Free Simon & Rose by V.A. Dold Page B

hands.”
    “How do you know how to do…what ever your doing?”
    “Before I answer that, tell me how much you know about Simon.”
    “I know him from our time in the service. I was his commanding officer. He’s an incredible, selfless man. And he’s my best friend. Why?”
    “I see. So, you don’t know much about his life outside the Marines?”
    “Sharon, where are you going with this?”
    “I have a lot to tell you, and much of it is going to sound crazy. First, I need to take care of your leg. You asked me how I know how to heal you. That’s part of what I need to talk to you about.”
    She placed her hands about an inch above his screaming nerve endings. Instantly, the heat he’d felt last night washed over his aching limb. He sighed and relaxed.
    It was several minutes before she spoke again.
    “I have gifts that many humans have, but mine are much more developed and powerful.” She repositioned her hands and the heat began to radiate again.
    His eyes moved over her serene face before he allowed them to drift shut. “What kind of gifts?”
    “I can heal with energy that flows through me from the universe. I know, it sounds very woo-woo, but it’s true.”
    “Why are your gifts stronger? Did you take special training or something?”
    “No, my people are different. We all have gifts. We all can heal to some extent, but we all have other gifts as well.”
    He opened his eyes and pinned her with his gaze. “Your…people?”
    “Yes. My people.” She removed her cooling hands and sat back to look him in the eye. “Or should I say, my pack.”
    “Pack? I’ve only ever heard that term used for wolves. You’re going to have to explain.”
    “No explanation required. You hit it on the head. I meant as in wolves. Kind of.”
    Mark frowned and swung his legs off the lounge. “What are you saying, Sharon?”
    She huffed out a breath and twisted the sheet. “If you weren’t already sitting, I would have suggested you take a seat for this. What I’m about to tell you is a bit out there, and most people consider us a myth.”
    Mark leaned forward, forearms on his thighs and hands between his knees, quietly waiting for her to explain herself.
    Sharon kept her focus on the floor as she searched for a way to explain things. “Mark, do you believe in the possibility that fictional creatures might exist?”
    He folded his hands and cocked his head. “When I was a kid, I was convinced Salvatore Stavros the creepy guy who lived next door was a vampire. Is that what you mean?”
    She grinned at the pale pink creeping up his neck. “Yes, and no. Not vampires, although they’re real. And you are surprisingly perceptive. Sal is in fact a vampire from Greece. Not many humans can detect a supernatural being.”
    Mark’s head shot up and he pinned her with wide eyes. “Just a dang minute. I was right? Vampires are real!”
    She placed a calming hand on his knee and held his gaze. “Please, don’t freak out. But to be honest, most of the fictional creatures are real. That’s why there are stories that have been handed down through the ages in almost every country.”
    Mark sat back, drumming his fingers on his thigh. I knew she was too good to be true.
    Sighing, Sharon removed her hand from his leg. “I’m not a crazy person, Mark.”
    He looked her in the eyes. Gave her a really hard look. He was very adept at detecting a lie. But damn, she showed no signs of an untruth. Either she convinced herself she was telling the truth, or what she was saying actually was true. What do you say to a person who believes so strongly that a crazy thing like vampires are real?
    After holding her gaze for a long minute she ended the stare down and lowered her head. He was about to stand and leave when she spoke again.
    “Let me ask you a few things, okay?”
    Watching to see if she would look at him again, he quietly said, “All right.”
    “When you first met me at the auction, did you smell anything unusual? Something