kind of a date would I be if I didn’t?”

  Ana tilted her head. “Since when is this a date?”

  He reached out and pulled one of her hands free to kiss her knuckles. “Since I convinced you to spend time with me.”

  The caress of his lips sent heat rushing through her. “You and my boss and her husband and most of the town. Not very romantic.”

  Shane rubbed his thumb across her fingers then let go. “I like to start small and work my way up to grand gestures. I’ll swing by around eight forty-five. Wear something comfortable.”

  “There you go again, dictating my clothes.”

  He waggled his eyebrows. “In that case, I’d like to put in a request for a unicorn onesie. The horn just does it for me.”

  Ana couldn’t help it—she laughed at his antics. “Go away, Shane. I have things to do this afternoon.”

  He did a ridiculous, triumphant dance out of her apartment that involved wiggling arms and a hip maneuver she’d like to see again in different circumstances. “I knew we’d get there. I’ll see you tonight, Ana Winters.”

  She shook her head and waved at him as he bounded down the stairs. A little thrill of excitement wouldn’t let her hold back the smile anymore as she closed the door. In less than an hour, Shane had coaxed her into friendly banter and a sort-of date. Not to mention given her fodder for her fantasies.

  The man was more dangerous than she’d given him credit for. She’d have to be careful at the festival. One night of fun could ruin all her careful planning, especially if his temptation proved too much to resist.

  Ana ripped open the first box where Shane had set it and started unpacking new linens—yet another gift from Kora and David. She absently stacked them on the couch while she replayed the encounter in her head. Nothing stuck out at her as suspicious, but how would she know until it was too late?

  What she did remember clearly was the silky promise in his voice.

  See you tonight, Ana Winters. He was half right. She’d meet him tonight, but he wouldn’t be seeing Ana Winters.

  Technically, Ana Winters didn’t exist.

  2

  Shane

  Shane hadn’t intended to pressure Ana into a weird, tense bonding session, but he hadn’t wanted to waste another opportunity to learn more about her. And now he had a date with her. He nearly skipped to his SUV, but he did have an image as sheriff to maintain.

  The little downtown area of Deckard looked the same as it had less than an hour ago when he’d pulled up behind Ana, but now his heart raced with the laugh she’d let loose. He had high hopes he could get another one tonight.

  David teased him about being obsessed, and his friend wasn’t entirely wrong.

  At first, she’d been a professional curiosity. Shane had known for months that Ana wasn’t who she claimed to be. He’d hoped she’d eventually trust him enough to tell him the truth on her own, but she’d kept him at a distance. Until today, when fate had smiled down on him, putting him in the right place at the right time to help her.

  Waves of heat emerged from inside his SUV when he opened the door, but he’d lived in Texas his whole life—he was used to the furnace-like summer temperatures. Shane strapped in and started the AC going, but he wasn’t fooled into thinking it would help since he only intended to drive around the block until he found a real parking space.

  Ana lived above Soul Exchange, the bookstore where she worked, but she’d had today off. Which meant Kora was working the shop, just the woman he wanted to talk to.

  The middle of the day on a Friday didn’t usually produce much traffic on the small grid of streets that made up downtown, but today proved the exception. He’d only seen Ana because he’d been looking for a spot himself, and while he was willing to double park to help someone, he wouldn’t do it to make his trek to a store easier.

  A family in a minivan he didn’t recognize finally vacated a spot in front of Reggie’s, the local coffee shop, right as the air blowing on his face turned cool. Sometimes, he thought about moving somewhere the air didn’t try to bake people from the inside out, but then he remembered how much he hated snow. People lost their minds when it snowed.

  The walk to Kora’s store didn’t take long, and when he opened the glass door, the chilly air stole his breath. No wonder Ana’s apartment had been so cold.

  Kora looked up from her laptop at the sound of the bell and sent him a smile. She sat on a stool behind a long counter near the door. Short, blonde, and perky, but with a devious mind.

  “Didn’t expect to see you here today. Ana’s not working.”

  Shane walked over to lean against the counter. “Ha, ha. I know she’s not working. Maybe I wanted to see you today.”

  She scoffed and went back to whatever she was doing on her computer. “I told you. I’m not giving you personal information on an employee and a friend. If you want to know so badly, ask her.”

  “I did. I found out her middle name.”

  Kora rolled her eyes. “Congratulations. May you have many beautiful children.”

  “It’s Nicolaevna.” He tried to replicate the accent Ana had used, but it came out a little too twangy.

  The computer clicked shut as Kora closed
the lid with firm resolve. She laid her hands on top of one another and gave him her full attention. “Slightly more interesting, but still her business. Please tell me you’re not going to use that to stalk her.”

  Shane ran his hand through his short hair. The thought had occurred to him—especially since he hadn’t found anything on an Ana Winters that matched her description—but in the months since she’d moved here, she’d done nothing that warranted another look.

  More importantly, she’d trusted him with her name. He wouldn’t break that trust.

  But he would come to her closest friend in town and try to prove he was worthy of any gossip said friend might have. Too bad Kora didn’t want to cooperate. What happened to the scarily reliable gossip network he’d heard so much about in small towns?

  “No. I won’t stalk her any more than I already am.”

  “It’s good that you can admit it. That’s the first step to getting help.”

  “I don’t want help. I want her.”

  Kora’s brows shot up. Shane hadn’t meant to say that last part, but now that it was out, he wasn’t going to deny the truth. He hadn’t imagined the tension earlier or the sharp chemistry between them.

  “There’s nothing wrong with being interested in an intriguing woman,” he muttered.

  She laughed. “Oh, I’m not planning to discourage you, but how exactly are you going to convince our mysterious Ana to give you the time of day?”

  Shane grinned. “I already did. She’s coming with us tonight to the Lantern Festival.”

  A genuine smile broke across Kora’s face. “She is? That’s fantastic. She needs to get out more. I’ll make sure David and I disappear part way through the night to give you a fair shot.”

  “Don’t do that. You’ll just make it weird. Besides, I assured her we’d have a chaperone for our first date.”

  Kora winced. “And you think two grown adults needing a chaperone isn’t weird?”

  He chose to ignore her solid point. “Tell me one thing at least. What happened to her leg?”

  Her face closed up, and she crossed her arms. “That’s her story to tell.”

  Shane sighed and glanced out the big front windows. Everyone knew Ana had moved to town in a knee brace, and she’d been slowly healing since. She’d seen the local doctor for check-ups, but somehow, no one knew more than that.

  The way she stood—stiff and constantly scanning the area around her—made him think whatever had happened hadn’t been an accident. Fear marked Ana’s body, like a deer ready to run. Today, after her cramp had eased, he’d seen underneath that shell for the first time. She hadn’t been relaxed, but she’d been what he thought of as more herself when hidden from the outside world.

  The difference gave him something to think on for tonight. Shane’s phone buzzed, and since he was technically on call, he couldn’t ignore it. The message made him groan.

  “Thanks anyway, Kora. I’ve got to go.”

  She smiled and patted his cheek. “I think it’s sweet that you keep trying. Useless, but sweet.”

  He waved goodbye as he headed back out into the heat. Compared to his stint with the Austin PD, Deckard’s crime rate left him with a lot of free time. A bonus since he hadn’t had much choice in moving here.

  The sheriff’s office for this county only covered Deckard and a large swath of the Sabine National Forest. Honestly, he was amazed it hadn’t been merged with a larger jurisdiction yet, but he was glad for the light load. The people of the town didn’t seem inclined to murder each other, so at worst, he had to deal with property disputes or a drunk and disorderly call.

  He climbed into his SUV and cranked the air again. This time, he’d have time to enjoy it as he drove to his mom’s house on the other side of town. She technically lived outside the town limits, which gave her the freedom to do things like start a bee farm or raise goats. Not that any of those ventures lasted long. They always started strong, but fizzled out as his mom lost interest.

  The bees still lived in their hives, but she let them do their own thing. The goats had eaten too much of her garden, so she relocated them to a friend’s petting zoo. Shane suspected she had many more ventures that he hadn’t heard about, but his life was simpler if he stayed in the dark.

  Trees whizzed past in a blur as he took the road east out of town. She’d moved to Deckard years ago when his dad had died, but he’d been too busy moving up the ranks in Austin to realize she might have been lonely. A heart attack scare last year had opened his eyes.

  He’d turned in his resignation and applied to the sheriff’s office the same week. Shane slowed at the turn to the dirt driveway, then shook his head with a laugh. She’d added a giant metal rooster next to the gate. It had to be six feet high at the top of its pink comb, and she’d scrawled welcome across its chest.

  How had she even gotten it here? He doubted it would fit in her little pickup.

  She’d been acting more tired lately, so he’d had her neighbor, Fred, check up on her if Shane couldn’t make it out during the day. Today, Fred had texted that his mom was out in the yard shooting at milk jugs with a shotgun, scaring the crap out of his cows.

  Not surprisingly, Fred was worried. So was Shane. As far as he knew, she didn’t own a shotgun, let alone know how to use one.

  He pulled to a stop next to his mom’s truck in front of the house. As soon as he closed his door, he heard the tell-tale blast of gunfire. On the off chance she’d set up facing the house, he went inside and peeked out the windows.

  She lived on a couple of acres of land, with the house smack in the middle and lots of open space behind for her gardens and other interests. About halfway to the tree line at the rear of her property, she’d set up what looked like an old wooden table with milk jugs on top. His mom stood facing away from him, hair in a long salt and pepper braid, shotgun against her shoulder.

  It was official, Livvy Marie Garrett had lost her damn mind.

  He waited until she’d taken her next shot and lowered the gun before coming out the back door. She wasn’t even wearing ear or eye protection. He’d taught her better than that.

  Shane raised his voice to carry over the distance. “What in the actual hell, Mama?”

  She grinned over her shoulder, then set the gun on a little side table next to her. “Language. You don’t talk to your mama like that.”

  He met her for a hug, then set her away with his hands on her shoulders. “What are you doing out here? Fred’s cows are beside themselves, and Fred’s not far behind them. Where did you even get that gun?”

  Her brow furrowed. “Damn. I didn’t think about that. I’ll have to make Fred a pie to apologize.”

  “Where’s my apology pie?”

  She patted his cheek, just like Kora had. “You don’t get one.”

  Shane didn’t miss that she’d sidestepped his other question. He picked up the gun and checked to make sure it was empty. “Who’s is this?”

  His mom sighed. “It was your grandpa’s. The lawyer for their estate sent a few boxes of things by courier. Maribeth was over when I opened it and got all excited when she saw the shotgun. She said we should go skeet shooting next weekend over at the Crenshaw place, and I thought, why not?”

  Shane headed to the house, gun in hand, and his mom followed. “I can think of several reasons. The first being you don’t actually know how to shoot.”

  “That’s why I was practicing.”

  He reached the shed that his mom never remembered to lock and secured the gun inside. It would have to do until they got her a safe. “The second is that the Crenshaw place is an overgrown mess. No one’s taken care of it in years, so getting out to their fields will be a hike.”

  She crossed her arms and raised a brow. “Good. I could use the exercise.”

  “Mama, we’ve talked about this.”

  She shooed him away. “You talked about it. I listened dutifully then made up my own mind.”

  Shane rubbed the bridge of his nose. Lord save him fr
om obstinate females. “Your doctor said you need to take it easy. That does not mean going skeet shooting in the woods.”

  “If Maribeth can do it, so can I.” She turned and stomped into the house, letting the back door slam behind her.

  Shane took a deep breath and reminded himself that she wasn’t used to being restricted. On the best of days, she didn’t take lightly to being told what to do, and her doctor was no exception. He followed her inside to the kitchen and leaned against the old, scarred table he used to eat meals at as a kid.

  His mom scrubbed her hands vehemently at the sink, studiously avoiding looking at him. She lived in a different house from his childhood, but she sported the same stubborn attitude she’d always had.

  “Mama, I love you, and I want you to take care of yourself. That means listening to your health care professional even when I’m not here to watch you.”

  Her movements at the sink softened. “I’m just a little tired. That’s all. Nothing for everyone to fuss about.”

  Shane sighed. “How about if I take you and Maribeth to the shooting range sometime next week? If you two really want to shoot skeet, I have a buddy who has the set-up, and we can drive there. No hiking required.”

  She shut the water off and dried her hands as she turned to lean against the sink, mimicking his pose. “I’ll talk to Maribeth.”

  “You have to promise me you won’t get that shotgun out again without someone here that knows how to use it.”

  “I figured out how to use it just fine. You can find anything on the internet these days.”

  “Promise me.”

  “Fine. I promise.” She smiled and quirked her eyebrow. “At least I can tell Maribeth my stick-in-the-mud son made me change our plans.”

  Shane pushed away from the table and made his way to the front door with his mom on his heels. “I’m going to say it. Your best friend is a menace. You two together are beyond terrifying.”

  “I’m glad you think so. Means we’re doing it right. Are you going to the festival tonight?”

  He paused on the front porch. “Yeah, I’m meeting Kora and David there.” For some reason, he wasn’t quite ready to tell his mom about Ana and their date. Not that she wouldn’t be happy for him, but she tended to go all-in. He wasn’t sure he’d be able to convince Ana to see him a second time, and he didn’t want to get his mom’s hopes up.