Freeing the Feline (4 page)

Chapter Three

Clara was staring out the window when she heard the rattle of the door again. Logan must be coming back. She waited for his knock just so she could tell him to go away. And why did just the thought of seeing him have her pulse racing again? Instead, she heard a soft, tentative knock at the door.

“Clara, are you awake?”

It was Amia. Clara’s pulse sped up for an entirely different reason this time. There were still so many secrets she didn’t think she could share with Amia—secrets that weren’t really hers to share with Amia. What if she slipped and said something? She could stir up even more trouble for herself. She could hurt Amia and Lydia and… Damn it! She really hated being swamped with uncertainty!

“Clara?” Amia called again, and Clara debated on pretending she was asleep just to avoid being alone with Amia. But that wasn’t who Clara was, and she wasn’t going to start now.

“I’m up,” she called out. As bad as the idea probably was, she wanted to see Amia.

Amia pushed open the door and walked in as if they hadn’t argued the last time they’d been together. Clara tensed, trying to prepare herself for whatever Amia felt the need to say when Amia took the wind out of her with two words.

“I’m sorry.” Amia fidgeted with her pockets, looking uncomfortable.

“What?” Clara asked, unsure of why Amia was apologizing.

“For what happened downstairs. I’m the only one you know here. I should have stood beside you,” Amia said, but she wasn’t meeting Clara’s eyes, making Clara question Amia’s motives.

Lord, was she trying to put her own guilt on Amia now? The other woman had come in to apologize, and Clara was reading into it. She was utterly disgusted with herself.

“I let you suffer, did nothing to save you from the Blanes. I deserved to stand alone,” Clara answered.

“No,” Amia shook her head. “I might have thought that when I let pain and emotion influence me. But I know you did what you could. If you had tried to get me, they would have caught you and killed you. You said it, and you’re right. I’m sorry, Clara.”

“Don’t say that. I don’t deserve your forgiveness.” God, if Amia only knew the secrets Clara held inside—secrets that belonged to the only mom she’d ever really known. Clara’s dad had sent Lydia to them. He’d trusted her, and Clara was incapable of not doing the same. Trusting and loving Lydia no matter what the cost.

“It’s mine to give, regardless. And I’m giving it.”

Clara watched as Amia stepped farther into the room and sat cross-legged at the foot of the bed. “We’ve gone about things all wrong. God, you caught us at a rough point. But I’m guessing there will always be something going on here.”

“You mean the tracker they put in you?”

Amia nodded. “Tracker, transponder, whatever you want to call it. I’m lucky they didn’t locate me here. I could have gotten everybody killed.”

Clara saw the horror in Amia’s eyes and moved to sit beside her. “Don’t torture yourself like that. None of this is your fault.”

“I’m a Blane.”

The words softly spoken hit Clara hard. It was like stepping into the past and listening to Lydia finally confess who she was. She’d give Amia the same words now that she’d given to Lydia then.

“You’re just as much a victim in all of this as anyone,” Clara countered. “Probably more so.”

“I wish I’d known you were watching me. It would have been nice to have a friend,” Amia whispered, and Clara felt her heart ache. What would Amia say if she knew Clara had once pretended Amia was her sister?

“I’ve never really had a friend, either,” Clara admitted.

“Really? I just assumed you must have grown up in a pride with lots of others around,” Amia said.

Clara shook her head. “We took in a random stray or two, but most never stayed. I had my uncle, though.”

“And your adopted mom,” Amia added.

Clara swallowed, feeling a little sick at the continued deceit. “Yes, and her.”

“I guess I was envisioning a huge pride.”

“People tend to trickle in and out. We’re a refuge for those in need. Some stay, but most move on eventually. We’ve managed to build a network of sorts, though,” Clara confessed.

“We could really use your help here,” Amia told her.

“I already told Logan I’d tell all of you what I could about the hunters and the Blane family,” Clara said.

“We’re not the enemy, Clara, though I know we’ve done a really bad job of showing you that. I hate seeing you locked in here, looking so sad. Damn it! I’m saying something to Tah about this. It’s not right. You’ve done nothing wrong,” Amia muttered angrily.

“I followed you here, and Reno’s right. I wanted to be found. This might not be what I was after, but I put myself in this situation,” Clara countered. “I let anger rule me when we were talking. I said things I shouldn’t have.”

“The story you told Abby? About the baby?” Amia asked.

“Better to warn her now than to tell pretty lies. Lies don’t save lives,” Clara retorted. She took a deep breath and shook her head. She was reacting with anger again, and that wasn’t how she wanted to continue. Her tone was softer when she spoke again. “I don’t want to see her suffer like that.”

“It wasn’t just a story, was it?” Amia asked.

Clara dropped her head to her chest and closed her eyes as the past come rushing back. “No.”

“What happened?” Amia asked softly. “Who? Was it your mother?”

“My aunt.”

“Did you…” Amia swallowed audibly, and Clara looked up and met her gaze.

“Yes, I saw it happen. My uncle and dad were gone. I was staying with my Aunt Stella. They were expecting their first baby. Uncle Thomas was so excited. He’d croon to Aunt Stella’s belly. It made me laugh to see them.”

“How old were you?” Amia asked.

“Five,” Clara answered. She could still smell the cookies in the air. They’d been baking. Happy and carefree. The next minute Aunt Stella had stilled and told Clara to go to the safe room.

“Did…did they hurt you?”

“No. I was in the safe room. She sent me there, planning to follow, but they were quicker than she’d expected. She never made it.” Clara stood again and walked to the window, wrapping her arms around her waist to try to keep herself from shaking apart. “I saw the whole thing on one of the monitors my dad had installed.”

“Oh, my God. You were only five!” Amia exclaimed.

“The hunter doesn’t distinguish between male or female, adult or child. I’m sure you saw that, Amia.” She turned to glance at the other woman. “Even if you don’t want to believe you did. All they see is the animal. All they feel is a need to rip it out and kill it.”

“Clara—” Amia began.

“Do not tell me you’re sorry. You made the choice to save, Amia. That’s who you are. Not a hunter, no matter your last name.” Just like your mother, she wanted to add, but held the words inside, unspoken. She turned back to look out the window and caught a glimpse of Logan. As if he felt her eyes on him, he glanced up. It was like a jolt of electricity passed between them, igniting a fiery lust inside her that never seemed to die away. She wouldn’t be able to deny him much longer. He was her mate. They were meant to be.

“Were they Blanes? The ones who killed your aunt?” Amia asked.

“Doesn’t matter,” Clara told her.

“Yes, it does.”

“No,” Clara turned and faced Amia with exasperation. “That’s what you’re not getting. It doesn’t matter. All that matters is that it was a hunter. It was a hunter that held her down while another cut her open and ripped my unborn cousin from her womb. It was a hunter who took pleasure in making her watch as they did things to her child no mother should ever have to endure. And it was a hunter who left her there to bleed out and die. It doesn’t matter what their goddamned last names were.”

“Oh, God.” Amia covered her mouth with her hand.

“I know you of all people are aware of the cruelty of hunters. There’s no way you didn’t see it all around you when you were growing up,” Clara said.

“Marcus kept me in the house. I wasn’t allowed in the yard unless he was there. I was kept away from most of it,” Amia admitted.

“Why? Why would he do that?” Clara demanded.

“I don’t know. He just did. I always thought he was waiting for me to betray him the way my mother did.”

Clara quieted, trying to decide how to approach this topic. “How did your mother betray him?” she finally asked.

“I don’t know. I just know she did. No one was ever allowed to speak of her after she died, especially me.”

“She died?”

Amia nodded. “Marcus burned all her stuff. He told me to be good and remember my place or I’d be joining her. I think… I think he might have killed her.”

Clara held her breath. Now was the perfect time to confess the truth. All she had to do was open her mouth and tell Amia the truth

Your mother’s alive. She’s alive and has been living with me this whole time.

But Clara couldn’t tell. She’d given her word to her Uncle Thomas, and he was one person she would do her best not to let down.

“You were the first person I saw dragged in by hunters since I was a little girl. Once I saw you, I couldn’t look away. There was something about you that drew me to you,” Amia continued.

“You saw the glow of the animal inside me. It’s a hunter gift, but you’ve used it for good,” Clara said.

“I knew I couldn’t let you die. I made my choice that night. They were getting ready to train me. Marcus and Kellan had some plan to marry me off to Kellan.” Amia shuddered and Clara knew the other woman was imagining what life would have been like then.

“You both have the gift of sight. They probably hoped any children you had would have the same.”

“I don’t care. I’m just glad I got the hell out of there. Betrayal kept Kellan from having me. I’ll take the scars. Seems like a good trade to me.”

“You do realize what this means,” Clara prompted Amia.

“What? You think they’ll still come after me?”

Clara shrugged. “I don’t know on that. It depends on how obsessed Marcus is with you, I guess. I was referring to what it could mean for you and Reno, for the pride.”

“What?”

“You could have the first shifter born with the gift of sight,” Clara said. “Not that we need it to sense who is and who isn’t. But wouldn’t that be a slap in the face to every hunter out there. A shifter born with a hunter’s sight.”

Amia grinned. “It would. It’s almost enough to make me want to have Reno’s baby.”

“You don’t want kids?”

“Not now,” Amia said. “Seeing how much Abby’s pregnancy is taking out of her. God! It terrifies me to watch her getting weaker and weaker every day.”

“Why is she weakening? Is there something wrong with the baby?”

“Not that any of Diane’s equipment shows. Baby looks strong and healthy. But it’s growing so fast. Abby’s body can’t seem to handle it,” Amia said.

“I don’t understand. Was Abby sick before she became pregnant?”

“No. From what she said, she’s rarely ever sick.”

“Then the pregnancy shouldn’t be harming her. She’s taking vitamins?”

“Yes,” Amia said with a nod.

“Getting plenty of rest and not overdoing it?”

“She isn’t allowed to do much anymore. But she’s not resting. She’s exhausted. Her body aches all the time.”

“I don’t understand. Each transfusion should reinvigorate her and help her body adapt to the changes the baby is making.”

“Transfusion?”

“Oh, God! I didn’t think. He’s…” She cut herself off. “I just expected you guys to know. God, this is all so complicated.”

“What transfusions?” Amia demanded again.

“Abby needs a transfusion of Tah’s blood. His child. His blood. All it takes is a pint every few weeks, and her body will be fine. My God! She hasn’t had any transfusions? How far along is she?”

“Almost twelve weeks.”

“Jesus. She’s a hell of woman to survive what her body is going through with no shifter blood given to her. Twelve weeks. Holy shit! The baby will be here in just a few more weeks.”

“You know about pregnancy?” Amia asked.

“Yes,” Clara answered. “My mother died giving birth to me. We didn’t know anything then. When I was just a baby, a shifter came through. He taught my uncle and his best friend a lot of things we didn’t know, especially when it came to medicine and pregnancy. As soon as she gets the blood, she’ll feel a difference within an hour or so.”

“Thank you, Clara. Thank you so much. You’ve just given us the greatest information of all. Tah will give you anything for this. If this helps Abby…”

“It will. I promise. Now go! The sooner they give it, the sooner she’ll feel better.”

Amia turned to head out of the room then surprised Clara by turning back to her and hugging her. There was a look in her eyes, one of such confliction that Clara was jolted by it.

“You may have just saved Abby’s life. There are no words to tell you how much this means.”

“Go,” Clara urged as emotions tumbled through her, emotions she didn’t want to face. She turned her head to the side and glanced around the room, anywhere but at the woman hugging her.

With that one word Amia turned and hurried out of the room.

“Wait!” Clara called, but the door had clicked shut, the lock reengaging and preventing Clara from going after Amia. She reached on the bed and picked up what Amia had left behind. “You forgot your phone.”

Clara looked at the phone. Did she dare? It would probably be a while before Amia noticed and came back for it. If Clara erased the number as soon as the call ended, it would be okay. She really wanted to hear her uncle’s voice. The question was whether using the phone was a risk she was willing to take.

* * * *

Logan was talking to Tah and Reno when Amia rushed down the hall past them heading toward the stairs to the lab.

“Tah!” she cried out. “Follow me. Now.”

“What is it?” Tah roared. “Abby!”

He tore past her, screaming his mate’s name as he went.

“What happened?” Reno asked as he and Logan came up behind Amia.

“It’s good news, I swear,” she panted.