Cheyenne (20 page)

“
What about my home in Idaho? Will I ever be able to return?”

“
I don’t know, possibly someday. We’ve taken care of everything though. You don’t have to worry.”

“
What about this cabin?”

“
We’ve had the house for a long time; we use it when we need to. The location is pretty secure.”

“
Did you have a home in Idaho too?” I knew I had never been to it.

“
We rented one, It was actually really close by,” he sighed.

“
What about your parents?”

“
They passed away a long time ago.”

“
I’m sorry.” I paused. “What about you, Callon and Daniel? Have the three of you always been together?”

“
Of course.”

My mind began to wander to the issues about my safety.

“
Do you think the Sarac will find me?” My stomach became a little uneasy. Colt stopped playing with my hair and tightened his arm around my waist. He tilted my chin upwards.

“
I won’t let anything happen to you.” His brow creased, and I saw firm determination in his eyes. “Do you understand me? I’ll protect you no matter what. You don’t seem to understand what you mean to me. I cannot and will not allow anyone to lay a finger on you. I’d die for you.”

He pulled me closer, sliding his hand to the back of my neck as he pressed his lips to mine. It was tender and sweet. I closed my eyes and didn’t resist.

His mouth firmed as he felt me let go. His velvet softness sent a tingle down my spine. I parted my lips to catch my breath, and he pushed forward, twisting and melding them to his form. He slowed and drew back enough to kiss my jaw and began to work his way down my neck until he was at my collarbone, tracing it in warm kisses.

But his words didn’t sit well with me. Breathlessly, I called out his name, “Colt.”

“
Mmm?” he mumbled as his lips continued their assault on my senses.

“
I don’t want you to die for me,” I said weakly.

Colt stopped and raised his head. I spoke again more firmly before he could answer, “I want you to promise me that you’ll live for me, not die.” 

He just stared and I was pinned by his piercing gaze.

“
Cheyenne, I’ll live and die for you, if that’s what’s necessary,” he vowed. “I’ll do whatever’s required to keep you safe. I want you, and I don’t want to lose you unless by my own death to save your life.”

He was speaking in a tone I’d never heard before; deadly serious.

“
I have been with you for over two years, and in those two years I have loved you more and more each day. Do you know how hard it was to not allow you to see this? I had to hide my feelings, and it hurt so much. You need to know what I would go through to keep you sheltered. I’m Timeless, and until you transform, I’ll be your protector.

“
Remember what you said before you left? You told me that you didn’t deserve me, that you weren’t sure if you could love me back in the same way. But you love me. You said it yourself. I’m willing to take whatever you want to give me.” His eyes looked deep into mine. “I know you may have feelings for Callon. I can see that. But I’ll never force you to choose me.”

I couldn’t speak. I didn’t know what to say. A tear trickled down my cheek. He knew my heart so well. I closed my eyes.

“
I’m sorry, Colt.”

“
I’m not.”

His lips were at mine again, this time fuelled by frenzied emotion, like when he’d kissed me after they’d caught me at the bank. His mouth pushed against mine and moved in ways that suggested an emotion I didn’t completely understand. He stopped abruptly as we heard a car coming up the road. It had to be Daniel and Callon.

I rested my head on Colt’s chest again as he played with my hair once more. The car stopped and the doors opened. A set of footsteps closed in, and I lifted my head to see Daniel smiling down upon us.

“
Hey, guys,” he said cheerfully. “Did you miss us?”

“
Yes, of course,” I replied.

Daniel reached for my hand and pulled me from the hammock. I barely managed to land on my feet. I stumbled a little, and he caught my arm. I shook my head.

“
Where are we going, Daniel?”

He led us to the edge of the porch by the stairs where we stopped with my Jeep in view. He pointed to the windows, now repaired. “We got your Jeep fixed up. You should’ve seen their faces when we brought it in, window broken, blood on the interior, and the alarm dismantled. I bet they thought we were in the Mafia or something.”

Colt walked up beside us.

“
Thank you, Daniel,” I said. He had such a sparkle in his eyes. It really put me at ease.

We went inside and Colt was heading towards the couch with me in tow until I redirected him to the piano. I needed to think; I needed to gain some clarity. He began fiddling with my hair as it fell over my shoulders. I turned so he could see me smile and then closed my eyes, letting the music take me where I needed to go. I played for a long time, while he patiently sat and waited. I would almost always start and end with the same song, my song. I sighed and he squeezed my shoulder.

“
Finished?” Colt said softly.

I nodded, and we headed for the kitchen. I was getting hungry. Daniel was sitting near the fireplace where he had been listening to me play.

“
Hey, Daniel, want me to make you some dinner?” A sly smile began to spread over my lips. Panic filled his eyes, and he made a motion of clutching his throat as if he was choking. I burst out laughing, and even Colt snickered.

I sorted through the groceries they’d gotten in town. Colt stayed by my side all evening, but we didn’t say anything more. I didn’t know
what
to say; my feelings were in a tangle, and I’d already made such a fool of myself. I just couldn’t comprehend how he could be so understanding.

Chapter 13

I was determined not to hurt Colt anymore. I would make sure everything I did and said was conscientious. I wouldn’t allow him to die for me. Somehow I would have to make sure that such a situation would never arise. For now, though, my focus needed to be on the journal. Given the amount of new information I’d taken in, I needed to work out what message my parents had left me.

I hopped out of bed with a new agenda. First on the list was me going for a run.

I threw my running clothes on, pulled my hair into a ponytail, grabbed my iPod, and headed for the front door. I didn’t look up as I passed; someone would follow automatically and I didn’t care who.

I swung the front door open and bounded off the porch. I heard some scrambling inside and then steps running behind me. I didn’t turn to look. I just turned my music up and kept going down the dirt road.

I ran all the way to the highway; it was about five miles before I headed back. The last mile I picked up the pace and really pushed myself. My mind was clear, and I was anxious to get started on the journal research again.

I came to rest on the porch, my side aching and lungs gasping. I remained hunched over for a few moments trying to catch my breath. It felt good to run; it helped me put events into perspective.

I hopped up the stairs and headed for the bathroom. I didn’t make eye contact with Callon or Colt as they waited on the porch. Daniel collapsed in the chair beside them, and I smiled.

This turned into my routine. I would rise in the morning and run, and they would each take turns following me. I always ran the same distance, to the highway and back, turning up my music and pushing myself to move faster and harder.

I solely focused on the journal, scouring the internet, searching for anything that would shed light on its contents. Not the easiest of tasks, as before now I’d never heard of the Timeless or any of the clan names, and Google wasn’t that well informed, either. Still, I managed to find a few scraps. I was curious about how being Timeless fit into the history of the world.

“
What about this?” I said pointing to the computer screen.

Callon glanced over my shoulder and scrolled down. “No, it’s different. See the symbols, they’re close, but it’s not the same.”

I released a frustrated sigh.

“
What about your friend? You said you might know someone who can help us?”

He picked up his phone and thumbed through it. “I’m working on it.”

I hesitated, then opened the notebook full of my notes. I stared at the paper. “There’s a lead in North Dakota…”

“
No,” Callon said.

“
But…” I glanced towards Colt for support and watched him shake his head.

I closed the notebook and shoved it away.

“
You two can be so difficult.”

“
You keep forgetting there is a murderer looking for you, Cheyenne,” Callon said without looking up from his phone.

“
Right,” I mumbled and rolled my eyes.

Once again we were running out of options.

I decided to change tactics.

“
Okay, so what about my transformation into a Timeless?”

Colt moved to sit across the table.

“
What about it?” Colt replied.

“
You said you each suffered, did you have symptoms beforehand to alert you?”

Callon turned towards me closing his phone.

“
I think your warning sign is your headaches.”

I lifted a brow. “Seriously?”

“
Yes. Before Gene and Alexis’s deaths, we’d been discussing the possibilities.”

“
But they never took me to a doctor…”

“
Because they’d never been as severe as this past one or I’d have suggested it.”

I looked down a bit worried. “So what if another comes?”

“
Callon’s a doctor, Cheyenne,” Colt said. “He’ll take care of you.”

I nodded.

“
I’ve gone through many transformations, Cheyenne,” Callon reassured. “I know what I’m doing. I’ve already got a plan of action for the next one.”

I looked up into Callon’s sympathetic eyes. “But when will it come?” Just the thought of losing the ability to help myself frightened me. What if the next one was worse than the last one?

“
We don’t know.”

There was so much I didn’t understand, but to be fair, they did mostly tell me what I wanted to know except for Mr. Evasive.

I had been so consumed with the journal that I didn’t realize summer was passing. I’d recently found books at the local library I wanted to check out. I was planning to talk to Callon about it tonight. The morning started out routine, except for the fact that both Callon and Colt were gone and the truck was missing. Daniel was on running duty. Usually he ran behind, but today he was alongside. It distracted me, since he kept smiling as we moved along. 

It wasn’t unusual for him to be smiling like this; it just meant he was up to no good. He was a bit of a trickster, taking great enjoyment jumping out from behind walls and scaring me. Of course, I always screamed, which only encouraged him. His favorite pastime was to remind me of the Jeep incident. And when he learned I was not fond of spiders that only added to his ammunition. I could handle bugs and even snakes, but when it came to spiders…I shuddered at the thought.

I returned to the cabin and cleaned up. As I was about to throw my shoes in the closet, I noticed clothes were set out for me. A pair of jeans and my favorite green cotton shirt. What did someone have planned for me today that I needed to wear jeans?

Daniel was waiting in the great room when I returned. I never understood how he could get cleaned up so fast. His smile unnerved me. He was up to something, and it probably quite heavily involved me. I liked surprises; however, his usually meant trouble.