Unforeseen: The Vampire Awakenings, Book 9

by Davies, Brenda K.

  “Yeah, but…”

  “But what?” he asked when her voice trailed off.

  Charlie didn’t know what to say. He was right; they had no other choice but to go back and around the cliffs.

  Jack frowned at Charlie when the color drained from her face. “Can you swim?” he asked.

  “Yeah,” she muttered.

  But she didn’t know how well she could swim in the ocean; the only place she’d ever swam was in a pool. Growing up, her parents hadn’t bothered to teach her to swim, she never got invited to a pool party, and the only time she saw a lake was when they drove by it on their way to her ballet lessons.

  During the summer, she’d gaze longingly out the window at the kids running around on the shore of that lake. They laughed as they chased each other and splashed in the water. In the winter, she watched them ice skating and playing hockey while their breaths steamed the air. She often wished to be one of them, but she’d never played Marco Polo or strapped on a pair of skates.

  When Dylan was one, she decided he wouldn’t stand by and watch while his friends went swimming and that he would be invited to pool parties. She enrolled him in swimming lessons and decided to take them too. Her parents held her back from so much over the years; she was only holding herself back now if she didn’t learn how to swim.

  But swimming was not as fun as it looked. The water scared her more than she would ever admit, and she hated putting her face into it. She could swim, stay afloat, and tread water, but the dog paddle was her friend, and she was much more comfortable on land.

  She’d disliked swimming in a calm pool with lifeguards and an instructor; she seriously doubted she’d be comfortable in the ocean.

  “Charlie,” Jack said, drawing her attention back to him. “Can you do this?”

  She opened her mouth to tell him that of course she could, but the words froze in her throat. “I’m not sure.” She despised admitting it, but she would hate being bashed against the cliffs or swept out to sea more. Neither of those things would do Dylan any good. “I… I’m not a very good swimmer. I didn’t learn until I was eighteen, and I’ve never gone swimming in the ocean. Besides, what about the gun? It can’t get wet.”

  She tapped the strap as she kicked herself for not thinking about using the gun as an excuse earlier. She could have blamed it on the rifle and not her inexperience in the water.

  Jack glanced at the gun before focusing on Charlie’s pale face again. They couldn’t stay here, and they couldn’t continue forward without taking the risk of being spotted. They couldn’t stay hidden in the cave as someone would eventually find them, and Charlie would never agree to stay there longer. It didn’t look as if they were going to make a swim for it, so that only left climbing.

  “Okay,” he said. “Come on.”

  “Where are we going?” Charlie asked as he headed back toward the cave.

  “If we try to climb here, we’re more likely to be spotted. If we try to climb over the ocean, its spray might keep us hidden. We won’t go up; we’ll go sideways across the cliffs blocking the beach and around to the other side of them. We’ll see if some of the other entrances are open.”

  Charlie gulped at the prospect of climbing out across those daunting waves, but they didn’t have many options.

  They stayed close to the cliffs as Jack led the way back past the cave over the jetty and onto where the cliffs met the sea. The ocean roared as it crashed against the cliffs and sent plumes of water shooting into the air.

  The spray dampened Jack’s face, and he tasted salt on his lips. With the force of the current, he could have swum against the current without being battered against the cliffs more than a few times.

  “Do you think you can do this?” he asked Charlie.

  “I can climb.”

  “Do you want me to take the gun?”

  She hesitated before pulling it off her shoulder and handing it to him. Jack slung the rifle onto his back and gripped one of the jagged pieces of rock sticking out from the cliffs. Boosting himself up, he climbed hand over hand for a good thirty feet before starting to move sideways across the cliff face and out toward the ocean.

  He glanced back at Charlie, clinging to the rocks a few feet behind him. The wind tore at her hair, pulling it free of the knot she’d tied it into and whipping it around her. Releasing the cliff with one hand, she grasped her hair, tucked it inside her shirt, and grabbed the rock again.

  Jack rested his hand briefly over hers before releasing her and pulling himself out over the turbulent sea. Water coated the rocks here, and his fingers slipped on the slick surface. A gasp behind him had his head shooting around to Charlie as she flattened herself against the cliffs and closed her eyes.

  “Are you okay?” he demanded, raising his voice to carry over the crash of the surf below. He didn’t think the sound would carry beyond the two of them as the ocean was nearly as loud as a train.

  Charlie nodded in response, but she couldn’t get her eyes to open, and her fingers ached from their death grip on the rocks. She trembled as she recalled her foot slipping off the cliffs and nearly plummeting into the water below. Opening her eyes, she stared at the turbulent sea and tried not to picture herself tumbling into those ravenous waves. It would swallow her whole.

  It’s not alive; she scolded herself. But she couldn’t help seeing the ocean as this living thing when the waves were crashing higher against the rocks and nipping at her heels. She licked her lips and took a deep breath before focusing on the rocks before her again. You can do this. Slow and steady wins the race.

  That may be true, but she wasn’t a tortoise whose shell would protect it from the battering her body would endure if she fell into the sea. No, she may be an immortal, but broken bones and repeated drowning didn’t sound like her kind of party.

  Still, she compelled herself to let go of the rock and reach for another one. The pads of her fingers were raw, and what little fingernails she had broke off as she clung to the slippery surface. She told herself to stop shaking, but she couldn’t get it under control; her legs felt like rubber, and it took all her courage to keep moving across the slippery surface.

  For the first time, she acknowledged what she’d denied ever since she first stuck her face in the pool at her swimming lessons—water terrified her. Being capable of swimming would never rid her of the insecurities plaguing her from a childhood of not knowing how to swim.

  She couldn’t do this, but she had no other choice.

  Dylan. She kept her son firmly in mind as she edged after Jack. To distract herself from the water churning beneath her, she recalled every detail of Dylan. She remembered the sound of his cry when he was first born, his proud smile after his first steps, and the way he looked when going off to school with his too big backpack strapped to him.

  Carefully, she felt each stone before she moved her foot or hands to the next one. She didn’t dare look up, and she didn’t dare look down, but kept her gaze focused on the rocks. Chilled to the bone, her numbed fingers gripped the wall while spray soaked her clothes and plastered her hair to her face.

  Jack glanced back at Charlie. Her eyes blazed with determination as she followed him. Without thinking, he clasped her fingers. They were cold as ice, but they turned in his hand, and she gripped it before releasing him to cling to the rocks again.

  He had to get her out of this.

  They were halfway around the edge of the cliff, directly over the water now. Ahead of him, the cliffs were curving back in toward what he assumed was another beach. Edging his way along again, he focused on getting Charlie out of this mess.

  A startled cry whipped his head around in time to watch as Charlie’s feet slipped off the wall and she plunged toward the sea.

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Jack released the wall with one hand and lunged at her. His fingers encircled her wrist, and he yanked her to a halt. She cried out when her shoulder jerked in its socket, and he winced in response. He was supposed to be protecting he
r, not hurting her. He told himself the ocean and cliffs would do far more damage, but it didn’t help.

  Charlie ignored the pain in her arm and shoulder as she gazed into Jack’s fiery eyes. The muscles in his neck stood out, and a vein pounded in his forehead. The fingers still holding onto the cliff were white. Straining to hold onto the cliff and her, he brought her back toward the wall, but his right foot slipped.

  Charlie bit her lip to keep from shrieking when she was jerked to a halt again. Water crashed against her feet and lower legs. She struggled to get her feet against the cliffs so she could grasp a rock with her free hand, but every time she came close, another wave knocked her away.

  The wind battered her as it howled across the cliffs. The roar of the ocean was all she could hear as adrenaline flooded her system. Her fingers bled as she scratched at the rocks, but like her feet, every time she found a good purchase on the wall, the ocean tore it away from her. She refused to panic as a vise-like grip squeezed her chest until she stopped possessing the ability to breathe.

  She stared at the tumultuous water as she tried to figure out what she would do when Jack released her. She couldn’t and wouldn’t blame him when he let her go; she would do the same to him if it meant saving herself and getting back to Dylan.

  When she hit the water, she would start swimming immediately. Yes, the water was freezing, she would be battered against the rocks, probably a hundred times or more, and her bones would break, but she would keep swimming. It was her only option.

  Jack’s fingers dug deeper into Charlie’s wrist as he worked to get his foot braced against the rocks again. Though they were short, the nails on his left hand bent back and broke away as he dug his fingers into the rock to maintain his grip. If he couldn’t pull her up, he would follow her into the ocean, but he refused to let go of her.

  Finally finding a foothold, he braced himself against the wall as he hauled Charlie up to stand on the rocks beside him. Her feet scrambled for purchase as she gripped the cliff with her free hand before flattening herself against it. Jack released her wrist and wrapped his arm around her waist to grip the rocks on the other side of her. He kept her pinned in as she shook against him.

  Unable to get her shaking under control, Charlie was sure she would lose her grip on the rocks again. Jack’s arm around her gave her some reassurance she wouldn’t fall, but she rested her forehead against the jagged stones as she fought to regain control. If she didn’t get it together, she would end up in the sea.

  “Why?” she croaked when she was strong enough to form words again.

  “Why what?” he asked.

  Charlie turned her head to look at him. She blinked away the wetness clinging to her lashes as she gazed at him. “Why didn’t you let me go?”

  Whatever exasperation Jack felt over the question vanished when he saw the confusion in her beautiful eyes. He leaned over to kiss her forehead. “I’m never going to let you go,” he vowed.

  Charlie wasn’t sure she heard him correctly, and before she had a chance to question him, he turned away and started back across the cliff.

  * * *

  Charlie sank to her knees on the sandy beach and bowed her head as she resisted kissing the sand. She was alive. She’d made it to land without any broken bones or having to swim, yet she felt like hugging herself while sobbing uncontrollably. It was official; she despised the ocean and never wanted to be anywhere near it again. Unfortunately, she had no choice about that.

  “Are you okay?” Jack asked as he knelt beside her.

  “Yes,” she said.

  Jack sat back on his heels to survey the beach while Charlie collected herself. He didn’t see anyone on the beach or the cliffs above, but that didn’t mean someone wasn’t hiding somewhere or they weren’t spotted and someone was on their way to kill them.

  “We have to go,” he said.

  “Yes,” Charlie agreed and took his hand when he offered it to her.

  Rising, she lifted her chin and made her knees stop knocking together. Despite her lingering trepidation, her gait was steady as she led Jack through the shadows of the cliffs and down the beach to the first side tunnel.

  She tried not to get her hopes up as she entered the small, manmade sliver in the cliff face. If someone didn’t know it was there, it was impossible to see. Turning sideways, she slipped into the tunnel Mal had carved through the rocky cliffs. The only sound within was their breaths bouncing off the rocks and Jack’s sneakers when they scraped the stone.

  When she discovered the tunnel blocked, it took everything she had not to scream in frustration and kick the pile of rubble blocking the way.

  “We have to go back,” she muttered.

  “We’ll try another one,” Jack said in response to the anguish in her voice.

  They left the tunnel and made their way through the next one, only to discover it blocked too. Fighting down her anxiety, everything in her screamed to run for the last tunnel. She had to see her son, but getting herself killed wouldn’t do her any good.

  When they reached the last side tunnel, she plunged inside and sprinted down the corridor until she almost smacked into the wall of debris at the end. A scream rose in her throat and nearly choked her as she clawed at the dirt and rocks. Mal had dug these tunnels; she could dig one too.

  But that was impossible. It had taken Mal years to carve these tunnels, and though she wouldn’t be digging as far, it could be weeks before she reached the cavern, even with Jack’s help. She didn’t have weeks. Dylan would already be terrified she was dead, and she couldn’t let him suffer that long.

  No, they would have to find a way off this beach and cross the island to another entrance. Unfortunately, they would have to do it in the middle of a hunt.

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Charlie paced to the end of the small cave and stood there staring at the waves before turning and striding back to Jack. Now that they had to scale the cliffs and cross the island, it would be at least another day away from Dylan. She couldn’t let herself think about how scared he must be, or she’d never stay in this cave until daybreak.

  She also couldn’t focus on her terror. The tunnel collapse could have drawn the attention of more hunters. Mal would keep him safe, but no one would protect him like she would. A lump formed in her throat; she gulped it down before turning and pacing back to Jack.

  “You should get some rest,” Jack said. “It’s going to be a long day.”

  They’d already agreed to wait for the sun to rise again before making their next move. There was too much going on now as screams and howls echoed down the cliffs and across the beach. Charlie rubbed her hands over her arms when goose bumps broke out on her flesh. They’d gotten off the cliffs a couple of hours ago, but her clothes were still damp from the ocean spray.

  “I can’t rest,” she muttered as she turned and paced toward the entrance again.

  Rising from where he sat with his back against the wall, Jack walked over to her and rested his hand on her shoulder. She stiffened beneath his touch but didn’t try to shrug him away. Instead, she relaxed and leaned closer to him.

  Charlie inhaled his cinnamon scent and closed her eyes. She didn’t know why, but in Jack’s arms she knew it would be okay; she would get to Dylan, and they would get out of this mess. She had to take it one minute at a time, or she would turn into a useless mess.

  When Jack felt her softening, he enclosed his arms around her. Charlie rested her head against his chest and closed her eyes. “Come on,” he said.

  He led her to the back of the cave and helped her sit before settling beside her and drawing her into his arms. Being this close to her again caused his cock to stir, but he buried his baser instincts as she nestled closer to him. Right now, she needed someone to hold her and show her they cared; she didn’t need someone looking to strip her wet clothes and take possession of her.

  In Jack’s arms, some of her stress eased. The heat of his body and the pulse of his blood called to her as she savored be
ing in his arms again. He ran his fingers over her damp hair and kissed her forehead when she settled her head on his shoulder. Charlie was confident she’d never sleep, but the beat of his heart caused her to doze off.

  Jack closed his eyes as he relished the feel of her while she released a small snore. She was stubborn, determined not to lean on anyone else, and she was his. Holding her in his arms, he knew she’d been made for him alone. Now he had to get her and Dylan to safety.

  Charlie’s breaths tickled his neck before she suddenly started and her head shot up. She nearly ripped herself free of his arms, but he kept her restrained as her gaze darted frantically around the tunnel.

  “It’s okay,” he soothed. “You’re safe.”

  Her body eased, but tension still thrummed through her as he ran his hand over her hair. “Charlie,” he whispered as he cupped her cheek. “It’s okay.”

  “How long was I asleep?”

  “An hour, maybe,” Jack said.

  Charlie brushed back a strand of her damp hair as she stared at the entrance of the cave. “Dylan will be so worried about me,” she whispered.

  “We’ll get to him tomorrow,” Jack promised.

  “What if the collapse drew the Savages to the tunnels?”

  “It didn’t. If they heard the collapse, they would have no idea how to find the tunnels, and they probably wrote it off as something in one of the caves. Dylan is safe.”

  She did believe Dylan was safe, but she had to see him.

  “I wish I could see,” she muttered and tapped her forehead. “Why can’t I see when I need to?”

  “See what?” Jack asked in confusion.

  Charlie moved to rise, but he clasped her hand to keep her with him.

  “When we first met, you said you saw the hunt being botched. When I asked you about it, you said it was only a matter of time before something went wrong for these assholes. I didn’t buy your explanation then, and I’m not buying it now. What can’t you see when you need to see it?” he asked. “How did you know that Savage was in the tunnel?”