Chapter Six

Sage thought Caden would come back. She spent all day rearranging her one suitcase and bag while she waited for him, but he never showed up. Giving up she allowed her tired body to sink deep into the mattress and fall asleep.

“Sage, wake up.”

There was a hand on her shoulder annoying her, turning over she tried to escape it. There was the rustle of clothes and then of the cover as a tall warm body settled itself against hers. That got her attention.

Her eyes opened wide to see Caden lying beside her on the bed.

“Caden?” What else could she say? Her world suddenly didn’t make sense all because his warm semi-naked body was against hers.

“Hi, Sage.” His big hand reached out and cupped her face.

Once again, she had that feeling of safety that only came when he was near.

“I thought you weren’t coming back.” Real smooth at least, she kept her voice from shaking.

“I never left, not really. Someone was always watching over you.”

“Do you think I’m weak?” She thought at times she was weak. It always amazed her that she hadn’t quit yet, but her mom always said she was stubborn. She’d keep walking, resisting until she met something that stopped her cold in her tracks. There were times she wished she was the woman who hid under the bed.

“I know you’re not weak, but that doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t be looked after or cared for.”

“Where did you go?”

“To track the flyers that were put up about you.”

“And?”

“I tracked them back to your old apartment building, the same one Alpha used to live in.”

She was nodding her head. “We lived on the same floor.”

“Only two apartments are occupied on your old floor right now. The one you used to live in and the one someone named Ron rents. According to the manager, he receives rent for both apartments but hasn’t seen anyone go in or out of them.”

She moved closer to Caden. What they were talking about was important but touching him one last time was more important. Her shoulder and thigh brushed against his before she placed her hand on his chest.

He turned onto his side and pulled her closer. She placed her head on his chest as the heat from his body warmed hers.

“I have to go to the police station tomorrow. If I don’t, they will come here looking for me. I can’t allow that to happen.”

“Our compound isn’t that easy to breach although it has been done in the past.”

“He’ll take me. I’ll resist, but he’s stronger than I am.”

“Who will take you?”

“Jim, he’s always been strong, but lately his strength has increased.”

“Do you think he’s strong enough to stand up to me?”

“What are you talking about? You won’t be there.”

“Is that what you think? Can I kiss you?”

“What?”

He leaned over and pressed a kiss against her lips.

She closed her eyes enjoying the thoughts that skipped around her mind telling her she’d never been kissed like that before. She fell asleep with a happy smile on her face.

*~*~*~*

Sage woke up early wishing she had time to say thank you to Jessie and Cait for all they had done for her. She’d loved to see Ven’s smile one more time and watch Deja be protective of those she cared for. This compound was a community, and from what she had seen they take care of each other. If things had been different, she might have been able to stay around.

She showered putting on her nicest pair of jeans and her best shirt before she went into the kitchen wondering if Caden would make her one last meal.

He told her that learning to cook had been his salvation. He was so focused on making sure he didn’t accidentally poison himself or Xander. It took time, but he slowly healed, and so did his brother, but together they became more lethal than they ever were, so he continued to cook.

“Eggs, croissants, and sausage.”

“You spoil me.”

“Only you would feel that way. Take a seat.” He placed the food in front of her along with the last of her medicine. “Cait says she’ll take a look at you tonight to make sure you don’t need anything else.”

“She’s a little strange, but I like her.”

“Cait has done some things I never thought we would be capable of. She’s proof that we have a future here.”

“Here as in America?”

“Here as in on this planet.”

“Yep, that’s what I thought you meant.”

He placed both hands on the table, so she could see them and waited for her to make the next move.

“When I first started dating Jim, he was a nice guy.” Her voice was soft. She pushed back her plate and looked everywhere except at Caden. “We were compatible, not in love but a woman could do a lot worse than him. I thought finally something was going my way. I could have married him, given him children and been slightly miserable but no one would know except me.

“One day he came home happy. I was happy for him too. I’d never seen him that excited. He told me he met a man. I thought that meant we would be going to church more often, or you know he met a man, one that rocked his world. It meant neither.” Pulling her plate closer, she finished eating in silence as she watched Caden.

“I believe that there is evil in infinite forms on the Earth. All of it didn’t originate here. After spending time with you, I also believe that there is good on the Earth, all of it didn’t originate here.” She stood up after she was done eating and went into the other room.

He sat back in the chair listening to her walk around the apartment as she spoke softly to herself. He still hadn’t told her that he wasn’t human or what he was, but he was getting there, while she convinced herself every day that no matter what he was she liked him. Standing, he stretched it was time for the confrontation.

There was a knock on the door, and he went to let Xander in.

“Who’s at the door?” Sage asked coming into the living room.

“This is Xander, my brother.”

She walked up to him and threw her arms around him.

“Thank you for being alive and doing everything you could to help heal your brother.” She whispered into his ear before stepping back.

“You’re welcome baby sister.” He flashed her a smile before looking at his brother. “Are we ready to go?”

“We… Go? Where are we going?”

“To the police station.” Xander gave her a look that said where else would we be going.

“Fire is going to drop me off, and I’ll talk to the detective.”

“Change of plans. Not really a change, I just didn’t tell you the plan.” Fire walked in with Declyn by her side.

“We never leave our people alone. Not even if we think they’re dead.” Declyn spoke up.

For the first time, she could feel the strength and dominance that rolled off Declyn and Fire. If she had to call them something, it would be a power couple, but there was more than that. There was love and compassion. They cared about what happened to their people, and somehow; she was now one of those people.

“I can’t allow you to risk your lives for mine.”

“Then it’s a good thing we didn’t ask.”

“Xander, are you driving?”

“I have the jeep outside.”

“Jeep?”

“In case we have to go off-road.” Caden stretched out his hand and waited.

She looked at his hand and watched as he stood there as if he had all day. Taking his hand would be consenting to whatever plan he had. She blinked her eyes before she looked around the room. No one had moved they were all waiting on her. Her fight had been with Jim for so long that it felt impossible that someone else would be willing to stand with her, but Caden was.

One look at Xander told her he would always back his brother up. She looked at Safire and understood what it meant to keep one’s word. It was up to her now. She could keep going it alone, or she could stop and let someone help her.

Her teeth worried her bottom lip as she reached out to take Caden’s hand. The warmth of his palm made her belly roll with sensations as her breasts tightened. She was going to stand and fight and be thankful that she had people, or aliens, not that she was thinking of that, to have her back.

They led the way out the door and down the steps. When she got to the jeep, she just stopped to stare.

“Who owns this?”

“I do; Caden has one almost like it. The colors are just reversed.”

She was staring at a four-door jeep with large tires that looked like it was outfitted to take on any terrain. It was black with purple accents. She didn’t know much about Xander, but his jeep was someone’s wet dream.

“Get in.”

She got in the back seat with Caden sitting beside her. Ven climbed into the front seat next to Xander.

“He hates to miss the excitement,” Caden whispered in her ear.

“Youth,” Xander said before he started the Jeep.

She turned around to see Declyn and Fire in a charger with Enzo and Deja sitting in another charger behind them.

“Is that Jessie and Cole in the third car?”

“It is and Cait and Tristan, in the car behind theirs, just in case there is trouble.”

“But why?”

“Because we take care of our own.” Xander winked at her making her want to laugh despite how serious this was.

She slid her hand into Caden’s and squeezed as Xander started the jeep and took off.

“This is the barrier if you look back after we cross, it will look like a solid wall.”

“How do we get back in?”

“It recognizes us and lets us in. Now it seems to recognize certain females and lets them in.”

“Do you feel that?”

“Feel what?” Caden turned to face her.

“The cold breeze. What’s happening to the weather? When I came here, it was cold looking like snow.”

“I’ve been paying attention to the weather; the reporters are saying we are having unseasonable changes in temperature. They speculate this happens every several hundred years, but none of them are certain. They all seem to think it will pass and are encouraging citizens to remain calm.” Ven turned around in his seat to tell her.

“Calm? This isn’t right. What touched me?” She turned around in the seat. The seat belt tightened on her.

“There is nothing back here to touch you except me.”

“Caden something touched me, and it was cold. It dragged its hand or finger down the side of my arm.”

“Sage—.”

“Don’t Sage me; I know what I felt.”

Caden met Xander’s eyes in the rearview mirror. They had a bigger problem than they thought.