Transformation: The Clandestine Saga Book 1 (30 page)

              She gasped at the sound of his voice, daring to hope that he was going to be alright. “Yes?” she asked, softly stroking his face.

              “You have really pretty eyes.” His voice had almost completely recovered now.

              She wanted to laugh and cry at the same time. “Thank you. So do you.” She smiled down at him as a solitary tear rolled down her cheek. “How do you feel?”

              “I’ve been better,” he admitted. “But, I think I’m going to be okay.”

              “Yeah?” she said, the tears beginning to stream down her face now.

              “Yeah.”  His body hadn’t completely healed yet; he still had a significant amount of pain in his chest where his cells were trying to regenerate. But he was certain now that he was no longer in danger of death.

              Jamie had given it everything he had, finally losing consciousness and slumping forward, Eliza’s arms the only thing preventing him from hitting his head on the floor. Elliott and Christian hurried over, helping Eliza lay Jamie down and steadying Aaron as he attempted to sit up. He coughed up a bit of blood, but for the most part he felt much better.  He owed Jamie his life now, for certain. He was very fortunate that Jamie had been there and that he had reacted in time.

              “Thank you,” Cadence said. “You saved me.”

              “That’s my job,” he replied.  “I won’t ever let anything happen to you.”

              He looked around at the faces surrounding him.  Everyone looked so relieved that he had recovered. Most of them had tear streaks down their faces. He felt appreciated for a change, which was refreshing. Of all of the faces, however, there was one to which he returned. Those calming brown eyes, the ones that had prevented him from slipping away, although the thought of an eternal slumber had been so tempting. He may have saved Cadence from the bullet, but she had saved him that day as well. As much as he wanted to let her know just how much he appreciated her, he realized that now was not the time.  With a deep breath, one that filled his entire lungs, he said, “Come on guys, let’s go home.”

                            ***

              Taylor had left Cadence eight messages, each more despairing than the last. She didn’t understand why she wouldn’t just answer her phone.  The first message was just to let her know that Jack wasn’t feeling any better and that she should call if she got a chance. The next two were slightly more urgent. Jack had slipped into a coma, and the doctors weren’t sure if they were going to be able to bring him back.

              Next, she’d left a few messages letting her know that Jack’s health was deteriorating rapidly. They had put him on a ventilator. The doctors were only giving him hours to live. The last two had just been asking her to call as soon as she could. She couldn’t bear for Cadence to hear the news on her voice mail.

              Jack was dead.

                          ***

              Cadence had been so concerned about Aaron and Jamie; she had let Jack slip her mind, something she felt horrible about. It wasn’t until she was on the plane flying home that she realized she needed to check her messages. When she saw that she had eight messages from Taylor, she knew it couldn’t be good. She recognized that there was nothing she could do while they were on the plane, so she may as well give her heart a few more hours without letting it break again. If Jack was gone, she really didn’t want to know right now. She glanced across the rows of seats to the back of the plane where Aaron was fast asleep.  After having almost lost him today, she couldn’t put herself through the trauma off letting go of someone else she loved, not yet. It would have to wait. No matter who else she loved in her life, Jack had been her first and she knew she would always love him.

                            ***

              The tingling started in his shoulder and slowly radiated through his entire body, spreading into his limbs, each finger and toe, his inner organs, even the hairs on his arms felt alive.  He was cognitively aware that the pulsating pain he had been feeling throughout his entire body had finally stopped. Before he even opened his eyes, he knew he felt different. His body felt stronger, more powerful. He felt a new life coursing through his veins and he intended to relish every minute of it.  And he knew exactly whom he was going to spend it with.  She had said she loved him just before she left.  Now, Cadence would be his forever. Nothing, no one could ever stop them from being together. Inhaling deeply into his freshly restored lungs, Jack felt invigorated. His eyes fluttered open, the dim light of the morgue sinking into the steal gray irises, causing them to burn at first, but then they adjusted and he had a new view of the world around him and all the possibilities it contained. Yes, he would find Cadence and she would be his, right after he quenched his insatiable burning in his throat.

End Book 1

Look for
Book 2: Resurrection
coming Summer, 2015

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