CHAPTER 7
He was running out of options. A week had passed and Johanna was still unconscious. Luke stayed by her side nearly every minute of the day, not wanting to miss the moment she opened her pretty blue eyes, but it never happened. Johanna was still responding to some sort of mental stimulus, twitching her face every so often, scrunching her cute pert nose, wrinkling her forehead, and even breaking out into a cold sweat, but she just wouldn’t open her eyes. It wasn’t truly a coma as her body seemed to be functioning, but it was as if she was under some sort of spell.
While Luke had watched over her and taken care of her, he browsed the books and articles he had on magic, lore, witches, and witchcraft. When they gave him no answers, he reached out to anyone he could think of from their inner circle with an ability that might be able to help.
Greg had the ability to look into past memories, but both he and Luke knew they could not use his power on Johanna. When Greg used that ability without permission, it ripped the person apart, locking them into a type of mental paralysis while he forced the scenes to play for the both of them. As Johanna was not fully catatonic and she at least had the ability for telepathy, there was a small chance she may be able to give Greg mental permission, but it wasn’t a risk they were willing to take.
Dani was much the same. While she’d been learning how to use her powers on a scientific level, she explained to Luke that working with someone’s memory was complex. Still, when she came over to check on him and make sure he was taking care of himself, or fill in the gaps where he wasn’t, she tried using her magic on him. Thus far she’d been able to look into some of his short-term memories, but Dani had no control over what she saw and had a hard time pulling herself out without affecting him as well.
Luke couldn’t get a hold of Mya. She wasn’t returning his calls or answering his texts or emails. According to Dani and Greg, she’d gone off the deep end in her search to find Erik, tearing through their archives, hacking agencies, and setting off on solo missions only to come back empty-handed and covered in blood.
Jason had seen Johanna. He’d cautioned Luke against getting his hopes up as his specialty was to hurt, not heal, but still Luke appreciated the effort. And for that effort, Jason had been flung back against a wall the moment he tried to look inside Johanna’s head. When he’d recovered, Jason told Luke that there was a large mental barrier around her that he couldn’t break through. Jason also guessed Johanna was cognizant enough to know Luke was beside her and not someone else, or else she would have lashed out at him too.
That news should have made Luke feel some sort of elation, but it only confused him more. What was she protecting herself from if she knew he was here with her? Was she trying to figure out if he would hurt her as well? If so, why would she leave her body open to him but not her mind? And there was still the lingering question of how she ended up on his property.
Astrid was finally able to see Johanna toward the end of the week. Luke was happy when Dani arrived at his house before her. He needed the support, and Astrid was his last hope. If she couldn’t figure out what was going on, he wasn’t sure what his next steps would be.
“Thank you for being here,” Luke said as Dani pulled up a chair beside him.
She smiled. “Where else would I be?” Her gaze left his and moved to Johanna’s form. “Has anything changed?”
Luke shook his head. “No. Her pulse is the same, heartbeat the same, breathing patterns all the same. Her hand fidgeted for the first time today though.”
“Well, that’s something.” Dani’s tone was light, hopeful, but Luke struggled to put stock in it.
The chime of his doorbell interrupted their conversation. Dani gave his hand a hard squeeze, then headed to the door to let Astrid in.
Luke stood, plastered a smile on his face, and gave her a tight hug once she entered the room. “Hi, Astrid.”
“Hello, Luke,” Astrid said. Then she recoiled, shuddering as if something disgusting had touched her.
Luke moved to ask her what was wrong, but then he realized her gaze wasn’t on him, it was on Johanna’s form.
“You don’t have to be so feisty,” Astrid huffed, coming to stand beside the bed.
Luke shared a look with Dani, but she shook her head and shrugged. “Astrid, who are you talking to?” he asked.
“Your mate. She’s quite protective over you.”
Luke’s eyes widened. “What?”
Astrid didn’t turn to him. Instead she looked at Dani, her head cocked to the side in question. “I’m surprised you don’t feel it too.”
Dani’s gaze shifted between Astrid and Luke. “Feel what?”
Astrid made a soft humming sound before she slowly twiddled her fingers a few inches above Johanna’s body as if she was plucking the strings of an instrument. Astrid paused around Johanna’s waist, near the wound that had almost killed her. “Ah I see. You were there when Luke brought her in. You helped save her.”
“Yes, I did,” Dani confirmed, her tone full of questions.
Instead of taking his earlier spot, Luke sat on the corner of the bed. He knew he was crowding Astrid, but for some reason he felt compelled to be as close to Johanna as possible. There was an electricity in the air, a call that made the hairs on his arms stand straight, and it called for him to protect his mate, even though he knew she was perfectly safe.
Astrid gave him a knowing smile but didn’t say a word. When she reached the crown of Johanna’s head, Astrid pulled back and considered her. She hummed again before taking Luke’s seat, her face practically beaming. “Your mate, while unconscious, has very strong mental abilities, and she is protecting you and everyone you come in contact with.”
“How?” Luke didn’t even realize he had reached for Johanna’s hand until it was clasped in his. The sudden feeling of her skin on his surprised him, but he couldn’t fathom pulling away.
“Johanna is watching over this room, even this house. When I walked in, I felt as though I was being watched, and then I felt pressure when we hugged, as if someone was trying to push me back and away from you.” Astrid made a circle with her hand. “All of that, was your sweet—although possessive and jealous—mate.”
Luke studied Johanna. She seemed so still, even relaxed, except for her chest. Her breathing had changed, grown faster as if her adrenaline was rising.
