by Amira Rain
The action of him taking my hand suddenly made me angry, and I yanked my hand from his. "I'm sorry, but you left me. You don't get to hold my hand anymore."
He backed away from me, raising his hands in a seeming gesture of conciliation. "Fair enough. And you're right. I'm sorry. But will you still sit down with me and let me explain? Will you hear me out?"
Still a little salty, I nodded, more because I wanted to find out what on earth he was doing on the island than anything else.
Silently, we walked up from the shore to the area where the jungle met the beach, and we sat down on the large log he had mentioned.
After looking out at the ocean for a moment or two, he turned his gaze to me and got right to it. "I'm so very sorry for leaving you, and for the way I left you. I've regretted it every single day since. But, see, I was just trying to protect you."
"From what?"
He made a sound between a groan and a sigh. "Insanity. Craziness. A strange new world where science meets the supernatural. See, I never really told you exactly what my job as a scientist back in New York entailed. I was working in the field of medical advancements, yes, but I was also doing work for the government.
“Eventually, I reached high-level clearance, the highest level a civilian can possibly get. I learned some things about experiments that were done during the Cold War. They were things that maybe only a hundred people in the United States know. And that was when I was recruited to come here to the island."
"To do what?"
"Clean up the mess left by our government. To clean up the mess of hundreds of shifters created by our government being left here, with no way to leave. See, I'm working for the wolves of Wulfric Palms. Their leader discovered a possible way to get everyone off the island, but he realized he needed the help of a scientist, and that's where I came in."
"The wolves of Wulfric Palms aren't up to any good, Jason. Even now, they're trying to attack us here in Clearwater."
"Or so it would seem. But they're not really trying to attack your village. We, and I guess I am thinking of us as we now, just need something from your village."
"Which is what?"
"A special crystal amulet with supernatural powers. It's supposedly stored in the bunker beneath the medical clinic. Dominic, my employer, needs it in order to work with me on a plan involving both the supernatural and science to get everyone off the island."
"Then, why doesn't he just ask Eric, my employer, for it?"
Until just then, I'd really almost forgotten that Eric was still technically my employer.
Jason sighed, shifting his gaze to the ocean briefly before looking at me again. "I wish it were that simple. I wish Dominic could simply ask Eric for the amulet and his cooperation. But do you think Eric would even listen? Do you think Eric would actually hear him out? Eric doesn't trust Dominic, and Dominic knows it, but this mistrust is unfounded. Although he can have a bit of a temper at times, Dominic is actually a good man who tries to do right by his people, though he's often misunderstood.
“He's definitely misunderstood by Eric and all of you here in Clearwater. Dominic is actually terrified by Eric and his men. He's tried to approach Eric in hopes of starting a dialogue so many different times, but Eric will never listen. He just seems intent on trying to attack Dominic and his men, killing as many of them as he can."
"Well, look. I haven't been here on the island very long, but I think I know Eric pretty well, and killing just for the hell of it doesn't seem like him. He's told me that he and his men only fight Dominic because they're defending themselves. He's told me that Dominic and his men are the attackers."
Jason hung his head, slowly shaking it. "When Dominic's friend Layla told us that there was a doctor named Liz Fowler on the island, a doctor named Liz Fowler matching your description, this is exactly what I was afraid of."
Layla. Just hearing the name of Eric’s ex-girlfriend mentioned, made a bitter taste rise in the back of my throat.
Jason continued, turning his gaze to me. "Yes, this is exactly what I was afraid of. I knew you might be able to help, but I was afraid that Eric had already poisoned your mind against Dominic and his people. And now I can see that my fears were justified. Now I can see that you probably won't help, even though there are many women and children who desperately want to leave this island and go back to the United States."
"Help with what?"
"Well, see, I was hoping that you'd be able to get the amulet from the bunker and give it to me, so that Dominic and I can use it to try to create a new portal that everyone can go through to get off the island, not just outsiders and alphas."
Just trying to process what Jason was saying and have everything make sense, I took my time responding. "I think if anyone, it's you who has had your mind 'poisoned.' Eric is not only my employer, but someone who I'm in a relationship with, and I trust him. I don't think he'd lie to me about Dominic. So, you're right. I won't help you get the amulet."
Jason frowned, giving his head a little shake. "Look. If you've started a relationship with Eric, that's fine. I didn't expect you to sit and pine for me forever. If you trust him, that's also fine. But don't you still trust me, too? At least a little bit? During the years we were together, up until the end, did I ever give you any reason not to trust me?
Did I ever lie to you? Cheat on you? Was my judgment ever way, way off?"
A bit grudgingly, because of the way things had ended, I shook my head. "No. Until the very end, you never gave me any reason not to trust you."
"Then, please...try to trust me about what I'm telling you. Dominic isn't all bad. He's actually a good leader. He just wants to help his people. But he can't, because Eric will never work with him or hear him out. We need your help in getting the amulet without Eric knowing. Please, Liz. We're desperate."
Suddenly tired, bone-weary, actually, I didn't respond. I didn't know how or what to respond. I didn't even know what to think.
With his expression one of pleading, Eric looked deeply into my eyes. "You have to know that it killed me to leave you how I did, but I didn't feel like I had much of a choice. When Dominic contacted me and made me an offer to come here, I felt like I couldn't refuse, because people needed my help.
“Though at the same time, I didn't feel I could tell you about what I was doing, because it was so bizarre. I didn't want you to even know about a world where supernatural things exist with science run amok. I didn't want you to be scared or think I was crazy. My intent was to help the people here, and really make a difference for the first time in my career, then come back to the city and beg for your forgiveness...beg for you to take me back.
“I was stunned to find out you were here on the island, and now, I must admit, I'm more than a little heartbroken to find out that you've moved on. However, I respect that. I have to. I'd never try to do anything to interfere with your new happiness. All I'm asking you for is just a bit of help. Just a bit of help to honor what we once had, which was shared love, and true love, Liz, at least for a while, and I know that you know that.
So...." With his gaze still on my face, Jason paused to take a deep breath. "Will you do it? Will you help me, in addition to many women and children who want off this island? Will you get the amulet for me, and will you do it without telling Eric?"
Doing something behind Eric's back obviously wouldn't be right at all. Also, everything Jason had told me just didn't sit well with me, didn't add up somehow. Which made the words that were about to come out of my mouth that much more surprising.
CHAPTER TEN
"I'll think about it, Jason, no more, no less. That's all I can promise you. I'll think about your request. And that's just because we have a history, and I'm grateful for the love we shared before you left me to come here. But I won't do anything behind Eric's back. All I can promise you is that I'll think everything over, and try to think if there's any way I can help you without being deceitful."
Part of me was surprised, stunned even, that I was e
ven promising what little I was. My gut feeling was that Dominic was just as Eric had said he was, a divisive, bad leader and I knew I shouldn't be considering any request that involved him, no matter who made the request. No matter if that request was made by a man I'd once loved.
However, I had once loved Jason, and I was very tired and not sure that my mind was functioning properly. While I was intent on remaining loyal to Eric, I felt like I owed Jason the consideration of at least thinking things over.
"That's it. That's all I can promise you, Jason. Just that I'll give all this some thought. I've had a very long day, and I've had to deal with some surprising personal news, and that was even before I got the surprise of seeing you here on the island. I feel like my brain is just fried. I just need some time to think, some time to process everything that's happened today."
With his hazel eyes glinting orange and red, reflecting the brilliant light from the setting sun, Jason nodded. "I understand. I understand completely. You just need time to think about this, and I respect that. I'll tell you what. How about we meet back here in two days. Exact same place, exact same time. Then, we'll talk again. Okay? Does that sound fair?"
I nodded, experiencing a sudden wave of nausea, realizing it was probably morning sickness related. "All right."
"Good. And in the meantime...please, please promise me, Liz, that we can keep this just between us. Please promise me that you won't say anything to Eric. If you do, you might be putting me in danger. See, Dominic is a good leader who cares about his people...but I'm not really one of his people; I'm an employee.
“Truthfully, I've heard that he can occasionally be a touch volatile when it comes to outsiders on the island. He doesn't know that I've asked you for help, because he just prefers to do things his way, and if he were to find out...well, I don't know what he'd do. It's just best that we keep this between us for right now. Okay?"
With my nausea becoming even more intense, I nodded. "Fine. I have enough to worry about with Eric right now."
Such as the fact that I was pregnant, and he didn't even know it, and that the baby I was carrying could very well be Nate's and not his.
Jason suddenly stood, scanning the jungle behind us. "Good. We'll keep this just between us, then, and we'll meet again in two days. Right now, I think I should go. I had to slip past Eric's patrols very carefully even to get to the beach here, and the shifters on patrol will probably be circling back around to this area any minute now."
With his expression revealing a bit of anxiety, Jason turned his gaze back to me. "I need to take off. But I'll see you again in two days, Liz. Take care."
Before I could even respond, he stepped over the log and began jogging into the forest, leaving me alone with my jumbled thoughts and my nausea, which was growing steadily worse. While the glowing orange sun sank low in the sky, I hugged my arms around my churning stomach and just sat quietly, trying to take deep breaths, for several minutes. I could only think about and focus on my queasiness. Afraid I was going to be sick, I wasn't sure that I was going to enjoy my first trimester of pregnancy very much.
Presently, I began to feel better, and I also realized I should get back home before evening fell. Still tired, all I wanted to do was sink into my large, plush bed.
About an hour later, I did just that, thinking about the events of the day and everything that Jason had told me. Something about his story just wasn't jiving, though it wasn't any one specific thing. The whole thing seemed off, but I couldn't even articulate why.
It wasn't that I necessarily disbelieved anything he'd said; it maybe just seemed like the coincidence to end all coincidences that we'd both ended up on the same island together, an island with its very existence supernatural in nature. I was not exactly sure what the odds were of that, but I was sure they were pretty slim.
After a while of just resting in bed, thinking, something particularly odd did come to my mind, and that was Jason's distinct lack of a tan. At first when I'd noticed it, I'd thought that maybe he hadn't been on the island very long; but if what he'd told me was correct, that he'd left me to come to the island, that meant he'd already been living on the island for several months.
It just seemed frankly weird to me that he wouldn't have developed even the hint of a tan during that time, especially considering that I knew he wasn't a religious sunscreen user like I was. However, I knew it was possible that that might have changed. I also knew it was possible he'd simply been spending a lot of his time in some lab in Wulfric Palms, trying to come up with a solution to get the people who wanted to leave the island back to the States.
Eventually, I allowed myself to begin drifting off to sleep, thinking that everything would make more sense in the morning. I slept hard, for about ten hours, not even waking once during that time.
However, when I awoke, I didn't feel particularly rested, and I was experiencing morning sickness once again. Also, Jason's story from the previous day wasn't sitting any better with me than it had before, though I still couldn't put my finger on exactly why. At the same time, I still felt the need to help Jason in whatever way I could. I definitely wasn't in love with him anymore, and I was still angry at him about the way he'd left me, but I still felt some sense of loyalty to him. I knew I couldn't just get the amulet and give it to him without Eric knowing, though. I'd have to think of some other way to help Jason.
It occurred to me to tell Eric about the whole thing and ask him for advice, but for one thing, I'd given Jason my word that I wouldn't, and for another thing, Jason had brought up a valid point about his safety. I knew that if Dominic found out that Jason had come to me for help, he might fly off the handle and attack him or something, and obviously, despite what had happened between us, I didn't want Jason to ever be hurt.
After a very light breakfast of a single plain slice of toast with a cup of weak coffee, I showered, dressed, and headed off to the clinic, where I was swamped all day, not that I minded. It felt good to immerse myself in work and not think about Jason and his request, or the fact that I was pregnant and was going to have to tell Eric and Nate soon, maybe even that night, and after that, I would surely have to run a test for paternity at their request.
After getting home from work, I ate a hearty dinner, my nausea now completely gone. Eric and Nate arrived around eight, and I all but threw myself into their arms.
"I missed you both so much."
I really, truly had, Nate nearly as much as Eric. No matter who was the father of my baby, saying goodbye to one of them was going to be incredibly hard, no matter which one of them it was. But especially if it was Eric. Breathing in his masculine, woodsy scent with my face pressed against his hard chest, I could hardly bear the thought.
As good as it felt to have both his and Nate's arms around me, presently I lifted my face from Eric's chest. "The three of us need to talk."
I was going to bite the bullet and just do it. I was going to tell them both that I was pregnant. Despite the fact that by doing so, I'd be hastening my parting with one of them, maybe even with Eric. However, I knew it wasn't right to continue keeping both of them in the dark.
I took one of Eric's hands, then one of Nate's, and began leading them out to the kitchen. "Come with me, and we'll sit down."
I figured the kitchen was a better place to sit down and talk than the living room. In the living room, sitting on the couch between the two of them, I would likely find myself immediately being held, caressed, and kissed, and considering how turned on Eric and Nate could get me almost instantly, I was afraid I might find their kisses and caresses impossible to resist.
So, I figured I probably had a much better chance of telling them my pregnancy news and actually getting the words out in the kitchen. I'd sit on a bar stool opposite them, just out of touching and kissing distance.
However, before the three of us even made it to the kitchen, Eric's phone went off, and the three of us came to a stop while he answered it
.
He listened for a few
moments, frowning, clearly irritated, before responding. "All right. Whatever you need to do, Matt. Please just take care of it."
I breathed a little sigh of relief, glad it sounded like Eric and Nate weren't going to have to dash out again just a minute after they'd arrived.
Eric pocketed his phone and took my hand. "Sorry. It's been somewhat of an intricate dance this evening, trying to organize some of my men to cover the areas around Black Lake to guard the Forms, while also positioning enough men between us and Wulfric Palms, while also reserving enough men to run security patrols around the village, here. Glad to do it, though.
“I was willing to do anything to free up myself and Nate to spend the night with you tonight." With his dark gray eyes beginning to twinkle, Eric paused. "We do have a baby to make, after all."
I bit back a faint groan. "But...I have to talk to you both."
Eric's jovial expression became replaced by one much more serious, and he spoke in a low, quiet voice that was equally as serious.
