her. He’d thought his reasons to stop what they’d been doing the night before had been good ones. But she’d shown who she was today, and he knew with every fiber of his being that his fears had been unfounded.
“I’d hoped for something more between us,” she said, and he quickly masked his astonishment. “I never expected you to ever accept me. I was a part of the worst horror of your life. But I guess I was holding on to some small amount of… well…it doesn’t matter now.” She moved toward the doorway.
“Selene –” He had to tell her. Explain.
“No.” She halted him with one word. “Just leave me alone.” She turned and walked away from him, disappearing into the darkness of the hallway.
Griffin let her go. He’d thought that nothing could ever hurt as much as losing his family in such a terrible way. But now he knew that he’d been wrong.
This was worse.
*****
Selene wrapped herself in numbness like a protective cloak. She knew that the devastation buried deep inside her would make its way to the surface eventually. She was dreading that moment. She made her way to her room in search of some much needed privacy. She undressed and got ready for bed in a zombie-like trance and then climbed between the cool sheets. She lay there a second before she turned over on her side and curled up in a pathetic little ball of frozen misery.
The first sound came out almost like a hiccup. Just a tiny squeak which swiftly turned into a keening wail. And then her body was wracked in heart-wrenching, full-body sobs. They came so hard and fast that she couldn’t catch her breath.
As her body squeezed tighter and she started to worry that she was getting hysterical, Selene felt the bed dip. And then a strong arm banded around her waist and her body was pulled up against a solid wall of male muscle.
Selene knew it was Griffin without looking. And despite how angry she was with him, the comfort she received in his arms overrode her need to stay angry right now. His warm scent surrounded her. He said nothing, just held her tightly as emotions washed through her in waves. Gradually, his heat seeped into her, spreading through her and over her. Her sobs slowed until her body could relax just the tiniest amount, and then further still, until the only sounds she made were stuttering indrawn breaths.
“I … I’m all right. You can go now,” she eventually sputtered between sniffles.
“Are you sure?”
“Uh-huh. Yeah.”
His arms tightened around her briefly and then slipped from her body, leaving her chilled where his skin had been warming hers. Hearing the bedroom door open, she looked over her shoulder at him.
“Why?” she asked. She couldn’t read his expression in the half-light of the hallway, but saw him hunch one shoulder.
“I…care for you,” he replied softly. And then he closed the door behind him.
Selene didn’t know how long she lay there, no longer crying, not moving, not seeing… just being. She heard no sound, felt no familiar pulse of power, felt no stirring in the room to warn her.
By the time she felt a large hand clamped mercilessly over her mouth, and another squeezing her throat, it was already too late.
“Scream and I’ll snap your neck,” a male voice growled warningly in her ear.
Maddox… oh hell!
Selene desperately reached for her power to disable his, but it wasn’t there. She couldn’t feel her powers, and her entire body tensed in terror. And then, suddenly and silently, they were instantly transported somewhere else. Selene had just enough time to feel panic wash through her before a sickly sweet-smelling rag was placed over her mouth and nose and oblivion claimed her.
Chapter 25
“Something’s wrong!” Lucy rushed into the kitchen, Hugh following close behind. “I feel it!”
Griffin quickly searched the minds of everyone in the house. All were present and healthy. Except he couldn’t hear Selene, but that was nothing unusual. She was a black hole as far as he was concerned.
“You’re positive?” he asked Lucy.
“Absolutely.”
Using his telepathy, Griffin roused the still-sleeping household and summoned them to him, while simultaneously contacting Charlotte and Dexter and the rest of the family. People started to gather in the kitchen within minutes, all in various forms of dress.
“What’s going on?” Ellie asked, alarmed. Charlotte had interrupted their morning run in order to teleport her and Alex home immediately.
“Something is happening or has already happened. Something bad. I can feel it.” Lucy spoke