What the Heart Takes (35 page)

Every word he uttered mesmerized Heaven. He really understood the desperation pounding through her. She didn’t doubt that Spencer cared for Delia a lot like Layne cared for her. They were friends, foremost, but the way he gazed at her mother-in-law said it ran deeper than friendship. Something about Delia’s energy proved it wasn’t one-sided.

It wasn’t long before Delia released Heaven’s arms. She moved past her, straight to Spencer, who wrapped her in a tight embrace. The painful memories had shaken her mother-in-law, but a few minutes in the arms of her Keeper had her energy stabilizing.

She waited to see if Dylan would release her too. She had to go to Layne. He needed her, especially since the Healer wasn’t there yet. There was no way her husband could refuse her request to be with her Keeper, unless he wanted to appear like a heartless jerk.

As if he’d picked up on her thoughts, his shoulders slumped. A battle raged within him, but he did his best to keep it hidden. He didn’t want her staying there, stressing herself over her Keeper, not if it put their child in danger. Yet he couldn’t demand she go. Not after promising to support her and Layne’s connection.

The heat of his hands faded from her body once he pulled them away and grabbed her face instead. His lips brushed against hers, a sense of satisfaction soothing his soul when she leaned in further. All the passion within him—the passion he felt for her—tingled through her lips. Then he whispered against them, “Go.”

“Thank you,” she whispered back then moved toward the bed. Her mother finished taping the bandage before stepping out of the way, leaving her father to hold Layne down. The second Heaven eased onto the bed, the convulsions ceased.

“It worked,” her mother mumbled from behind, but Heaven paid little attention. She trailed her hand down his chest, using care not to touch the bandage her mother had placed over his wound. The arrow was gone and the convulsions had stopped. It was enough to give her hope that he’d make it. The only thing she needed was for Layne to open his eyes.

She wouldn’t leave his side until he did.

* * *

Dense fog spread as far as Dylan could see, blocking his view of the front yard. He shuffled his feet against the concrete porch until the rail prevented him from going any further. The rising sun did little to disperse the fog when rain continued to splash to the ground. As hard as he tried to focus on the weather, the only thoughts running through his mind were his wife’s pain and his friend’s critical condition.

No matter how much he wanted to help Heaven, he couldn’t. Not with this. Layne waking up would be the only thing to bring her out of her frantic state. Yet the more he thought about his friend, the more his jealousy tried to resurface.

This whole ordeal was nothing but a mess of pain and confusion. Would things ever get better? Dealing with his father’s death threats was bad enough. Adding Heaven and Layne’s connection into the mix made a perfect recipe for disaster, their hearts the unknowing victims.

A soft brushing sound resonated from behind. He stole a glance over his shoulder, noticing his mom walking out of the door. She wore a tight-lipped smile as she joined him near the rail.

“I’d ask if you were okay, but I already know the answer,” she said, gripping the rail in front of them.

“I don’t know what I am, besides a mess of confusion. I’m angry. I’m scared. I’m sad. I want to blame Layne for all of this, yet I know I’m just as much to blame. My selfishness pushed him too far. His selfishness led him to his deathbed.”

“It isn’t easy, Dylan,” she affirmed while rubbing warmth into her arms. “No one expects you to be perfect. What you’re feeling is natural.”

His brows shot toward the sky as he twisted his head to glare at her. “Is it, Mom? Layne’s upstairs fighting for his life, and I’m down here resenting his connection with my wife. It’s not natural. It’s sadistic.”

“You have more important things to worry about, Dylan. Nicholas told us that Heaven spotted the man you guys dreamed about. If they’re really here, we have to focus on keeping Heaven safe until Layne pulls through.”

“Will he pull through?”

The weight of the question hung between them, filling the air with bitterness and tension. It was a solid minute before she released a sigh and shook her head. “I don’t know, Dylan. We can only hope.”

“I want him to be okay, because of our friendship, because he will protect my wife. But part of me doesn’t want him to make it. If he was gone, their connection would be gone, and…” The guilt of his words choked him. He gritted his teeth and looked back at the yard. “See what I mean? There’s something wrong with me.”

“Nothing is wrong with you, sweetheart. Being mated to a Seeker is hard. Especially when you’re not her Keeper. You’re feeling what other male Seekers have felt. Ask Nicholas if you don’t believe me.” She waited for him to quit shaking his head before continuing. “Male Seekers aren’t the only ones who battle these feelings. When a Keeper is mated to a Seeker who isn’t his ward, he goes through the same thing, even unfortunate pairs. Your father was always jealous of Spencer.”

The topic of his
uncle
had him grinding his teeth. When his jaws began to burn, he stopped. “I can’t believe you lied to me about him. My life has been built upon a stack of lies. Now that the truth is coming out, everything is off kilter.”

“I know, Dylan. I’m sorry.” Her bottom lip trembled when he finally faced her. “I hope you can forgive me someday.”

“Do you have feelings for Spencer?”

“Yes,” she nodded. “I always have. He’s my Keeper. Remember how I told you that unfortunates can go on to live happy lives without their soulmate?” She waited until he nodded his head and then said, “I moved on with Spencer the day you moved out. I love him a lot, Dylan, but your father will always have the biggest part of my heart. He’s still my soulmate.”

“You said you’ve always had feelings for Spencer. What does that mean for Heaven? I know she cares about Layne, but… Will her feelings evolve?”

“I promise you, she’ll never love anyone more than she loves you.”

It was the same answer she always gave him. The more she said it, the more he questioned it. “Just because she loves me doesn’t mean she’s always going to be with me. I’ve brought this on myself, Mom. My bitterness has pushed her toward him.”

“That’s not true,” she said, stepping back from the rail. She grabbed both his arms and turned him to face her. “You’re her soulmate, Dylan. Neither of you could bare a separation, but I won’t lie to you. An affinity complicates things.”

A sharp, stabbing pain consumed his heart. He still didn’t completely understand the affinity or what it meant for his relationship with his wife. “Am I going to lose her?”

“No. I’ve already told you this.”

“Then we have to be the unfortunate pair.”

She shook her head adamantly. “You’re not, but I believe Faith is. A lot of what’s happening started with her. It’s the unfortunate affecting the fortunate.”

There was more to this story than she was saying. His gut said as much. The fact that she’d kept so much from him didn’t help ease his mind.

Breaking free of her hold on him, he stepped away from the rail and turned his back to her. He didn’t want to ask the next question, but curiosity got the best of him.

“You told me that Layne would care about her, but you never said how she would feel about him. I saw the way she reacted upstairs. Her feelings for him are as strong as his are for her. Aren’t they? ”

“Their lives are intertwined, Dylan. It’s the reality of a Seeker-Keeper bond. She needs him to keep her alive. He needs her to survive. The affinity triples that need.”

“Why does my soulmate need another man? She’s mine and I am hers. There should be no one else in our hearts.”

“The need is different, Dylan. I know it won’t help ease your mind, but you have to remember what I told you. No matter what you face on this journey, don’t give up on your love. This is fate, son.”

“Fate?” he grumbled, meeting her gaze once more.

She nodded her head before continuing. “God may have given the human race free will, but he gave soulmates fate. No matter how much you want to change fate, you can’t, and it’s fate that binds the three of you together. It always has. It always will.”

CHAPTER 22

Heaven blinked away the heaviness forming in her eyes each second she stared out the window. Rain continued to beat against the roof, the multitude of droplets building a rhythm that resembled buckets pouring water. It coupled with the tiny pieces of hail hitting the window, each pebble clicking the glass pane, threatening to leave a crack behind.

She turned her eyes from the window, passing over her husband when she did. Stretched across the chaise lounge in the corner, his dark hair contrasted with the cream colored fabric. The slow rise and fall of his chest hinted to the deep sleep he was in, as did his energy.

Relief filled her at the thought. He wouldn’t be stressing over the chaos unfolding around them or watching her every move like he had since he returned to the bedroom. Guilt spiraled within her for neglecting him. She knew he was worried about her. That concern extended to the tiny life inside her that carried part of his essence, as well as hers.

The baby was fine, short of the mild contractions she experienced during the struggle, earlier. She hadn’t meant to put their child in harm’s way, but she couldn’t leave Layne. Everything in her soul said she had to stay with him. Good thing she had listened too, since his convulsions stopped the second she sat beside him.

As if the thought of losing Dylan didn’t constantly weigh on her mind, now she had to worry about Layne too. The baby would be added to that list once he or she arrived. If she couldn’t figure out a way to balance the stress, she’d be no use to anyone, least of all mankind.

Easing her head back to the bed, she rested her cheek on the edge of Layne’s pillow, mere inches from where his lay. He hadn’t moved, nor had he showed any signs of regaining consciousness. She touched her fingertips to his cheek, stroking a short line that led to the curve of his jaw.

Still curled on her side, she snuggled closer to him, tucking one arm under his, placing the other near his chest. Her lips hovered not far from his, the blood that stained them earlier, long gone. She did her best to extend her body heat to him for a change. His skin felt clammy against her palm, which was better than the iciness it had right after he’d collapsed to the ground. She hoped it meant he was beginning to heal, especially since Spencer had removed the arrow. All they needed now was the Healer.

Yeah…the Healer, the one who was supposed to arrive at the house a couple hours after they did. She was late, almost an hour late, and the longer she took to get there, the more her tardiness decreased Heaven’s level of faith in her abilities. Was she so sure of herself that she would risk Layne dying? That type of confidence was rude, plain and simple, not to mention dangerous. She’d give the woman a piece of her mind when she did arrive.

Her worry continued churning. She inhaled a deep breath, using it to disperse the tightness in her chest, tightness that formed each time she thought about losing Layne. The crisp, fresh scent of his cologne faded hours ago, though a tiny section of his neck still smelled of it. She drew in another breath, holding it deep in her lungs while focusing on the weak thrum of his energy.

“Open your eyes,” she whispered below his ear. “Please, Layne. Please open your eyes and look at me.”

Nothing changed. Not his energy, not his breathing, not his silence. For something that brought peace to many people, the quiet room had her on edge. She heard every sound within it, like the soft snoring coming from her husband and the hail clicking against the window. If she listened hard enough, she could probably hear the irregular beat of Layne’s heart or the sound of hers breaking.

“Quit being stubborn,” she continued, touching her lips to his ear. “If you can hear me,
please
come back to me, Layne. You can’t leave me. Not yet.” Her shoulders quaked as she fought against sobbing. She took a deep breath, and then another. Her lungs worked air in and out until she felt her throat unclench. Then she brushed her lips to his ear once more. “There’s still work to be done, things to learn, words to say. I have to talk to you again. I have to tell you…”

She didn’t know what she was going to tell him because she didn’t understand any of the emotions constricting her heart. He had to make it through this. The alternative was too unbearable. She’d do anything to bring him back, even tell him how much she cared.

A rumble of thunder drowned out the sound of the door opening. If she hadn’t been facing Layne, she wouldn’t have known her father had walked into the room. He brought a white coffee cup to his lips, taking a slow sip as he gazed toward Dylan and then toward the bed. Their eyes met in an instant and he smiled.

“The Healer is on her way. We lost connection before she could say where she was, but I know it should be half an hour, maybe less.”

Pushing up on her arm, she took care not to jostle Layne when she scooted her back against the headboard. She stroked the side of his face once more and then gazed at her father. “She’s already late. What is taking so long?”

Remorse fluttered in his energy. “I didn’t want to tell you at the time, but she flew in from California.”

The news frustrated Heaven, though she understood why he kept it a secret. She’d fallen to pieces the moment she saw the arrow impaling Layne’s chest. That didn’t change on the trip home, even if she’d managed to silence her wails to sobs.

Her father eased onto the corner of the bed near the footboard. She noticed what looked like a newspaper tucked under his arm, which wasn’t surprising. He always drank coffee and read the paper in the mornings. Had for years.

He trailed his eyes over Layne, lingering on his face. She didn’t miss the way his mouth twitched, as though he were in deep thought. His energy confirmed he was. Curiosity twisted within him, along with patience and concern. He’d had the same look in his eyes when they’d spoken in the car about her concerns with his intentions.