Original Sin

by Lydia Michaels

  His open disclosure eased her suspicions. “Does this have to do with your illness? The cure?”

  “Perhaps. But don’t worry. My grandfather’s old and very knowledgeable. He’ll have answers.”

  “I still want to get you to a real doctor, Adam. If you’re sick, you should at least get a second opinion.” She didn’t want to utter the C word, but she needed to know what sort of illness he was up against. “Is it ... cancer?”

  His lips parted, but he hesitated. “I have something they don’t have a name for. Modern medicine can’t help me, ainsicht. Only you.”

  This was how people died because some cult convinced them modern medicine was evil. She’d keep pressing. For now, she nodded. “Hurry back.”

  “I will.” He brushed a kiss on her lips, startling her, but pulling back too fast for her to object. Her fingers touched her lips staring as he left the room.

  She finagled her way into a dress Grace must have left for her. She tried to pin the apron as best she could but couldn’t quite attach it to the smock thing as seamlessly as Grace and Abilene wore theirs.

  Re-braiding her hair, she then stuffed it in a bonnet and tiptoed into the hall. First, she needed to visit the outhouse.

  As she washed her hands, she noticed a small pot and toothbrush sitting on the hand towel. Her name scrolled across small paper and she unfolded it. The writing appeared feminine.

  Annalise,

  Please let me know if there is anything else you need to make your stay more comfortable.

  ~Abilene

  Such a little gift and yet it brought immense gratitude. Washing up for the day left her with a sense of normalcy that had been lacking the day before.

  On her way back to the house, something caught her eye and she paused. Only then did her surroundings sink in.

  She stared in awe at the vast openness that surrounded her. Nature’s majesty, unmarked by modernization, and only reverently touched by man.

  Mountains lifted the horizon, bundled in rich green pine. Fields formed a patchwork of browns and clover, so undisturbed that she could scent the sunshine dancing in the unrefined wind rolling over the land.

  The candid view of nature filled her with sorrow for all the places she’d seen, none of them coming close to this level of beauty. This was how the world looked before modernization swept the nation, blotting what she could only describe as God’s masterpiece.

  Startled by the stray thought of a higher power, she frowned. This place was getting to her. These people were getting to her.

  She stood in the open for several minutes, completely alone with only her thoughts and the wind. If they worried she might escape, they certainly hid their concern well. She could easily just keep on walking.

  She stared at the horizon, marking the endless nothingness in all four directions. No sign of modern civilization for miles. Field after field stretched before her, never meeting more than the blue sky.

  “You’ll give yourself heatstroke before you make it off the property.”

  Startled by the interruption, she spun and found Grace watching her. “I wasn’t going to leave.”

  “But you were considering it.”

  Adam’s sister was turning out to be a real pain in the ass.

  “I resent that.”

  She opened her mouth to apologize, but hesitated, remembering she hadn’t said anything to begin with.

  Grace pivoted into the house and called over her shoulder, “Come inside if you want to eat.”

  She followed her into the kitchen. No sign of Abilene. A plate, heaped with pancakes, eggs, and sausage waited on the table.

  “Have a seat.” Grace pulled out a chair.

  She hadn’t eaten enough yesterday, and her stomach was not happy. “Thank you.”

  Grace sat across from her and stared expectantly as Anna ate.

  Feeling slightly on display, she kept her gaze on her food. “The eggs are good.”

  “How did last night go?”

  Her fork stilled and her face burned. Memories of Adam kissing her filled her mind and warmth pulled in her belly.

  “I guess that’s an improvement.”

  “How are you doing that?” Anna snapped.

  “Sorry. It’s a gift. I’m not trying to overhear your thoughts. You’re sort of screaming them at me. And don’t worry about Adam’s virtue. He plans to marry you.”

  She put down her fork and wiped her mouth. “Which way’s the closest highway?”

  “You can’t leave!”

  “Adam said I could do whatever I want.”

  “Why would he...” She gasped. “You trust him.”

  “No.”

  “Yes, you do. It’s why you’re not as angry as you were yesterday.”

  “I’m still angry. I’m probably flunking my classes and my boss is going to fire me if I don’t call soon.”

  “A boss isn’t as important as a mate. You should only worry about answering to Adam.”

  “That’s not how this is going to work and I’m not his mate.”

  “But you are.”

  “Grace.”

  She smiled and dropped the subject. Anna picked up her fork and continued eating.

  “What does that even mean? Mate?” She grumbled under her breath.

  “Are you actually asking?”

  “No!”

  Grace giggled. “You sure are contrary.”

  She shrugged. “I’m just out of my element.” Glancing out the window, she spotted a large horse towing a wagon across a field. “It’s so pretty here.”

  Grace looked at her and Anna had the sense she could see what her home looked like. “I’m sure Adam won’t mind if you take a walk. Just don’t stray too far from the house. He’d be upset if we lost you.”

  “You mean if I ran?”

  “Or that.”

  After eating a surprisingly large breakfast, she decided a walk would be lovely. There were no echoes of cars or human life anywhere. The sheer tranquility slowed her thoughts, as she savored every pleasant detail.

  Barns and houses dotted the distant countryside. As she passed a stone house she spotted an Amish woman hanging laundry on the line. According to the little she knew of the Amish, they never stopped working, but none of them appeared displeased with their circumstances.

  As a matter of fact, everyone she’d met greeted her with a pleasantness that seemed unhindered by social status or ulterior motive, a noteable contrast to the manners people used at home. These people were honest and purposeful. Their existence was steeped in practicality and simplicity.

  The more she saw, the more she envied their uncluttered lives. It seemed such a straightforward way of living, without the menacing presence of social media or advertisements cramming expectations down her throat. It was... peaceful.

  For all of the technologies available to the average man and woman, how many actually made life easier? Of course she needed a car to get to work, but here cars weren’t necessary. How bad could it be? They literally had everything they needed to survive right here.

  She passed another man working in a field, and another. Everyone looked so young and healthy. All that fresh air and hard labor must work wonders. It explained how Adam had such an incredible physique.

  She couldn’t recall ever noticing how handsome Amish men could be. There seemed something different about this order. They didn’t wear beards and they tended to have longer hair in comparison to the bowl cuts many other Amish sects wore.

  The women were softer, curvier. No doubt their figures filled out from only working around the house. What if a woman didn’t like to cook and clean? Could she choose a different profession?

  Unlikely.

  How many extraordinary CEOs and doctors and lawyers had the world missed because men assumed their talents stopped at hanging laundry? Centuries of inequality resonated within her. While women were no longer pigeonholed as they once were, there was still a ways to go. But seeing the women here was like getting a glimps
e back in time. As peaceful as it seemed, that peace came with a price Annalise would never want to pay.

  She could see the appeal, but couldn’t imagine sacrificing her career to raise a family. It bothered her that there had to be a choice at all, one or the other, while men always seemed so capable of both.

  Why did it matter? Why was she worrying over things that didn’t affect her? Once she returned home and straightened out the mess Adam made of her life, she’d be back on track. Back to following her plan and living the independent life.

  But independence had somehow become synonymous with loneliness in her mind, and she wondered why the thought of returning home and putting everything back to normal didn’t make her happier. Probably because she hadn’t been happy for a long time.

  She’d walked well over a mile and decided to stop for a rest under a willow tree. She bunched up her skirt and sat right in the grass.

  She’d been a child the last time she sat in the grass like this. It filled her with warm nostalgia and a sort of sadness.

  She wondered where Adam was and what he was doing. She wondered if Karen and Kyle were blowing up her phone.

  Tension gathered in her shoulders. She’d have a hard time explaining this to people. For a moment—a very brief moment—she imagined what it might be like to stay.

  Adam was ... strange. He acted so differently from other men she knew. While his views sometimes bordered on chauvinistic, she didn’t mind his old-fashioned manners. He opened doors, pulled out chairs, and his territorial watchfulness was growing on her now that they established some boundaries and she wasn’t his prisoner.

  She replayed their conversations in her mind, questioning what she could trust and what she couldn’t. His appearance screamed healthy. But last night when he told her he was dying...

  Her body shivered. That had been too intense. Too ... weird.

  “Well, that’s a sight a male could get used to.”

  Her heart sprung into her throat as Adam appeared out of nowhere. She pushed her dress down, covering her exposed calves.

  He chuckled. It appeared his discussion with his grandfather went well. “Don’t cover up on my account.”

  He dropped to the ground, sitting beside her and dragging a finger up her calf. “Barefoot and unsupervised. I think you’re part heathen.”

  She caught his hand before it traveled any higher. “Hey.”

  “Don’t be shy.”

  She stilled. That look... It was as if he could see every inch of her. She shifted. “You’re acting strange.”

  “Are you that much of an expert to know when I’m not acting like myself?” He flipped her skirt, exposing her ankles and grass-stained feet.

  “Hey.” She tucked her legs under her dress. “What’s gotten into you?”

  “I’d rather talk about what I can get into you.” He leaned over her, his hand riding up her thigh to her hip. He crowded her until she fell back onto the grass.

  As his lips reached for hers she turned her cheek away. Only then did her nose twitch at the unfamiliar scent of his skin. “You smell different.”

  Birds flocked to the sky, forming a cloud of sparrows above the trees in the distance as if startled from a tree. She squinted at the horizon as a figure appeared. A woman.

  “Grace?”

  “Ignore her.”

  “Anna!”

  She pushed at Adam, attempting to sit up. “Something’s wrong.”

  He caught her chin, turning her face back to his. “I said, ignore her.”

  “Anna, get back to the house!”

  She looked at Adam. Something wasn’t right.

  Grace shouted again, “Anna, run! Now!”

  A shiver chased down her spine and Adam breathed out a clipped laugh as a vicious growl ripped through the air. Grace’s frantic screams erupted as something launched at Adam, tackling him to his back and snarling like a beast.

  Annalise screamed, her eyes unable to see what had him. She bolted to her feet as some sort of animal flung his body violently, and so fast she could only scream in horror.

  “Adam!”

  Grace plowed into her, turning her away and forcing her to look in her eyes. “Come with me!”

  She tried to pull her head out of her grip, but she wouldn’t allow it. “We have to help him!”

  “No, Anna! We have to leave, now!”

  Tears welled in her eyes. “He’s being attacked!”

  A hiss that could only come from a mountain lion, ripped through the air accompanied by a putrid snap.

  She’d been nine when she first visited a hospital. She’d been climbing a tree at the park and lost her footing, falling almost thirteen feet to the ground. Her tibia had snapped in half on impact. And that was the snap.

  “Get her out of here!” Adam shouted.

  “Oh, my God,” she whimpered, pulling at Grace’s wrists. “Let go of me!”

  “I’m sorry.” Her face tightened. “Sleep.”

  The world softened and when she opened her eyes she was in Adam’s bed, again, questioning what was real and what was a dream.

  “You’re awake.” Grace sat at the foot of the bed, watching her.

  “Déjà vu.” She pushed her hand away and scowled. “Where’s Adam?”

  “I know you’re confused, but you left me little choice.”

  Her eyes narrowed. Not good enough.

  “I’m sorry! Adam insisted I get you out of there.”

  “He needed our help!” Who knew what sort of primitive first aid they practiced here. “Where is he?”

  Grace moved closer and placed a staying hand on her leg. “I promise, it’s not as bad as it seemed. Adam’s fine.”

  No one could escape an attack like that unscathed. She saw whatever that was tackle him to the ground and heard it tearing him apart. Her hands shook as she remembered the sounds of bone snapping.

  “You’re in shock.”

  “I’m not in shock,” she shivered. “I have to see him.” Why wasn’t Grace letting her up?

  “Because you’re still weak and I don’t want you to hurt yourself. I know you’re confused by what you saw, but Adam had every right to attack. Touching another male’s mate is against our laws.”

  Her fingertips tingled as her vision blurred. She fought off whatever was happening to her. “What are you talking about?” Frustrated that they seemed to be talking about different things, she snapped. “Something attacked Adam!”

  Grace drew back. “Oh, no. Anna, that wasn’t—”

  A loud crack shook the house.

  Grace winced. “He’s here.”

  “Wh—”

  The bedroom door flew open, Adam’s bulk filling the cavity. His shoulders heaved and his clothes were torn to shreds. “Did he touch you?”

  What the hell was going on? “Who?”

  Grace stood and held her hands up in a placating pose. “Adam, she thought he was you.”

  The muscles of his jaw bunched and flexed. “Leave us.”

  “Adam—”

  “I said leave us!”

  She rushed from the room leaving Anna alone with a man who appeared far from sane. The door closed and he rotated his shoulders, his breathing paced but labored.

  “Adam, you’re scaring me.”

  “I can smell him on you.” He ripped his tattered shirt off his back, throwing it to the floor and snarled.

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she practically cried. “I feel like I saw something totally different from whatever you and Grace saw.”

  He twisted to face her, his fists clenched at his sides. An angry scrape ran down the side of his ribcage that needed medical attention.

  “You’re bleeding.” Blind stupidity had her rushing to her feet.

  “Stop!” Something shifted in his eyes and she froze. Seething rage seeped from his pores.

  “I just want to help you,” she whispered.

  He tipped his face away from her view. “You’re safer there.”

&n
bsp; She frowned. None of this made any sense. “Adam, what was that out there? What attacked you?”

  Peeking at her through his fallen, sweat dampened hair, he studied her with piercing eyes. The longer he looked at her, shoulders lifted with visible tension, the more she questioned what she saw.

  “Adam, I don’t know what happened, but I’m not the enemy.” She kept her voice level and didn’t break eye contact. “Tell me what happened, Adam. I trust you.”

  His fury visibly receded. His eyes cleared and his face lifted.

  She nodded at the shift. “Let’s talk about it.”

  “I don’t want to talk.”

  She swallowed. “Will you sit with me?” Maybe if he calmed down she could get it out of him. “We should put something on that gash.”

  He glanced at his arms where more cuts marked his skin. Looking back at her, he frowned. “Were you hurt?”

  He was bleeding and probably in need of stitches, yet he worried about her wellbeing? “I’m fine. Grace... Your sister got me out of there.” How had that happened?

  He let out a jagged breath. “She should have been watching over you. I should have stayed with you.”

  “Adam, I’m fine.” She shrugged. “Come sit down.” He watched her like a distrusting animal follows a predator. “Please.”

  He staggered to the bed, collapsing at her side and pulling her into his arms with surprising aggression. Her hand fluttered to his back.

  “Hey,” she whispered, and his face burrowed into her shoulder, his lips pressing to her throat as he drew in a long, shuttering breath. “It’s over.”

  “I’m sorry,” he rasped.

  She pulled back, forcing him to look into her eyes, startled to find his shimmering with unshed tears. “Adam, talk to me. What’s over? I don’t understand what happened.”

  He glanced away. “No more talking, Annalise. I’m tired from so much talking.” His stare found hers. “I’m tired of waiting.”

  Chapter Twenty-two

  Annalise stilled, her concern falling to the wayside, as his words settled in. The air fizzed and snapped with implication, as he waited for her to respond, but she wasn’t sure how to react. Maybe the fight caused his adrenaline to surge and he needed an outlet.

  His body practically vibrated with unspent tension. He wasn’t angry with her, but angry in general. And like a teapot, he needed a release valve, or all those emotions were going to blow.