The Keepers: Ethan. Rae Rivers

hoped that Hazel would attempt opening the portal to Ameera.

      If only briefly, enough time for Jenna to return to find her parents.

      Jenna’s chest tightened, like it always did when she thought of them. She hated the weight of despair that had reared its head. She’d mastered the art of keeping it all buried. But lately, memories of her parents had begun to consume her.

      A rustle of leaves in the distance startled her. Turning off the flashlight, she quietly scanned the forest.

      Her senses flickered and she held her breath, searching, listening. And then she heard it again. A shuffle of movement. Quiet breathing. A heartbeat.

      She wasn’t alone.

      She stepped behind a tree. A large shadow appeared in front of her, the movement so sudden and fast that leaves scattered. She dropped the flashlight and ducked. Moving with lightning speed, she lunged.

      It was like slamming into a brick wall but he grunted and went down. Jenna scrambled on top of him, using her body weight to pin him down. She threw the first punch, but her fist connected with a palm.

      “Dammit, Jen, what the hell was that for?” Ethan growled, his words stunning her into stillness.

      Jenna gaped at him, her heart lurching with relief. She punched him on the shoulder, but it lacked the force the previous one had. “Why did you sneak up on me like that? I could’ve killed you!”

      He snorted. “Like I’d ever let that happen.”

      “What are you doing here?”

      “What are you doing here?” He lifted his head, glanced at the door behind her. It was overgrown and bushy, but he’d know what was behind it.

      Damn.

      Her mind scrambled for a reply but none came. What the hell could she say anyway? If he ever discovered she’d been searching for a portal – preferably one to Ameera, of all places … yeah, he wouldn’t like that. At all.

      Besides, she wasn’t ready to tell him she was the daughter of Keeper parents exiled to a prison world on another realm. Ha, she almost laughed at how absurd that sounded. Not the kind of thing one could easily divulge.

      But still, she was busted and she needed an answer.

      “You followed me!” she accused, hating the slight hitch to her tone. But dammit, he’d frightened her! Messed with her plans. And he was onto her. She wasn’t sure which of the three she loathed more.

      “You wouldn’t tell me where you’ve been going at night.”

      “Ethan!”

      “Why are you here, Jenna?”

      She sat back, not caring that her waist ground against his. She tilted her head and looked at the door, grasping for an explanation. Anything that would ease his suspicion. “I came to check on Mason.”

      Silence.

      His brows lifted. “Right. And?”

      “I haven’t gone inside yet.” She swatted his chest. “You have no right to follow me, you ass!”

      “I have every right. Especially when I think you’re bullshitting me.”

      She climbed off him, hating how transparent she’d become with him. “I had a dream that made me want to check on Mason.”

      It was the truth. Kind of.

      “What about the other night?” He rose, watching her. “Also a dream?”

      “It’s none of your business, Ethan.” She tried to push past him, but he caught her arm and drew her back to him. Her body collided with his, a barrier of broad shoulders and hard muscles.

      “This is my witch, my home,” he murmured. “My business. And you shouldn’t be in the forest alone, Jenna. It’s too dangerous.”

      The cry of frustration erupted before she could reel it in and she shoved him away. “Everything’s dangerous, Ethan. Everything! I’m so damn sick of it!”

      She snapped her mouth shut, shocked at her outburst.

      Silence stretched between them and when he stepped forward instinct had her taking a step back, but he kept coming until she was backed against a tree.

      Awareness surged through her. The air caught in her lungs. She could feel him, smell him. His strength and masculine power immobilised her as he pressed forward, using his body to anchor hers.

      She lifted her chin in quiet defiance, meeting his gaze, refusing to reveal how she felt. Cornered. Breathless. All too aware of the heat and man that had her pinned to a damn tree.

      “We live in a permanent sense of fear, Jenna,” he said quietly, his words a rumble of sexiness that made her heart skip a beat. “I despise it as much as you do. But the only thing that keeps me from going mad is knowing I’m not alone.”

      The dim light from the discarded flashlight highlighted his features in a shimmer of orange.

      Something calm and enticing washed over her. Her ability to breathe had totally escaped her.

      His fingers brushed away a lock of hair from her face, his touch gentle, despite the soft scrape of his calloused palm. “At some point you need to realise you’re not alone either, Jen. Knowing that makes all the crap more bearable.”

      “Ethan –”

      His eyes narrowed. “I get that you’re secretive about your past and your time with Hazel.” She looked away, but his fingers caught her chin, bringing her back to him. “That’s okay. But you’re not alone. As long as you know that.”

      She couldn’t speak, the words trapped in her throat, emotion rolling through her in ways she usually avoided. All she could do was nod.

      He stayed that way for a moment longer, simply looking at her, stroking her hair, his eyes flashing with something she couldn’t quite define.

      With a small smile, he withdrew. “My brothers are near,” he said, his voice gruff. He cleared his throat and looked away, searching the forest. “Let’s check on Mason and get the hell out of here. I hate this place.”

       CHAPTER SIX

      The sound of clashing sticks and steady breathing permeated the quiet morning air. The Bennett brothers’ daily training was in full swing. It was warm, the forest streaked with gentle rays of sunlight that filtered through the trees.

      Ethan and Jenna circled each other, both using long sticks to either attack or defend in a whirl of swift, steady movements.

      The dance was smooth, rapid, focused. Tainted with an underlying frustration that seemed to have upped a notch this morning. A result of circumstances or the fact that he’d followed her?

      I came to check on Mason. Right.

      He had no reason to doubt her, but instinct told him she hadn’t been entirely honest. There was more. To her excuse. To her. He knew that, but the woman kept a Great Wall of China between herself and everyone else and he wasn’t sure if he had the energy or the inclination to break through.

      Because breaking through walls meant caring. And that stirred up heaps of crap he usually avoided.

      She mirrored his movements perfectly, making it impossible for him to gain an inch of ground. She shielded his every blow, constantly engaging with an overbearing force that had him more on the defensive than offensive.

      Adrenaline soared, their bodies sleeked in thin layers of sweat, and they fought on, breathless, determined, the practice session as thrilling as it was necessary.

      Jenna used her stick to field his next hit, retaliating with one of her own. He moved,