Enigma:What Lies Beneath (Enigma Series Book 1) (7 page)

Chapter Ten

Abbie’s insides were weak, and her legs felt as if they would give way at any moment. If what Hauke told her was true, then she ran the risk of becoming infected by the very virus he spoke of.

She sat on the edge of the bed and pulled him down with her. “Tell me of the stories you were told.”

“It was said the king attempted to take Aiyana with all remaining Bracadytes back to Aukrabah.”

Abbie held up a hand to stop him. “What is a Bracadyte and where is Aukrabah?”

“A Bracadyte is a cave dweller. The name was given to us centuries ago by a local shaman of the natives. Aukrabah is my home in the gulf.”

“So, you—you live in the water?”

“Beneath it. I do not know how we came to be, or how long we existed in the deep before land walkers were discovered. Our scrolls date back to the great flood when we first encountered humans.”

“When you say great flood, do you mean when Noah built the ark?”

“The scrolls do not mention Noah or an ark. They tell us of a flood that destroyed the land, obliterating the four-legged creatures and many inhabitants of the sea as well.”

“Do you realize what you are saying? Your people were around long before God’s infinite cleansing.”

He cocked his head to the side. “You practice the human religion? Perhaps you are an angel after all.”

“You know about our religion?”

“I am aware of the human beliefs.”

”That’s interesting. As for your question about me practicing religion? I wouldn’t go so far as to say I practice it, and I’m certainly no angel. I believe in God. I believe he created us all, including you. I’m just not sure of what he expects from us on a day-to-day basis.”

Growing uncomfortable with the direction of the conversation, she changed the subject. “You said that you live beneath the water. Explain it to me. Do you swim around in pods like dolphins and sharks? Also, I want to know why you have both lungs and gills.”

A smile touched his lips, transforming him from beautiful to breathtaking. Abbie couldn’t speak. She could only stare in wonder and nod for him to continue.

“You have many questions,” he teased. “We do not live in the water. We dwell beneath.”

Abbie finally found her voice. “How does one live beneath the water?”

“There are many places under the land and seas that have not been explored by humans, Abbie.”

“Okay. Are you referring to caves and caverns that exist in the water?”

He covered her hand with his. “Some are shallow and cold, while others are warm and go on for great distances.”

“So you live in a cave then?”

At his affirmation, she continued. Questions began spilling out unabashed. “Aren’t they full of water? How do you eat and sleep? Is it dark down there? And— ”

“Slow down, Abbie. I will answer any questions you may have once I return from the gulf.”

Abbie’s stomach flipped. “You’re leaving me?”

At any other time, the look on Hauke’s face would have been comical. He gripped the hand he held and pulled her against his chest. “I will not leave you. I must immerse myself in the water for my body to properly heal.”

“Oh,” she mumbled, feeling ashamed that she’d questioned him continuously since he’d awakened. “I’ll come with you.”

Hauke kissed the top of her head and stood. “You should stay inside. There will be less chance of being seen if I go alone.”

“No way. I’m coming with you.”

“I will not endanger your life, Abbie. It is better for you to remain indoors. You would be alone on the beach while I am in the water.”

Abbie knew he spoke the truth. She couldn’t risk being seen or questioned by one of the neighbors. “Okay. I’ll wait here. But please hurry. And, Hauke?” She touched his arm as he moved to step around her. “Be careful.”

* * * *

Hauke recognized Abbie’s reluctance to let him go alone. She feared he would leave her behind to face the laws of her people.

She had saved his life, and as long as he lived, he would do everything in his power to keep her from harm’s way. “I will be back. I give you my word.”

He left the room with Abbie following close behind him. He could feel her gaze touching on his naked body with every step he took.

It took tremendous effort not to turn around and crush her to him, press his lips to hers, and profess his growing feelings for her, but the evidence of his lust propelled him forward.

The last thing she needed at the moment was a giant, injured Bracadyte standing over her, wielding an erection.

Hauke understood how sex worked with the humans. He knew it to be similar to the mating ritual of the Bracadyte. Only, the human sexual connection ended with a physical climax, whereas the Bracadyte had a dual release—mind as well as body.

He shook off his thoughts and reached for the odd-looking glass perched in front of him.

“It’s a sliding glass door. Let me show you.” Abbie moved to his side and touched something to the right of the door. It slid open with barely a sound. “I’ll be waiting right here for you. Please hurry back.”

With a short nod, Hauke stepped through the opening as quickly and quietly as possible.

The smell of salt hit him long before he arrived at the water’s edge. One word played over and over inside his mind as he stepped into the soothing waves of the gulf.

Home.

Hauke engaged his protective lenses and dove beneath the surface, swimming with the speed of a dolphin until he reached the second sandbar.

He could feel his body soaking up the necessary nutrients it needed for healing as he gazed longingly toward home.

But he couldn’t go home. Not yet. He had to locate his sister, Naura; his second in command, Braum; and the other three members of the team he had been with before the explosion happened.

Hauke feasted off various fish, pleased with the feeling of his strength rapidly returning. He would need every ounce of it to find his team members and keep Abbie safe until he could make arrangements to have her brought to Aukrabah.

Moving her to Aukrabah was not going to be an easy task. Hauke knew she would not be received well by the Bracadytes. Especially the elders.

Bringing a human below meant a risk of exposure for Hauke’s kind, but what choice did he have?

He could remain on land with her, he reasoned, biting into a delicious red snapper. But it would only be a matter of time before they were caught and ultimately destroyed. No, he refused to risk Abbie’s life.

Another thought struck as he finished his meal and turned toward shore. Abbie’s body would not tolerate the altitude of Aukrabah’s entrance, even with him breathing for her. The pressure would kill her.

The second his feet touched the gulf floor, Hauke stood and strode from the water toward the safety of the house. If he could not find a way to take Abbie below, he had no choice but to remain above.

He ran a hand through his wet hair in an attempt to expel some of the saltwater dripping from the ends.

Now that his strength had returned, it was time to talk to Abbie about his sister and the other group members that had been with him during the explosion.
If they yet live.

Pain nearly doubled him over at the possibility they did not make it out alive. Or worse, were found and transported to the place Abbie’s father had mentioned. Area 51.

From Abbie’s reaction to Area 51, Hauke had no doubt that torture would somehow be involved before death. If Naura had been abused or… He couldn’t finish the thought.

Abbie stood at the big glass door as Hauke rushed across the sandy beach into her waiting arms.

She quickly wrapped a soft, colorful cloth around his waist. “Oh, thank God you’re all right. I’ve been worried sick.”

He stepped over the threshold. “Humans have strange expressions.”

“What do you mean?” She slid the door closed and took hold of his elbow, guiding him toward a brightly lit room to his left.

“Words such as
thank God
and
worried sick
. I understand the meaning, only not the reasoning.”

“Humans pray to God. It’s a simple statement of thanking him for bringing you back safely. And some people worry until they become sick.”

“Yes, but your God did not bring me from the water, Abbie. I walked out on my own limbs.”

“I know that. I just… Never mind. I suppose we do use that phrase a bit too loosely. I imagine God raises an eyebrow on more than one occasion during each day.”

“Where are you taking me?”

“To wash the salt from your skin.” She quickly ran through the mechanics of the knobs in the shower, laid out a washcloth, towel, and soap before turning toward the door.

She glanced back over her shoulder. “Can you read as well as you speak?”

“I read and write in many languages.”

“After you wash your hair with the one that says shampoo, rinse it, and use a little of the conditioner. It will make your hair more manageable.”

“I’m sure I can manage. Thank you, Abbie.”

Chapter Eleven

Abbie rushed from the bathroom, leaving the door cracked open a bit in case Hauke needed her for anything.

Truth be told, she could have sat on the edge of the tub and watched him shower for hours.

He had one of the most incredible bodies she’d ever seen.

The last seven hours had been a blur of excitement, adrenaline, and near heart attack moments that would last her a lifetime.

With one last look at the partially closed door, she trailed off to the den and sank down into the cushiony softness of the sofa.

Her mind immediately drifted to Henry and the two dead men. How could three guards have died last night when only two had been shot? And that had been out of self-defense.

She jerked up the remote and switched on the television, hoping to see something about the lab shootings. Maybe they would release the names of the deceased.

A red line appeared across the top of the screen that read
Special Report
, and a news reporter stood in front of Winchester Industries, speaking to the night watchman, Willie.

Abbie turned up the volume in time to hear Willie’s recount of the evening’s events.

“Doctor Sutherland said she was here to drop off a report that her father had asked for, else I would have never let her go up.”

The reporter glanced at the camera before turning back to Willie with more questions. “Is it true that Miss Sutherland used to work for Winchester Industries?”

Willie appeared pale and nervous. “Yes, ma’am, she did. But Abbie is a good sort. She wouldn’t have shot those men. That man that was with her has to be responsible, not her.”

“You mean the one that had been locked in the lab,” the reporter quickly amended.

“I don’t know. I wasn’t told anything about it. All I know was that Doctor Sutherland came in saying he was not to be disturbed and that there would be some men arriving in a few hours for a pickup. I was told to let them in and not ask any questions.”

A camera feed of Hauke and Abbie running across the parking lot of Winchester Industries suddenly appeared on the screen. The reporter’s voice spoke loud and clear as the clip played over and over.

“Three guards were allegedly gunned down in cold blood at Winchester Industries earlier tonight by the suspects you see here. Do not approach them as they are considered armed and dangerous. If you see or know the whereabouts of Doctor Abbigail Sutherland or the individual with her, please notify the Sheriff’s Department immediately.” A number abruptly appeared on the screen. “I repeat, they are armed and considered extremely dangerous.”

The woman continued speaking, but Abbie was no longer listening. Several emotions poured through her at once. Relief that Henry’s name hadn’t been mentioned in the report, shock that she and Hauke were being blamed for the death of a third person, and fear that she could be next.

She would never be able to return home, never see her father again or the friends and colleagues she’d come to know at the hospital where she’d worked the past few years. Life as she knew it was no more.

“Abbie?” Hauke’s pained voice carried out over the sound of the television.

Pressing mute on the remote, she jumped to her feet and scrambled toward the bathroom.

“What’s wrong?” Abbie barged in without knocking. She’d seen him in a state of undress before. Not that she’d ever get used to his nude form.

On the contrary.

The site that greeted her pushed all other feelings from her mind. Hauke stood in the shower, covered in bubbles from head to feet, rubbing his eyes with soap-covered hands.

“It bloody burns. What did you do to me?”

The laugh that bubbled up couldn’t be stopped by a Mack truck. “You’re not supposed to get it in your eyes, and you used way too much.”

She climbed in behind him and guided him forward to the spray. “Here, let’s rinse it out. And stop wiping at your eyes. It’s only going to make it worse. We have to get as much of the soap off as possible,” she rushed out through fits of laughter.

“You laugh?” Hauke sputtered as Abbie attempted to reach his head.

“I’m sorry.” Another giggle escaped against her will. “Bend down a little. You’re too tall for me to help with your hair.”

Turning around, he suddenly dropped to his knees in front of her and tilted his head back under the water. “Is this easier?”

Abbie nearly swallowed her tongue. She couldn’t imagine anything sexier than Hauke on his knees, muscles rippling and water sluicing down his magnificent form.

“Yes, better,” she whispered, extending her hands toward his face. Her heart melted with the first touch of her fingers on his skin. The submissive position he allowed himself to be in showed an enormous amount of trust on his part. This big, dangerous alien from the deep…trusted her.

“I won’t let you down, Hauke.”

His beautiful green eyes slowly opened to gaze up at her in wonder. “And I will not disappoint you either, Abbie. I will give my life for you if it becomes necessary.”

And she believed him. He would die to keep her safe.

She found herself inching forward until her fingers were in his long, silky hair and his face touched her ribs.

“
Abbie?”

Ah, he was back inside her mind. Her eyes nearly rolled back in pleasure with the feel of his mental presence. “
Yes, Hauke
?”

“
Look at me.”

She was afraid to. Afraid not to. Afraid he would somehow disappear and take with him this incredible feeling she experienced only in his presence.

Abbie dropped her gaze to his upturned face, and her heart squeezed in her chest. She was falling in love with a being from another place, another species and possibly even another time.

Hauke’s arms came around her, and he slowly got to his feet, bringing her with him until they were on the same level.

Eye to eye, mind to mind, and heart to heart, their souls intertwined.

The beauty of it was incomprehensible to Abbie. She’d never felt anything remotely close to it in her thirty-two years.

He dipped his head and touched his lips to hers. Butterflies erupted inside her stomach to create a mind-numbing ache that centered between her thighs.

Abbie felt no shame in her surrender. No questions or doubts arose to hold her back from the man embracing her in his powerful arms. And he was a man, no matter where he came from or the differences in his genetics. Tonight, he was hers.

“
Open for me
.” The command was gentle, yet firm.

Her lips parted to allow him entrance. He licked along the underside of her top lip before softly sweeping the tip of his tongue along her teeth.

A groan escaped him when she boldly allowed her own tongue to mingle with his.

He continued pulling her tighter against his body, coaxing her into a near frenzy of need.

Abbie instinctively wrapped her legs around his waist and ground against him. She wanted him inside her— No, she needed him inside her more than she’d ever needed anything in her life.

“
Hauke
,” she mentally moaned, unable to stop her hips from moving. “
Please.”

He nudged the curtain back with his elbow, stepped from the shower, turned off the water, and marched toward the closest bedroom with Abbie clinging to him every step of the way.

Her back touched the bed a moment later, and she tightened her legs around his waist, sucking on his tongue with a hunger she couldn’t control.

“
Allow me to remove your garments. I want to feel your skin against mine.”

“Yes,”
she mentally conceded
. “Hurry.”