Chapter 30 - Catch me

"I can walk, Clay."

I shook my head and moved toward the door. What she'd done to get to the bathroom hadn't been walking.

Shifting her slight weight to one arm, I opened the door and stepped into the hall. She sighed, wrapped her arms around my neck, and leaned her head against my shoulder. I loved it. When her fingers started playing with the back of my hair, I decided I needed to start carrying her everywhere.

The few males we passed in the hall stopped and stared, their irritation plain. I wouldn't be welcome at the Introduction. Carrying her would be an insult to every unMated who had shown up. I didn't care. She was mine. They needed to know that.

At the intersection of halls which led to the Introduction room, she stopped me.

"No, go outside and around back. I won't go in that room ever again."

Her voice wavered a little at the end, and my hold tightened. If she didn't want to go in there, then she wouldn't. No Elder would force my Mate.

I turned around and went to the main entrance. I carefully set her on her feet, grabbed a spare jacket from one of the hooks, and helped her put it on. She studied me as I took the time to button it up. Hopefully, she was thinking of kissing me like I was her. I didn't try, though. She needed rest, not a racing pulse.

When I finished, I picked her back up and carried her outside. She shivered lightly in my arms as I walked across the dark yard toward the back of the building. Just before we reached the corner, she patted me lightly on the chest.

"Put me down, Clay. I'll walk now."

I stopped but didn't let go. Why was she doing this? She was still trembling and weak. She should just tell Sam to piss off. My fingers twitched as I suppressed the urge to growl. I could smell the men around the corner. Too many for her to walk among them.

"It'll be okay, Clay. There are a lot of fast people here. I won't fall on my face."

I studied her in the moonlight. She gazed up at me, her expression open. She didn't want to do this. She was doing it for me. To keep me safe. I wanted to hug her and hold her to me. Instead, I did as she asked and set her on her feet.

She walked steadily around the corner with her shoulders back and head high. I kept close, a secondary shadow.

Three Elders stood by the back door. They ignored me and watched Gabby. Gabby ignored them and looked at the gathered men.

"I'm Gabby. There will be no Introduction order. I won't have anyone left out, or leaving without a fair chance. So, instead of the stuffy cabin, let's just do this out here."

As she continued forward, the males lined up. She shivered again. It was small, but I noticed. Some of the men did, too.

"I believe the Elders mentioned I was ill; so if I start to stammer, bear with me."

She moved forward, and I stayed close to her. Most of the men ignored me. A few bared their teeth at me after she passed. I paid little attention to them or the Elders trailing behind us. My focus remained on Gabby and the shivers that occurred with increasing frequency.

Her proud stance melted away with each step, bowing her back and curving her shoulders. About halfway down the line, Gabby slowed. I thought she might be ready to call for a rest, but she didn't.

The men beyond her watched her with worry as she stopped completely. Then she gasped, the sound ringing in the silence, flinched, and touched her head as if in pain.

With a burst of speed, I stood behind her, ready to catch her. The werewolf she faced looked at me in confusion, then at her, and finally the Elders who'd quietly followed us until now.

"Gabby," Sam said, his voice heavy with worry and warning. It was too late for that.

She held up her hand.

"A moment, please," she said, sounding strained.

I kept my hands out, ready to grab her as she slowly straightened. She breathed deeply, as if orienting herself, then glanced at me. Worry filled her eyes. She held my gaze as if trying to tell me something. What, though? She was weak from sharing her ability with those women. She wouldn't have her pull on men here. Besides, it only seemed to affect human men. No, it couldn't be that. Why else would she worry? The answer hit me, and I looked at the men around us. She'd tried to use her sight. But why? The males watched us. Nothing seemed out of place.

While I studied the woods, she turned to the men in front of her.

"I'm sorry. Like I said, I'm not feeling well. The pain in my head just took me by surprise."

We all heard the lie in her words, but no one commented. She took another steadying breath and started moving again. Only, this time, her progress was slower and her steps more labored. Tremors shook her, confirming that she'd used her gift and exhausted herself.

I wasn't the only one watching her with concern. Each man she passed glanced at the Elders trailing us, as if wondering why they hadn't put a stop to this. I wondered the same thing.

After a few more steps, Gabby halted.

"A f-face I know. I'm here as p-promised."

I eyed the man she stared at. Who the hell was he and how did she know him?

"I see that, Little One," he said. "Although, it looks like you should be in bed, instead."

Curling my hands into fists, I tried to control my anger at his use of a pet name.

"I would b-be if people would j-just leave me alone. B-but it's not meant t-to be. So, you know my name, but I d-don't know yours."

"Luke Taylor, love."

Love? I wondered if I could knock his British accent out along with a few teeth.

Luke-the-Brit held out his hand. Gabby glanced at it and hesitated. I ground my teeth together, jealousy ripping through me when she reached forward and wrapped her hand in his. She paled, exhaled heavily, and swayed on her feet. Luke's slight smirk disappeared.

I held myself ready. To catch her. To fight for her. To do whatever she needed of me.

Gabby's heart started to beat loudly as if overtaxed. She made a small sound between a gasp and a moan. I inhaled deeply and noted her scent had changed, too. Mellowed. I started to pace just behind her, my focus on both of them.

Luke frowned at Gabby.

"I need to talk to you," she said, her words slurred. "Don't leave until I do."

Luke looked as surprised as I felt.

"Clay," she whispered. Her head lolled to the side as she tried to find me. "Catch me."

She let go of Luke's hand and fell against me.

"Is she okay?" Sam asked. He stood beside me, his hand extended to touch her forehead.

I couldn't stop the growl as I lifted her into my arms and settled her against my chest.

"You pushed this." A tremor ran over my arm. Fur appeared and disappeared. "These women aren't like us. They're fragile. You know that. You say you're protecting them. Who's protecting them from you?"

The males around us shifted in agitation. They were thinking the same thing. The Elders should have put a stop to this Introduction. They'd all sensed her exhaustion and witnessed her frailty.

Sam looked down at Gabby, her pale cheek resting against me, and I had the satisfaction of seeing guilt pass over his features.

I stepped around him and carried her inside, hurrying to get to her room. Anyone I passed moved out of our way. Word of what had happened had already spread.

Charlene stood by the apartment door and opened it for me. She followed me in as I strode across the small space to Gabby's bedroom.

"Do you need anything, Clay?"

I paused and looked back at Charlene. In the door, a man stood behind her. He looked like her and Thomas. His gaze was locked on Gabby, reflecting a sad worry. I clenched my jaw against a new wave of anger. Damn the Elders.

"Just tell them to stay away."

She nodded slightly, looking concerned. "I'll do my best."

She turned, shooed the man away, and closed the door. I could still hear them, though.

"Will she be all right?"

"I don't know, Jim."

"She's like you and Michelle, right?"

"Let's talk about this later."

Their voices faded as I set Gabby on her bed. I removed the jacket, tucked her under the covers, and turned off the light. Her pale skin seemed to glow in the soft light from the main room. No discernable rise and fall of her chest moved beneath the covers. She was too still, and it scared me.

Frustrated and angry at my helplessness, I went to the kitchenette to get a glass of water. Please let this be like last time, I thought, carrying the glass back to her. I closed the door, set the glass beside the bed, then lay on the covers next to her.

I laid my hand on her chest to measure her shallow breathing. She'd obviously used her power again. And this was the worst she'd ever been. What if—? I wouldn't let the thought finish.

"Please wake up from this," I whispered in the dark. "I can't live without you."