Avenger(10)

* * *

I sat up and looked around, rubbing at my eyes. The bedroom was dark and the clock on the table indicated that it was two in the morning, but I was wide-awake. I’d never awakened from my nap and now I was all messed up. Apparently I was becoming nocturnal.

I eased out of the bed, careful not to disturb Caeden or the sleeping dogs. I’d given up on trying to get them to sleep on the floor.

I tiptoed down the stairs and into the kitchen. I was starving.

I found some left over mac n’ cheese and warmed it in the microwave. I grabbed a spoon and stirred it around before taking a bite. As I turned, my eyes connected with someone else’s. Black soulless eyes. I knew those eyes and they only belonged to one person.

My heart raced in my chest and I struggled to breathe.

The bowl dropped from my hands and clattered to the floor. Pieces of macaroni flew everywhere.

I screamed like I was being murdered.

But he was there.

Right freakin’ there.

And he was laughing at me.

I stormed forward, determined to get outside and sink my teeth in his flesh. I felt the telltale tremors shake my body as I began to transform.

“Sophie!” Caeden yelled and a light flicked on so the room was bright with light.

“Travis is right there,” I pointed out the window. My hand lowered slowly. He was gone. “He was there, I swear!” Tears pricked my eyes.

Nolan came running into the kitchen and having heard what I said, told Caeden, “Stay with her, I’ll check it out.”

Caeden wrapped his arms around me as I sobbed into his t-shirt. His body was taut with tension and I knew he wished he was the one out there, but he also had a duty to me. Under normal circumstances, I would’ve told him I was fine and to leave me be. But I couldn’t get the words to leave my lips and my arms only clutched him tighter.

Liar.

My eyes squished closed as I remembered Travis carving the word into my arm. He’d done it with silver so it never healed.

Every single day, I had to look at my arm and be reminded of everything Travis had done. Even if he was dead, he’d always haunt me, he’d made sure of that.

“Tell me what happened,” Caeden commanded, pulling me back so he could look at my tear streaked face.

“I-I-I-came to get something to eat and when I t-t-turned I saw him, there,” I pointed at the exact window. “How could he be here, Caeden?” I sniffled.

“I don’t know,” he frowned, a wrinkle marring his forehead. “This place is protected, he shouldn’t be able to get in…unless…”

“Unless what?” I prompted.

“The elders,” he growled through his teeth.

“Why would they tell him how to get past the gates?”

“Why would they give him a heads up that we were preparing to attack?” He countered. “Soph, if the elders are responsible for all of this, like I believe, then we have to be careful. They want me, us, dead,” his hand lowered protectively over my stomach.

I closed my eyes, taking a deep breath. What had we done to deserve this?

Caeden guided me over to the breakfast table and I sat down. He stood guard, his arms crossed over his chest as he scanned the window for a sign of Travis or Nolan.

My heart had yet to slow down and I felt like throwing up. What if I hadn’t come downstairs and spotted him? Would he have found a way into the house? Oh, God.

“Hey,” Caeden knelt in front of me. “You okay?” His fingers tangled in my hair.

“No,” I admitted.

His lips pressed tenderly to my forehead. “It’ll be okay.”

“Those words mean nothing when you can’t say them with confidence,” I countered.

“So maybe it won’t be okay. But that doesn’t mean that we stop trying to make things right.”

I took a deep breath. Why did Caeden always have to be right?

Suddenly, Caeden stood up straight and his eyes scanned the yard relentlessly. “Nolan’s coming back,” he said unnecessarily.

The French doors opened and I forced my eyes away from a naked Nolan. Maybe one day—okay, probably never—I’d get used to all the nakedness.

“He was here, but he’s gone now,” Nolan panted breathlessly.

“Do you know how he got in?” Caeden asked.

“He climbed the fence.”

“But,” Caeden’s eyes narrowed, “that’s a high voltage fence. It may not kill a shifter, but it would definitely hurt like a bitch.”

“It was disabled,” Nolan answered.

Caeden cursed under his breath. He paced the length of the kitchen with his hands on his hips. His whole body was tense and I knew he was beyond angry.

“I’m sick of this!” He slammed a fist down on the island countertop. I jumped at the sound.