Secrets (The Serenity Series Book 1)

by Dawn Kirby

  Soft footsteps in the hallway got my attention. I looked towards the door and Raine jumped in front of me. I could smell Drew’s citric scent.

  “It’s only me, big guy.” She held her hands up to show him she was unarmed. “I promise I won’t hurt her.”

  “It’s hard to be threatening in a robe,” I smiled. He let her by and went to stand guard at the door.

  “Will you please check her out?” he asked her. “She keeps moving.”

  “Okay sugar, you heard him. Are you in any serious pain?”

  “It all hurts, but it’s tolerable for now,” I told her. “Are you okay?”

  “Honey, I am great. Your friends are wonderful,” she said, smiling brilliantly. “We were all pretty worried about you though.”

  “Thanks for helping,” I told her gratefully. “I’m sorry Raine was such a handful while I was trapped at Michael’s house.”

  She sat back and gave me a wide-eyed look. “I’ve never seen anybody as pissed off as he was. Before May showed up at your house, Kale was threatening to knock him in the head with a frying pan. I honestly believe he would die to protect you.”

  “I would for him,” I said honestly.

  “You nearly did, babe,” she said flatly.

  For the next few minutes she did what Raine asked and examined my injuries. I knew about the stitches in my hand and in my leg, but the ones on the side of my head were a complete surprise. After she checked the spot below my collarbone where the chair leg had gone through, I got the all clear. Drew hurried off down stairs to get me something to eat before I could stop her. I wasn’t hungry, but I knew between her and May, I knew I wouldn’t have a choice.

  Kale led Declan and Donovan into Raine’s room. None of them looked happy. Donovan even seemed agitated. I guess unwelcome visitors walking freely in and out of his house didn’t sit well with him. It certainly wouldn’t with me.

  “He’s got your blood?” Donovan asked briskly. I nodded. He didn’t seem surprised at all. Since getting my blood has been the goal all along, none of us should be. “How?”

  “A needle. He left here with five vials in a case,” I hesitated for a few seconds. “He drank the sixth one.”

  That last part got a reaction. An angry one. Donovan looked downright mean. His eyes glowed red. His fangs were visible for all to see.

  “What did he say?” Donovan asked. Despite his anger, he remained calm.

  “Whoever he’s working for now wants to use me to give birth to a Day Walker,” I answered quickly. “They’re relying on Judith’s method to help time things just right. Going to Michael was only a ploy.”

  I expected them to be shocked, but not angry. Kale had acquired a burning red haze and it looked like he was going to put his fist through something. They were balled up so tightly he had no color left in them at all.

  Declan was just as angry. Instead of showing the physical signs like Kale, his came out in the form of glowing eyes and protruding fangs.

  “Why’d he take yer blood and leave ye here?” Declan inquired.

  “Insurance. They want to make sure I’m worth the trouble,” I told him. “But until I heal, he can’t use me.” My sides started to burn again; I had to finish fast. “Raif is also interested in a child Raine and I might have.”

  “Why would that interest him?” Raine asked roughly. His grip on my hand grew tighter and hotter by the second.

  “He knows what you are,” I answered softly. “He also knows how good my senses are. The way he sees it, our child could be very useful for them.”

  Raine’s jaw twitched. Kale’s new black haze merged with Raine’s when he put a supportive hand on his shoulder. He didn’t like the idea any more than Raine and I did. I looked into Declan’s lively blue eyes and all I saw was pity. We were in a tight spot and he knew we’d be fighting an uphill battle from here on out. He reached for my hand and held it gently. I let his calm lavender scent wash over me.

  Donovan had finally calmed down long enough to think. His fangs disappeared and he looked like himself again. I was glad, too. He knew a lot more than any of us did and we needed some solid advice.

  “Kale, are you still willing to fight for leadership?” Donovan asked.

  “I am,” he answered sharply.

  “When you win, Raine will be under the protection of the pack. Neither Mark nor Dane, if he lives, will be able to touch him. Am I correct?”

  “You’re right,” he answered. “But it would be better if they had an assurance that Raine would fight with them if need be.”

  “If they can accept me for what I am, I’ll join the pack,” Raine announced.

  He looked at me. I smiled and nodded my head to let him know I was fine with it. Kale locked him in a bear hug and squeezed as tight as he possibly could. Nothing in the world could have made him happier. At last he would have his brother by his side with no secrets to keep. Raine obviously felt the same way. The room reeked of mint and rain.

  “That takes care of Raine. Kale will win,” Donovan said, obviously convinced. “I’ll try to find out who Raif has associated himself with now. We must find out how far Judith’s revelation about Leah has gone.”

  “What ‘o Raif,” Declan said impatiently. “If he got in once, he can get in again.”

  “He said he’d be back when I got better,” I told them.

  “He’s had her blood, Donovan,” Declan pointed out. “Ye know as well as I do e’ll know the minute ‘er injuries heal.”

  “Stay with her at all times, Raine,” he ordered. “Declan is right. Until we find out how he got in, she is vulnerable. Especially right now.”

  Donovan left to start the task of finding out who all Judith had told. That in itself was going to be monumental. Once she had her freedom, she’d apparently hit the ground running. Declan sat down beside me while Kale and Raine were talking. When he leaned in close to me.

  “Tell me somethin’,darlin’,” Declan asked in a low whisper, “How did Raine sleep through Raif’s visit?”

  “We don’t know,” I whispered back. “I could barely wake him up. He said he felt like he’d been drugged, but we couldn’t find any needle marks. Declan, Raif knew Raine wasn’t gonna wake up.”

  “I’ll find out what’s going on. I promise ye that,” he said standing back up. “Are ye okay?”

  “I’m fine,” I said, lying through my teeth.

  Honestly, I was exhausted. All the talking and moving had done a number on my sore ribs. On top of the pain, I felt like I was getting warmer and warmer by the minute. My head felt fuzzy, too. All I really wanted to do was lay-back and go to sleep.

  “Sure ye are,” he said. “Ye don’ always have to be so strong. Yer allowed to hurt.” He kissed the top of my head, patted my hand and left the room.

  I turned my head in their direction to find Kale’s face changed from happy to concern. He darted towards the bed dragging Raine by his arm along the way.

  “We need to lay her down. She’s as white as a sheet,” Kale said quickly.

  The room started to spin. I couldn’t focus on anything long enough to slow it down. I felt two sets of hands on me and then everything went black.

  My eyes shot open. The horrible smell of ammonia assaulted my nostrils. I shoved the awful smell away and lifted my head to sit up. Raine firmly planted a finger on my forehead and told me to stay put. As bad as I felt, I wasn’t about to argue.

  “Sweetie, just lie down and relax. You have a fever,” Drew said quickly. “You’ve never been sick a day in your life so giving you antibiotics didn’t seem necessary.”

  “What are saying?” I asked.

  “I think you’ve got an infection,” she told me. “If I’m right it’s a pretty bad one.” She shook her head and put her hand in mine. “I’m so sorry I didn’t catch it sooner. I just thought-”

  “There’s a first time for everything, right?” I said cutting her off. I didn’t want her to take the blame for something she couldn’t control.

 
“That’s certainly one way to look at it,” she snorted. “May’s got what you need, but it’s got to be a shot. Pills just won’t work fast enough, okay?”

  My right leg was the lucky appendage for the shot. Luckily, Drew’s good and I barely felt it. Raine held me up to take a sip of water May had waiting for me. It felt heavenly. As soon as I swallowed, Drew opened her hand to give me four pills. I just stared at them. Two had made me lose time; I didn’t want to see what four would do.

  “Okay, babe, take these. You need sleep and a nice long break from the pain.”

  “I’m fine, Drew. I really don’t need them.”

  “Take them, Leah,” Raine ordered. It wasn’t a tone I could ignore so I took them.

  “Now you can rest,” May said sweetly. “Raine, you give us a holler if you need anything else.”

  “Thank you,” I said to both of them.

  “No need to thank us, honey,” May said, smiling.

  After a few more minutes of checking my temperature, forcing more water down my throat and straightening the covers around me, they left. Raine shut and locked the door behind them. He switched off the light and came quietly back to bed. Carefully and gently, he snuggled up against me and we fell asleep.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Over the next few days my body began to heal. The fever had broken within hours of getting the shot. May had voiced some concern about its sudden appearance after Raif’s arrival. Drew was quick to point out the conditions I’d been kept in at Michael’s house were less than ideal. Kale even went as far as to speculate that the knife Mark had used on my thigh had probably not been cleaned since he bought it.

  Drew was able to take all the stitches out a couple of days after the fever had gone, but she kept me on the antibiotics and painkillers just in case. Kale said that she felt like the infection was her fault since she never thought I’d be able to get one. Frankly, it had surprised me too.

  Mercifully, I got rid of the uncomfortable leg splint two days ago. It still hurt a bit, but according to Drew, my shin had done five weeks worth of normal healing time over the course of a few days. My ribs were taking their sweet time though. Yesterday, she finally took the tight bandages off of them.

  Everything I needed and more had been brought upstairs. Declan ordered a good-sized flat screen television for me to help the time tick by faster. He said I’d go crazy staring at four walls after all the excitement we’d had since this whole thing started. Donovan agreed and let Kale and Raine install a satellite in the bedroom. Less than twenty-four hours later Kale had one too.

  May was happy to provide me with all the good food I could eat. I saw her every day for breakfast, lunch and dinner. She’d stay with me while I ate. Raine usually ate in the kitchen. May really liked to talk, so he let us have our privacy. The fact that most of our conversations revolved around May’s expectations for the future of Drew and Kale’s relationship solidified his desire to find something to do outside his room.

  Drew left the house after Spring Break was over and May acted like she’d never come back again. Drew assured her she would visit on weekends, but she was more determined now than ever to finish medical school as soon as possible. After seeing to all of us, she’d decided she wanted to work in the ER.

  Between visitors and TV, I enjoyed watching Raine draw. He would draw intently for a little while, erase something he doesn’t like, and then starts again. Sometimes he would get so frustrated with whatever it is he’s designed that he would make an awful face, and end up tossing the entire piece of paper into his overflowing trashcan.

  Anytime I ask what he’s working on or who it’s for, he smiles and tells me I’ll see later. Free from the splint, it’s been a whole lot easier to move around. Watching him closely, I smiled to myself and decided today was later.

  I waited until he was completely absorbed in his work before I carefully eased out of bed. Thank goodness for silk sheets. They were as quiet as they were soft. Ever so silently I limped over to the easel as fast as I could. If he caught me, I’d find myself back in bed. Luckily, Raine never saw me move.

  On the huge sheet of paper was the most beautiful two-story log home I’ve ever seen. Not a cabin in the traditional sense, but an actual house. Gorgeous double entry doors dominated the center of the wraparound porch. There was a huge bay window in what I assumed was the kitchen. The two windows in the front showed off a spacious living area as well as the high vaulted ceilings. I couldn’t tell how many rooms it had, but the landing at the top of the stairs gave way to a loft with two separate hallways off either side. Whoever he was designing the house for was in for a pleasant surprise.

  “That’s amazing,” I whispered to myself.

  Raine heard me and jumped off his stool like he’d been electrocuted. It’s nice to see even with a bum leg I could still sneak around.

  “Good God, woman!” Raine gasped, grabbing his chest in surprise. “Make some noise next time.”

  “If I did, I wouldn’t have made it off the bed.”

  “You’re right. You shouldn’t be pushing that leg,” he said. “Just because Drew isn’t here anymore doesn’t mean you’re well.”

  “I’ll admit the leg’s a little shaky, but I’m pretty sure it’ll be fine after I’ve used it a while.”

  “Just stop if it starts to hurt, okay?”

  “I will.” I lied; it was already starting to tingle.

  He pulled me into his lap and wrapped his warm arms around me. I looked at his face, to find his blue-gray eyes were sparkling. Whatever was going through his mind made him very happy.

  “Who are you designing this for?” I asked curiously. Not that I would know them anyway.

  “What do think of it?”

  “I think it’s the most beautiful house I’ve ever seen,” I told him. “I’m sure they’ll love it, too.”

  “It’s for us,” he said. He smiled and pulled a beautiful diamond ring out of his pocket. “This ring belonged to my mother.” His gorgeous eyes filled with tears. “It would be an honor if you would wear it now. Leah, will you let me hold you every night for the rest of our lives?”

  “You already know I will,” I whispered.

  His watery eyes twinkled a brilliant blue as he slipped the ring on my finger. Amazingly, it was a perfect fit. I let his strong smell fill my lungs. It thrilled me beyond words to know that from now on, I belonged to him and him alone.

  I hugged his neck and planted a kiss on his cheek. For once, it felt like we were a normal couple. At the moment there was nothing supernatural about us at all.

  “I guess your okay with the idea,” he chuckled. “Marriage and a home of our own?”

  “You know I love everybody, but our own place would be fantastic,” I told him. Privacy around here was minimal at best. “I don’t know how we’re gonna afford it though.” The thousand dollars I had in the bank would hardly be enough.

  He gave me a funny look and laughed. I didn’t know what I’d said that was so amusing. I’ll admit I have no idea how much money he made, but I knew I didn’t bring a whole lot to the table. I hadn’t worked since the night before Mom died, and now that the shop was gone, I didn’t even have that to fall back on.

  “I think we should go talk to Donovan when it gets dark,” he grinned impishly.

  My heart sank. “You have to ask permission to leave don’t you?”

  “I can leave anytime I want, Leah.”

  “Then why do we need to go see him at all?”

  I was a little confused. If he didn’t need permission, Donovan shouldn’t even be an issue. Before I had the chance to ask any more questions, he changed the subject completely.

  “I say we go downstairs and get something to eat,” he suggested. “Granny would love to see you out of bed.”

  Getting out of the bedroom for a while would be great. It wasn’t horrible being waited on hand and foot, but it was getting old. Not to mention, if we were already downstairs we’d be that much closer to Donovan and whateve
r information he could provide.

  “I’ll go get changed,” I said quickly. If I waited too long Raine might change his mind. “I really don’t think this night shirt is appropriate to wear at the dinner table.” He gave the blue shirt a once over and smiled slyly.

  “I have fond memories of that shirt,” he whispered.

  He tried to pick me up, but I wouldn’t let him. My leg hurt, but it wasn’t going to get stronger unless I started using it. Some of the stiffness had already started to loosen up in the few minutes I’d been standing. With his body supporting mine, I gingerly walked across the hall to my room.

  When we walked into the dressing room my jaw dropped. Two weeks ago, my clothes didn’t even fill up a quarter of the huge closet. Now it was full of all kinds of things. I had clothes for every season hanging up on both sides. There was not one shoe slot that didn’t have a pair of shoes in it.

  “Drew took Granny shopping,” he said, helping me sit in the chair.

  I was at a loss. I knew they both liked to shop, but this was unreal. It bordered on needing to enroll them both in a twelve-step program. “I hope they got something for themselves too.”

  “Oh, they did. Kale had to make several trips to the car just to get it all in.” He smiled and winked at me. “I got lucky. I had to stay with you.”

  “At least I won’t have to buy anything for a while.”

  Raine put a red cami top and a pair of red and white striped sleep pants on the table beside me. Apparently, I had new socks too. A red pair joined the pile of clothes on the table. I stood up, curious to see what else they had bought, but Raine gently guided me back into the chair.

  “Just stay right where you are,” he whispered in my ear. “I’d like to help you.”

  A mischievous twinkle filled his blue-gray eyes as he knelt down in front of me. Smiling, he pulled off my left sock. Soft, warm kisses covered my foot as his lips worked their way up my leg. His big hands gently followed behind his lips. His fingers found the scar on my thigh, tracing it lovingly. Once his hands reached the top of my thigh, he softly ran his hands back down my leg and slipped the red sock on my foot.