“If you hurt her, I will end you,” Cohen warned.
The man in the suit carefully walked over to me. He took his hand and moved my hair behind my shoulder. I cringed under his touch and watchful glare.
“Are you recruiting more to be like you?” the man asked, never moving his eyes away from me. “Beau here seems to think you are bringing her into your world. What is your gain? To create more like you, or to have the world exposed to what you all are?” the man finished.
“Leave her alone,” Lawrence said, holding his hands up in defense.
“I love her. Being with Hinley doesn’t risk anything. We can trust her,” Cohen pleaded.
I was shaking and I swear I felt like I might pass out. If this is how it all ends, I guess I can be happy that I got to know Cohen, even for a short amount of time. He had brought more happiness into my life in the few weeks we had been together, than I had ever known in my life. I locked eyes with Cohen and smiled. “It’s ok. I love you, Cohen. Whatever happens, just know that I love you,” I uttered, tears now streaming down my face.
I had known the risk of falling in love with Cohen, but I had done it anyway. Call it stubborn, reckless, or dangerous-- it didn’t matter. I wouldn’t change a moment that we shared for anything.
The man pointed a shiny silver gun at my head. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Cohen race to me. The shot fired and I awaited death, but it never came.
I closed my eyes and prepared for what would come next. I knew they would kill me. But instead, they destroyed me far more than death ever could.
The bullet pierced through Cohen’s skull and then another round of shots fired into his chest. His body fell to the ground.
I screamed out in terror, dropping to my knees beside Cohen. His eyes opened and then fluttered closed.
“I can’t lose you now,” I plead, wiping away the tears that sting my eyes.
He looks at me briefly, before his golden eyes close again.
I gasp, unable to hold back the devastation I feel in my heart and soul. I beg and plead for the pain to stop. To take him out of his painful misery.
Instead, they continue their cruel torture.
I realize in that moment; it is up to me to end this.
While I had only had him for a few months, it seemed like an eternity. Being blinded to the evils surrounding this world, I couldn’t bring myself to accept the truth.
But now, I have no other choice.
“Take me,” I screamed at the man. “You took him and destroyed my life. Go ahead and end it now,” I pleaded.
But, nothing happened. Slowly peeling my eyes open, I noticed the room hadn’t changed. The man gave me a strange smile. “You understand that since you know about them, we have to kill you now,” the man taunts.
I simply nodded my head.
Then, before my eyes could focus on what was happening, the room erupted into complete and utter chaos.
Cohen jumped up, as though his entire body hadn’t been riddled with devastating bullets. I gaped at him, blinking several times to make sure my eyes weren’t deceiving me. Cohen mouthed, I am sorry, before turning around and facing the man who had just shot him.
To my surprise, Cara and Collin burst through the confines of the heavy ropes tying them down onto the chairs. They jumped up together and launched themselves into the air.
Clara began to spin so fast; she became a blur to my human eyes. Her body levitated off the floor and she kicked out one of her legs with such force, a great wind blew the man with the gun through the hall and into the kitchen. I felt my hair sweep around my face as the wind rushed toward me.
Lawrence moved at lightning speed, taking hold of the man in front of me and wrapping his strong arms around the man's neck.
I spotted Beau trying to sneak out of the room, but he didn’t go unnoticed. Lawrence raced to him and grabbed him around his neck. In an instant, he snapped his neck and I watched in horror as Beau’s lifeless body fell to the ground with a loud thud. The fighting continued around us, like Beau didn’t just lose his life before my very eyes.
Cohen jumped high into the air, soaring above everyone else until he was at my side and pulling me away from everyone else. I only see a flash of light flicker above me as Cohen speeds to me.
“What just happened?” I asked, determined to get answers.
Collin grabbed the man who had been holding the weapon and broke his arm in one single blow. It happened so fast that if I hadn’t seen the streaks of light and hands moving, I wouldn’t have known what had just happened. Cara grabbed him around the waist and punched him so hard in his stomach, the man let out a howling pain that caused me to cringe.
“It appears you gentleman forgot about the powers that came with being zombies,” Lawrence roared, stepping over their lifeless bodies.
I was in awe and unsure of what to do. One minute, the family I adored was in the hands of government officials set to destroy them. Then, they were flying and kicking and bringing forceful blows only someone who wasn’t human could do.
“Henley, I apologize. We weren’t exactly transparent with you. While it is true, the government is tracking us to capture and hide and use for medical purposes, the effects of those chemicals were far more extreme than just making us zombies. We were also given super-human strength,” Lawrence stated.
I looked down at the bodies of the two men. They lay unmoving and I fear they must be dead. Then, I peek into the next room, where Beau still lay, his head at a strange angle. I take a deep breath and slowly exhale as I take it all in.
“But...how can...how is this…” I am unable to form a coherent sentence at this point. I’m reeling from what had just happened and am struggling to comprehend everything.
Cohen kneeled down in front of me and took my hands in his. “Breathe, Henley,” he instructs.
I am mentally running through everything I have been told and what I have seen first-hand. I realize Cohen and his family are far more than just zombies; but what, I have no idea.
“We need to get this cleaned up,” Lawrence orders. “Collin, take the bodies and dispose of them. Clara and Cara, you two go drive the vehicles the officials arrived in. Take them out into the desert and destroy them. More will come looking for them soon if we don’t act quickly. I will stay here and fix up the house. But, we need to send information out. Find their phones, Cohen,” he states, as everyone begins moving around me.
Cohen takes me into the living room and sets me down on the sofa. I am still in shock as I sit alone, listening to the madness ensued.
I see Collin dragging the bodies to the back of the house, but I have to turn my head away. I’m afraid I am going to get sick.
I hear Clara and Cara leave and then it’s just the three of us left.
I wait patiently for Cohen to come back to me. I need him to explain more of this to me.
At some point, I must have dozed off, because I am suddenly being shaken.
“Henley, wake up,” Cohen says, gently rubbing my arm.
I rub my eyes and sit up. It is completely dark outside and I don’t hear or see anyone else.
“What is going on? You have to talk to me,” I demand, sitting up. Now that I’m awake, I feel refreshed and ready to demand answers.
Cohen sits down next to me and he rubs his hands on his jeans. He’s anxious, but we both know I won’t stop until he tells me everything.
“A few years ago, the government officials tracked us down outside of Los Angeles. We had only been living in the town for a few months before they discovered us. We had grown too confident. It had been ten years since anyone had found us, so we didn’t change our alias names. I guess we sparked something in the system when we moved and our ages and names all remained the same. Anyway, they came after us and one of the guys tried to shoot my mom. My dad and Colin jumped into action and before any of us knew it, we realized they had this strange super speed. It startled us all, but more than any
thing it freaked out the guys who came at us. They ran off, but we knew they would return, so we began to test our abilities. Collin and Cara realized they had crazy strength. They can break through anything. Mom can levitate and move quickly, while dad can repair any of his bones in a matter of seconds. I discovered I can move at lightning speed. We don’t use these powers often, but when we do, it is because we are in danger,” he says. “However, but seeing that Beau betrayed our family, is possibly the most surprising of this all. We are used to being hunted, but to have someone who shares the same vicious disorder as you, throw you to the wolves for their own gain… it is just too much,” he finishes, shaking his head.
I take that information in for a moment. “Ok, but those guys… you all killed them,” I say. “Like Beau.”
“They aren’t dead. We knocked them out and broke their bones. Collin will take them somewhere and they will awake in pain. We don’t kill the trackers who come after us. We aren’t monsters. But, we do what it takes to keep our family safe. Beau is dead temporarily. His body will heal itself, and when it does, my dad will turn him over to his own family. He is their problem now. My dad is sending messages from their phones to the government officials who sent them. They will think the guys went rogue.”
“Why didn’t you tell me about your...abilities?” I ask.
I hate feeling like he lied to me.
“I knew it would be too much if I told you. It’s hard enough being a zombie, can you imagine how you would have reacted knowing that I also have this superhuman speed?”
I guess that made sense. I didn’t like it, but I understood his reasoning. My mind was still reeling, but I wasn’t going to run away. I had come this far with Cohen; I wasn’t turning back now.
“Please don’t leave me. I know I messed up by not telling you everything, but I promise there are no more secrets,” Cohen pleaded, taking my hand in his.
“I promised you I wasn’t going to leave you and I meant it,” I stated. “I may need time to process everything, but I’m not going anywhere.”
Cohen pulled me into a warm hug and held onto me like our lives depended on it.
“What happens next?” I asked, pulling back to face him again.
“We move forward. I told my family when we moved here, I am tired of running. If the government wants to find us, they will. No amount of running will change that. We just need to protect ourselves and find a way to stop them from coming after us,” Cohen said.
“Have you tried to expose them? Tell the world what really happened?” I asked.
“At times, people like us have tried. But, they have all ended up dead or disappearing. I will one day expose them and tell the world what I really am. But, I have to be calculated. I need a plan.”
I thought about this for a moment. If he wanted to expose them for the travesty they created, then I would help him do that. No one should live a life in fear. No one should be forced to hide because they are different. And, Cohen and his family differences are due to the negligence of someone else. Ideas began to spark inside my mind, but that would have to wait. For now, I needed to calm down and accept the new life I was in.
Like it or not, Cohen and I were living an unexpected and intense life.
Chapter 21
Two months after the attack, my life had gone back to normal. Well, as normal as could be expected. My dad was home from the hospital and had even returned to work. While he wasn’t out in the forest cutting down trees just yet, he was working in the offices. He was content for now.
My mom had made it her mission to spy on me every day. She was obsessed with me and Cohen, and she was constantly trying to get Amy to give her the information I wouldn’t share.
For Cohen’s family, they had gone back to acting as though nothing had ever happened. For them, that was easy. They had gone through this countless times before. For me, I was still struggling with the nightmare that I had watched.
It was December and our small little town was bustling with Christmas festivities and the whole town was decorated. It looked like we lived in a real-life Christmas snow globe. It was glorious and fun.
“Did you hear what I said?” Amy asked, pulling the curler through my hair.
“Ouch,” I cried out, as she almost caused me to go bald.
It was the night of the Winter Formal Dance at school, and Amy and I were getting ready in my bedroom. Collin had asked Amy to go and we were all surprised when she said yes. I guess we both liked zombies!
“Henley,” Amy said, stomping her silver heel on my carpet.
“Sorry, I was lost in thought,” I admitted. “What did you say?”
Amy looked radiant in a midnight blue dress with sequin detail. Her blonde hair was slicked back in a modern hair style. We had gone shopping the weekend before and my mom and Amy gushed over me when I stepped out in a red gown that hugged my hips. Black lace trimmed the neckline and a black satin ribbon wrapped around my waist. I was wearing low, black heels and Amy was busy curling my hair.
I liked the look, but it wasn’t for me.
All of this was for Cohen.
Glaring at me through the mirror, Amy laughed. “I asked if you knew what time the dance was over. Collin wants to hang out afterward and, honestly, I would rather hang out with him then go to this dance,” she said.
I agreed with her, but at the same time, I wanted a night to feel normal. Dancing at a school dance seemed normal enough to me.
“I have no idea, but I think Cohen and I are going to stay until the end.”
We finished getting dressed and then were just walking down the stairs when I heard my mom and dad open the front door. Standing before us were two handsome young men, our perfectly imperfect dates.
I met Cohen’s eyes and a huge smile grew on his face. “Wow, you look great, Henley,” he mused.
I took the last two steps and then rushed into his arms. Amy and Colin exchanged pleasantries while my mom ran around us all taking pictures.
After she had taken about a million snapshots, we hurried out the door and into Cohen’s Camaro. As I sat in the front seat, with Amy and Collin in the backseat, I couldn’t help but smile as I took in the moment.
“Are you ready?” Cohen asked.
“I am always ready,” I smiled.
****
An hour later, my feet were screaming out in pain as Cohen and I danced to another slow song. Amy and Collin swayed back and forth next to us and even Cara had managed to make it to the dance. She was with a group of girls, but somehow she fit in. She smiled and winked when we saw one another.
Sighing, I rested my head on Cohen’s shoulder.
“Everything ok?” he asked, his hands holding firmly to my waist.
Looking around, I realized everything was beyond ok. It was perfect. The gymnasium at our school had been decked out into a winter wonderland scene. White linen hung from the walls with twinkling white lights flashing underneath. Blue and silver ornaments hung from the ceiling and with the glow of the lights reflecting on them, it made the room look like snow was falling all around us.
As we swayed to John Legends, All of You, I held onto Cohen with everything I had.
“Everything is perfect. Being with you makes me feel like I finally belong. Like my life is no longer shadowed by my own insecurities. You brought out a part of myself that I had kept hidden away.”
Cohen leaned down and kissed me. Sparks ignited between us. “Life with you in it is worth living. I will spend the rest of my life making you happy.”
I closed my eyes and allowed the soulful music to carry us away into a world where just the two of us existed. We knew that in time, people would come looking for them again. But this time, we would be prepared. I was determined to find a way to keep Cohen safe and expose the awfulness of what really happened to them. Zombies were among us now and the world would need to know about it. But for tonight, I was content being wrapped in the arms of the guy I love-- zombie
and all. Life as I knew it would never be the same and I relished in that thought.
The End…For Now
From the Author
Thank You
I hope you enjoyed this first book in the Shadow and Moon Series. If you are interested in discovering what happens next for Henley and Cohen, check out Fated: Book 2 in the Shadow and Moon Series set to release 4/13/2020. For now, turn the page to check out the first two chapters of another one of my series.
A huge thank you in advance for those of you who love to leave reviews on Amazon and Goodreads. Check out the links below if you feel enticed to leave me a review, sign up for my newsletter, or follow me on social media.
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About the Author
Michelle Areaux is a wife, mother, educator, and young adult author. Her love for coffee helps drive her to create magical and fantastic stories for all age groups. When she isn’t spending time with her husband and two sons, she can be found with her nose in a book...or writing one!
More Books from This Author
More by Michelle Areaux
Wicked Cries Series:
-Wicked Cries
-Wicked Lies
-Wicked Truths
-Wicked Endings
Shady Oaks Series:
-Out of Darkness
-Down to Fall
-Crown of Ice
-Never, Never
Runaway Series:
-Runaway
-Captured
Along With You
The Shifter Chronicles:
-Evershade
-Everpure
Shadowed (The Shadow and Moon Series) Page 12