“Maybe four to five more hours.” His response was curt, but he knew he needed to be honest. Neither spoke again until they reached the edge of the woods. “We need to make it deep in there.” Shane held her tight and urged them to move faster.
Both pushed their limits, and soon, Samantha was gasping for air. When she heard the sound of water, she said, “Where’s that sound coming from?”
“Not sure. Maybe there’s a creek nearby.”
Before Shane could stop her, she ran in the direction of the sound. Afraid of her being out there alone, he tried to sprint after her, dragging his injured leg. Luckily, it wasn’t too far, and soon he found her next to a creek.
Grabbing her arm, he swung her around to face him. “Don’t you ever do that again! I can’t protect you if you’re not near me!” He was furious, but seeing the gleam of excitement in her eyes made him swallow his anger.
“Please, I have to clean myself. Let me take a quick dip,” she begged.
“Sammy, you know we’re running for our lives, right? We have to keep moving.”
“If I’m gonna die, let me die a clean woman, Shane! Grant me that. Look at me! I’ve been filthy for so long. Please, I promise I’ll take five minutes at the most.”
“Sammy, please! You’re not thinking! You do realize how crazy you sound, right?”
“Okay, it is probably crazy. But at this point, I don’t give a damn. As fast as gargoyles move, it wouldn’t make a difference if we got a bit further. We’re wasting more time arguing about this.”
Not having the heart to refuse her, Shane reluctantly nodded. “You got two minutes, and I’m cleaning myself too. Be careful, you never know what’s in the waters.”
Samantha was about to strip her clothes before stopping herself. “Please turn around.”
Shane hid his smile, finding her behavior endearing. “Why? It’s nothing I haven’t seen before,” he teased, mimicking her words from earlier.
Throwing him a dirty look, she said, “I’m sure you’ve seen plenty of naked women, but you haven’t seen this one. I suggest you turn around if you want us to hurry.”
She was right, of course. Without further discussion, Shane turned his back to her. As soon as he heard her splashing in the water, he stripped his sweatpants and sweatshirt off and jumped in as well. When he snuck a peek toward her direction, he was relieved to see she was submerged in the water enough to cover any body parts that would be distracting to him. It was already unnerving enough to watch her wash her hair and scrub her body just a few feet away.
“Two minutes! That’s it, Sammy!” he yelled, trying to stay focused.
Dipping his hair into the creek and giving his body a good rub down with the fresh water, Shane felt a bit better. Although the wound on his thigh stung, he was thankful that at least it wasn’t bleeding in the water. He soon was out of the creek and allowed the air to dry him before he put his clothes back on. Taking another quick look toward Sammy, he decided to step away to give her some privacy. Once dressed, he waited for her to join him. Within minutes, she was standing next to him, fully clothed.
“Feel better?” he asked.
“I do.” She flashed him a quick smile. “I just wish these clothes weren’t so dirty.” She cringed her nose up in disgust.
“You look beautiful, even with those rags,” Shane teased. “Come on, we have to keep moving.”
Twenty-eight
They must have traveled for another hour when Shane realized that they were heading for open fields again.
“We have to stay in the woods,” he said, turning to face Samantha. “Come on, I saw a spot that might work for us. We just have to get through the night. As soon as the sun rises, they will turn into stone, and we will have all day to travel.”
Samantha nodded. “How long do you think we have before dawn?”
“Not positive, but I think possibly two to three hours from now.”
“So we have to get through three hours?”
“We’ll hide out for the remaining of the night. Hopefully, it’ll work. I don’t want us to keep moving because it would be easier for them to spot us.” He took her hand and began to lead her toward the location he had seen earlier. “You see, when gargoyles hunt, we are predators, and we search for our prey from up above. We look for anything that moves, and we pursue them until they are captured. Right now, we are their prey.”
Samantha shivered. “Thanks for the analogy,” she mumbled.
Shane chuckled under his breath. “I figured since you know so much about me now, you might as well know everything.”
He examined the area once they reached it. Several trees had fallen on top of each other, which had created a makeshift shelter. The way the trees were aligned, it made an opening they could hide out in. There were bushes in front of the opening, so he felt good about the coverage.
“Let me check to make sure there are no animals hiding in there,” Shane said, squatting down. When he was satisfied, he looked up at Samantha. “I think we’re in the clear. Let’s quickly take care of any personal business before we settle down.”
Samantha nodded, and he stayed nearby while she went behind the bush. Once she was done, he stepped away from her out of respect and handled his business. Shane returned to their spot and crawled into the opening first. He shifted over to make some room for Sammy. It was a tight spot, but at least there was enough room for both of them to squeeze in and remain hidden.
“You’ve been limping badly, Shane,” Samantha said once she took her place next to him. “I think I should unwrap the shirt from around your thigh and take a look at your wound.”
“No, it’s not worth it. Besides, it might start bleeding if we pull the wrap off. Let’s just get through the next few hours.” Shane was feeling tense, and suddenly didn’t like that they were sitting ducks in this spot.
Samantha felt his stress and leaned her head onto his shoulder. “Hey, thanks for getting us out of that horrible cave.”
Shane tapped her nose and tried to smile. “We’re not in the clear yet, little Sammy.”
The endearing term he used to call her for years slipped out, and suddenly he saw the lost, little girl next to him. He knew he would protect her with his life if it came down to it. He sighed and pulled his backpack off his shoulders.
“We need to eat and drink.” He grabbed the canned lasagna and water. Flipping the top open, he said, “Sorry, no spoon or fork. You’ll have to use your hands or mouth.”
“I’m not hungry,” she said, turning away.
“You’ll eat, Sammy, whether you like it or not.” Shane handed the food and the water bottle to her.
She abruptly snatched the can from him. He could sense she was annoyed, but decided to let her work through it. When she was still being distant and quiet after they had finished, he finally inquired her about it.
“What gives? I know something is bothering you,” he said, punching her shoulder playfully.
“You mean besides the fact that this may be the last couple of hours of our lives?” she snapped.
“Yeah, besides that. I know you’re annoyed about something. You’re acting like that time when I told you I didn’t like your homecoming dress. You were obnoxiously quiet afterward.” Shane laughed, remembering the fifteen-year-old version of Samantha.
“Why would you tell a young girl you didn’t like her dress? That hurt, Shane!”
“I didn’t like it because it was too damn short. Why would I want you to walk around with your legs showing like that? Um, nope. I didn’t like the dress at all! Now, tell me why the change in your mood all of a sudden.”
“I don’t like that you still think of me as your little Sammy,” she mumbled, finishing her water.
Shane’s eyes widened in surprise. “Oh, you’re upset because I just called you ‘little Sammy?’ Old habits die hard.”
“That’s not it, to be honest. I want to talk about what happened in the cave between you and Jared.” Samantha turned to face him.
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Shane turned away, his eyes distant. “Drop it, Sammy.”
Samantha placed her hand on his. “I want to talk about it,” she whispered gently.
“What’s there to talk about? I did what I do best,” Shane said, still refusing to look at her.
“What you do best? Seducing people is the best trait you have?” she asked, challenging him.
Shrugging his shoulders, he mumbled, “It worked, didn’t it?”
Shane could feel Sammy’s eyes on him, but still he refused to meet them. He wasn’t ready to face the events from the cave. He certainly couldn’t deal with it in front of Samantha.
“Well, I want to talk about it. I’m having a hard time getting past it, Shane. A part of me is beyond grateful that your actions saved us, or at least got us out of there. But, there’s a huge part of me that hates you for what you did. I wouldn’t have wanted you to do that. I would rather we died fighting with our heads held high. I wouldn’t have wanted you to sell your soul to the devil.”
“If selling my soul to the devil has kept you alive, so be it.” By then, Shane had closed his eyes and was resting his head against the tree trunk. He wanted to shut the world out, feeling utterly exhausted. The pain in his ribs was throbbing even more, and now, Samantha was opening the gates of hell he didn’t want opened.
“Look at me, Shane.” Samantha’s soft voice echoed around him. When he refused to open his eyes, she placed her hands around his face and turned him toward her. “Open your eyes and look at me.”
Reluctantly, his eyes opened, but he kept them guarded. He was not ready for her to see the depth of his soul.
“I know what you did there was hard,” Samantha said, holding his gaze. “And I also know you did it to protect me. I know you’re making it seem like it was no big deal, but it was to me. And in your heart, you know it was a big deal to you as well. The fact that you did that for me kills me. It hurts me deep in my core, Shane. Part of me wishes that Jared just had his way with me, so it wouldn’t have come to that with you and him.”
Shane’s eyes flamed with fury. “Don’t you ever say that again! Don’t even think of such a thing! Do you think I would allow Jared to do those vile things to you? To just watch it happen in front of me? No, Sammy, I will protect you with everything I’ve got. And, if what I did down there meant that I sold my soul to the devil, I will still die a happy man. Understand this, Sammy, I will do whatever I have to in order to keep you alive.” Suddenly feeling claustrophobic, Shane was having difficulty breathing. He felt trapped in the closed, narrow space, and began to crawl out.
“Where are you going?” Samantha asked, worried.
“I need some space,” he answered roughly.
She reached out to touch his arm. “Shane…” she begged, trying to stop him from leaving.
Snatching his arm away from her hold, he said, “I told you, I need some space.”
Once he was standing outside their hideout, he took a deep breath, filling his lungs with the fresh air, hoping it would help clear his mind. He wasn’t ready to deal with what had happened with Jared. He knew he did what he had to do, and if the situation arose again, he would do the same thing. But that didn’t mean that he wasn’t bothered that Samantha had witnessed it. He had put the incident away safely somewhere in the deep corner of his brain, but Samantha had now forced it out. He was upset with her for doing that to him and for not supporting him. Although he knew she was having her own issues with it, he was still upset with the way he was feeling.
“Okay, Shane, you’re just gonna have to get over your pride. This is no time to be worrying about silly stuff. You’ve got bigger problems,” he said. Great! That woman—who had the power to get under his skin—now had him talking to himself.
He crept back into their little shelter, taking his place again. Samantha appeared to be lost in her thoughts, and he decided to let her be. He had his own inner demons to battle. Closing his eyes, he leaned back on the trunk, hoping for some peace with himself, even if it was temporary.
When he felt Samantha shifting closer to him, he was surprised. She wrapped her arms around him and whispered, “I’m sorry.”
Shane opened his eyes, and couldn’t help but smile at this amazing girl who had stolen his heart. “Don’t be. It’s my issue.”
“I just thought it would help to talk about it,” she offered, flashing him a timid smile.
“I know you did. I’m just not that kind of a guy. I’m not good at facing things, especially my feelings. I’d rather just put it away and not deal.” Shane tucked her hair behind her ear.
“I know that. I shouldn’t have pushed it.”
Lifting her chin up, he examined her face for several seconds. “How is it that you still can look beautiful with that nasty black eye and the swollen cheek?” he teased.
“Shut up!” Samantha then leaned into his chest as he pulled her closer, holding her tight in his arms.
“I’m not lying, little Sammy.” Shane chuckled under his breath.
Samantha’s head flung up, and she narrowed her eyes at him for calling her by the old nickname.
“Sorry, I couldn’t resist.” Shane smirked, shrugging his shoulders.
Samantha rolled her eyes and shook her head. “I need to say one more thing.”
“Uh, oh,” he said, but continued to smile.
“If I only have couple of hours of life left, I’m glad I’m spending them with you.” A lonely tear rolled out of her eye.
“Shh, I’m not going to let anything happen to you.” Shane kissed the tear away.
“I’m not afraid to die, Shane. I’m not afraid of anything when you’re by my side. It’s always been like that. Ever since I was a little girl, somehow, you always gave me courage. You took away all of my fear. I need you to know that I’m honored to have known you for all these years.”
Shane didn’t want to hear her words, for they sounded so final. It was all too much. There was no way he’d let anything happen to her. He tried to change the subject.
“What about the pretty boy in LA?”
“Oh, umm, Justin? It was nice while it lasted, but my heart was never in it. I broke up with him a while ago.”
Even though they both were probably in the worst predicament of their lives, as sick as it was, Samantha’s news brought him joy. “I’m not gonna lie; I hated him.”
“You didn’t even know him,” she said.
“I still hated him. Sammy, you need to know I will fight ‘till my last breath to protect you. And just in case something should happen to me, I need to get something off my chest. I probably should have said it long time ago to you, but I guess I’m a big wimp. I love you, Sammy. I think I always have. At first, my love for you was different, but then it changed after you grew up. I loved you as a man loves a woman. And I hated myself for it. There was guilt…lots of it. I fought it because I thought it wasn’t right. But now, this may be my last opportunity to confess my feelings for you. Samantha Jordan, I’m in love with you.”
Samantha stared at him for several seconds without saying a word. Finally, she whispered, “You would have never said all that to me if you thought we were going to make it out of this mess alive.”
Shane blinked couple of times and then couldn’t help but laugh. “I kinda pictured that a bit differently. You know, after I confess my love for you, you were supposed to do the same.”
“And then we live happily ever after?” she asked, grinning up at him.
He pulled her close into his embrace, making a silent promise to her as his protective arms folded around her.
“And then we live happily ever after,” he whispered.
Twenty-nine
“Shane, come out. I know you’re here. You don’t think I can sense my lover?” Camille’s voice echoed into the silence of the night.
Shane and Samantha must have dozed off, but as soon as they heard her voice, they were wide awake. Samantha glanced at Shane in panic. Motioning her to remain quiet, Shane pee
ked out to see if Camille was alone or if the others were with her.
“Come out!” Camille screeched.
Shane signaled Samantha to stay in their hideout as he began to step out to face Camille. Grabbing his arm, Samantha shook her head vigorously, begging him not to leave. Peeling her hand off him, he nodded and again motioned her to remain hidden. Before she could try to argue, he slipped out to confront Camille.
As soon as she saw him, Camille’s laugh shrieked through the woods. “Where’s your human female?” she asked as she continued to laugh.
“Not here. We separated a while back.”
“Liar!” she yelled.
“No, not lying. We separated a while ago, Camille. We thought it would give us better chance to survive.”
“Really?” she circled around him. “Why is it that I can still smell her?”
“You must be smelling her on me. Look, now that you got me, what do you want?”
Camille grabbed Shane’s throat and lifted him off the ground. Wrapping his hands around her wrist, he tried to free himself from her hold, but it was useless.
“You can’t do anything now that you’re no longer a gargoyle.” Camille’s evil laugh rang all around them. “Human, if you want Shane to live, I suggest you come out. He is turning blue as I speak.”
Shane was having difficulty focusing. He knew she had shut off his oxygen supply, and he fought hard not to lose consciousness.
“Stop! Put him down.” Samantha ran toward them. Throwing her arms around Camille, she attempted to tackle her.
Dropping Shane, Camille shifted her attention to Samantha. She watched her with curiosity, a smirk playing on her lips. Coughing uncontrollably, Shane desperately tried to catch his breath. He saw how Camille towered over Samantha, and poor Samantha appeared tiny and helpless next to her. Camille then spread her wings wide as she tried to intimidate Samantha. Although she seemed fragile compared to Camille, Samantha showed no fear and held her ground. Staring directly into Camille’s eyes, Samantha didn’t even flinch.
“Aren’t you interesting?” Camille sneered. “Did Shane ever mention that we were to be mates? That he took The Oath? Oh, I’m sure he has shared we are lovers, right?”