“Did you … did you guys do this for me?”
He nods. “Yes. This is your room. Do you like it? Because if you don’t, we can totally redecorate it to your exact requirements,” he rushes to add.
“Not necessary,” I whisper, my voice choked. “I love it. It’s … wow. Absolutely beautiful.”
He beams at my compliment, and I smile shyly at him, overwhelmed with everything. I step into the en suite bathroom, shaking my head in amazement. I trail my fingers over the smooth cream marble countertops as my gaze fans the warm, spacious room. Water oozes from the ornate gold faucets of the large built-in tub, and scents of lavender and jasmine fill the air, intermingling with the billowing steam rising from the bath. Two large fluffy white towels rest on a chair by the tub.
“Did you do that?”
Beck shakes his head. “Cooper must’ve started the bath before he left.”
Tears prick my eyes, and my breath is shaky as I look around, astounded by their thoughtfulness and everything that’s been revealed tonight.
“Can I get you anything before I go?” Beck asks softly.
I sniffle. “No. I’m good.”
He shuffles awkwardly on his feet, looking uncertain. “Cooper has gone to pick up some of your stuff. He’ll leave it in your room, but if you need anything, just call out for him. He’ll hear you.”
“Has he supersonic hearing or something?” I joke.
“Or something,” Beck confirms with a timid smile.
He turns to leave, and I run at him, wrapping my arms around him from behind, the blanket pooling at my feet. “Thank you. All of you. For everything.” I know, instinctually, that the guys are looking out for me. That they mean me no harm.
Cautiously, he takes my hands in his, holding on to me wordlessly for a couple minutes. The only sound in the room is the gushing of water and the thrumming of our hearts, beating in tandem. I press my cheek to his back, closing my eyes, allowing the comfort of our connection to soothe me.
“I, ah, should let you go,” he says in a somewhat embarrassed voice. “Don’t let the water go cold.”
Reluctantly, I let go, and he leaves quietly, closing the door behind him. I strip off my torn clothing, dumping it on the floor. Testing the water with my hand, I ease myself in gently, sighing in satisfaction as the warm water ripples over my bare skin. I rest my head back, looking out the window, surveying the scenery below. The property stretches for miles into the distance; across acres and acres of grassy land, bordered by a private forest. While it could feel isolating or make one feel vulnerable, those aren’t the emotions it invokes in me. I feel at ease here, surrounded by the vast, empty landscape and four guys who should feel like strangers, except they don’t. I’m not sure whether I’m in denial over what they’ve told me, if shock has numbed my reactions, or if there’s some innate part of me that recognizes and accepts the truth without question, but I’m not freaking out which surprises me.
I stay in the tub for ages, smoothing the velvety soft body wash over my skin and washing my hair several times with the gorgeous strawberry-smelling shampoo. When I get out, I wrap one towel around my body and one around my head and wander into the bedroom. A neatly folded pile of clothes rest on top of the bed, alongside my hair dryer and a bag with my cosmetics and creams. A lump forms in my throat as I sit on the edge of the bed, attempting to grasp how quickly my life is changing.
I don’t know what lies in store for me, only that everything I thought I had figured out has fallen by the wayside.
Shouts from downstairs rouse me from my inner monologue, and I get dressed quickly, frowning at the fact Cooper only packed pajamas. Pulling on the long, patterned pajama pants and the plain pink tank top, I toe on my pumps and run a comb quickly through my wet hair. I exit my room and head for the stairs, my trepidation mounting with every step I descend.
I walk along the hallway, stopping in front of the open door to the basement. Several voices are shouting as I take the stairs with a heavy heart. I shiver as the icy cold air swirls over my bare skin. Wrapping my arms around myself, I walk across the dark, dank basement in the direction of the light and the raised voices.
My feet are rooted to the ground when I reach the place where the others are crowded around a tall steel cage, arguing as the prisoner cackles with laughter. Bile pools in my mouth, and I cover my lips with two fingers, stifling my gasp of horror. The connection surges to life, and all four boys whip their heads in my direction, but my gaze is fixated on the mangled, distorted figure behind bars.
With slow, careful movements, I walk toward Jack, except I’m not even sure it’s him. His fingers are coiled around the steel bars of the cage, his skin ashen gray and wrinkled, his nails long and curled at the tips. He bares his uneven yellowed teeth, snarling as I approach, and knots twist in my gut. I can’t keep the horrified look off my face as I drink in his altered features.
A few strands of yellow-gray hairs sprout from the top of his bald head, all that remains of his formerly thick blond locks. He still wears the clothes he had on earlier, but they hang loose off his once muscular body. His torso is shrunken and bent over, and he’s a shadow of his former self. Every inch of skin on show is weathered and wrinkled and a hideous washed-out gray color. Those blue eyes of his are sunken in his head and an odd light amber color now, but it’s the expression on his face that causes goose bumps the size of hives to spring up all over my body. A menacing, dark glint in his eye promises retribution of the worst kind, and I shiver all over.
Cooper is by my side in an instant, attempting to steer me away, but I can’t pull my gaze from the monstrosity in front of me. I wrest out of Cooper’s embrace, shunning all comfort, because I don’t deserve it.
Jack is ruined.
He doesn’t even look human anymore.
Any future he had planned is lost.
Because of me.
I did this to him. I’ve taken his future, and even though he had nefarious plans in mind for me, he didn’t deserve this.
I may as well have killed him.
Because his life, as he knew it, is dead and buried.
Dropping to my knees, I’m trembling like a leaf as I empty the contents of my stomach all over the cold slate floor.
Chapter 24
Jack starts laughing again, and the sound of his spooky cackles is enough to provoke another bout of puking, except there’s nothing left to expel from my stomach, and I dry retch repeatedly under the concerned focus of my protectors.
Strong arms lift me off the ground when my body stops heaving, moving me off to the side, out of the immediate line of sight of the grotesque creature in the cell. Cooper gently wipes my mouth with a cloth, holding a bottle of water to my lips. I’m trembling all over, icy tremors shuttling up and down my spine.
“I did that to him. I’m a monster.” My teeth chatter, and my voice cracks when I speak.
“She’s fucking freezing,” Dane says, glaring at Cooper. “Couldn’t you have picked something warmer for her to wear?”
“I thought she was sleeping here!” he snaps. “And I didn’t want to go snooping in her room, so I grabbed the first things I came across.”
“Can you fix him?” I ask, ignoring their bickering, my gaze jumping between Dane and Cooper. Maddox is clearing up the gross pukey mess on the floor while Beckett keeps his eyes trained on the cell, watching Jack with laser-sharp focus. I glance over Coop’s shoulder, shivering profusely. Jack’s strange, beady eyes stab me with malicious intent. His mouth tips up when he spies me watching, and he makes a crude hand gesture before grabbing his crotch and thrusting it in my direction.
“Oh God.” I clamp a hand over my mouth, and tears prick my eyes. “What have I done?”
“Shh, beautiful. This isn’t your fault.” Cooper is quick to reassure me, stripping off his hoodie and helping me into it. He zips it up under my chin, rubbing his hands up and down my arms to warm me up.
“It is.” Shucking Cooper off, I wrap my arms around
myself in a feeble attempt to deflect the chills that are extending soul-deep. “I’ve turned my friend into a freak.” I start pacing the stone floor, massaging my temples as unrestrained guilt does a number on me. My heart is pounding in my chest, and an anxious fluttery feeling resides in the pit of my stomach. “Kenzie will never forgive me.”
Sobs are ready to erupt from my chest like a volcano spewing molten lava. I can’t stop shaking, and I’m close to losing it completely.
“Get her out of here,” Dane instructs, while Jack starts hurling more disgusting abuse in my direction. “She’s in shock.”
Cooper reels me into his arms, holding my head firmly to his chest, and in the blink of an eye, we’re upstairs in my bedroom. I clean my teeth in the bathroom, gurgling mouthwash while staring at my pasty reflection in the mirror. I’m shivering as I reenter the bedroom, and Coop peels back the comforter, urging me down on my back. I curl into a fetal position, and he tucks the covers underneath my chin and around my body, cocooning me like a caterpillar. Kicking off his boots, he climbs onto the bed alongside me, lying down on the outside of the comforter facing me. He cups my face tenderly. “You’re going to be okay. Just take deep breaths, in and out, nice and slow.”
I inhale and exhale as he’s advised, gradually feeling my pulse settling down. A dull numbness spreads over me, and I shiver even under the warmth of the covers. Cooper props up on one elbow, leaning over me. I look up at him, and he brushes hair back off my face. He frowns, his fingers rubbing the damp strands of my hair. “Can I dry this for you?”
I find myself nodding and sitting upright in the bed upon his command.
I kind of zone out while he combs my hair, taking his time, untangling the knots as gently as possible. Each time his fingers brush against my skin, I’m tingly all over. The heat from the hairdryer is warm on the back of my neck, but it does little to defrost my frozen bones.
When my hair is dry, Coop eases me back under the covers, resuming his position on top of the comforter. He turns my face to the side, scrutinizing my eyes with blatant concern. “Listen to me, you didn’t do that to Jack.”
“But I did!” I protest. A twisty knot forms in my chest. “And, in that moment, I didn’t care if he died. I didn’t care about consequences. I just wanted him to stop.” Tears flood my eyes. “I’m a terrible person, and I can’t control it. I’ve no idea how to stop it. Is that what my gift is? I’ve a killer touch?” My voice is hysterical, and I’m two seconds away from completely losing my shit.
He presses his mouth to my forehead, gently grasping the back of my head, and it’s an effective distraction technique. My heart is doing cartwheels in my chest, and the connection is throwing a party to end all parties. I hold my breath while he keeps his mouth pressed against my brow. He runs a hand over my hair, whispering soothing words, and his delicate tone and touch helps steady the growing alarm inside me. “Better?” he asks a few minutes later, and I nod.
He pierces me with those gorgeous baby blues and I’m adrift at sea, drowning in his mesmerizing gaze. He takes my hand, lifting it to his mouth, kissing the tips of my fingers, and a glorious, tingly sensation trickles through every part of me. I sink into the bed, my limbs turning to liquefied jelly, all worries mere frustrations on the outskirts of my mind.
He smiles, illuminating his entire face, and I’m ensnared all over again. I thread my fingers in his without even thinking about it. The need to touch him is instinctive, primitive, and essential. His touch is the only thing keeping me grounded right now. Cooper chuckles, caressing my cheek, and I find myself leaning in to his touch.
“I know you’re frightened and you feel like you’ve no control over your ability, but you do. You have the gift of super touch, and that manifests itself in several ways, like how you’re able to temporarily influence other people’s thoughts and actions when you touch them with intent. I promise we’ll explain everything in due course. For now, you don’t need to worry about it.”
“But I’m afraid to touch anyone. What if I kill someone I love?”
“You won’t. We’re touching and I’m in no danger. I’ve watched you hug your friends and”—his mouth contorts into a grimace—“kiss your boyfriend, and no harm has come to them, right?”
Mention of Jensen snaps me out of the bubble, and I remove Cooper’s hand from my face as I nod, scooting back in the bed to create more of a gap—to stop myself from bowing to temptation again. Instantly, my anxieties surge forth, and that panicky, fluttery sensation is back in my chest. Cooper’s grimace intensifies, and he blows air out of his mouth. “All our gifts, with the exception of Maddox’s super strength, emanate from the mind. I’ll work with you to channel it in the right way so you have the ability to protect yourself, and the peace of mind to know you won’t hurt anyone intentionally.”
“Super strength?” I inquire with a raised brow.
He nods. “Maddox is the strongest physically of all of us, and he’ll be the one teaching you combat maneuvers. The rest of our gifts originate from the mind, and they operate off willful intent. If you want to maim or kill someone with your touch, you can, but only where you want that to happen.”
“What’s your gift?”
“Super hearing. I can hear conversations within a one-hundred-mile radius. It’s mainly noise, unless I’m seeking a particular individual out. It usually only works where I’ve had contact with the person. If I’ve read their aura, I can hone in on their conversation from afar, but with you, it was immediate. We were too far away, initially, to adequately hear you, but the closer we got, the easier it became.”
“Does this mean I have no privacy anymore?”
He winces. “We need to keep you safe, and that means one of us will always be aware of where you are, who you’re talking to, what’s going down in your life. Sometimes we’re privy to stuff that might make you feel uncomfortable, but none of us would ever disrespect you. It’s always about your safety, and I disconnect whenever anything is obviously private.” He swallows hard, and his face contorts unpleasantly.
I blush, thinking of the times I spent with Jensen in the barn during the week, wondering if he was tuned in then.
Cooper spreads out on his back, staring at the ceiling. “Sometimes my gift feels more like a curse.”
“I’m beginning to think the same,” I say, joining him in staring at the freshly painted white ceiling.
He turns his head to the side, looking at me with a sincere expression. “But then I think if I didn’t have it, if I wasn’t chosen for this, then I wouldn’t have my brothers in my life. It wouldn’t have led me to you.” He entwines our hands, and I work hard to trap the blissful moan from escaping my mouth. There’s no denying the depth of contentment I feel when he’s touching me. It was the same when I was hugging Beckett earlier. Something inside me responds powerfully whenever I’m close to them. The angsty, edgy feelings from last week are replaced by a profound sense of inner peace once I’m in skin-to-skin contact.
I’m not in the right space of mind to analyze that or the consequences of our connection, so I park it and focus on something else that’s puzzled me.
I prop up on an elbow, eyeballing him. “What about the thoughts that dropped in my head? Was that you?”
“Yup. It was the only tool we had available to assist you when you were fighting the Herassan, but I was freaking out because my hearing kept zoning in and out, the same way Dane’s sight kept switching on and off, and we were terrified that he’d take you before we had a chance to reach you.”
“What’s a Herassan?”
“Herassan are a race from a planet on the western rim of the galaxy. The guy who attacked you was from there.”
“How could you tell?”
“His abilities gave him away. The fact he could speak in an earthen tongue means he has advanced skills, and he was most likely a member of the elite guard.”
“Why would he be after me?”
Cooper grimaces. “It’s all tied up with the V
erron invasion, and we’ll explain it in time, but for now I don’t want you worrying about anything. You need to come to terms with who you are first and foremost, and, in the meantime, you can rely on us to keep you safe.”
I chew on the corner of one nail, mulling everything over. “So Dane has the gift of super sight?”
He nods. “Yeah, it works roughly the same way my hearing does. When we first picked up on the connection, he could see you, intermittingly, and I could hear what was being said, so I was able to plant thoughts in your head to help you figure out how to defend yourself.” A proud smile graces his mouth. “Not that you needed much help. Your instincts were strong.”
“Are you able to hear my mind too?” I purposely don’t follow the instincts route, because I’m not ready to hear everything yet. My fragile mind is grappling to cope with the things I’ve learned so far, and I’d rather focus on them than me. At least until I’ve grasped the fact that I’m not actually human. Then I can face whatever my birth heritage means.
He shakes his head, and I flop on my back in relief. “Hallelujah, because that’d be embarrassing as fuck.”
“I guess now isn’t a good time to mention I’ll probably be able to do that in time?”
I bolt upright. “You’re kidding, right?”
His lips curve into an amused grin. “Afraid not, beautiful. Once you … um, once you’re fully trained, you’ll be able to communicate telepathically with us. If you can form a shield, you can protect your mind from unwanted scrutiny, unless you’re like Maddox, and then you’re screwed.” He busts out laughing.
“What’s wrong with Maddox?”
He laughs even harder, clutching his stomach as he convulses with laughter. I don’t know what I said that was so funny. “Fuck, don’t ever repeat that in front of him,” he suggests, wiping tears from his eyes. “He’s super sensitive about it. We all share common traits like the ability to teleport, run fast, freeze, and move things with our mind.”
The Lost Savior Page 18
