* * * *
Faith awoke slowly to a splitting headache and looked around the unfamiliar room. She tried to remember what had happened but the last thing she could remember was waking up in Kane's arms before he had to go to work. She tried harder, clutching her head in pain. She started to freak out, looking frantically for something, anything she could remember. She heard the toilet flush as she cried out, "Kane! Please, where are you, Kane?" She felt him then as he came running out of the bathroom.
"Princess, I'm here. I'm here, calm down."
She clung to his hand. "Please, don't leave me. What happened?"
He kissed her forehead as a nurse came rushing in. Kane barked for her to call Dr. Stark, and the nurse hurried off to do Kane's bidding.
He turned back to Faith. "I've never been so afraid in my whole life, Faith." He sat on the bed, carefully bringing her into a hug. "I love you so much."
Faith snuggled closer to Kane. "I love you too, Kane. I have never, will never, love anyone else. I'm so sorry if I scared you, but I don't remember how I got here."
Kane hugged her tighter. "You don't remember your vision or helping the women? This … " He touched her head. " … that you have now was a gift, you could say, from a demon."
She touched her head which had a bandage around it.
"Faith, you took on a demon pretty much all by yourself, and I know you helped kill a second, but princess..." He shook his head just as a knock sounded on the door.
Faith looked up to see a tall black man, about six feet one, with broad shoulders and one of the most handsome faces she had seen. If she didn't know better she would swear he had the genes of a were. Her paranormal gift came in handy helping her find and know paranormal people, and she knew this man wasn't a shifter, but she was picking up that he had some sort of paranormal gift, she just couldn't figure out what it was.
He grinned at her, showing perfect white teeth. "Hi, Faith. I'm Dr. Jerome Stark. How are you feeling? You're a very lucky woman."
Faith smiled, wincing in pain. "Nice to meet you, Dr. Stark. I'm not feeling that hot, my head is throbbing."
"That's to be expected when a woman has a claw removed from the back of her head. You're lucky it hadn't embedded in your brain. You're even luckier to have such remarkable healing abilities."
Kane shot the doctor a shut-the-fuck-up look.
"I would have liked for you to stay a day or two so I could monitor you and make sure everything heals well, but with the military clearance and having a doctor as a husband we'll get you on your way home in an hour or two."
Kane spoke up. "Jerome, she's forgotten the past twenty-four hours, but I think she did well to only forget that much."
Jerome nodded to him and looked at Faith. "What's the last thing you remember?"
She smiled. "The last thing I remember is hugging Kane this morning, groaning about losing my heater, and begging him to stay before I pushed him out of bed or he would have given in to me."
The doctor smacked Kane on the back of the head. Kane turned. "What the hell did you do that for?"
Dr. Stark glared at Kane. "Because if I had a wife like this I would have stayed in bed." He turned his focus on her. "Faith, if you ever come to your senses about this idiot give me a call. I would gladly take his place."
Faith giggled. "Thank you, Dr. Stark. I'll have to think about that."
He chuckled and came over to check her out, taking off the bandage. She breathed a sigh of relief as her hair tumbled down. He chuckled again.
"Yes, I tried to save as much of your beautiful hair as I could, but the bottom half is shaved." He gently lifted her head. "Unbelievable. You'll be going home-with a military escort, I understand-as soon as I can do the paperwork. And somehow your husband has now been cleared for indefinite leave." He shook his head then looked at Kane. "Don't worry, I will be calling." He smiled at her again and left.
Kane said nothing for a long time and just stared at her. When she couldn't take the silence anymore she sat up. "Where is everyone? I thought at least Jamie would have been here to see if I'm okay."
His face never changed from his deep-in-thought expression as he said, "They would have all been here if they were allowed, but you need your rest, so rest, Faith." He walked out the door.
Something was up. Everything felt very wrong.
* * * *
At home the feeling got worse as Kane placed her on the bed, kissed her forehead again, not her lips, and left, telling her to sleep. She lay in bed for fifteen minutes, and the sense of wrongness just got worse. She had never seen Kane like this. The whole ride home from the hospital he hadn't said a word, even when she asked if he was okay. She asked if she could help make anything better, but he was so emotionless. Sitting up, she tried to feel for him with their bond, but like when she had tried in the car, she got nothing.
She shivered and slipped out of the room. She headed for his study. Before she opened the door she heard him say, "I want her out. I don't fucking care. I'll find a way to resolve the mate claim. She's human, that should help." Faith couldn't hold back the wince at the last comment. "If she can stay the fuck away from me for over four years she can do it again. I'll set her and the baby up so she has no worries. You all can help her, just don't let her get involved anymore in paranormal shit."
Faith took a step back, placing her hand over the child she now knew grew there. She shut her eyes, concentrating. Yep, she was pregnant, he was definitely there. She was too shocked with what she had heard to be angry with Kane for not telling her. Her heart was in a million pieces.
"No, once she's recovered I'll be heading to Canberra. I'll lead the enforcers up there for a couple of years."
Faith couldn't stand to hear any more. She snuck quietly back to their room. She needed to leave. She knew she was taking the coward's, the selfish, way out by not confronting him, but she couldn't break her heart again and again for Kane Wolfen. She found her cellphone and called her friend to come pick her up.
Faith walked out the door five minutes later with a backpack full of clothes. Fifteen minutes later Remy came to pick her up. Only then did she ring Della, Kane's mother, telling her she was safe and staying with a friend, and she would come get Bengie tomorrow. She hung up before Della could ask any questions. Faith rung her parents and told them she was staying with a friend for a couple of weeks. Faith then called the mobile she'd gotten for Bengie, telling him she was fine, she loved him, and to call if he needed her, but otherwise she would see him tomorrow.
After they arrived at Remy's apartment, Remy left her in peace for a day, then, in true Remy style, she came storming into the room, joining Faith on the bed where she had been sulking. "What the fuck did the cradle-robbing dick do to you this time?"
Faith couldn't hold it in any longer, she broke down and told Remy everything, swearing her to secrecy. Faith knew Remy would believe her story, because Faith kept Remy's secret about being a fire element. The only thing Faith left out was what Bengie really was.
Remy looked shocked, terrified, and angry. "I knew there was a reason why I fucking stayed away from them."
"Remy, they save the world, they're good. I love them, they're my family."
Remy sighed then hugged her. "Sounds like you save the world too. How do you feel about that?"
As soon as Remy asked that question the last twenty-four hours came back to Faith. Sick to her stomach, she rushed to the bathroom and threw up. When she finished Remy helped clean her up, then Faith answered her question. "I truly don't know how I feel. I need time to get my priorities in order." She placed her hand over the baby growing inside her, which she had only just found out about thanks to her psychic powers. She looked straight into Remy's eyes. "I need to grow up, and not just for me."
Remy nodded, and they fell asleep hugging each other.
* * * *
Kane went to the bedroom to check on Faith. He knew he'd been too cold with her, but he had to start distancing himself from her if he was going to give her the normal life she wanted. He knew it was going to kill him, especially now that she was pregnant with his child, but he wanted her to be happy. Kane took a deep breath before entering the room, which was empty. Calling her name, he checked the bathroom, then walked to the lounge and finally into the kitchen. On the fridge he saw a note.
Dear Dr. Wolfen,
I'm out. There is no need for you to move to Canberra. As you said, I'm human. I will avoid you like I have for four years. I will not do this again with you. Thanks for the lesson. You have made me stronger. I won't get burnt again. You may see your son whenever you want, within reason. Your parents can be the go-between. I don't need your help to set me up.