Wild Warrior (The Weavers Circle 2)

“If I’m reincarnated, why the hell don’t I remember my past lives?” Lucien grumbled from where he was lying on the floor.

“Reincarnation doesn’t work like that,” Clay replied with a smirk.

“It can,” Flo corrected. She reclined in the overstuffed chair, looking more than a little drained herself. “You have to live a very long time, but you can start to remember bits of your old lives. It’s been a long time since you guys have managed such an age, though. For now, you’re limited to feelings of déjà vu.”

“What’s a long time? Their nineties?” Wiley asked Flo, but he was looking directly at Baer. The Animal Weaver shifted from one foot to the other and glanced down at the floor, but not at Lucien.

“Oh, no. A few centuries, at least.”

“But…but…”

“We’re technically immortal,” Baer said. “We can die from physical damage. That’s why Dane is so important to our survival. But disease like cancer, or even the flu, we can’t catch it. We won’t age. I might have had my thirty-first birthday, but I look the same as I did at thirty. And if I’m lucky enough to have my fiftieth birthday, I’ll still look like this.”

Grey was suddenly grabbing Wiley’s arm and pulling him up. He hadn’t even realized his knees had given out. His brain was entirely locked up on the idea that Baer was never going to grow older. He was immortal. He might as well have been a god himself.

“But Dane…what about Dane?” he asked when Grey had him seated on the sofa again. “He’s not a Weaver.”

“He’s immortal as long as I’m alive,” Clay replied.

“I share Clay’s power,” Dane added.

Wiley looked down at his hands, disappointment swamping him. It was obvious from the first moment that he had very little in common with the sexy redhead, but for some reason Lady Luck had shined on him and paired them together for a brief adventure.

Over the past week, he’d hoped that maybe he could be of use to the Circle, so they would keep him around for something other than his own protection. He wanted to provide them with some kind of help on their quest to get rid of the pestilents.

And yes, maybe he’d started to also hope that Baer would be attracted to him. There was no way he was the man’s soul mate. That idea was just ludicrous. Baer’s soul mate would obviously be someone more like Dane, someone who was smart, brave, strong, resourceful, and all-around handy in a fight. Wiley was none of these things.

He drew pictures and told stories. And he had mental illness to deal with.

But Wiley had stupidly hoped that maybe he and Baer could have a little fun before he was returned to his normal, boring life.

It had never felt boring before. He’d liked his life before meeting Baer and the Weavers.

Now looking at it, his life seemed very small and unimportant.

Just like he was.

No, Wiley. This is not productive or even realistic thinking.

He almost smiled as he heard his therapist’s voice drifting through his head. She’d worked with him for years on reining his negative thoughts. They weren’t helpful, and all too often lies.

His life wasn’t unimportant, just different.

And while he might not be a superhero, he could still be of use helping the Circle. He could help save the world.

“So, you’re saying I’m like a vampire. I’m immortal,” Lucien said. Wiley lifted his eyes to see the top of Lucien’s head appear over the arm of the sofa as he sat up. Clay and Baer reached down to help the man to his feet.

“Sure, so long as you’re not stabbed,” Grey said.

“Or shot,” Dane added.

Wiley smirked. “Or your head is cut off.”

“Or you’re set on fire,” Baer said.

“Actually, not so much that one,” Flo corrected.

Baer patted Lucien on the shoulder and smiled. “That’s right. You’re the Fire Weaver.”

Lucien sat on the arm of the sofa, his dark eyes growing impossibly wide in his head. “That’s right. You said I was the Fire Weaver. I can control fire. Like now? I can do it now?”

“Outside!” Dane and Flo said in unison.

Wiley fell back against the couch, laughing hard. He’d heard more than one story about how using their powers had not gone particularly well in the beginning. Setting a Fire Weaver free for the first time had to be more than a little dangerous, and Dane had done some amazing work on the plantation house.

“Fine. Outside,” Clay repeated. He led the way to the French doors off the family room, with Lucien at his side.

Dane started to move in the opposite direction. “I’m going to grab a fire extinguisher.” He paused and pointed at Grey. “Go grab the hose.”

The Soul Weaver smirked at Dane’s stern tone, but he nodded and moved to head out the door.

To Wiley’s surprise, Baer was waiting for him, one hand extended with a smile. “You want to see what kind of trouble the new guy can cause?”