Chapter 728 Chapter 728
Oaklyn stood in the hall and stared at Zain, asleep on the couch. She’d slept for about two hours, and now her body was wide awake, and she was restless. She still couldn’t believe what he’d told her. What he’d been through as a child was wrong on so many levels, she was barely able to process it. Her life hadn’t been all sunshine and flowers, but what he had to live through made it seem much better.
Her wolf was hinting to her that she should go over closer to their mate. Oaklyn grimaced. Her animal wasn’t getting the full picture of their future plans. Earlier, when she sat there and listened to him, her animal was all but going bonkers inside her because of the angst in his voice. She wasn’t a cold heart. She felt his pain and was drowning in compassion, but her life wasn’t even close to where she wanted to be, so there was no time for dilly-dallying with a man—mate or not.
She knew she should go and pack up her belongings and get ready for the early start. Instead, she continued to stand here and watch him like a lovesick puppy. It was taking a lot of internal dialogue to convince her feet to take her back down the hall, and she thought she’d succeeded until his eyes popped open and he looked at her.
He didn’t move to get up or adjust his position. He just lay there looking back at her. He was going to think she was some kind of creeper, standing here in the dark checking him out while he slept. She wouldn’t blame him if he said something to that effect, not one bit. He didn’t say a word, not a sound, or even a sigh. He just watched her.
Her stomach tightened, her heart sped up, and she had no idea why he was having that kind of effect on her from ten feet away. She didn’t know a lot about true mates, not really. In her clan, members were paired up, usually before the girl could shift, and that was that. There was none of the fated-for-only-each-other hooey back home. Was she feeling this way because he was her mate or was it what he’d told her earlier? He’d trusted her with his deepest secrets.
He moved slowly and shoved the blanket off. She held her breath. This was such silliness she needed to turn around and go back to the bedroom. He still didn’t speak a word, just held her look with an intensity that had her animal watchful and waiting.
Her breath hitched, and she took a step toward him. She didn’t know what she was doing, but her feet decided they were going forward.
Before she could take another step, the light in the kitchen went out, and the hum of the register stopped. She was standing in the pitch black now. She looked at Zain. He rolled off the couch and dropped to the floor. His reaction had her squatting down by the chair and looking at the windows.
“Do you think they found us?”
“I don’t know. Go grab your stuff. Stay away from windows.” She watched him crawl toward his backpack. “Shit and get my gun.”
Oaklyn turned and hurried down the hall, hunched over. “Dang it.” She’d left the curtains open in the bedroom. Crawling to the bed, she reached up and grabbed the clothes she’d left there. Dragging them along with her, she scooched over to the dresser where she’d set her bag down. Putting her socks on, she looked around the room to see if there was anything else of hers there. “Phone.” She whispered and crawled to the other side of the bed and got it off the nightstand.
Stuffing her clothes into the bag, she pulled out her run pack and Zain’s gun. One gun and a few knives were not much of a defense if they came in after them. She was cursing herself for not keeping watch.
When she got back out where Zain was, he had his bag and her boots and jacket sitting beside it. She held out his gun. “Do you know how to use it?” The look he gave her said that was a dumb question.
Coming over, he took it from her, checked the clip, and made sure the safety was on. “Get your boots on. I’m going to go look out the window.”
She nodded and sat down to get her boots on. She was shoving her arms into her coat by the time he reached the window. She held her breath as he rose up near the one corner and looked around.
“It's not just our power that’s out.” He whispered.
“Would they take out the whole neighborhood? Or is this just a winter weather thing?”
Zain sat down and leaned against the wall. “I wouldn’t put it past them. To take out the neighborhood so we let our guard down.”
Oaklyn gnawed on her lip. He had a point. She’d heard how far the Tomas organization was willing to go to get their hands on shifters. “What do you want to do?”
“Well, I’m pretty sure neither of us will sleep now.”
She grinned.
“Can you get to the SUV?” He cussed. “The light will come on as soon as you open the door. Shit.”
“We go together. I’ll take the driver's seat because you have the gun.”
He looked at the window above his head and then back at her. Nodding, he motioned to the kitchen. “I’m going to take a look out back first.”
Putting her pack on her back, she started crawling toward him. “I watch the front while you do that.”
They paused beside each other on their hands and knees.
“Listen,” he searched her face for a moment, “if anything happens, you get in that car, and you drive. Fast.”
Oaklyn took a breath and ended up sucking his scent into her body. “I’m not looking for a hero, Zain. If I wanted one, I’d call Superman. No one gets left behind.” She held his look, daring him to disagree with her.
“Keys are in my coat. Set my stuff by the door and wait there.” He crawled into the kitchen.
She watched him for a second and then nodded to no one. Going over, she grabbed his coat and pack and dragged them to the door. Still on her hands and knees, she went over to the window and peeked out the corner of it. She tapped into her animal for the loan of better eyesight. Come on, girl, we need all senses and reflexes booted up and ready to go. She felt her animal comply. Thoughts of mates were pushed into the background.
She scowled at the glass and then glanced at the kitchen. He wanted her to leave him behind? What kind of person would do that? In times of life and death, there was no room for gentlemanly gestures. Shaking her head, she looked outside. She saw no tracks in the snow, but anyone could just walk in theirs from earlier. He was right. There were no lights in the homes she could see. It seemed excessive to her to kill the whole area’s power, but her gut told her it was time to leave.
It was approximately twenty feet from the front door to the vehicle. The driveway had been cleaned out, so that did offer some snowbanks to obscure anyone’s view. Backpacks were going to have to be dragged, or they’d be visible. She leaned closer and looked down the street. There was no sign of movement, but that didn’t mean they weren’t out there somewhere.
“Anything?”
She turned to see Zain crawling toward the door. “No. We can use the snowbanks to cover our movement. Unless they’re standing at the end of the drive, they shouldn’t be able to see us.”
He nodded and put his jacket on.
“If we stay low and drag our backpacks, I believe we can get to the doors unseen.”
“Okay.” He zipped it up. “Don’t hit the unlock button until we’re at the doors. The lights flash when you do.”
She looked at the keys in her hand and memorized the fob, so she knew where the button was located. Balling it up in her hand, she crawled back over to the door. Taking off her backpack, she zipped up her jacket and then nodded to him.
“Wait on the porch until I lock this door. Then I watch as you head to the car.”
She looked at the gun in his hand. “One shot from that, and the whole neighborhood will be up.”
“I know. Hopefully, I won’t have to use it.”