Chosen at Nightfall (A Shadow Falls Novel) (10 page)

Silence fell on them like a soft rain. The sky had turned slightly purple as if morning would be in the next hour. Burnett cleared his throat. “You do know we will have to go back to you being shadowed?”

“I figured that,” Kylie said.

“Before I work out the shadowing schedule, is … is there anyone you don’t want to be shadowing you?”

“Only one,” Kylie said. “And I think you know who that is.”

Burnett just nodded.

Their footsteps fell on the graveled path and sent out crunching sounds in the darkness. “How is Helen?” Kylie asked.

“She’s much better,” Holiday said.

“Has she remembered anything yet? Do we know if it was Mario or not?”

“No,” Holiday answered.

“We’re still investigating it,” Burnett said, and a bit of frustration sounded in his tone. “But we know that Mario was spotted in Fallen that same morning. And with his appearance tonight, everything points to Mario being behind this.”

They got almost to the turn in the path. In the distance Kylie could make out the cabin. Not a light flickered inside. Kylie glanced to Burnett. “Is Della back yet?”

“No, not yet,” he said, and something about the way he said those three words set off alarms.

She caught him by the arm. “What happened?”

Burnett held up his hand. “She’s fine. She ran into some trouble late yesterday, but everything’s fine now. She should be back either later today or tomorrow.”

“What kind of trouble?” Kylie asked, her concern over Della giving her a reprieve from her own problems.

Burnett hesitated to answer and that made Kylie even more suspicious.

“What happened?” Kylie insisted.

“She got into an altercation with some gang members. But—”

“Are you sure it wasn’t Mario?”

“I’m positive,” Burnett said.

“Was she hurt?” Kylie’s chest ached. “I knew her working for the FRU was a bad idea.”

“She was just bumped and bruised a bit,” Burnett said.

“How bumped and bruised?” Kylie asked.

“Not so bad that I can’t say that I think her ego received the most damage,” Burnett replied.

“She’s really fine. I promise,” Holiday added. “I spoke with her myself.”

Kylie inhaled, knowing she was probably overreacting, but her emotional dam was almost ready to spew over. She started walking again, hurrying to the cabin, wanting to be alone before that dam broke.

Holiday picked up her speed and slipped her hand into Kylie’s, bringing her to a stop right before taking the steps to the porch. “Do you want me to come in and we can talk for a while?”

“No,” Kylie said, feeling like an idiot. “I just need some rebound time.” She hugged Holiday, absorbing a little more of her soothing touch. When Kylie pulled back, she started to turn for the door when Burnett cleared his throat. She looked up.

The man held out his hands. “I don’t get one, too?”

Kylie saw the surprise shine in Holiday’s eyes, then she couldn’t help it, she grinned. “Be careful, people might think you’ve gone soft on us.”

“I doubt that,” he said, and gave her a quick embrace. With his chin pressed against her hair, he whispered, “I’m going to get the bastard. I promise you.”

She didn’t have to ask which bastard. She knew he meant Mario.

“Thank you,” she said, and pulled back. And before she really broke down and cried, she moved inside.

The smell of the cabin filled her senses. She wasn’t even sure exactly what contributed to the scent, but whatever it was, it offered some calming effects. And then she realized it smelled like the people she loved. Miranda, Della. And there was the woodsy scent that she registered. A smell that belonged to … No!

It just smelled like home, she told herself.

Della’s bedroom door stood open—like a flashing neon sign that she wasn’t here. The vamp, a very private person, always kept her door closed.

Kylie’s gaze shifted to Miranda’s door.

“Rebound time,” she whispered to herself. If she was going to fall apart, she wanted to do it alone. She started to her bedroom, had barely opened the door when she heard the slight creaking of the wood floor. She wasn’t alone. Her gaze shot up to the corner of the room and she saw the figure standing there.

Saw and recognized the figure.

Maybe she wasn’t going to get that rebound time after all.

Chapter Nine

Kylie twirled around on her Reeboks, probably leaving skid marks on the wood floor, and started out of her room.

“Don’t go,” Lucas said. “Please! You’re going to have to talk to me sooner or later.”

Later would be really nice.
Then anger made her clutch her hands. It wasn’t right. She stared at the wall, still not wanting to face him. “Why? Why do I have to talk to you? I don’t owe you anything. Not an explanation, not an apology. I’m not the one who…” Her throat tightened and she just shut up. She heard him shift behind her.

“I know … I screwed up. I admit that. I … should have told you. No, that’s wrong, I should have never let it go that far. I should have told my father to go screw himself in the beginning. I’m at fault here, but I didn’t do anything … else. I didn’t sleep with her. I kissed her twice. You saw one of those times. And both times I was put on the spot. I only did it to try to convince my dad that I would go through with the marriage. But I never, not for one damn minute, planned on marrying her.”

That knot in her throat tightened. Her eyes stung right along with her heart. She shook her head, and managed one word. “No.” She wasn’t even sure what she was saying no to. Then she turned and faced him.

It didn’t matter what she said, because he wasn’t listening to her. He stood there staring at her in his own world of hurt and pain.

“You love me,” he said. “I know that.”

Now was when she should be saying no, but she couldn’t get the word out. Oh, it sat on the tip of her tongue, but it felt super-glued in place. Sure it would have been a lie, but wasn’t it okay to lie at times like this? When the truth was just too painful. When the truth felt like it could tear you apart.

“I also know you’re punishing me. And it’s working, because I’m hurting like hell. Not that I don’t deserve it.” He reached up and ran his hand over the back of his neck.

Kylie blinked away a wash of tears. Even in the darkness she could see the bruises around his neck. Bruises she’d put on him. She gripped her hands at the memory of just how close she’d come to crushing his windpipe.

“I didn’t mean to choke you,” she spit out. “It was a trick on … Mario’s part. I don’t know how he did it but—”

“I know that. I don’t mean … punishing me with this.” He ran his hand over the bruises. “This isn’t anything compared to what I feel inside. I’m talking about you not wanting to talk to me, not wanting me close to you. You have no idea how much it hurts to stand right here, this close … Can you even imagine how hard it is to stand here and know you don’t want me to touch you?” He moved in a step as if testing her.

While it was only a few inches, his scent came with him. She remembered inhaling his particular smell when she walked in. She should have known. Should have known that part of the scent of home that had welcomed her, was his essence. He was home to her. Or he had been.

Now she felt homeless.

He must have gathered a bit more courage because he took another step closer.

She inched back. And that little inch said so much.

“See,” he said, and his intake of air sounded painful. “But I know you still care because … because you saved my life. You could have stepped out of the way and just let Mario kill me. You didn’t. You caught the fireballs that were meant for me.”

His emotion echoed in the room, and she’d give anything if she didn’t have to feel this. How much more emotion could she take in? Wasn’t there a limit? Surely she’d reached hers.

“Yeah, I saved your life, but don’t make me regret it.” She waved toward the door. “Leave. I don’t want you here.” And it was the truth. She didn’t want Lucas, the guy who’d betrayed her, here. She wanted the guy she’d trusted, the guy she’d thought would go to the end of the world to protect her. And yet they were one and the same.

He took one more step. She saw his Adam’s apple go up and down. It looked painful to swallow.

“I hurt you,” he said. “I know that, and I’m willing to take whatever it is you want to dish out at me. I deserve it. That’s what I came here to say. That I accept what I did was wrong. But I didn’t do other things that you might think I did. And when you’re over being mad, I’ll still be here. I don’t care how long it takes.”

She glanced away, remembering him standing up in front of his family and friends. He’d worn a fancy tux and looked so handsome, so much like a man and not a boy. The image of him reaching for Monique’s hands played across her mind and she heard the promises he made. The kind of promises you didn’t break.

A wave a fresh pain washed over her. She looked at him again. “You gave her your soul.”

He shook his head. “No, you’re wrong. I didn’t give her my soul. I lied. I couldn’t have given her my soul. Because my soul was already given away. You took it when I was seven years old.” His voice shook. “And if I had any of it left, you took the rest of it when you walked into Shadow Falls that first day. In the were culture, it’s believed that there is only one soul mate. And you are mine, Kylie Galen. I knew that then, and it hasn’t changed.”

Her vision blurred with tears. She inhaled, hoping to get her watery weakness under control. But she felt a tear slip from her lashes onto her cheek.

She swiped it away. Her breath shuddered as she drew needed oxygen into her lungs. Why did it hurt to breathe?

You are mine, Kylie Galen
. His words echoed in her heart. She couldn’t deny that part of her wanted to go to him, to make him say that over and over again until the pain bubbling in her chest went away. Until she could look at him without remembering how it had felt to see him making promises to someone else. But she couldn’t go to him, because she knew the pain wasn’t going to go away.

Not now.

Maybe not ever.

She couldn’t be sure.

He paused and she saw the same pain she felt in her chest reflected in his eyes. Her own pain doubled knowing she hurt him. But wasn’t that his fault? Why should she feel guilty that he was hurting now?

“I’m sorry that I caused you this hurt,” he said. “And as mad as you are at me right now, you need to realize that I’m madder at myself. I did this to you. To us. I hurt the most important person in my life. If someone else had hurt you this badly I’d rip their heart out.”

He stood there and just stared. The silence in the room seemed too loud. Or was it the pain echoing in the room that pierced her ears?

“I’ll go now,” he said, and she couldn’t remember ever hearing him sound so defeated. So lost. “I’ve said what I wanted to, and just know I’ll give you all the time you need to forgive me. But not forgiving me, that isn’t an option. Because I love you.”

She moved out of his way and he walked out the door. She went to the bed. Sat down. Kicked her shoes off. “Kitty, kitty?” she said, wanting something to hold on to. But Socks didn’t come out. He really didn’t like weres. Right now, a part of her agreed with him.

She brought her legs up, hugged her knees to her chest so tight it hurt.

Then she waited.

Waited for the tears to flow full force.

Waited for some of the pressure building in her heart to fade. But the tears didn’t flow. The pressure remained.

Closing her eyes, she bit down on her lip. Why couldn’t she cry? Was she just too emotionally exhausted?

And confused?

Yes, she was so damn confused.

How could Lucas suddenly see how wrong he was now, and not have seen it earlier? How could he have stood up there and vowed his soul, promised to marry someone else if he loved Kylie?

But why would he lie? Why would he come here and tell her all these things if they weren’t true?

She sat there in the dark room for several long minutes. She felt alone. Lonely.

A crazy and somewhat childish thought ran though her head:
I want my mama
. But her mama wasn’t here. Not at Shadow Falls. Not even in the country. Her mom was in England banging some guy that Kylie hated.

But she could still call her. Heck, maybe she’d even cause a little hiccup in John’s plans to seduce her mother. That made calling even more tempting. She wanted John to know that her mom wasn’t alone in the world.

She reached for her pocket and then groaned. She’d left her phone at her grandfather’s.

“Damn it,” Kylie muttered. As the frustrations of her lost phone bounced around her brain, her thoughts went to Jenny, to her conversation about talking to Hayden, and to some of the accusations she’d made about the elders. Were the young chameleons really being forced to live in a world of isolation? That seemed so wrong.

Just like that she felt compelled to find Hayden Yates. He would have answers. Maybe he could even assure her that her grandfather wasn’t behind this. Popping up, she started out, then immediately slowed down when she got to the door. Oh, just friggin’ great! She was supposed to be shadowed.

Burnett would flip if he thought Kylie was out wandering alone at night. But damn it, she needed answers. And sometimes you just had to break the rules. She went outside, quietly shutting the door so not to wake Miranda. Moving down the porch steps, she started toward the path that would lead to Hayden’s cabin. He’d probably still be asleep, but she didn’t care.

She only got a few feet when she saw someone move out from the trees. Her breath caught in her throat when she saw who it was.

The thought that came to mind was a phrase her Nana had often said when she’d found herself in a bad situation. She was up shit creek without a paddle.

*   *   *

“I … I’m sorry,” Kylie mumbled.

“Don’t you even try to talk your way out of me being pissed!” Burnett growled. “Not a word!”

“I just…”

“That’s two words and I said not one!” he snapped, and he swiped his hand through the air for emphasis.