Chapter Nine

She jumped up trying not to look guilty. Cole went to the door and let Tristan and Cait in.

“Hi, can I get you anything to drink?”

“Water please.”

“Sure.” They followed her into the kitchen and sat at the table as she took bottles of water out the fridge.

She sat down once they were passed out.

“What did you find?” Her tongue licked her bottom lip betraying her nervousness.

“Did Cole tell you about us?”

“Yes, you are Kur’iks from a different galaxy.”

“You need to tell her the rest,” Cait told him softly.

“The rest?”

“We are, I am genetically engineered to fight a war that was never mine. We are also shape shifters. Most of the galaxy is.”

“Shapeshifters as in you can change your actual shape?” How was that possible outside of movies or television?

He nodded.

“Can I see?” That was doubt rearing its ugly head. She didn’t want to say she didn’t trust him, but some things weren’t possible.

“That might not be a good idea.”

“I’m living here with you; my daughter is living here. I need to see.”

He stood up and backed away. His form began to grow, expand until he was at least twelve feet tall. No wonder the ceilings were so high. His face changed elongated his teeth became sharp, and the top canine teeth hung over his lips. There was fur on him as he sported deadly claws.

The chair fell to the floor as she stumbled to get up. No wonder Deja made sure they ate before she worked. They could probably smell her hunger and would kill her. Deja had Mia she would be fine. Her mind was frantic all she wanted to do was escape. He, that thing took a step towards her, and she screamed and ran.

“Jessie.”

“Get away from me, you’re just like him.” How could nice looking Cait turn into that creature? They were everywhere she had to get Mia and leave. She ran into the bedroom and locked the door behind her feeling silly for not escaping the house.

She sat on the edge of the bed and rocked back and forth tears running down her face as her idea of a happy life died in front of her eyes. She pulled a chair to the window and climbed out.

Carefully she crept around until she got her bearings and headed for Deja’s house. Just be calm don’t show fear. They’ll never know, then you walk out of here like you always have in the past.

She bit her lip making herself straighten up before she knocked on the door.

“Jessie, I wasn’t expecting you so soon.”

“I came to get Mia. Where is she?”

“Come in she’s playing.”

She followed her in the house praying that Enzo and Ven weren’t home. Mia was on the floor making a structure with her blocks. Her eyes narrowed she was making a structure much too complicated for someone her age. Now wasn’t the time she would deal with it later.

“Thanks for watching her but we have to go.”

“Why don’t you stay for dinner. Cole can come also.”

“He’s eating someone else, I mean something else. I really need to go. Thanks again.”

She picked up Mia who was frowning and walked fast to the front door. One look down the street showed Declyn, Enzo, and Ven walking up.

She took off in the opposite direction. They could hide, and when everyone was asleep, she would sneak out. Keeping her head down, she made sure Mia was locked in her arms and refused to look left or right.

The deeper she went into the different neighborhoods, the more she was on edge. They passed the medical facility while one of the voices in the back of her head tried to get her to stop. She ignored it. She needed a place to hide. There up ahead was a park-like structure. It looked calm with lots of trees to hide in.

She slipped inside the park letting herself breath for a moment. They would be safe. It was the roar that shook the earth that let her know she was in trouble. Looking up she saw a monster in the distance; it was larger than Cole in his monster shape. Its eyes were glued on her. It stood on two feet, but it wasn’t humanoid. It had several different appendages hanging from its body, and they moved in different ways as it ran towards them.

Run

We're dead.

She turned to run breaking contact with those eyes that were holding her in place. It was almost funny. The men with the guns wouldn’t kill her. Cole or his family wouldn’t kill her, the alien animal chasing her down wouldn’t kill her. In the end, fear the one emotion that ruled her life would be the death of her.

Maybe she would be able to make it to the street and call for help. Why would they help her after the way she treated Cole? There was no good answer to that, but she ran anyway. She glanced back. How could something so big and awkward looking move with the grace and speed of a cheetah? It looked like they would make it.

One of its appendages reached out and tore a strip out of her back. She slowed down as a lethargy took over her body. It paralyzed her. She fell managing to curl her body around Mia even as she knew it wouldn’t save her life.

Paralysis took over her body, and all she could do was wait for the killing blow. Would it tear her apart or would it start to eat her causing her pain until she finally passed out and died from blood loss?

Most wild animals went for the intestines.

That’s where the nutrition is.

You should die quickly.

She wanted to scream at all the voices in her head, but all she could think of was Mia. In her desire to save her daughter’s life she killed her. It didn’t matter how long she lived that would haunt her even in death.

It was standing over her saliva dripping onto her face. She could see the jaws open from the side of her eye and she said goodbye to everyone she loved. Goodbye Mia, goodbye Cole. She shed a tear for them, but she didn’t cry for herself. She always thought the stupid girl in the horror movie deserved to die. She just didn’t know she was that girl.

There was a growl that made her paralyzed body try to tense up. It was followed by the sound of flesh meeting flesh. She could feel the earth move underneath her as she heard roars and growls. There was the sound of flesh being rendered and teeth crunching.

Had someone come to save her? Was it Cole? No, why would he come? He was better off without her. The sounds of the fight died down and soon all she could make out was the sound of one monster breathing. Who had won?

Please, she whispered to herself, let Cole be alive. She could protest all she wanted to, but if someone came to fight for her, it was Cole. There was movement coming toward them, and then a figure stood over her. Who was it? She couldn’t move to find out.

He bent over and picked her up. Her head was looking straight up into Cole’s eyes. He was still the monster she ran away from. All she could see was the sadness reflected in his gaze. Mia called out to him and managed to wiggle out of her embrace. He helped her climb up his body until she was sitting around his neck holding onto his hair.

The next tear that fell was for her. If only she could have trusted like her daughter, they would be eating dinner right now. Instead, she would die and leave Mia alone. Take care of her for me Cole, I’m sorry. Then her eyes closed.

*~*~*~*

“Why isn’t she waking up?” Jessie had been out for three days. They had neutralized the poison in her system immediately and told him that all she needed was a little sleep.

“There’s nothing else we can do.” Cait was their expert on humans.

“I ran tests, and Cait ran tests. Whatever is keeping her asleep there is nothing we can do about it.”

He gave Tristan a quick nod. They were doing everything in their power, but it just wasn’t enough.

“We’ll be back later.” Cait gave him a sad smile before they left.

Mia was lying on the bed next to her mother. She wouldn’t leave her side.

“Mama.” Her little hand was petting Jessie’s face asking her to wake up.

“Jessie, wake up trasire. We need you, Mia needs you. I know you're scared of me, but your daughter needs you. I need you.”

He reached over to pick up Mia, but she clung to her mother.

“We’ll come back after we get you something to eat.” She started to cry breaking his heart.

“Don’t cry sweetie, Cole is going to take care of you. Mama has to go away, so you’ll never be hurt again.”

“Mama?”

“I’m not really here. Go with Cole. Please take care of her.”

“Where are you going, Jessie?”

“I have to go. I can’t let her be hurt again. You told me not to go in there but I let fear cloud my judgment, and she almost died. How can I stay? How can I be her mother? I worked it all out. If I die, I know you’ll take care of her, she will be safe and grow up loved and cared for.”

“It doesn’t work like that. If you leave her, she’ll mourn you. There will be sadness in her life. There will always be a space in her heart missing you.”

“I can’t stay.”

“Is that you Jessie? Is that what you really want or is fear trying to keep its hold on your life? Fear can be a good thing when it keeps us out of wild animal preserves, but when it takes over, then it has too much power. You can take the power back anytime you want to. I’m going to go cook you’re both hungry.”

Mia climbed into her arms. “Baby I missed you.”

She could leave while he was gone. Give up the right to her life and her child. Things would be so much easier. Mia’s eyes were blazing as she looked at her.

“Mia I would do anything for you. You’re my life, but I almost sacrificed both of us because of fear.”

You’re not brave.

She wasn’t brave, but that didn’t stop her from running with her child to keep her safe. It didn’t stop her from standing up to the detective. It didn’t stop her from running with Mia when she erroneously thought their lives were in danger.

She wasn’t brave, but she had more will to live than she realized.

He’s still an animal. It takes an animal to fight one.

She looked at fear and grabbed it. I have a nice place for you, and she opened the small cage in her mind and threw her in it. You can come out when you learn your place.

She sat up and kissed Mia. “Baby girl someone needs a bath.” She sniffed her again.

“How about you take a shower with me?”

“Shower.”

“You and me.” They took a shower together. She washed Mia first and wrapped her in a towel.

This was a new path. The voices in her head didn’t know how she should feel or what she should be doing. She was leaving the old Jessie behind, and it felt weird like she was out of touch with her body but in touch with reality for the first time.

She took Mia to her room to get her dressed then they walked into the kitchen.

“Hi.” Her voice was soft, unsure.

“Hi, Jessie.”

She put Mia in her highchair then turned to face him.

“Cole, I need to tell you something. I need to apologize.”

“You don’t have to.”

“Please let me say it while I have the courage.”

He nodded and sat.

“When I was young I was scared of everything. That’s how I was raised. I had to be ultra-careful of everything I said and did and eventually fear that I would say the wrong thing or do the wrong thing took over my life. There were repercussions for making the wrong moves, and they were severe. There were times I thought my mom would kill me. So, fear and death eventually went hand in hand like lovers.

“Then I came here. This place almost seemed like wonderland to me. Everyone was too good to be true. There had to be a catch I was always walking around waiting for the other shoe to drop. When you became what looked like a monster to me, that was the other shoe dropping. At that moment, I was convinced you were like my mom softening me up to get what you wanted.

“Fear took over again. It told me we were about to die, and I listened if I couldn’t trust you then I couldn’t trust anyone. I was so scared that I went where you told me not to go. It wasn’t that I didn’t believe you I was just so scared I couldn’t think straight. I’m not proud of that. I’m not proud of my life. Mostly I’m not proud of how I treated you. You have been there for me, always have been since I started working in The Wolves Den. I’m sorry Cole I should have realized that your other side was exactly that another side of you.”

She sat in the chair next to his trying to figure what she should do next.

“There’s a structure in the third bedroom called a trifold. The closest I can get to the name in your language. It stands several hundred feet in the air. You need the claws on your feet as well as the ones on your hands to climb it. If things get tricky, you can use your fangs to hold on. I’m agile, and I’m fast that’s why I got the honor of climbing it. I was shot down once. We have a weapon that fires sound. The waves that come from it are deadly, and they make the area around you unsteady.

“I didn’t move fast enough and was caught up in a blast. I fell hundreds of feet through the air until I landed on the ground. I should have died, I still don’t understand how I survived. I knew I was dying because I kept seeing things that weren’t real. All I remember were the words ‘you have to live.’”

“We needed someone up there because we were losing. Declyn came to check on me. When he realized I survived he told me that we were losing, which meant a lot of my friends, my family would die. He needed me to climb back up there. I did, but Jessie I was scared. It was the first time in my life I knew fear. I always thought I was born to die so what did it matter?

“When I climbed the swing set with Mia, that was the first time since I’ve come to this planet that I’ve been that high off the ground. When fear gets its grip into you, it’s hard to shake it.”

“Thank you.”

He reached over and pulled her chair closer to his.