Deleted Scenes From Warden, Elemental Paladins: Book One

This scene was originally just after Max’s first visit to the Lodge …

“Where are you going?” “Anywhere that’s not here.” Max raised her chin stubbornly and turned to march toward the water but didn’t even make it two steps before a hard hand on arm pulled her to a jarring stop.
“No you’re not. You’re going to get in the car.”
“Excuse me? I’m not a child Ryker and I’m especially not your child. You can’t tell me what to do.”
Max found herself abruptly yanked onto her tiptoes as Ryker grabbed her upper arms. He even gave her one small shake as he snarled furiously into her face, “Do not push me Max. Get. In. The. Car.”
He was furious. Max had never seen him like that before and although it scared her a little, she hated being manhandled even more and definitely hated being manhandled by a man who just days ago acted as if her touch was like the plague. She stared into his eyes for a tension filled moment before pointedly directing her eyes at his hands which were still wrapped quite harshly around her biceps. “Let go of me, Ryker … now!”
Other than the hectic tick of a muscle along his jaw, the large paladin didn’t move. Max was gearing up for a robust kick in the ‘ole family jewels when Darius’s own hand landed solidly on the back of Ryker’s neck, squeezing forcefully.
“Come on Ry, ease up.”
Peeling his fingers off slowly, Ryker finally released her and Max stumbled back a step on the uneven ground. Lark was beside her immediately to steady her with gentle hands. She kept right on looking into Ryker’s eyes, not backing down an inch. She wasn’t going to be the first one to look away. They had been telling her for days that she was on the top of the food chain, well, she was going to start acting like it. She was the Alpha bitch and Ryker was going to have to submit. Seconds stretched to minutes before Ryker grunted and finally spun on his heels stalking silently to the car. She followed him and stopped him before he could open the door.
“Don’t you ever touch me in anger again. Do you understand me, Ryker?” She kept her voice low so as not to be overheard. She didn’t want to undermine his authority in front of his soldiers but she was stretched well past her limits when it came to this man.
His dark eyes were serious as he nodded, “Never again.”
It sounded like a vow and Max took it as such. Hating that she still had no other options, she opened her own door and pulled herself up into the car. Her once complicated life had only turned into a more complex and stress-filled one since receiving the help she had been pining for. She was so sick of the hot and cold attitude she was constantly on the receiving end of. She couldn’t live like this.
Max was resolved. It was time things came to a head.
Copyright 2015 Montana Ash. All rights reserved.

This scene was originally after Max accidentally tries to bind Ryker to her as her paladin …

Not really seeing or hearing anything and feeling only the wrenching pain in her chest from yet another rejection, Max fled, donning her clothes hastily and messily in her panic. She raced down the stairs and through the kitchen, dimly aware of the startled gasps and calls in her wake. The only voice she didn’t hear was the only one she wanted to hear. Desperately trying not to sob, she kept running out the back door and onto the beach until the throbbing in her chest forced her to a stop. She collapsed on the sand, trying to suck in lungfuls of air when her body felt like it was disconnected from her brain. Her thoughts were in chaos and the sensations wreaking havoc around her body were not exclusively her own. Somehow, Ryker’s thoughts, feelings and emotions were riding shotgun and they were anything but positive. Somehow, someway, she had tried to bond them together. She had been bombarded with his fear, shock, anger and disgust. It was the last emotion that had Max cutting the tentative thread that had formed between them only moments before. At least, Ryker believed it had been cut but Max knew it had only been diverted and dimmed somewhat. Max had blocked the two-way flow of sensations through the thread, changing it to a one-way flow instead. In other words, she could still sense Ryker but he no longer had the privilege of sharing her feelings. Max knew that wasn’t fair and it certainly wasn’t ideal but given that she had no idea how she had made the connection in the first place, she also had no idea how to severe it. But thirty years of learning to defend herself from the riot of emotions in the atmosphere due to her empathic abilities had armed her with some coping techniques. She had acted on instinct once again and protected herself by erecting a shield between them. Lark would be so proud of her, she thought. She had finally managed to erect an impenetrable barrier. She was no longer leaking her emotions, perhaps she was no longer leaking vitality as well?
A hand on her shoulder had Max screaming in alarm, forcing her to crab-crawl backwards on the sand in order to evade the warm weight. She really didn’t want anyone touching her. “Don’t touch me!” She screamed.
“Okay, okay. Easy, Max. It’s just me.” Darius crooned softly as he crouched down so he was level with her. “Just tell me what’s wrong. Are you hurt?”
Max laughed hysterically. Was she hurt? She had just had her heart ripped out.
“Max …” Darius reached out to her again and Max felt herself panic. Like a cornered animal she lashed out and watched in horror as Darius was picked up by an invisible opponent and thrown backwards about ten metres, skidding on his back on the sand. When he didn’t immediately move, Max began to shake.’
Copyright 2015 Montana Ash. All rights reserved.

Deleted Scenes From Paladin, Elemental Paladins: Book Two

This scene was originally where Darius takes Diana for the first time. She was going to originally walk off in a huff. I think the book version turned out better …

I have to admit; I was beginning to think this day would never come.”
Diana’s brows furrowed and her grey eyes appeared confused, “What day?”
“Well, this day. After all, you said you would never approach me again and after eight hundred years I was beginning to believe it …”
“Whoa, wait a minute. You think that’s what this is?” She asked, incredulous. “Oh boy, Darius, you sure have designs on yourself. I was comforting you because I know how personal all this talk of chades is to you. I was comforting you,” She repeated, “not offering myself to you.” She flicked her curls over her shoulder in a purely feminine move of aggravation as she shook her head in apparent disgust. “Men! You’re all the same!” She spun and walked briskly away, just as she had done all those years ago at the Battle of Lisbon. “You give them an inch and they take a mile!”
He could still make out her muttered words as she stalked off into the distance.
Copyright 2015 Montana Ash. All rights reserved.