Looking harried and worried, her father came barreling into the room. The dark bags under his eyes attested to his lack of sleep. “Chrissy! Dear lord, you’re finally awake!”
Even more confused than before, Chrissy stared between her mom and dad, trying to make sense of what was going on. “What...” She paused to clear her throat, “What happened?”
“Try not to talk yet, Chrissy; we just removed the tracheal tube a few hours ago when we noticed your brain activity spiking. It was really close, and we had to put you on a ventilator to help you breathe.” An older male had followed her father into her room, moving over to the various machines at the head of her bed. Chrissy wasn’t able to see him, but something about him reminded her of someone... “You were in an accident, Chrissy. Your mom, dad and little brother are all ok, but you smacked your head against the window hard enough you did some damage. When the ambulance got to you, you were seizing non-stop.”
Turning slowly, those faded gold eyes crinkled as he smiled. Doctor Zekias, his name was stenciled on the breast pocket of his white lab coat, but it didn’t seem right to Chrissy. “Try to rest a bit more; you’re probably going to feel groggy from the medication.”
“Arwan...” She struggled to reach for him, fighting against the restraints and whimpering softly. Not understanding what was going on was just as frightening as knowing that there was some mad man loose and targeting her family.
“Shh, be at ease.” Rushing to unbind her, the doctor paused to examine her after each wrist was released. He turned her arm over and checked both sides before moving to check her eyes. Using a pen light that caused pain to stab into the back of her brain, he smiled at whatever he saw.
“Good, you’re going to be okay. Lie back and relax, Chrissy. I’ll answer any questions you have after you have rested a bit. Spend some time with your family first; I’ll have the nurse bring you some ice chips and something to help with the pain.” Arwan patted her on the shoulder before stepping away to confer with her parents, the anxious looks they cast her slowly dissipated as he spoke.
Chrissy wasn’t surprised when her mom came rushing over, hovering and adjusting her pillows while asking if she needed anything. They spent the next few hours talking, mindless chatter to drown out the incessant beeping of the machines keeping watch over her vitals. Gradually, sleep overcame Chrissy, drawing her down into a mindless void of rest and healing.
Someone was in the room with her, watching over her as she slept. She had no idea how she knew this without opening her eyes, but the presence wasn’t enough to alarm her. Taking a slow, deep breath, she was surrounded by the wild scent of woods and smoky comfort of camp fires. She would know that heady mixture anywhere.
Willing her eyes to open, a small smile curling the edges of her lips, Chrissy peered around the hazy room before her vision alighted on the male standing sentinel at the door. “Fenric...”
“You’re awake. Arwan said you woke up earlier, but I didn’t want to intrude.” He stalked closer to the bed, his steps as silent as ever. “How are you feeling?”
“Like I’m in a dream?” She wasn’t sure how to describe it, other than it still felt hazy around the edges. “How did I get here?”
Strong hands gripped the railing, “Do you remember coming out of the forest?” Fenric waited until she nodded, “We came out of the forest right where the accident was. Time works differently across the veil, flowing slower than outside. They were still clearing the accident scene, looking for you along the edges. Arwan decided it would be best to have them bring you here where we could gather your entire family and watch over them.” He paused to clear his throat, anxiety written over every tensed muscle. “I’m sorry, Chrissy. Si’tal attacked us during the night, knocking out the guards and nearly killing you in the scuffle. Do you remember any of it?”
Mutely, Chrissy shook her head. At least that would explain the painful resurgence in her head; she had thought Arwan had healed her once, but it made more sense now. “That explains why I’m in here, but now what? How are you going to find him if you’re here with me?”
“Now, you rest and recover. I only stopped in long enough to assure myself that you would be okay. We’re going to track Si’tal down and end his threat once and for all.” Fenric was hiding something, but Chrissy figured she would have plenty of time to garner his secrets.
Resting a hand against his, Chrissy felt her brows crease. “Will I see you again? After you’ve taken care of him? I still don’t fully understand what he is or why he attacked us.”
“I told you that he was once part of my pack; he went rogue and has to be stopped.”
“What do you mean? He’s biting people? Turning them into shifters like you?” Chrissy wasn’t sure, but she didn’t think that sounded all that bad.
“No, Chrissy. We...” Fenric pulled away, his steps echoing as he paced the small room. “We aren’t just shifters. During battle, or well... sex, we are able to feed off of the emotions of those around us. Strengthening us all. Si’tal has... well he’s broken. His mind thinks he is always in battle now and continuously feeds off of those around him. Yes, we can bite someone and change them, but when it’s done with someone you love, it’s painless. However, he ravages them, feeding off of the pain and terror...”
Chrissy gasped; she had no idea there were such things. And if he had gotten a hold of her, she had no doubts that Si’tal would have made it as painful as possible. “But how did he get me out of the car?”
Mutely, Fenric spun and held his hand up while looking at the coat her father had left thrown over the back of a chair. Chrissy expected it to float to him; maybe drag across the ground, but what she saw left her speechless. It simply vanished from the chair. When she looked at Fenric, he held the bunched-up fabric in his clenched fist.
“I see. Can you do that with living things?” When Fenric nodded once more, Chrissy just shook her head. “Why me? What did he want with me?”
“I intend to find out. When I have answers, I’ll make sure you do as well.” After returning the coat to the chair, Fenric returned to her side. His hand curled against her cheek, “I promise you, I will end the threat to you.”
“Just be careful. Please.” Chrissy rested her hand over his, pleading with Fenric to heed her. “How will you find me? If they let us go home, that is.”
“I will always find you, Chrissy. Always.” Reluctantly, Fenric slipped out the door, casting her one last glance before he left.
* * * *
Arwan kept Chrissy in the hospital for several days, wanting to make sure she was whole and hale before allowing her to leave. She still wasn’t sure how he managed to be her doctor, but she was grateful for it. Even if he wouldn’t tell her if the lacerations on her shoulder, that had needed stitching, were from a bite.
Finally, though, her parents collected her. She had been waiting in the room, a list of instructions clutched in one hand, when her grandpapa walked into the room. With a teary reunion, they wheeled her into his Ford pickup truck and followed her parents in their rented car back to his house.
Every night, she waited patiently for word from Fenric or Arwan, and every night, as she crawled into the sprawling bed in the room her grandpapa gave only to her, she went with a sinking feeling of dread. Try as she might, Chrissy couldn’t battle the depression away. She knew, somehow, that the goodbyes said to Arwan and several of the others at the hospital were final. That she would never see any of them again.
It had been nearly two weeks since she blundered her way into meeting those incredible people. Not a single minute slipped past that she didn’t think of them, especially of Arwan and Fenric. “I need to accept that I’ll never see them again.”
“Now, why would you go and do that?”
Chrissy froze, the plastic cup she was filling at the sink spilling over with water, but she ignored it. Great, now her mind was playing tricks on her. She was delusional; there was no way that Fenric was behind her. T
here couldn’t be.
“I know you can hear me, Chrissy.” Warm hands came to rest on her shoulders, gently urging her to turn around. “I told you I would find you. I’ll always find you.”
With a happy squeal, Chrissy let the glass fall to the floor, launching herself into his arms. Hugging him tightly, she didn’t want to let him ago ever again. “Don’t ever leave again!”
“I can’t promise that, Chrissy. This was never our world, but we are going to stop secluding ourselves. We tracked Si’tal, but he was always one step ahead.” Fenric clutched her to his chest, brazenly rubbing his cheek against hers before pulling back and capturing her lips in a kiss hot enough to sear the hardwood floor. “I don’t know where this will lead, but I don’t want to leave you ever again.”
Chrissy panted, her breath catching as his words sank in. “I don’t want you to leave either. I was so worried, scared that you would never come back.”
“We’re here to stay, Chrissy, if you’ll have me. The others, they bought a farm not too far away from where your parents live. We’ll be close; if you ever need me, just call for me. I’ll drop everything, any time of the day or night, even if it’s just to hold you while you sleep.”
About the Author
HA Fortman loves to read, and has since she was a small child, and reads everything from horror to classical.
Recently, she decided, with the encouragement of her friends and family, to start writing her own books and publishing them. While she’s always written stories, most of them ended up in the trash or being covered in dust as they were forgotten about. Now, however, she’s starting to share her stories with everyone and publishing them.
She lives in South East Michigan with her husband and son and their two dogs and two cats. Living and loving being able to share her creative nature with everyone, she hopes that you’ll enjoy her stories as much as she enjoys bringing them to life. You can find her at:
[email protected]
https://twitter.com/HAFortman
http://hafortmanauthor.wordpress.com/
https://www.facebook.com/ha.fortman.9
https://www.facebook.com/pages/HA-Fortman/1459822374273001?ref_type=bookmark
http://www.cafepress.com/profile/hafortman
Cherish Tomorrow Live Today
By
Trinity Blacio
Cherish Tomorrow Live Today
The small waves rolled over the rocks of the shore. The stars littered the skies as they highlighted Watauga Lake. Once in a while, a fish would jump and Betsy could actually see the ripples in the water.
It was the first night in ages Betsy finally felt at peace. At the age of thirty-seven, Betsy’s daughter was in her first year of college, and yesterday, she had received her divorce papers in the mail. It was official; she was finally single after twenty years of taking care of two children and husband.
The day her daughter, Cheyenne, had graduated, Betsy filed for divorce and started to pack, going wherever she wanted. That was over two months ago of traveling, until Betsy had stumbled onto this place. The Appalachian Mountains were going to be her home. Nothing but beauty around her.
Betsy took a sip of her wine, just soaking up the nature around her. Tomorrow, she would start her new job, personal assistant to Gage Hunter. From what the woman who had hired her, his sister, Angie, said, their family owned over three hundred acres of land around there. He personally owned three apartment buildings in the small town of Boone, the local bar and was a leader in their community.
She stood, taking her glass of wine with her. Betsy made the ten-minute walk back down the hill to her apartment when she heard the wolves again; the second night in a row the pack sang in the hills. “Be free, my friends,” she whispered, glancing up at the mountain knowing what it felt like to be free.
Now, she only had to get through her first day at the job. Betsy stepped into her apartment and froze. Her couch was ripped apart, stuffing all over the place, her favorite wolf knickknacks broken into tiny pieces, and a note hanging from one of her steak knives embedded in her kitchen counter.
Did she go inside? What if the person was still there? Slowly, Betsy moved off the porch, shaking; she closed her jacket while still clutching the wine glass. The police, she needed to call them. Pulling her cell phone out, she dialed 911, looking around, but all of a sudden, she had a feeling as if someone was watching her.
In the air, sirens blared as Betsy stayed on the line with the operator. She couldn’t even get into her car since the keys were in the apartment. Maybe she should have taken the apartment closer to town, but the little city had seemed so peaceful when she arrived. The people friendly so far.
“Ma’am.” The deep voice behind her had her jumping, dropping the wine glass. It shattered just like her belongings inside. Tears rolled down her cheeks.
“I’m sorry; I didn’t mean to scare you. Are you the one that called?” The police officer looked around, and Betsy could have sworn he sniffed the air. “Is there anyone in the apartment?” he asked, coming closer.
“No, it’s just me. I went for a walk. I was only gone for about thirty minutes.” She nodded to the door. “I didn’t even go in all the way. It’s all destroyed.” Betsy hugged herself. “I don’t think I offended anyone here,” she said as another car pulled up, and the biggest man Betsy had ever seen stepped out of the car.
She stepped back as he moved toward them. “Easy; he won’t hurt you. Jared, you got here fast.”
“We had a meeting up on the hill and heard the call. Gage doesn’t like his employees to be harmed, and since Miss Martin is new to the area, Angie has taken to her. Plus, we know you are shorthanded, so I offer my services.” The guy’s voice was deep, but his eyes you could get lost in. “Miss Martin, were you hurt? Did you get a look at someone?” Jared asked, both men turning back to her.
“No, I just came home to find the place destroyed. There is a letter or something stuck on the cupboard, but I didn’t want to risk going in. And your boss doesn’t have to worry about me. I’m sure he has much to do without worrying about someone he hasn’t even met before.”
Both men snorted. “Miss Martin, you’ll soon learn, Gage does not take to anyone threating what he considers his, and once you signed on to be his personal secretary, believe me, he takes it personally. He would have been here himself, but with the meeting just getting out, he had to speak with a few of the local people. Now, why don’t you come with me? You can sit in my car until we figure out what is going on.” Jared stepped around the police officer and wrapped his arm around her, escorting her toward his car.
Standing next to him, Betsy felt like a midget. He had to be close to seven feet tall. But what was really weird was as soon as he put his arm around her, Betsy felt safe. He leaned down and opened his door. “In you go,” he said, helping her in. “I’m going to lock the doors while I look around, but if you get scared for any reason, honk the horn, sweetie.”
She snorted. “I could be your momma, but thank you.” Betsy muttered as he shut the door and locked them with the little remote he had. Why she trusted him was just strange, but she did.
Betsy watched the man walk away. He did have a nice ass that was for sure, the way he fit in his jeans. She shook her head, rubbing her arms. He’d be perfect for her daughter, not an old lady.” Betsy leaned back, thinking of the last time both her son and daughter had an outing at the zoo.
Both kids had thought they were too old for the zoo, a week before the son went off to college and Cheyenne’s senior year. They had the best time, laughing, pictures. She looked to the house, hoping her pictures weren’t destroyed.
Why was she sitting here; Betsy needed to see what was destroyed and what she need to replace. Opening the door, Betsy moved up around the corner of her apartment to be met by Jared.
“I don’t think you want to go in there, sweetie. I have someone coming to clean up the mess, but I’m afraid it’s not good. I’ve talke
d with Angie, and she wants you to come stay with her tonight. She’ll bring you back here tomorrow after it’s cleaned up.” He tried to usher her toward the car, but Betsy didn’t budge.
“I have to work tomorrow, and I need my personal things, clothes. I’ll be fine. I’m sure it’s not as bad as it looked,” she stated, but he shook his head.
“I would have brought out a bag for you if there was anything that hadn’t been destroyed. I’m sorry,” he said, staring down at her.
“Why?” She shook her head. “I haven’t done anything to anyone; why destroy it all?” Betsy asked. “Oh my god, my pictures?” she asked. “They were in the cabinet...” he was already shaking his head.
“But how could they destroy it so quick?”
Jared grabbed onto her just as her legs gave out.
“Everything...” One tear slipped out, but Betsy wiped it away. “I need my purse; it’s still in the car. Could you grab it? At least I have that. I can stop and get some clothes for tomorrow. I need my keys, also. Did you find them?” Betsy asked, looking up at him as he set her down on the hood of his car.
“No,” he spun and stood in front of her just as another car pulled up. At once, he relaxed seeing who it was.
“Are you okay?” Angie asked, running to her after getting out of the car.
“I’m fine, just trying to figure this out. I don’t understand why anyone would do this. Jared, I really do need my keys and purse.” She said and he nodded.
“I can get your purse, but I’m afraid you won’t be driving tonight. One, you’ve been drinking, and two, you’re too upset. Go with Angie ’til we find out who did this,” Jared ordered, and she gave him the look when dealing with her son.
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