She walked steadily around the corner with her shoulders back and head high. I kept close, a secondary shadow.
Three Elders stood by the back door. They ignored me and watched Gabby. Gabby ignored them and looked at the gathered men.
“I’m Gabby. There will be no Introduction order. I won’t have anyone left out, or leaving without a fair chance. So, instead of the stuffy cabin, let’s just do this out here.”
As she continued forward, the males lined up. She shivered again. It was small, but I noticed. Some of the men did, too.
“I believe the Elders mentioned I was ill; so if I start to stammer, bear with me.”
She moved forward, and I stayed close to her. Most of the men ignored me. A few bared their teeth at me after she passed. I paid little attention to them or the Elders trailing behind us. My focus remained on Gabby and the shivers that occurred with increasing frequency.
Her proud stance melted away with each step, bowing her back and curving her shoulders. About halfway down the line, Gabby slowed. I thought she might be ready to call for a rest, but she didn’t.
The men beyond her watched her with worry as she stopped completely. Then she gasped, the sound ringing in the silence, flinched, and touched her head as if in pain.
With a burst of speed, I stood behind her, ready to catch her. The werewolf she faced looked at me in confusion, then at her, and finally the Elders who’d quietly followed us until now.
“Gabby,” Sam said, his voice heavy with worry and warning. It was too late for that.
She held up her hand.
“A moment, please,” she said, sounding strained.
I kept my hands out, ready to grab her as she slowly straightened. She breathed deeply, as if orienting herself, then glanced at me. Worry filled her eyes. She held my gaze as if trying to tell me something. What, though? She was weak from sharing her ability with those women. She wouldn’t have her pull on men here. Besides, it only seemed to affect human men. No, it couldn’t be that. Why else would she worry? The answer hit me, and I looked at the men around us. She’d tried to use her sight. But why? The males watched us. Nothing seemed out of place.
While I studied the woods, she turned to the men in front of her.
“I’m sorry. Like I said, I’m not feeling well. The pain in my head just took me by surprise.”
We all heard the lie in her words, but no one commented. She took another steadying breath and started moving again. Only, this time, her progress was slower and her steps more labored. Tremors shook her, confirming that she’d used her gift and exhausted herself.
I wasn’t the only one watching her with concern. Each man she passed glanced at the Elders trailing us, as if wondering why they hadn’t put a stop to this. I wondered the same thing.
After a few more steps, Gabby halted.
“A f-face I know. I’m here as p-promised.”
I eyed the man she stared at. Who the hell was he and how did she know him?
“I see that, Little One,” he said. “Although, it looks like you should be in bed, instead.”
Curling my hands into fists, I tried to control my anger at his use of a pet name.
“I would b-be if people would j-just leave me alone. B-but it’s not meant t-to be. So, you know my name, but I d-don’t know yours.”
“Luke Taylor, love.”
Love? I wondered if I could knock his British accent out along with a few teeth.
Luke-the-Brit held out his hand. Gabby glanced at it and hesitated. I ground my teeth together, jealousy ripping through me when she reached forward and wrapped her hand in his. She paled, exhaled heavily, and swayed on her feet. Luke’s slight smirk disappeared.
I held myself ready. To catch her. To fight for her. To do whatever she needed of me.
Gabby’s heart started to beat loudly as if overtaxed. She made a small sound between a gasp and a moan. I inhaled deeply and noted her scent had changed, too. Mellowed. I started to pace just behind her, my focus on both of them.
Luke frowned at Gabby.
“I need to talk to you,” she said, her words slurred. “Don’t leave until I do.”
Luke looked as surprised as I felt.
“Clay,” she whispered. Her head lolled to the side as she tried to find me. “Catch me.”
She let go of Luke’s hand and fell against me.
“Is she okay?” Sam asked. He stood beside me, his hand extended to touch her forehead.
I couldn’t stop the growl as I lifted her into my arms and settled her against my chest.
“You pushed this.” A tremor ran over my arm. Fur appeared and disappeared. “These women aren’t like us. They’re fragile. You know that. You say you’re protecting them. Who’s protecting them from you?”
The males around us shifted in agitation. They were thinking the same thing. The Elders should have put a stop to this Introduction. They’d all sensed her exhaustion and witnessed her frailty.
Sam looked down at Gabby, her pale cheek resting against me, and I had the satisfaction of seeing guilt pass over his features.
I stepped around him and carried her inside, hurrying to get to her room. Anyone I passed moved out of our way. Word of what had happened had already spread.
Charlene stood by the apartment door and opened it for me. She followed me in as I strode across the small space to Gabby’s bedroom.
“Do you need anything, Clay?”
I paused and looked back at Charlene. In the door, a man stood behind her. He looked like her and Thomas. His gaze was locked on Gabby, reflecting a sad worry. I clenched my jaw against a new wave of anger. Damn the Elders.
“Just tell them to stay away.”
She nodded slightly, looking concerned. “I’ll do my best.”
She turned, shooed the man away, and closed the door. I could still hear them, though.
“Will she be all right?”
“I don’t know, Jim.”
“She’s like you and Michelle, right?”
“Let’s talk about this later.”
Their voices faded as I set Gabby on her bed. I removed the jacket, tucked her under the covers, and turned off the light. Her pale skin seemed to glow in the soft light from the main room. No discernable rise and fall of her chest moved beneath the covers. She was too still, and it scared me.
Frustrated and angry at my helplessness, I went to the kitchenette to get a glass of water. Please let this be like last time, I thought, carrying the glass back to her. I closed the door, set the glass beside the bed, then lay on the covers next to her.
I laid my hand on her chest to measure her shallow breathing. She’d obviously used her power again. And this was the worst she’d ever been. What if—? I wouldn’t let the thought finish.
“Please wake up from this,” I whispered in the dark. “I can’t live without you.”
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.