Toxic Game (GhostWalkers #15) - Christine Feehan Page 0,96

normal way of dealing with things—alone. He knew because he was that way.

Baby, talk to me. He tried coaxing, using their intimate connection.

There was something beautiful about being in each other’s mind. No matter how alone, the moment the other poured in, there was warmth and happiness. She filled all those empty places in him where he struggled with human connections. He hoped he did the same for her. She’d always responded. Always.

She wasn’t hurt. He would have known. He raced across the small open space to the house and up the porch. She’d come down off the roof, he’d seen her slide to the side of the building in order to climb down the side. She wasn’t inside. He swore, biting profanities out between his teeth. He should have been watching her instead of the soldiers.

Not kidding around with you, woman. I need to know you’re safe. Talk to me.

There was a small silence. He counted every one of his heartbeats. Waiting. He’d never had this experience before. This was a first. He’d never cared about someone this way and her silence—leaving him not knowing what was wrong—nearly drove him insane.

Damn it, Shylah. I’m coming after you. You have to know I am.

He began casting around for her tracks. She’d sprinted for the forest. It was still light and with the storm mostly gone, there was only drizzling rain. The sky was overcast. The air muggy. His shirt and jeans were plastered to his body.

He was back in the forest, looking for signs of her going up into the trees. It was her favorite mode of travel. There were none that he could see. He found a partial print along a narrow animal path. A few feet farther in, he saw a twisted leaf on a large fern.

The first stirring in his mind was tentative, as if she could make the connection but was being extremely careful not to give too much of herself away.

I just need a little time to myself. I’m not used to sharing so much of myself with anyone.

That was total bullshit and he knew it. She wasn’t a bullshitter either. I’m not accepting that excuse. Give me something I can get behind.

There was silence. From her lengthened tracks, he could see she had begun running. Where are you going? Now his heart was in his throat and he was running too. He was fast. He ran every night. Sometimes, for most of the night. He could catch her, but he didn’t know if he could catch her in time.

Damn it, Shylah. The soldiers will shoot you before they’ll let you through their line. They’re there not only to keep others away, but to keep us isolated. If you violate their perimeter, they will shoot you. You answer me.

I’m well aware of them. I don’t need you to tell me that. I’m just running, Draden. You of all people should understand.

Was that what she was doing? Just running? Then why would she abruptly leave him? Stop him from connecting with her? It wasn’t his imagination. She had withdrawn. He was catching up to her because she wasn’t running fast, she was jogging to cover distance and clearly didn’t want to tire herself out.

I’m coming up on you. You don’t want to talk, we won’t talk, but I’m running with you.

She didn’t respond, but he got the impression of tears and that cut like a knife. She didn’t want his company. That was just too damned bad.

Then she was there, in front of him, her long legs sure on the narrow path. From behind her, he could see her perfect rhythm. Her clothes, like his, were soaked. As he moved up for a moment to check her features, he could see the white tee she’d pulled on earlier was his. Now it was soaked and see-through. Completely. It might as well have been nonexistent. She wasn’t wearing a bra and both hands pressed her breasts tightly to keep them from bouncing.

Tears tracked down her face and she didn’t try to hide them. She didn’t even look at him, just stared straight ahead as she doggedly put one foot in front of the other. He swore to himself he would keep his mouth shut. He wouldn’t say one word. She was entitled to her privacy. After about two minutes he was all but grinding his teeth. Three more minutes and he was exploding.

He caught her elbow and pulled her to a halt. “You’re killing me. Killing me.