Chapter 19
Hours passed. Worry ate at me. Twice I heard Sam moving in the living room, but he didn't disturb us. I lingered in the dark, listening for any sign that Gabby was improving.
When she finally moved slightly, my throat tightened with emotion. She tried to speak, but she could only make a dry, raspy noise. I gently slid an arm under her and lifted her enough to give her a drink. She sipped slowly, each swallow sounding loud and painful, until she tilted her head to show she'd had enough.
She'd barely drunk anything. Before I could encourage more, I saw she'd left again. Was it sleep or had she fainted?
The worry returned. Why had she touched Luke? I'd kill the Brit next time I saw him.
It was several hours again before she woke to sip more water. Again, she barely managed anything. The wait until the next time she moved wasn't as long, and I began to hope. Was it a sign of improvement?
For two days, we existed in darkness. I only left the bedroom once to get more water. Charlene came once more to ask if I thought Gabby needed to go to the hospital. I wasn't sure. Could Gabby survive on so little water? Charlene had left before I'd decided on an answer.
I was about to leave and call Charlene back when Gabby shifted again.
"Water," she whispered.
Sliding an arm under her, I lifted the glass to her lips. She didn't sip. She gulped. My eyes watered. I lowered her back to the bed, set the cup aside, and waited, listening to her breathing. It sounded stronger. Would she stay awake this time?
"How long have I been sleeping?" she asked.
I wrapped my arms around her and hugged her close. Relief coursed through me.
"I really hope you're Clay," she said.
A laugh escaped me. As if I'd let anyone else near her.
"Can we turn on a light?"
As soon as I left the bed, she tried sitting up. I watched her struggle in the dark. Every move looked strained. Turning on the light probably wasn't a good idea. She needed more rest. But I wanted to see her. Really see her. I waited to click the lamp on until she leaned against the headboard. She squinted, and her eyes watered. She reached up to rub her eyes and brush a tangle of hair from her sallow face.
After blinking for a minute, her gaze met mine.
"Clay, I think I know what's going on. Can you help me up? I need a shower."
She wanted me to help her move around again? Not happening. I shook my head.
"Clay, now's not the time to put your foot down. This is really important."
It was exactly the time to put my foot down. She'd been out for two damn days. I felt aged from how much I'd worried over her.
She tried to sit up further but couldn't. She winced as if her head hurt.
"Okay. Maybe you're right." She rubbed her forehead. "Can you get me something for my head, please? It feels like it's going to explode all over the walls."
A request I could easily fulfill. I leaned over, smoothed back her hair, and kissed her forehead. She smiled tiredly at me. It was hard to leave the room, even for medicine for her. But, I did.
The living room was empty. I let myself out of the apartment and closed the door softly behind me. I'd need to be quick. I didn't want anyone to see I'd left Gabby's side. They'd know she was awake, and I wasn't about to let anyone near her just yet. She needed rest. A lot of it.
When I returned, the shower was running in the bathroom. I growled. Stubborn woman.
Moving toward the door, I listened. The water splashed slightly so I knew she was already safely in the tub. I sighed and set my hand on the door. She'd better be careful in there.
I returned to the kitchenette, set the pills down, then went to the bedroom. If she was set on cleaning herself, I might as well clean up her room, too. I stripped the bed. It smelled like Gabby, which I liked; but it smelled of sickness, too. I wanted no memory of the last two days.
The water tuned off as I remade the bed with clean sheets. I hurried to find what else I thought she might need. Socks, slippers, and her hairbrush waited on the quilt when I finished.
I listened to the sounds of her moving in the bathroom. Every slight noise was spaced apart as if she moved very slowly. She had to be exhausted again.
I grabbed a fresh glass of water and the pills and waited for her outside the door.
She didn't leave me waiting for long. She pulled open the door and yelped when she saw me. Guilt and pain stole over her features. She knew she shouldn't be up yet just as she knew I didn't want her up. She held the door for support, her knuckles white.
I offered the pills in one hand and the glass in the other. She took them both. I waited until the pills were down and the glass empty before I picked her up.
She sighed and rested her head against my chest as I moved toward the bedroom.
In the doorway, I hesitated. Would she want to brush her hair first or just go back to bed? She studied the room then turned toward me. She leaned in and kissed my cheek, surprising me. I really hoped she wanted to go back to bed.
"You are so sweet, and I truly appreciate this, but I'm not going back to bed, Clay."
Damn.
"I need to see Luke."
I clamped my jaw shut and swallowed the growl that wanted to surface along with some cussing. With care, I stepped into the room and placed her on the bed. Then I stalked out of her room, seething.
After watching over her and worrying for two days, she wanted to see Luke? What happened to knowing I was the one?
The apartment door suffered my anger. My ears burned, and I knew they'd shifted. I glanced at my arms as I walked the halls and saw fur. I tried to pull the change back but couldn't. I was too pissed to concentrate. I needed to find the Brit. I didn't care why Gabby wanted to talk to him or what kind of connection or-I swallowed-affection they had. I owed him for his part in the last two days of hell I'd lived through.
I narrowed my eyes and scented the air. There were too many trails here. If he'd stayed, though, he would probably be in the common room.
Since it was close to lunch, the room was full when I pushed my way through the double doors. Hesitating just inside, I looked around. People stopped eating and stared. Conversation faded to silence.
Luke's copper head was hard to miss. He lounged in a stuffed chair near one of the unlit fireplaces. When he saw me, a wide, mocking grin split his lips. I stalked toward him. When I neared, he stood.
I hit him hard and fast. His smug, cocky expression changed to one of surprise just before he fell over. I grabbed the cuff of his pants and started dragging him, caveman style.
The base of my spine itched, and I knew I now sported a tail.
Despite the punch to his face, Luke was still conscious. And my new tail caught his attention as I pulled him out of the room. His mad laughter reminded me of a braying ass.
I wanted to hit him again and struggled to maintain any remaining thread of control as we passed through the halls.
Just before we reached the apartment door, I inhaled and pulled myself together. The tail receded as did my ears and fur. I opened the door and pulled my quarry in behind me.
Gabby stood in the living room, staring at us in shock. Probably because the Brit was still laughing.
As I kept tugging my burden forward, she came to herself and rushed to close the door behind us. When I reached the middle of the room, I dropped Luke's leg and turned back to the door, which she still blocked. I didn't care. I didn't want to hear what she would say to him. I didn't think I'd be able to hold it together much longer.
I crossed the room, and she leaned back against the panel. When I made to reach for the knob, she held up her hand.
"Clay, I need you to stay and listen. Please."
She was killing me.
"Please," she said again. "Give me a chance."
Then she touched my face. Her warm fingers coaxed me until I met her gaze. She l
ooked worried and sad, and I knew I'd stay.
"I've asked so much of you already and know it's not fair to ask again, but I am."
I sighed, reached up to cup her face, and gently smoothed my thumb over her cheek. Behind me, I heard Luke move. Dropping my hands, I turned. Luke lay where I'd left him. The smirk was back as he watched us. He needed to lose the smirk.
I walked toward him on my way to the couch and kicked him in the ribs as I stepped over him.
Luke grunted and started to sit up, his laughter finally starting to quiet.
"Most people wouldn't laugh while being dragged through the Compound like that," Gabby said, watching us. She stayed by the door.
Luke stood and turned toward me with a grin.
"I've never seen anyone hold a transformation like that. He was man, but the fangs, ears, fur...it was amazing, and hilarious, mate," he said as he settled himself on the couch.
"Um, isn't that a sign that he's in an extreme emotional state?" Gabby said.
Luke continued to smirk at me. I could feel his hilarity over the unmentioned tail.
Gabby walked behind Luke and smacked him hard on the back of the head.
"Meaning, you should stop trying to annoy him."
I grinned. Maybe this conversation wouldn't be so bad.
She walked around Luke and came toward my chair. She then gingerly perched on one of my knees. She'd picked me. In front of him. He didn't look so smug anymore.
I wrapped my hands around her waist and pulled her back into my lap, turning her until I could see Luke, too. She settled against me.
"Luke, what happened when I touched you? What did you feel?"
"One hell of a shock. Listen, did you bring me here for a reason, or was it just to rub your relationship with him in my face?"
"It's for a reason."
She tried to lean forward, but I kept her on my lap with an arm around her waist. She didn't fight it.
"How long have I been sleeping?"
"Two days, love. Everyone's been pretty worried, and the Elders are waiting to talk to you."
"I bet."
I felt her attention drift and watched her study the apartment door. When she winced and held her head, I knew what she'd done. She'd tried to look at the lights in her head.
"Crap."
I made an annoyed sound at the same time I rubbed her back. She needed to stop trying to use her abilities.
"Listen," Luke said, sounding hesitant, "I think you should still be in bed, Little One. No disrespect intended, but you don't look well."
He was right. I mean, she was beautiful; but she did look sick and like she needed more sleep.
"I know you're right, but I can't go back to sleep yet. I need you to tell me what happened."
"I don't know what happened, love. You shocked me, told me not to leave, then fainted. After that, Clay picked you up and ran inside with you. He hasn't let anyone near you for two days. We only knew you were still alive because he didn't take off into the woods."
"And after Clay left, what about you? What did you do?"
Luke began to look uncomfortable.
"Uh, I went out for a bit then came back here."
"The constant attention probably went to your head," she said under her breath.
I understood then that she'd done to Luke what she'd done to Nicole. Yet, his cocky attitude in the common room probably meant it'd been woman he'd pulled in.
Luke looked up at Gabby, seemingly surprised that she knew what had happened. He had no idea just how special Gabby was.
"Did you meet anyone special while I was out?" she asked, glancing at the door again.
I wondered if she knew who waited in the hall. The soft movements told me more than one person waited, but not who. My guess was Sam and perhaps another Elder.
Luke shook his head, answering her question.
"Luke, there is so much I don't understand, and I really need your help." She nodded toward the door. "I need some time to myself to understand what I'm feeling."
Luke and I both stared at Gabby. Her nod toward the door was the only thing that stopped me from being upset by the words. She wasn't talking about her feelings for Luke. But I wasn't sure what she was trying to tell him, either.
Luke looked from her to me then back again. He opened his mouth to ask a question, hesitated, and then glanced at the door once more. Finally, he stood.
"I'll be around," he said.
The door had barely closed behind him when a knock sounded.
She turned in my lap, met my gaze, and shook her head. I slid an arm under her legs, and standing with her in my arms, I glanced at the door. I knew she didn't want to talk to whoever waited, but I doubted the Elders would be put off for long. She'd fainted during the Introduction and had been out for two days. And when she woke, the first thing she'd done was talk to Luke. They would want to know why.
I turned and carried her to the bedroom. There I set her on the bed, covered her, and closed her in her room.
With no choice, I went to answer the apartment door. Sam stood on the other side as I'd expected. There were several other wolves with him. Most likely spectators drawn by my removal of Luke from the common room. No other Elders, though.
I stepped aside to let him in.
"Where's Gabby?" Sam asked, eyeing the closed bedroom door.
"Bed," I said softly. "She's still sick."
Sam took a step toward her room, and I stepped in front of him. It was dangerous to challenge an Elder. If he really wanted to, he could physically force me aside or simply command me to move. Instead, he sighed and looked at me.
"Is she getting better?"
"She woke up. That's something."
"Clay, I know you're upset with how we handled the Introduction, but this is better for her."
"Did it look better?"
He sighed again and ran his hand through his hair. "Let me know when she wakes up again. I want to talk to her." Then he turned and left.
I went back to the bedroom and found Gabby already asleep. Lying on my side, I pulled her close and closed my eyes, ready to sleep for the first time in days.
Instead, her conversation with Luke replayed in my head. Her comment, "I need some time to myself," took on new meaning. The key was her look at the door. She'd known the Elders were out there listening. The way she'd held Luke's gaze afterward...she'd been trying to get him to understand something.
We needed help leaving the Compound without the Elders catching us.