Chapter 104 Chapter 104
Nona paused, the spoon halfway to her mouth and looked into the hall, then shook her head and continued to eat.
“I didn’t see Dad or Brock, do you think they’re out tracking him?” Shae pushed the food around in the dish, not tasting anything.
“I doubt they’d still be out. Logic predicts, even to your father, he’s long gone by now.” She rolled her eyes, “If there’s news your aunt will sniff it out and come tell us.” Nona added then looked down the hall again.
“I hope so.” She whispered, but didn’t really. Since this afternoon, she’d had a heavy feeling inside her and she couldn’t really shake it. Watching Nona look down the hall again, she set her spoon down. “What is it?”
Shaking her head, Nona looked at her. “I keep hearing a clinking noise.” She set her spoon down and stood up, “we don’t have anything that would clink in the hall.”
Shae followed her. “Something rattling outside maybe?”
“I don’t know what. There’s not a strong wind tonight.” She stopped. “Do you hear it?”
Holding her breath, she cocked her head to the side. “Maybe.” This better hearing thing she was supposed to get, hadn’t arrived yet, it seemed. She opened Nona’s door and looked around, listening. “It’s not in here.”
Nona checked Shae’s room then closed the door.
They walked to the only room left, the supply room where all the herbs and medicines were kept.
Both walked in and stood there listening. There it was again, Shae heard it this time. Nona pointed to the window and then looked around and picked up a broom and nodded for Shae to go check.
Not sure what good a broom was going to do if the sound was outside the window, Shae went over to the window, almost wishing she held something too. When she peeked out it, she paused and looked back at Nona, then back out the glass. Calum was standing there looking at her. Hurrying, she opened the window. “Are you insane? What are you doing here? You’re supposed to be at the bottom of the mountain far, far away by now.”
“I did get back to my car…”
Nona leaned out the window beside Shae, “Maybe having this discussion while hanging out the window is a bad idea.”
Shae jolted, forgetting that having an argument outside a village of people that had sensitive hearing could be easily overheard.
Nona pointed to the back of the house. “Go around to the deck back there.”
Calum nodded and ducked back down behind the shrub, heading in to the back of the house.
Closing the window, Shae opened her mouth and looked at Nona, then closed it and held her hand over it.
“Not too bright, your Calum.” She chuckled.
Shae ran to get to the back door, she opened it as he stepped up onto the deck. “Get in here,” she hissed. He walked by her, she closed the door and spun around. “What are you doing here?” She paused to notice he wore boots, jeans and a black t-shirt. “Why did you come back?” The panic in her voice was clear.
Calum gave her a lopsided grin. “No one saw me.”
Forcing herself to relax, she rested her hand on her stomach to settle the butterflies that had taken flight when she’d seen him. “I’m more worried about them smelling an outsider hanging around.”
“I stayed downwind…” He stopped when Nona walked in.
“Would you like something to eat?” She asked politely.
Shae’s mouth dropped open, had she lost her mind too?
Nona grinned, “Relax, child, no one comes here for social calls but your aunts or mother, it’s fine. He probably hasn’t eaten today.” She walked out again.
Shae closed her eyes trying to settle her nerves, but when she opened them, he was standing right in front of her. She looked up at him, and for some reason, having him close made some part inside her feel calmer and in other areas of her body, so not tranquil.
“How are you?” he asked hesitantly, “I didn’t hurt you last night, did I?”
Lost in his eyes, she felt her cheeks heat and shook her head. “You came back to ask me that?” She let out a shaky breath. “No. You didn’t.”
He reached and touched the side of her face with gentle fingers. “Good.” Leaning down he kissed her swollen mouth lightly. “We still need to talk about who hit you.”
Shae sucked in a breath, when she realized she wasn’t breathing in just air, and with it, his scent. Leaning closer, she inhaled again. His smelled… she didn’t know what, safe but dangerous…
Nona cleared her throat.
They jumped apart from each other. Calum turned and motioned for Shaelan to go first.
She stood by the table and watched as he took off his pack and set it on the floor, then eased his large body into one of the chairs. With his size, he made the chair look like it was a miniature, a problem she was sure he was more than used to. She’d been surrounded by large men her entire life, but for some reason Calum seemed… bigger. Frowning at her own stupid thoughts, she quickly sat on the other side of the table, afraid to be too close to him.
He nodded politely when Nona set a bowl of her stew in front of him. “Thank you.” His eyes flicked to the dish in front of her.
She hadn’t even remembered she was eating before seeing him out the window, then realized he wasn’t going to eat until she did. Nona came back in and set a drink in front of him, then sat down and started eating like this was a normal thing. Shae picked up her spoon, only to put it down again and lean over the table. “Why are you back here?”
He took a bite and nodded to Nona. After he chewed and swallowed, he looked at her for a moment. “Answers.” He shrugged, “mostly.” Grinning, he searched her eyes, “I would have called, but you didn’t give me your number.”
Nona snorted and then stopped when Shae gave her a blank stare.
“We don’t have phones here.” She told him in a quiet voice, trying not to smirk at his sense of humor. This is so not the time for joking.
“Good thing I came back then.” He took another bite, his eyes only leaving hers for a second.
“I can still smell the stink weed on you,” Nona said, breaking the staring match they were having.
He huffed out a breath, “that is the worst plant I have ever smelled.”
“There are worse, but they make a body ill after too long.” Nona set her spoon down and pushed the dish away. “They tried a few before they found one that didn’t make everyone ill or break out in a rash.” She shook her head slowly.
“You give them the plants?” His tone was serious now.
She shook her head, “No. I wouldn’t have nothing to do with that part of it. I look after the health of the fellas. That’s my part.” Nona played with the grain pattern of the wooden table, not making eye contact. “Might have keys too… accidentally set the odd one lose, from time to time.”
His eyebrows went up. “Thank you for that.” He took another bite and then glanced at Shae, his eyes moving over her face. “So, do you know how long these herbs will take to wear off.” He slowly turned back to Nona to wait for an answer.
Shae’s brows drew together, she glanced to Nona. He’d known he was drugged when he was with her? She couldn’t look back at him now.
Nona’s looked at him with surprise. “The breeding herb?”
He nodded.
“Heh,” Nona grinned, “you weren’t given any of that. They had no idea what they were doing with you. Herbs only work for short time, least we’d have howling men chained up all the day long. Only give them to the fellas right before, they wear off fast.”
The silence was long as he sat there looking at Nona. When he turned to look at Shae, his eyes were softer than they had been. “Interesting.” He mused quietly.
Shaelan could feel her cheeks getting hotter. No herbs? So, all of last night was… real. She was almost squirming the way he was looking at her now. He was sitting perfectly still, watching her, she wasn’t even sure if he was breathing. She needed to change the subject, or at least start an audible one. “I found two of your men. Marc and Dale.” She shook her head trying to clear the other thoughts out. “I’m sorry, but there’s no Gene here.”
Calum set his spoon down and reached to pick up his pack. He pulled out a cell phone and tapped the screen a few times, then dropped it on the table in front of her. “I found Gene.”
Shae picked up the phone, then gasped. “Where is this?” Her breath caught in her chest, “Who are all these people?” She looked back to him.
He shook his head. “There’s a few collars there... Gene’s was still clasped around his neck.”
With shaking hands, Shae handed the phone to Nona.
“He was shot in the head,” Calum added quietly.