Page 8 of Into the Dawn (The Arcadians #4)

Kylie had written some of her best songs during storms. In fact, she had won her last major award for a song she’d written by candlelight after the power had gone down during a particularly bad thunderstorm.

As long as there was a piano or guitar close by, she wanted to play it.

But even when there were no instruments available, she wanted to sing and create new music.

But these days, she didn’t have the energy to sing anymore.

And that broke her fucking heart.

Music wasn’t just a hobby or a job to her.

It was an integral part of her soul. She didn’t just like to sing.

She needed to sing. Every note, every melody resonated deep within her, and the lyrics were her way of speaking to the world.

Even though her body was no longer capable of allowing her to perform, the desire was still there.

She could still hear the symphonies in her mind, feel the rhythm in her heart, and imagine the harmonies that once flowed effortlessly from her fingertips.

But she could no longer share what was in her mind or heart with her fans.

It was as if the music was trapped inside her, yearning to be set free.

Not being able to create new songs was a constant ache, but music was still her solace.

Even now, she had classical music playing softly over the speaker system. The beautiful string melody was the perfect accompaniment to the storm. As the rain continued to fall, the music seemed to dance along with it, each note adding to the symphony of nature.

Her ranch had been her sanctuary during her illness.

She spent a lot of time sitting on the back porch since it overlooked the spectacular tranquility garden she’d had installed.

There was a large koi pond that was fed by a waterfall cascading over levels of smooth stones.

On nice days, she liked to sit in the pretty gazebo by the water’s edge or stroll along the stone path that led down to the natural creek that ran between her property and the Ross family.

As the storm intensified, thunder boomed overhead and lightning lit up the sky in vibrant flashes.

The wind blew some of the rain onto the wraparound porch of her ranch house, but only a light sprinkle reached her.

It was late, but the clock didn’t matter to her anymore.

She knew she should head inside to get some rest, but she wanted to linger a little bit longer.

Inhaling more smoke, she acknowledged the fact that this was likely the last storm she would ever witness. While that was a sad thought, it was simply reality.

She was going to die soon.

Kylie could sense it.

Most of her affairs had been put in order before she’d gotten really sick.

Learning from her parents, she had an iron-clad, comprehensive will along with video proof to ensure no one could fight it.

She’d made sure her friends and the charities she’d chosen would receive assets she’d allocated to them, and those horrible relatives of hers would never get a single dime.

That was what she liked to call a bitch-slap of karma on her way out.

A part of her wished she had forgone treatment altogether and just focused on doing as much of her to-do list as she could over the last few years.

It would have been nice to travel the world instead of suffering through painful surgeries and treatments and lying in a hospital bed, but hindsight was a petty bitch for a reason.

She knew regrets were a waste of time, but the one thing she hadn’t been able to do was record the last song she’d written as a goodbye to her fans.

She’d come up with several drafts of the song but had never been fully pleased with any of the versions until a few weeks ago.

The lyrics to the chorus had come to her in a dream, and she had frantically written them down before she could forgot them.

It was a good song meant for powerful vocals, accentuated by an electric violin and a rhythmic beat. Layla, Abby, and Buddy had bawled their eyes out the first time she had played it for them. They said the haunting melody and Kylie’s emotional delivery made it perfect.

Too bad someone else was going to have to record it after she was gone.

She wished she could do it, but her voice was weak and she had no breath control left. She didn’t want the last thing her fans remembered her by to be something that didn’t even sound like her.

On the next crack of thunder, it felt like the entire house shook.

She flinched as a spear of lightning struck directly in her garden.

For a moment, it seemed like the entire world exploded with light.

She held up a hand to shield her eyes against the intense flash, then she blinked to clear her vision as the light slowly faded.

Staring into the darkness, she blinked again.

Something had appeared in the lightning.

No, that would be crazy.

Shaking her head in disbelief, she started to turn away, then froze.

As crazy as it seemed, there really were two large figures moving out of the darkness toward the house.

They hadn’t been there a few seconds ago, which meant they had appeared out of thin air.

That should have sent her fleeing in terror.

Yet, inexplicably, she found herself rooted to the spot, unable to move.

Not in fear, but in fascination.

The pale glow of the solar lights lining the stone pathway in the garden allowed her to see two enormous figures emerging from the darkness. As they drew closer, she could see they were identical males, each a paragon of physical perfection.

Dressed in dark leather pants and matching vests, their muscular arms were left bare, allowing her to see the dark, intricate scrollwork tattoos that covered their left arms and part of their chests.

The tattoos continued up the sides of their necks, ending directly under their jawlines.

Their bronzed skin glistened in the soft light and falling rain, making it seem like they were glowing.

As her gaze lifted to meet theirs, she sucked in a harsh breath. The twins had an arresting beauty that made them look like they had walked straight out of one of her wildest fantasies.

Their faces were a study in contrasts, with sharp, chiseled features that conveyed both strength and raw masculinity while still being almost too beautiful to be real.

High cheekbones and strong jawlines were softened by the fullness of their lips.

Their piercing gold eyes added to their allure, making them appear otherworldly.

The males were massive, both in height and stature.

Since she was used to being around large bodyguards whenever she went out in public, she immediately sensed these males were a cut above the rest. They had lethal auras that were more than just a little intimidating, yet strangely, she wasn’t as terrified as she should have been.

The symmetry in their movements was mesmerizing to watch.

It was as if they were two halves of a single entity.

There was a fluidity and grace to their motions that belied their immense size.

Each step seemed deliberately measured, precisely matching one another as if they were soldiers in formation.

The air around them seemed to crackle and shimmer with energy, like a tangible manifestation of the lightning that had just struck the yard.

It was clear that these were no ordinary human beings, but creatures of immense power.

As fanciful as it sounded, it was as if they had just been born out of the storm itself.

The only discernible difference she saw between them was that one had shoulder-length brown hair, while the other male’s hair cascaded down his back to his waist. Both of them could grace the cover of one of those ménage or reverse harem novels and make thousands of readers fantasize about them.

That genre was a particular favorite of hers, and she binge-read a ton since she’d gotten sick.

No matter how delectable these big boys were, they were still strangers.

Strangers with big swords strapped to their belts and more weapons sticking out of their vests.

She should have asked them who they were and why they were there.

Should have told them they were trespassing and demanded they leave.

Better yet, she should run inside, lock the freaking door, and call the police.

Instead, what came out of her mouth was, “Oh, your poor Mama.”

Wow, she really must be high.

She swallowed hard as both male’s lips curved into slight smiles. They were breathtakingly handsome with stoic expressions, but their smiles were absolutely devastating to her heart.

Feeling slightly out of breath, she was finally able to pull her gaze away from theirs when she started coughing.

She reached for a tissue, then flinched back when both of the males were suddenly right beside her.

She hadn’t even been aware they had moved onto the porch, yet there they were, kneeling at her feet.

It was one thing to admire them from afar but having them so close made her feel self-conscious. She felt herself withering under their intense scrutiny and pulled her blanket tighter around her like a shield.

“Who are you?” she finally whispered.

“We are your mates,” one of them said in a deep, melodic voice. “And we have traveled the stars to come find you.”

Kylie wasn’t sure how to respond to that statement. It sounded absolutely bonkers, but a small part of her couldn’t help wishing it were true.

The other male sighed. “I thought we agreed to ease into that, brother.”

“There is no time,” his brother growled. “She is obviously not feeling well, and it is our duty to help heal her as quickly as possible.”

She never knew a male could actually growl before, but she found the harsh sound incredibly enthralling. She couldn’t help but wonder if he sang. They both had deep, rich tones, and she wanted to press her ear against their broad chests to hear the bass resonate through their bodies.

Shaking off that crazed thought, she tried to focus on what they’d said.

Perhaps she had fallen asleep, and this was all some elaborate dream brought on by the pot she’d smoked and the last romance book she’d finished.

That sounded like a more plausible explanation rather than two gorgeous males appearing out of a lightning strike.

Tugging the cap on her head a little lower to make sure it was covering her forehead, she tried to smile. “You have a way to cure terminal cancer?”

“Aye, we do.” The male pulled a small, jeweled flask out from inside his vest and flipped open the top before offering it to her.

“What kind of rabbit hole is this?” she murmured in complete shock.

The other male’s brows furrowed. “I do not understand your question, mate. We are not in a hole.”

She shook her head and let out a startled laugh. “I didn’t mean—never mind.” Then, she focused on something he’d said. “Why are you calling me that?”

“Because you are our mate. Destined to be ours. It is our duty to love, honor, and care for you, so we have come to save you before your illness claims you.”

“We owe you a better explanation, but we have time for that later. You must drink some of this tonic to start the healing process,” the one holding the flask stated.

She wasn’t sure she believed him, but a part of her was intrigued enough to make her reach for the flask. “You are telling me that there is some sort of magical tonic in this flask that will cure me?”

When both males solemnly nodded, she let out a breathless laugh.

Maybe she wasn’t asleep, after all. In fact, she was now a little convinced she had actually died when the lightning strike had happened, and these two males were guardian angels ready to take her into the afterlife.

Regardless of whether it was real or not, she was being offered an opportunity she couldn’t turn down.

A one-in-a-million chance was better than none.

With that thought flickering through her head, she lifted the flask in a silent toast before tipping it to her lips.

As far as believing it was some sort of magical cure, she wasn’t sure.

However, she had nothing to lose. The worst it could do was kill her, and she was already down to living the last days of her death sentence.

The shimmering silver liquid looked pretty damn toxic, but she forced herself to drink it anyway.

After she tasted a small sip, she was surprised to discover the tonic wasn’t that bad.

She had expected it to be bitter, but it tasted sweet.

The flavor had layers of complexity, and the sweetness faded into a slightly salty, metallic aftertaste.

Perhaps her guardian angels drank metal wherever they were from.

Strange, but not a deal breaker.

Now that she’d tested it, she drank more of the tonic. This time, she felt a slight burn, like she had just swallowed a shot of whiskey.

The male with shorter hair gently took the flask from her. “Enough for now.”

She felt a little lightheaded when she nodded. For a moment, she thought his eyes had started glowing, then she blinked, and the effect vanished. His eyes were back to being a beautiful amber hue that reminded her of molten gold.

Closing her eyes, she swayed a little and smiled as a delicious warmth spread throughout her body, chasing away the chill she’d been feeling from being outside so long.

There were so many questions she wanted to ask, but those would have to wait.

She suddenly didn’t even have the energy to speak, and staying awake became an impossible task.

“Rest now, little one. Let us care for you,” a soothing voice whispered.

Her thoughts began to drift, the questions she had disappearing like smoke in her tired mind.

As she finally surrendered to the comforting darkness, she felt herself being lifted into strong arms. She wasn’t sure where they were taking her, but as the world faded away, she clung to the hope that this wasn’t all just a dream.