by Fall, Carly
“You want to go lay down?” Noah asked quietly below the din of rumbling male voices that filled the room. She nodded.
As they got up from the table, Abby felt eyes on her. She turned to see the one who had introduced himself as Cohen watching her. He came over.
“It looks as though you’re in some pain,” he said quietly.
She nodded. He had the same black-gray eyes as Noah. He still looked at her with wariness, and his next words surprised her.
“Abby, I’m a healer of our people. I would like to try to help you.”
“No,” Noah said forcefully.
Cohen turned to Noah. “She’s obviously not fully human. Let me try to help her. If things go hinky, I’ll back off.”
Noah was shaking his head before Cohen even finished the sentence.
“Noah, she can barely walk. Her face looks terrible, and she hurts everywhere. Let me try.”
“No.”
“What do you mean, you’re a healer of your people? And I thought we just cleared up that ‘I’m not fully human’ thing,’” Abby said, staring up at the two big men arguing over her as if she wasn’t even there.
Cohen broke eye contact with Noah and looked down at her. “I am a healer. On SR44, I would help heal those who were injured or sick. I would like to try on you, with your permission, of course.”
“No. I said no.”
Abby put her hand on Noah’s arm. “I really don’t think this decision is up to you, Noah,” she said. “Cohen, please explain what you’ll do.”
He smiled. “It involves taking my SR44 energy and merging it with your own energy to speed up the healing. I’ve never done it on anyone but my own kind, but if you’re willing to try, so am I.”
“No.”
Abby looked up at Noah and glared. “Like I said, Noah. My decision.”
She would do just about anything to feel better at this point. She was already getting tired of all the literal pussy-footing around she was forced to do.
“Abby, we don’t know what will happen. It could kill you,” Noah said quietly to her, as if she were a child.
“Of course, I would monitor your body’s reaction, and stop if necessary,” Cohen said, ignoring Noah.
Abby nodded as Noah threw out another negative.
“Can I think about it, Cohen? This . . .” she waved her mummied hand around, “is a lot to take in. And now you’re telling me that you may be able to heal me?”
“Of course. Noah has my number if you decide you want to give it a try.” She nodded and watched as he walked away.
“I’m really ready to lay down,” she said.
Noah and Abby made their way back toward the elevator. It took her several minutes just to reach the kitchen.
“For God’s sake, Noah,” Hudson said with disgust and anger once they reached the kitchen, Hudson’s main domain. “Pick the female up and help her. What the fuck is wrong with you?”
Noah looked down at Abby. “I’m sorry, Abby. I’m such an asshole a good portion of the time. Let me carry you.”
Abby nodded slowly, and put her arms around his neck and met his eyes. “Thank you,” she said. Their eyes locked for a brief moment, and she felt her breath catch. She was lost in those dark, never-ending depths.
“I believe it’s me you should be thanking,” Hudson said with a smirk.
Abby tore her eyes away. “You’re right. Thank you, Hudson.”
Just then, the door to the elevator opened, and Noah stepped in holding Abby in his arms.
Chapter 39
As they entered Noah’s quarters, Abby was very quiet. He gently settled her down on the bed and watched as her eyes closed. He sat down on the gray chair beside the bed.
“Do you have any ibuprofen or something?” Abby asked quietly. Noah went to the bathroom and got some out of the cabinet. He brought it to her with a large glass of water.
She took it, drank the water down, and closed her eyes again.
A half hour later, Noah thought she was sleeping, and she startled him when she said, “I want to try to have Cohen heal me.”
“I don’t like the idea, Abby,” he said quietly.
She sighed, and he read the frustration and anger in it. He got ready for the verbal onslaught he knew was coming. She opened her eyes, and yep, she was pissed.
“Noah, this is not your decision to make. I’m in pain. If Cohen can help me, then I want him to try. He said he would monitor it all and make sure I’m fine. I hurt, Noah, so please call him.”
She closed her eyes again, making it clear that the decision had been made and there wouldn’t be any further discussion.
Noah swore under his breath as he picked up the house phone.
“Hey, Cohen . . . yeah she wants to try. But let me make this clear: if she gets hurt, I won’t hesitate to put a bullet in you.”
Fifteen minutes later, Cohen showed up. He pulled around the big overstuffed gray chair that Noah had been sleeping in and sat down.
Cohen explained that he would close his eyes and go quiet for a moment, and she would probably feel some tingling or maybe a slight burn on her injuries. She nodded, and Cohen shut his eyes.
Abby looked over at Noah, and he smiled.
Abby suddenly realized how much she had grown to love Noah. And how important it was to get this nightmare over with and let him go.
She wouldn’t care if he began aging as a human, but she understood the call of duty and honor that resided in him, and that was part of the reason she liked him so much. He was strong, kind, noble, and dedicated. Looking at Noah, she felt like she had lost something, but the reality was, she never had him. She had never had him, and she never would. She resigned herself that their relationship was over, simply because she needed to protect herself . . . from herself.
She sighed and broke the eye contact. All of a sudden, the bottom of her feet started tingling. She gasped and stared at the bandages. She swore she could feel the skin mending where she had literally run her feet raw.
“Relax, Abby,” Cohen said. “Relax and concentrate with me. I can’t do this without you.”
She closed her eyes and concentrated on her feet. She had been right—she could feel the skin knitting together, the flesh healing. She felt another energy within her, and knew it was Cohen. She thought it strange that there was another being within her, but then she marveled at the miracle that was taking place within her own body. If only humans could be healed like this. There wouldn’t be any cancer, the damage from heart attacks and strokes could be negated. The tingling traveled up her legs and gathered in her knees. It stayed for a while, and then she felt nothing.
Next, her hands began to burn slightly, then quite a bit. She bit back the pain and concentrated on healing them. The burning turned to a tingle, and once again she could feel the skin mending, closing the raw, open wounds.
“We have to do your face now, Abby,” Cohen said. “This is going to take longer and it’s a more delicate procedure. We’re shooting for no scars on that pretty face of yours.”
She channeled her energy into her face, feeling the tingle as well as a slight burn. She felt Cohen there, felt him going slower there than he had on her hands, feet, or knees.
“I need more from you, Abby. You have more to give, I can feel it.”
She concentrated harder, imagining her face as it had been before the attack. She pictured it in her mind like she saw it every day in the mirror. She saw pictures of herself smiling, her skin smooth and unmarred.
It seemed like hours had passed, and then she knew that Cohen’s energy had ebbed from her body. She opened her eyes to see a light purple mist hovering above her face, and then in disappeared.
“Are you okay, Abby?” Noah said, grabbing her hand.
She nodded. Cohen opened his eyes. “I think we did good,” he said tiredly. He went on to tell them that some of the cuts probably should have had stitches after they were first inflicted, but they should heal okay now.
“Can
I take off my bandages?”
Cohen nodded and stood up. “Noah, can I talk to you a minute?”
Chapter 40
“She’s not fully human.”
Noah stayed quiet for a moment, letting that little piece of information sink in. “You’re certain?”
Cohen nodded. “It’s slight, so slight that a human doctor wouldn’t be able to detect it through any normal human chemistry tests, such as blood or urine, but I can feel it in her energy. Her energy has some of the same markers as our kind.”
Noah ran his hand through his head and swore.
Cohen nodded again. “Which means . . .”
“I fucking know what it means,” Noah bit out.
Cohen put his hand on Noah’s shoulder and kept it there for a moment. “We can bring in Talin and do a full blood and genetic makeup to see who’s responsible. But we need samples, and it would be nice if she could give them to us voluntarily. Until that happens, I’m not going to say anything. But eventually, after we get shit figured out, we need to have a meeting with the others and see where to go to from there.”
Noah nodded and watched Cohen head for the elevator, thinking about the implications.
That meant that Abby’s mom had conceived Abby with one of their kind. The Warriors’ rule number one was that there would be no offspring when dealing with females. Ever. Unless one of the Warriors had let that rule slip and impregnated Abby’s mother, which was highly doubtful.
There was only one other explanation.
Abby’s mother had slept with a Colonist.
Which meant that Abby was on the shortlist of people to observe and possibly kill after the original twelve Colonists were dead.
“Motherfucker,” Noah hissed, and went back into the room. Abby was taking off her bandages, marveling at the healing that had taken place. As he watched her and listened to her say things like, “Oh my God, Noah! Look at this!” he wondered what exactly he was looking at.
Although it kind of grossed him out, he hoped like hell and prayed like the Pope that he was looking at one of his Warrior’s daughters instead of the spawn of a Colonist.
Noah watched as she explored her bruises, cuts, and abrasions that were no longer there. He couldn’t help but smile at her childlike wonder, but his brain churned through some pretty horrific thoughts.
If she was a spawn of a Colonist, she didn’t need to be put down. She was a good person, a kind person, a generous and caring person. The world needed more like her.
His Warriors, however, might think differently, and that worried him.
For now, she was safe, as he trusted Cohen not to say anything to the others. He had known the man for over three hundred years, both in his human form and in his SR44 form. Cohen kept his word.
So, if they did do the testing, and she was a spawn of the Colonists, what would he do? He could see that even if she had a piece of Colonist in her, she wasn’t evil. Could he accept her as she was? He had been hunting Colonists for so long, fueled by hatred and revenge. Could he look at her and accept the fact that she was part of something that he hated? A hatred that drove him to get out of bed each day?
He felt an ache in his gut, and the heaviness of defeat flowed through him. He didn’t think he could. There would always be something in the back of his mind reminding him that she was part of the very thing he despised most. The thing he had sworn to hunt down and eradicate, the thing that had stolen his previous life. The thing that had driven his revenge. The thing that had kept his honor and duty front and center.
He shook his head. He had to think positively. Maybe she was one of the Warrior’s daughters, but which one? Which Warrior had broken the cardinal rule of not reproducing? Honestly, he didn’t know what option upset him the most—the daughter of a Colonist or the daughter of one of his Warriors.
He tried to smile as she chattered about how good she felt and how she couldn’t believe the way her wounds were healing. In fact, she felt so fantastic, she wanted to go back upstairs again even though it had only been a couple of hours since they had breakfast.
He looked at the clock. Actually, it had been far longer than a couple of hours. In fact, it was almost dark. His eyes, as well as his fellow Warriors’ eyes, would be changing within the hour. They would be gathering for their evening meeting soon, and then dinner would be served. He supposed he could bring some food down to his quarters for them, but Abby was chatting away, digging through her bag for clothes. He thought he better tune in to what she was saying.
“. . . so intrigued by this place, Noah. I mean, a silo? There are people who never get to see such a thing, and I’m actually spending time in one! Maybe we can play pool. I used to play pool when I was in college. I wasn’t bad. That sounds like so much fun . . .”
Jesus, he almost wished Cohen hadn’t healed her and he could just put her back to bed. He didn’t want her around the other Warriors, especially with them feeling apprehensive about her being there. They had agreed that there wouldn’t be any violence toward Abby, but he didn’t want to take any chances. She had seen enough violence to last her a lifetime, as far as he was concerned. He wanted to protect her from everyone and everything.
He looked at her, the ache in his chest expanding. God, he loved her. He was ready to become fully human for her, to give up everything he was. He needed the madness and questions in his head to stop, even just for a while. He needed to be with Abby.
He stood up and went to her. She kept chatting as she rummaged through her suitcase. He put a hand on her shoulder, and she quieted and turned around. He took her in his arms and held her close, feeling the way her body fit into his. Her arms tentatively curled around his waist.
He wanted to tell her that he loved her, that he wanted to be with her, that he was ready to give up his SR44 form, but he couldn’t bring himself to do it because he had the distinct feeling that if she was the child of a Colonist, he wouldn’t be able to stay with her, to keep that vow he so wanted to give. To explain his feelings now wouldn’t be fair to her, especially if he had to leave her later.
And he hated himself for it. He hated that he couldn’t find it within himself to accept and forgive her for what she might be. He knew he shouldn’t be worrying about something that hadn’t even occurred, but he couldn’t help it. She was a much bigger person than he was. She had accepted him for what he was. If she hadn’t, she wouldn’t be so comfortable among him and his Warriors. She never would have allowed Cohen to practice his healing gift on her. Yes, she was a much bigger person than him.
He looked at the clock again. He needed to get upstairs for the meeting in the War Room.
“I have to go up for a meeting, Abby,” he said into her hair. He kissed the top of her head and pulled away. The unspoken was that she needed to stay down in his quarters. There was too much distrust for her to be roaming the silo alone.
“Okay,” she said quietly, crossing her arms over her chest.
She took a hesitant step toward him and stopped. It was obvious that she wanted to say or do something. He wanted to hear that she loved him, and then throw her arm around his neck and kiss him with those beautiful lips.
The irony of the situation was that he wanted it, but he didn’t want it. For now, things needed to stay just where they were. Nowhere.
“I’ll call you in a bit,” he said, and turned to leave.
Chapter 41
Noah walked into the War Room and sat down in his usual chair. He had to focus and forget about his internal battle going on as far as Abby was concerned. They now had an ID on a cock-sucking Colonist, and he needed to be on top of his game so they could catch the S.O.B.
“So, where are we?” Noah asked to no one in particular.
Talin began talking. “While you and Cohen were busy with the healing, Rayner and I went and checked out the Colonist’s address. Obviously, he wasn’t there or we would be sinking back shots of tequila and bringing in hookers and blow.”
Noah rolled his eyes as the re
st of them smirked.
“He’s picked up and moved. The place was clean. We also stopped by Abby’s place to take a look around. See if there was anything that we missed in the pictures we took.”
“And?” Noah asked
“Nothing. We’re pretty much at a dead end again. Looking for the proverbial needle in the haystack. I have a trace running on his credit cards to see where and when he’s using them, but besides that . . .”
“Okay,” Noah said quietly.
Silence filled the room for a moment, and he noticed Rayner glaring at Talin, and Talin shaking his head. Rayner rolled his eyes. Something was obviously up.
“What’s up, Rayner?”
“Nothing.”
“Bullshit.”
Rayner didn’t say anything more, just looked at the tabletop.
“Somebody better start talking. Now,” Noah growled.
Talin sighed. “Fine. We came up with a plan to catch the fucker, but we know you’ll shoot it down. Like with a cannon.”
Noah narrowed his eyes. “Spill it.”
Talin explained that the Colonist wasn’t going to stop until Abby was dead, and they all agreed on that. Colonists didn’t like to fail, and James had failed miserably with Abby. If she hadn’t seen that ash, and she wouldn’t have if she were fully human, she would be very dead.
“So, we thought we could use Abby as bait. Of course, we would make sure nothing happened to her.”
“No,” Noah said forcefully, standing up and slamming his fists on the table.
“Abso-fucking-lutely not!” Hudson roared, also standing. “That woman is not going within ten miles of James. Do you understand me?” He began pacing, continuing to yell. “Jesus, Talin, how could you come up with such a stupid, fucked-up plan? You’re supposed to be the smart one!”
Noah eyed Hudson. Something was very off. Hudson was calm and cool. Like glacier cool. Nothing rattled him. Noah had seen the male fight a Colonist, bloody from bullet holes, stab wounds, and once a wire wrapped around his neck, but he hadn’t even grimaced or flinched. The guy was solid. Stoic. Noah bet he could count the number of times in three hundred years that he had heard Hudson raise his voice on one hand. He rarely showed emotion. Yet, here he was coming totally unhinged at a stupid idea that Noah would never allow to happen. And yes, Hudson’s reaction was puzzling.